Day 2: Lake Louise and Banff

Chances are pretty good you’re already seen Lake Louise as any simple internet search of Banff National Park will pull up pictures of the lake. Best known for its searingly turquoise/blue watercolor Lake Louise is 1.2 miles long and has a max depth of 230 feet. While you technically can swim in the water the temperature rarely breaks 39C …so it probably wouldn’t be for very long. Obviously, our trip caught the tail end of the winter freeze, and as such most of the lake was frozen, although there were some spots where water could be seen seeping through. The incredible color of the water comes from the fine rock dust (produced by glaciers rubbing against bedrock) suspended in the water that reflects the sunlight. A brief discussion about our trust issues with the ice, the numerous signs warning of thin ice, and our ability to manage hypothermia kept us off the lake although there were probably 50 people standing out on the ice when we arrived. The views from the lake are incredible and speak for themselves.

The lake serves as host to the incredible Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel. The hotel opened on June 1, 1888, and was designed by the owner, Canadian Pacific Railway, as a vacation getaway. Originally intended for summer use only the entire facility was winterized in 1982. The hotel boasts 539 rooms and 36000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The city of Banff sits at 4537’ and has a residential population of about 7800 people. We found the city to be clearly geared toward tourism, but clean, friendly, and with no end to the mountain views.

Location: 51°25'0.966" N 116°12'59.058" W , 51°10'40.854" N 115°34'14.988" W

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Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary

My friend Taylor reached out to me in January with the following text, “Sooo, tickets to Banff in May are low right now……” So, we went. Random out of the blue invitations to amazing travel destinations is definitely something I’m almost always down to entertain. We were in Banff Canada from May 19th to the 24th and the next few posts will involve pictures from that trip.

Our first full day in Banff was already planned to be low-key as we weren’t scheduled to land in Canada until about 10p after a full day of travel. After a few delays, we didn’t arrive at our Airbnb in Canmore until about 3 am. So it was good that we could just wake up whenever on Friday. When we first looked at doing this trip there was definitely one thing I absolutely wanted to do and that was to visit the Yamnuska Wolf Dog Sanctuary about halfway between Calgary and Canmore. It meant we had to backtrack a bit but we didn’t mind since it was pitch black on the way up and this gave us our first glimpse of the mountains.

The sanctuary was created in 2011 to provide public awareness and education about Wolfdogs. The Sanctuary came to be after the founder got her first Wolfdog and came to realize the special needs and challenges that raising and caring for such an animal would entail. The sanctuary rescues Wolfdogs from ill-prepared or dangerous breeding situations or individuals who obtained one thinking it would be like owning any other dog. Many of the Wolfdogs were not treated well and tend to be very wary of human interaction. For this reason, most of the rules, and the safety releases we signed, are positioned far more for the comfort and well-being of the animals than for the humans allowed into their enclosures. A couple of photos seem to show a menacing appearance in the Wolfdogs, but it’s really just a moment in time. The animals were, as advertised, timid, shy, curious and very calm. I cannot overstate the beautiful nature of these animals and if you find yourself anywhere near the sanctuary I highly encourage you to go check it out.

The Sanctuary relies on various forms of income but also heavily on private donations. If you would like to donate follow this link: Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary Donations

Location: 51°14'11.004" N 114°37'40.608" W

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The Red Fox

As fate would have it, I had the opportunity to take a short road trip from Phoenix to Colorado Springs recently with my amazing friend Taylor (@oh.hey.its.tay). On the way we stopped in Telluride as neither of us had been there before and thought a night in the mountains might be a good time. It did not disappoint. The views were amazing of course but perhaps the most unexpected moment was when this Red Fox crossed our path. I would like to say that I noticed it from afar and stealthily stalked it to a grove of tree’s where I managed to snap this photo……..but the truth is I wasn’t doing anything stealthily at 8700 feet sounding like a wounded water buffalo just trying to walk in the snow. Taylor was the one that noticed it and gave me the chance to get this shot. For my wildlife/conservationist friends I would point out that I shot this at 200mm from about 20 feet and for the most part left the little guy undisturbed……..although I did say “hey buddy” once at which point he looked directly at the lens.

HUGE THANKS TO THE LIFT OPERATORS AND STAFF AT TELLURIDE SKI RESORT WHO PROVIDED A FREE GONDOLA RIDE TO THE TOP AND THEN ALLOWED US TO RUN AROUND, UNINHIBITED, FOR A COUPLE HOURS WHILE TAKING PHOTOS.

Location: 37°55'50.934" N 107°49'58.806" W

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Sleepy

Bessie recently came back for a visit allowing me a chance to babysit her Baxter and Hercules. Safe to say that by the time this photo was taken even Bessie was worn out with all the playing and was ready for a nap.

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Bessie

We had the distinct pleasure of hosting little Bessie this past weekend. A new puppy of Chelsea’s parents, Bessie is ridiculously adorable and a complete joy to spend time with. Bessie met her older nephews, splashed around in the water bowl (until we found her a pool to play in) and had fun exploring the house. 

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