Rocky Mountain Road Trip 2021 – Yoho, Lake Louise and Canmore

Lake O’Hara Hiking || Valemount and Clearwater.

Summary;
For this year, with the limited travel and since we always wanted to, we booked a hike to the Burgess Shale. This got cancelled due to low air quality brought on by the BC Wildfires. We took advantage of low tourist numbers and spent some time in Lake Louise. Also, we were able to book two nights in Lake O’hara Lodge due to a cancellation to do three days of hiking. We then checked out the Valemount Bike park and the nice network at Candle Creek in Clearwater.

Part 1 – Burgess Shale, Lake Louise, Golden and Canmore.

We loaded up the TWAT and headed out, our first night we camped at the Wapta Falls Rec Site off Beaverfoot FSR, Wild Water Adventures Riverbase turnoff. The next day we drove to Monarch campsite near Field and were easily able to get a site. Next time check out Kickinghorse campsite just up the road and try to get a site close to the river so you don’t get to hear the trucks and trains all night.

We then went to Golden and rode with Brian Cole on the Mountain Shadow trails. Fun, worth a ride for sure. We were then to do our Burgess Shale hike only to find out that morning it was cancelled. So we did a hike to Takakaaw falls, and Yoho Lake, which is on the way to the Burgess Shale site. Once done we went back to camp, got on the bikes and did a short out and back ride on the Great Divide trail from Lake Louise towards Lake O’hara parking lot. This is the old Hwy and a XC ski trail in Winter. The next day we had reserved a site at the campsite in Lake Louise, we were in LoopA. Not bad. We drove to the Chateau early for breakfast and to get a parking spot… after breakfast we rode the Ross Lake loop which included what we rode the day before. After the ride we did a short hike then treated ourself to Afternoon Tea in the Chateau since why not.

The next day we did the out and back on the Moraine Highline trail. Always a classic. We rode all the way out, but on the way back we rode the road part way then hiked up to the trail for the descent all the way back down.

Since we had to wait two days until our Lake O’Hara Reservation we went to Canmore to hang out with Greg and Charlene. Day one we did a ride in the Horseshoe trails, after which Charlene and I did a tour du Taps ( Sheepdog Brewing, The Grizzly Paw, Canmore Brewing) and Lee and Greg did a bit longer ride then fixed Lee’s bike.

Day two we were going to do a big ride but got smoked out… So we ate breakfast at One98Eight at Dead Mans Flat. SO GOOD. Then the smoke cleared and we were able to do a short ride on Prospector.

Then it was off to Lake O’Hara.

Smoky Rogers Pass