In which Moominmama seeks out more glaciers and avoids bears...

Lake Louise was originally called the Lake of Little Fishes by the area's first inhabitants because the cold, slightly cloudy water did not provide much of a catch.

The water's green hue led the first western visitors to name it Emerald Lake, until the region's Governor General,  a British appointee, renamed it after his wife Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. The Queen in the meantime lent her name to the glacier that overhangs the lake. "So the Queen is still looking out for her daughter," said our bus driver, who offered tissues to anyone moved to tears.

The hiking trails around Lake Louise have a touch of the Swiss Alps to them. Swiss mountain guides were brought here by the Canadian Pacific Railway at the turn of the century when they realized the tourism potential of the area newly accessible by transcontinental rail. And the Swiss built not only trails but two chalet-style teahouses in the mountains above the lake.

It's a remarkable thing to toil several miles up a mountain path and enjoy a civilized tea in the middle of the wilderness! Getting supplies up to these teahouses is done on horseback and with an extremely fit young staff who trek up to work each day. Visitors are invited to take a kitchen bag of trash back down to lighten the workload at the end of the day. 

Moominmama was drawn to Lake Louise by the glaciers and the promise of a hike called the Plain of Six Glaciers that follows the path of the retreating giants. The hike starts along the lake, with a short boardwalk over the watery and silt-laden flats at the far end.

The path then travels up the moraines and along the south-facing side of the glacial canyon about 2,000 feet up to the wall below Victoria Glacier. Old photos show hikers exploring glacial caves up this canyon but those are long gone.

At the end of the lake, the trail moves into the woods, eventually hitting an area with wildflowers and stunted trees that thrive despite a short growing season. There was a narrow rock ledge to cross with a steep drop below.

The teahouse is located about a mile shy of the top,  before you get above tree line. I pushed on up and did my visit to the teahouse on the way back.

That meant heading through more of the small trees until the trail turns to rocky scrabble as Moominmama walked up the crest of one of the moraines. The smaller the stones, the harder it is to climb as they slide out from under one's feet. I was very glad to have my hiking pole on the desolate terrain.

And then the view! Not only can you see down the entire canyon and its side canyons carved all the way down to the lake, you can see the last tongue of glacial ice coming off the side of the Victoria Glacier. Spectacular and worth the effort!

But Lake Louise is much like Yosemite Valley. No one lives here unless they also work here. It's completely designed around ferrying tourists to the sights.

Having exhausted myself on a rented mountain bike peddling to the lake the day before, I was glad I took the shuttle bus for my hiking expedition.

And it allowed me to visit another mountain lake, Moraine Lake, on my way back. The color is very different as there's less "rock flour" in the water, allowing it to reflect the deep blue of a classic glacial lake (see photo at the bottom). With my eyeballs full of amazing sights, I returned to my campground -- and collapsed into bed! 

One of the interesting elements of life around here are the bears. There are a lot of them despite the heavy human presence. Certain trails are off limits right now because it's berry season. The area where people are allowed to set up tents has an electric fence around it. 

Where I am staying, designated for hard-shell RVs and trailers, we are forbidden to leave out anything that might attract a bear, and must shut all windows and doors to prevent intrusions when we're gone. A mangled cooler near the front entrance has a sign: Coolers are not bear-proof!

There are both grizzly and black bears, but Moominmama saw only black bears -- and in fact had to walk my mountain bike past one that was eating something very tasty on the hillside above me. Bear took a quick look at me and turned back to the food. Forgive me for not stopping to take a photo!

I have two more days to explore Banff National Park, of which Lake Louise is just one part. For context, I've added a photo after Moraine Lake to show Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier from the opposite peak at the ski area. 

Soon, I leave Bear Country -- trading the Plain of the Glaciers for the Plains of Saskatchewan. When I write next, I should be in Manitoba and reconnecting with some friends I made at the Altoiste gathering on Vancouver Island!

Moraine Lake above. Long view toward Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier below.