Lake Louise, Alberta’s Best View
Canadian Rockies and Victoria Glacier Reflect in a Mountain Lake
Sep 5, 2007
Lake Louise is both a lake and a town. The small town provides dining and lodging options for travelers, as well as basic services. The Lake Louise that most people picture is the stunning milky green lake itself, tops on the must-see list for visitors to the province of Alberta.
The famed Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Resort sits grandly at the head of Lake Louise, as though it were guarding its pristine waters. One of the many pleasures of staying at this elegant grand hotel is the ability to watch the rising sunlight reflected from the peaks of mountains and expanse of glacier. It is breathtaking to stand on the shore, or even at a hotel window and watch mountain, glacier and blue sky change color as they are reflected in the mirror-smooth surface of the lake.
The park-like grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise are open to the public, and a prime destination for visitors to have a first look at this stunning lake. More than a mile away, at the far end, flowing down the valley between Fairview Mountain and Whyte Mountain, is the massive Victoria Glacier. Its white top hints at the massive size of glacier that controls the top of the mountain, but it is only the forward edge of the huge expanse of ice beyond. As the edge nears the lake, it takes on the color of the rock rubble that it has wrenched from the mountainsides, before ending in a broad delta of stone and gravel – glacial moraine -- as it reaches the lake.
The cold waters from its melt carry with them the rock dust from the constant grinding of surrounding bedrock as the massive weight of the ice moves forward. When these dust-laden waters gather in the lake, they turn its waters a translucent, chalky emerald green.
Cold and deep, the lake can quickly change character. Cold winds from the glacier can whip the water into choppy waves, but at other times it can seem like a mirror, reflecting the sharp angles and colors of the shoreline.
A canoe rental facility at the head of the lake provides canoes and gear for a paddle to the far end. Rates are reasonable and the ride is unforgettable, with new views of the chateau, glacier and mountainsides opening up at each paddle stroke. Romantic canoists have even been known to sing Rose Marie or Canadian Love Call to their partners while paddling. In calm weather the trip is an easy one but a wind can make it a bit more challenging with headwinds and cross currents.
On one side, sheer rocky cliffs supporting a few hardy trees fall almost directly into the lake, while on the other side a steep wooded slope rises to a bald sugarloaf mountain
Brewster Stables, close to the hotel parking area, offers another way to experience the lake and its scenery. Horseback expeditions leave on a regular schedule of guided tours. The most popular route leads along the wooded shore of Lake Louise. At the far end of the trail, riders splash into the cold water of the lake inlet, through the waters melting from the glacier overhead.
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