.jpg)
A Couple on Bow Lake
Bow Peak, Bowcrow Peak, and other mountains in the Waputik range stand tall and majestic around the beautiful glacial Bow Lake. Just a short detour from Highway 93 in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, it feels miles from anywhere.
Alberta’s Icefields Parkway has been called one of the most scenic drives in the entire world.
Highway 93, which runs the 233 kilometers (143 miles) between the little hamlet of Lake Louise in Banff National Park and the alpine town of Jasper in the Jasper National Park, runs parallel with North America’s Continental Divide through some of the most stunning scenery you could ever hope for.
It is breathtaking! Even in the rain.
I was disappointed to wake up to grey skies and scattered rain on the day I was set to drive north from Lake Louise. While May weather is predictably unpredictable, the month was almost over, and I’d been lucky on my walk the day before (see: The Bow River Loop).
Driving time – without stops – between the two little settlements is well under two hours. But, it is all through National Parks and the scenery is so stunning, it hard not to stop every few minutes! I had done my homework, and knew I would have no cell phone or wifi for most of the route, so I kept the paper map I had picked up at the Park’s Office. I also knew that the very few available facilities along the road were predominantly closed for off-season: I packed plenty of water and bought myself a picnic lunch before leaving Lake Louise.
Braving the ceaseless rain, I pulled out my umbrella at Mosquito Creek, a mere 20-odd minutes (27 km – 16 mi) after setting off. It was eerily quiet without the crush of visitors who camp or cabin there in summertime.
My second and third stops were soon after: a mere 10.4 km (6.5 mi) and 2 km (1.2 mi) further north, at Bow Lake Viewpoint and The Lodge at Bow Lake, respectively.
Join me for a short section of the Icefields Parkway!
.jpg)
Start of the Highway 93N
The driving itself was easy: the road was in excellent condition, and a lot less twisty than many mountain roads I’ve travelled. The hardest part is not becoming too distracted by the scenery all around. (iPhone12Pro)
.jpg)
A Very Wet Walk
The clouds dropped down and the skies opened up: it was very wet when I got to Mosquito Creek.
Mosquito Creek
It was too wet for any serious walking, but I explored the nearby creek.
Cairns in Mosquito Creek
Islands in the Creek
The cold and crystal clear waters here have raced down from one of the over 100 glaciers in the surrounding mountains.
“Moosequito”
It was very quiet: although the hostel – and the campground on the other side of the creek – are open year round, there didn’t seem to be any guests.
Rain on the Highway
Back on the road, the mountains loom and the rain continues. (iPhone12Pro)
Mountains around Bow Lake
Less than ten minutes later, like magic the clouds lifted and patches of blue sky appeared. (iPhone12Pro)
Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint
There is a small pull-off at the side of the road …
The Weight of Snow
… that allows great views of the Crowfoot Glacier. The still-impressive-but-shrinking glacier, which once had an extra claw making it look like the foot of a bird, is one of the many water sources for the Bow River below.
Bow Lake Viewpoint
My next stop was literally one minute further up the road. There you have clear views over the magnificent Bow Lake. Like other glacial lakes, it is impossibly aqua-blue-green. Fine particles of rock are picked up, ground small, and deposited into the water by slow-moving and melting glaciers. The suspended particles filter the reflected light, giving these lakes their spectacular colours. Crowfoot Mountain stands tall (3055 m – 10023 ft) on the opposite shore.
The Lodge across Bow Lake
The historic Num-Ti-Jah Lodge is dwarfed by Mt Jimmy Simpson ( 2966 m – 9731 ft) behind it.
Bow Lake
To get a closer look, I turned in towards the lodge, where I managed to park along the roadside. Bow Lake is just beautiful from every angle! (iPhone12Pro)
Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga Menziesii
Wild Strawberry – Fragaria Virginiana
I follow a narrow, wet dirt path parallel to the lakeshore; it is slippery and full of tangled tree roots and small plants …
South over Bow Lake
… but the views are glorious …
Waters around Bow Lake
… in every direction.
Shallow Waters
Bridge on Bow Lake
Closer to the lodge, the path improves, and leads over a small bridge.
Location, Location!
What a spot! This 24-guest-room lodge was the dream child of Jimmy Simpson, mountaineer, trapper, and guide, who came to these mountains from Scotland in 1898. Little has changed since Jimmy first opened it to customers in 1922: with no cell-phone or wifi, the Num-Ti-Jah Lodge is truly an escape into nature.
People on the Lake
Time stands still here.
Unfortunately, my time was marching on!
It was already 1 pm, and I had covered less than 40 kilometres (25 miles). If I continued at that pace, I wasn’t going to be reaching Jasper before dark.
Reluctantly, I pressed on – vowing to come back some day.
Until then –
Happy Travels!
Pictures: 29May2023
