Friday, July 17, 2009

Wandering in the Valley of the 10 Peaks


Concealed in the Valley of the 10 Peaks is Moraine Lake. It is a glacial lake like Lake Louise, yet it is even prettier. Lake Louise has world wide fame and a wonderful old railroad hotel, The Chateau Lake Louise; Moraine Lake has more beauty and fewer visitations. It’s nestled in a narrow valley amid 10 huge mountains decorated with glaciers. At the far end of the valley is a cascade which feeds the turquoise waters. Walking the path around the lake you are treated to thick forests dotted with colorful wildflowers. There are folks canoeing in the clear water, just adding a picturesque flair to the landscape.

In the afternoon, I decided it was time to learn more about the wildflowers so I bought 3 books: “Alpine Beauty” by Neil L. Jennings, “Wildflowers of the Rocky Mountains” by George W. Scotter and Halle Flygare, and a beautiful book of photographs and prose titled “Wild Colours: Canada’s Rocky Mountain Wildflowers” by Paul Gilbert and Kathryn Graham. Once back in the RV I started to identify all the flowers I’ve taken pictures of the past few days. I’ve identified most of them and I’ve learned so much.

Yellow Columbine


The locals say that Banff stands for “Be Aware, Nothing For Free.” With that in mind, I found a FREE wifi connection at Lake Louise, at the Chateau no less! There is a small catch--you need to belong to Fairmont’s President’s Club. So far we have found that Safeway and Bruno’s Pub in Banff have free wifi, and the Chateau, in Lake Louise. I wonder what we will find in Jasper (which is our next stop)?

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