Hi steemians, I'm back from my latest adventure!
Moraine Lake, AB
My fiance, Cody, and I spent a total of 70 hours on the road this last month, but the views and memories we made along the way were well worth it! We had planned this trip about three months out in order to reserve campsites in some of the more popular places. I want to take you along our route and maybe even persuade you to take your own trip to these amazing destinations! (Or at least add them to your bucket list).
First stop:
Lake Tahoe, CA
My first trip to the iconic blue waters of Lake Tahoe was fourth of July earlier this year, but man I was excited to be back in the area again. Our few nights there consisted of hiking and mountain biking trails around the lake. We used an app called the MTB Project where we easily downloaded trail maps allowing us to take off into the Tahoe wilderness.
After long mornings of biking, we would evade the heat and swim in the refreshing lake. If you want to learn more about Lake Tahoe and some surrounding hikes, check out my earlier post!
McCall, ID
One lake town after the next we found ourselves in a less crowded, yet just as breathtaking, destination.
We road our bikes the 8 miles into downtown McCall and walked through the cute shops and beachfront before heading back to catch what would be the most colorful sunset of the trip.
The St. Mary River, BC
By now we had been camping and on the road for 6 days and were definitely in need of a good shower. We lucked out in booking the last vacancy at St. Mary's River B&B.
This was such an amazing find as we were right off the St. Mary River and surrounded by wildlife. The hosts were so kind and gave us guidance and hiking recommendations for our next stops, and the other guests we met kindly shared their traveling stories with us. I love opportunities to meet new people and share new outlooks and would highly recommend any travelers through BC to book through St. Mary's as well.
Banff National Park, AB
One week in we made it to our very anticipated destination, Banff. The next five days were so full of stunning views and majestic wildlife that it is impossible to encapture the entirety of the awe-inspiring experience through a few pictures, but I will share what I have.
Lake Louise
After setting up our campsite in Banff, Cody and I went to the beautiful turquoise lake that we had heard so much about. Lake Louise definitely lived up to the hype! Maneuvering through tourists we found a quieter spot on the rocks to sit back and attempt to take it all in.
The area around Lake Louise offers plenty of hikes as well as the opportunity to canoe the radiant waters (expensive rates). We chose one of the trails and set foot to hike to Mirror Lake, only a few kilometers away.
After gaining some elevation on the trail, the trees opened for a view of Lake Louise from higher grounds.
Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake was the coldest water I have ever tried swimming in (I only made it halfway in). But the water was a beautiful blue and the weather was warm and it was well worth the hike!
We ended our day in downtown Banff, it was flooded with tourists and there seemed to be endless souvenir shops. We like to grab coffee mugs from the places we visit, they're better than uncomfortable T-shirts in my opinion. Shortly after finding a cool Banff mug, I warned Cody of the hangry mood I could feel approaching and we quickly found a restaurant and distillery, Park. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was so upbeat that we stayed and enjoyed drinks on the patio after our meal. (The perfect spot to people watch)
We ended up eating out more than we had anticipated because just about every stop on our journey had a fire ban in effect. The smoke also prohibited us from mountain biking as much as we would of liked to.
We didn't let the smoke ruin good ole camping s'mores though, as we often toasted our marshmallows over a propane flame. It was still pretty sad to see the horizons clouded with smoke with the surplus of forest fires this year.
Moraine Lake
I didn't think a lake could impress me more than Lake Louise had, but I was wrong. Moraine Lake instantly became my favorite part of the trip!
A smaller parking lot limited the number of tourists who could visit the lake at a given time, which enhanced the experience as well. With less people, Cody and I more easily found a nice spot to sit and admire the view.
I simply cannot capture every amazing moment and adventure that took place in Canada, but I will post a few more photos for you to enjoy!
Two Jack Lake
We had a black bear run out in front of our car right after this! So many beautiful wildlife encounters. (We carried bear spray on us, thankfully we never had to use it).
Johnson Lake
Bow River
After five adventurous filled days, we had to make it to our next reservation, so we headed back to the states!
Glacier National Park, MT
From swimming in the crystal clear lakes to hiking the majestic mountains, Glacier was absolutely amazing. We even came across patches of snow on our hike, which we were excited to see being it was nearly mid August. The thing I loved most about Glacier was the abundancy of wildflowers! Being back in the states wasn't so bad after all.
Lake McDonald
We spent the rest of our time in Glacier at Lake McDonald, where the colorful rock bottom is easily visible through the clear glacier waters.
Time slipped away as Cody and I searched for the coolest rocks. As daylight ceased, we headed into Columbia Falls in search of filling our appetite. We came across MudMan Burgers which is a not-for-profit restaurant that donates all proceeds to international and domestic children's programs. Not only was the burger super filling, but the atmosphere and the greater purpose behind our purchase resonated with me enough to encourage any of you to visit MudMan Burgers if you ever get the chance!
Yellowstone National Park, WY
Though this was our final destination, we had no time to be sad with so much to do and see. After setting up camp on the Madison River in the West side of Yellowstone, we watched the sunset on some of the geysers and thermal pools in the park. Our next few days were full of hiking and sightseeing all that we could in our remaining time!
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
Hike to the Brink of Upper Falls (Sideways panoramic as I attempted to capture both the river and the waterfall).
Lookout of Upper Falls
Grand Prismatic
We took a new trail and hiked in to get an aerial view of the largest hot springs in the United States! (Third largest in the world). The shear size of the Grand Prismatic is humbling, but combined with its radiant colors, it is mesmerizing!
And of course we went to Old Faithful, but we watched it erupt at night to beat the tourists that crowd the sidewalks during the day.
Those few weeks of camping, hiking and being on the road turned into some of my fondest memories. What an unbelievable end to such an amazing summer! I hope you all had an adventurous, soul reviving endeavor to carry you through the rest of 2017!
Leave a comment below with some of your fondest outdoor experiences!
As always,
along for more adventures!