After visiting Emerald Lake our bus took us to Lake Louise just across the provincial border in Alberta. The colour of the water here was very much the same shade of emerald. This unique colour is due to the reflection of light from the rock flour sediment particles suspended in the water.
We had about an hour to roam around, have our lunch, use the washroom and dash back to the bus. It was quite crowded with parking available for cars quite some distance away. Luckily we were in a bus which could get nearby parking. At the lake shore we went for a trek up a trail to the Fairmont View Point from where we got an excellent bird’s eye view of the lake and the Fairmont Chateau from an elevation. We had to rush down to get back to the bus in time. We had our packed picnic lunch at the trail side, sitting on a rock under a cedar tree, keeping one eye open for prowling bears.
Lake Louise is supposed to be the most photographed lake in the world. It is surrounded by mountain peaks in a heavily forested valley. Being a beautiful site of natural wonder has its own drawbacks in that it attracts such huge crowds from all over the world. Finding parking is big problem during daylight hours unless you come before 8 am or after 3 pm. Bus tours get preference to the parking lots nearby. If you are staying at the Lake Louise Village or at Banff it is advisable to come by the shuttles or Roam Transits.
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