BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 117

MM Moraine Lake
Although less than half the size of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake is just as spectacular and
worthy of just as much film. It is up a winding road 13 kilometers (eight miles) off Lake
Louise Drive. Its rugged setting, nestled in the Valley of the Ten Peaks among the towering
mountains of the main ranges, has provided inspiration for millions of people from around
the world since Walter Wilcox became the first white man to reach its shore in 1899. Wil-
cox's subsequent writings, such as “no scene has given me an equal impression of inspiring
solitude and rugged grandeur,” guaranteed the lake's future popularity. Although Wilcox
was a knowledgeable man, he named the lake on the assumption that it was dammed by
a glacial moraine deposited by the retreating Wenkchemna Glacier. In fact, the large rock
pile that blocks its waters was deposited by major rockfalls from the Tower of Babel to the
south. The lake often remains frozen until June, and the access road is closed all winter. A
trail leads along the lake's northern shore, and canoes are rented for $30 per hour from the
concession below Moraine Lake Lodge.
Sightseeing Gondola
During summer, the main ski lift at the Lake Louise winter resort (403/522-3555 or 877/
253-6888, www.skilouise.com ) whisks visitors up the face of Mount Whitehorn to White-
horn Lodge in either open chairs or enclosed gondola cars. The view from the top—at an
altitude of more than two kilometers (1.2 miles) above sea level, across the Bow Valley,
Lake Louise, and the Continental Divide—is among the most spectacular in the Canadian
Rockies. Short trails lead through the forests, across open meadows, and, for the energet-
ic, to the summit of Mount Whitehorn, more than 600 vertical meters (1,970 vertical feet)
above. Visitors are free to walk these trails, but it pays to join a guided walk if you'd like
to learn about the surrounding environment. After working up an appetite (and working
off breakfast), head to the teahouse in the Whitehorn Lodge, try the outdoor barbecue, or,
back at the base area, enjoy lunch at the Lodge of the Ten Peaks, the resort's impressive
post-and-beam day lodge. The lift operates 9am-4pm daily May-September, with extended
summer hours of 9am-5pm, adult $28, child $14. Ride-and-dine packages are an excellent
deal. Pay an extra $2 per person and have a buffet breakfast (8am-11am) included with
the gondola ride or $7 extra for the buffet lunch (11:30am-2:30pm). Free shuttles run from
Lake Louise accommodations to the day lodge.