COMING SOON
In August, I visited Alberta, CA for just over a week with my dad and sisters.
Calgary (part 1)
My dad (who we will call J), younger sister (lets call her O), and I arrived in Calgary on Thursday at noon. My older sister (aka E) had to arrive a couple days later (Saturday) due to her work schedule. So we decided to kill the time by exploring Calgary.
After leaving the airport, we grabbed lunch at a random restaurant and headed for The Hangar Flight Museum, and by “we”, I mean me, since neither J or O wanted to go.
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Then, after checking into the hotel, we took a small break before heading to the Bow River. We found a great lookout point that also gave us enough exercise for the rest of the day (and a good warmup for the hikes throughout Banff and Jasper).
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Our next stop was the Peace Bridge going over the Bow River.
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Lastly, we went downtown to Stephen Ave. We grabbed dinner and walked around, stopping briefly at the Calgary Tower to marvel at its (lack of) height (no offense, but I live in Toronto next to the almost 3x taller CN Tower, so there was a high (literally) bar to meet).
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Banff (part 1)
Bow Falls
Cave and Basin
Downtown
Cascade of Time Garden
Icefield Parkway, Northbound
Saturday morning, we picked up E from the airport and headed straight to the Icefield Parkway.
Bow Lake
Our first stop was Bow Lake.
Peyto Lake
Our second stop was the very popular Peyto Lake
Athabasca Falls
Our last stop was Athabasca Falls, right outside of Jasper.
Jasper National Park
Note: in 2024, Jasper faced a devastating wildfire. The effects are clearly seen in many pictures you will see here
Note Note: starting from Jasper, E and I were on a quest to locate and get pictures in as many of the Red Adirondack Chairs placed throughout the country by Parks Canada.
Jasper Skytram + Whistler’s Mountain
Our first stop was the Jasper Skytram, which brings you 2200m up Whistlers Mountain. You get a great view of Jasper and the surrounding mountain ranges.
Pyramid Lake
The Pyramid Lake area has multiple beaches along the shore, an easy hiking trail (with red chairs!) overlooking the lake, and a little island accessible by a bridge that puts you in the middle of it all.
Old Fort
This hike opened up incredible views of Athabasca River and the surrounding Jasper area. The first part of the hike has almost no tree coverage and is a brutal uphill, but as you approach the chairs, it gets easier. We treated ourselves to a dunk in the icy cold river after.
Maligne Lookout, 2024 Jasper Wildfire
Maligne Canyon used to home one of the most iconic hikes in Jasper. However, due to the Jasper Wildfire in 2024, the trail had to be shut down for repairs. This location is still a great viewpoint and really shows the extent of the damage.
Stargazing
Jasper is the second largest Dark-Sky Preserve in the world, making it the perfect place for stargazing.
Red Chairs
- Pyramid Lake Lookout: difficulty 2/10
- Old Fort Lookout: difficulty 7/10
Icefield Parkway, Southbound
Columbia Icefield Skywalk
The Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre offers glacier tours and a trip on their skybridge. However, we only participated in the skywalk due to time constraints (and lack of appropriate clothing). The skywalk puts you inside Sunwapta Valley, giving great views of glaciers, waterfalls, and wildlife.
Parker Ridge Trail
This long and winding trail is a great spot to take a break during the Icefield Parkway drive. Upon reaching the top, you’ll find expansive mountain snow caps (and the border between Alberta and BC).
Red Chairs
- Silverhorn Creek Campground: difficulty 1/10
Banff (part 2)
Cave and Basin (again)
We got here 5 minutes before closing for the sole purpose of getting a picture with the chairs.
Gondola
Our next stop was the Banff Gondola, which brings you to the peak of Sulpher Mountain. We were very lucky to find parking at the base of the lift (against all recommendations), and get tickets for the next time slot upon walking in.
Lake Louise
The next day, we got up early to visit perhaps Banff’s biggest attraction: Lake Louise. We were, again, extremely lucky to find parking near the lake (against all recommendations and warnings). It was truly a sight to behold.
Lake Agnes Tea House
This popular attraction near Lake Louise lies 3.5km away next to Lake Agnes. Since we went during the peak season, there was quite a wait to sit down, but the vibes (and satisfaction of knowing you’ve earned it) make it all worth the hike and wait.
Lake Minnewanka
This highly underrated location housed 3 sets of red chairs and many different beaches. Compared to the other popular lakes in the Banff area, this lake was just as beautiful and with a fraction of the traffic.
Red Chairs
- Cave and Basin: difficulty 1/10
- Sulpher Mountain: difficulty 3/10
- Cascade Ponds Picnic Area: difficulty 1/10
- Lake Minnewanka Picnic Area: difficulty 1/10
- Two Jack Lake Picnic Area: difficulty 1/10