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Welcome to our first Rockies newsletter. Those of you who were supposed to come with us in 2020 may recognize some of the information.
Please do not forget to submit the AMC required forms by April 1st. These can be found HERE. There are several, so don't wait too long to finish them. These can be emailed to us (preferred), uploaded to DropBox or mailed to us via snail mail.
This month's newsletter will focus on our accommodations in Lake Louise, two hike options at Moraine Lake (in Lake Louise) and some important reminders. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Wyatt, Stacia and John
Accommodations Highlight: The Lake Louise Inn
Accommodations Highlight: The Lake Louise Inn
The Lake Louise Inn will be our home for the first three nights of the trip. The Inn has three restaurants on-site, a heated indoor pool and jacuzzi, a gym, games room, and free bike rentals and internet. We will be staying in condos (see below) that come with fully equipped kitchens, which will allow us to make our own lunches each day. We will eat breakfast in the mornings at Legends, one of their in-house restaurants. One dinner will be a barbeque in their outdoor gazebo while another will be either at Legends or the Timberwolf Pizza and Pasta Cafe.
One bedroom condo
1 queen bed in bedroom1 queen murphy bed in living room & 1 sofa bunk in living roomKitchenette with stove, toaster oven, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and toaster4-piece bathroom on main levelLiving room with electric fireplaceSmall dining area with table and chairs
One bedroom with loft
1 single over double bunk in bedroom1 queen murphy bed in living room1 queen bed and 1 single trundle bed in loftKitchen with stove, toaster oven, fridge, dishwasher, microwave and toasterOne bathroom on main levelOne bathroom on loft levelLiving room with electric fireplaceSmall dining area with table and chairs
Featured Hike ONE: Moraine Lake and the Larch Valley to Sentinel Pass (HARDER)
Featured Hike ONE: Moraine Lake and the Larch Valley to Sentinel Pass (HARDER)
Moraine Lake sits in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. It is stunning and iconic. When we arrive we will spend some time ascending a high pile of boulders to take pictures of the lake from above. See views below from this spot. Then we will hike up to Sentinel Pass via the Larch Valley. When we get to the Minnestimma Lakes people can decide whether to make the steep ascent to the top of Sentinel Pass or wait for the group down below. The entire hike (including Sentinel Pass) is 7 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2,598 feet. However, the initial elevation gain is done via switchbacks up to the Larch Valley.
The top left picture was taken when Stacia was 7.5 months pregnant with Noah, and the bottom one was taken in 2015 on the last AMC family trip.
Moraine Lake is one of the most stunning lakes in all of the Canadian Rockies. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 1,884 meters (6,181 feet). Yes, it is that beautiful!
The trailhead for Sentinel Pass is located along the northwest shore of Moraine Lake and follows the Larch Valley Trail as it ascends through trees above the lake’s northwestern shore. Shortly after passing the junction with the trail to Eiffel Lake the trees give way to meadows with panoramic views of the ten peaks, all over 10,000-ft., soaring above the south side of the valley.
As you climb the trail briefly reenters a grove of beautiful larch trees before emerging on the lovely meadows of the Larch Valley. Ahead views open to Eiffel Peak (10,116-ft.) and Pinnacle Mountain (10,060-ft.) towering above the west side of the Larch Valley. Mount Temple (11,621-ft.) rises to the east. Sentinel Pass is now visible on the ridge between Mount Temple and Pinnacle Mountain.
As the ascent continues views open to the Minnestimma Lakes, two small ponds nestles in the meadows below the pass. Beyond the second lake the trail climbs steeply up scree covered slopes to the windswept pass. From the pass enjoy more breathtaking views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. To the north vistas extend to the high summits lining the northwest side of exquisite Paradise Valley, another gem in the Banff National Park jewel box. The spires and rugged slopes of the Pinnacle and Temple massifs line the steep valley below the north side of the pass.
Featured Hike TWO: Moraine Lake and CONSOLATION LAKEs (EASIER)
Featured Hike TWO: Moraine Lake and CONSOLATION LAKEs (EASIER)
The hike to Consolation Lakes is 4.7 miles round trip and relatively flat - it is very family friendly. This path is well-maintained and the scenery is excellent as you hike below the Tower of Babel on your right and then through a boulder field that leads to a pleasant forest walk. The landscape opens as you approach Lower Consolation Lake. Many people stop here, however you can continue to Upper Consolation Lake via either side of the lake. For kids who love to boulder hop, it's tons of fun!
Noah Biel navigating the many boulders on the trail to Consolation Lake.
Reminders
Reminders
Please remember the following important things:
Balance of fees due by March 1, 2022. Please make your check out the Appalachian Mountain Club and mail it to 176 Dothan Street, Winchester, MA 01890.
Although there is no deadline for booking your flight, please try and do this sooner than later and send a copy of the itinerary to us. We will fly in and out of Calgary International Airport (YYC). Since we still need to drive 2 hours to Lake Louise upon landing, and it will take a while to sort out rental cars, please be prepared to take an early morning flight out or come in the night before and stay close to the airport. There are several airlines that have early flights from the East Coast that get into Calgary between 12:45 and 2:00 PM. We’d like to ensure everyone is there by 2:30 PM at the latest. Airlines include American, Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Air Canada, which codeshares with United.
The trip is now 4 months away, so if you haven't been doing any hiking, please try and get out as much as possible between now and the trip. Since everyone lives fairly close, relatively speaking, we will try and have a group pre-hike somewhere centrally locally in April or May. More details in March, and we hope you can join us!
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