Eastern Washington to Lake Louise mid July

[Andy Eads]

Greetings,

My wife and I like to visit waterfalls and the lady would like to travel as far North as Lake Louise. Do any of you have suggestions for things to see and do for an older couple? Thanks!

Andy

[DavidFisk]

The Valley of the Ten Peaks is what you want, just outside Lake Louise. It's a short walk from the car park but worth it, not too strenuous as I recall. It appears on one of Canada's paper currency. A gorgeous view from almost any angle.

[Jerry Bodine]

If you choose to limit your northward travel to Lake Louise, you'd miss a ton of gorgeous scenery driving the highway from Banff to Jasper - it's about 150 miles long. I'd suggest getting maps ahead of time of both Banff N.P. and Jasper N.P. The view of Peyto Lake, with its aqua color caused by glacial silt is an easy walk from parking. Depending on when you make the trip, be mindful that the high point on the highway is high enough that you might encounter some snow. There is a rather nice hotel at that point as well. An assortment of longer focal length lenses will serve you well for the mountain peaks along the way, if that's your interest. I don't recall many waterfalls to be seen.

[cowanw]

Takakkaw Falls, Johnston Canyon are two to see and quite accessable, in the area.

[Greg Y]

Andy, Lots of good suggestions here. Takkakaw Falls is the 2nd highest waterfall in Canada & you pretty much drive to it. Valley of the Ten Peaks used to be on the old $20 bill. Feel free to PM me if you need any detailed info. That's my home stomping grounds.

[Jerry Bodine]

Forgot to mention about Maligne Lake. If you do get to Jasper check out the short drive to this long narrow lake; it's about 18 miles long and there are tour boats that take you from the north end down to the "narrows" where the two shores come close together. From there can be seen several peaks to the south (see the pic at Spirit Island here (http://velvetescape.com/2011/10/the-drive-to-maligne-lake-in-the-canadian-rockies/) - it's a link to a travel promo I grabbed off the net - my scanner is down at the moment to show you my own shots). In 1974 I made a vacation trip to die for with a buddy, a cross-country backpack/climbing adventure for a couple of weeks in this area, going up the Coronet Glacier, then over Valad Peak/Mt. Henry MacLeod/Mt. Brazeau/past Mt. Warren & Monkhead/then Brazeau Icefield down to the lake. The forest on the eastside of the lake came right to the shore but was too dense to get through, so we used the shallow water with a gravel bottom for the last four miles to reach the tour boat dock at the narrows and hitched a boat ride back to the northend boat launch, then back to Jasper to get cleaned up and get a big steak dinner, then hitched a bus ride back south to near where out car was left at the Poboktan Creek trailhead. Canadians were SO accommodating to outdoor folks like us. On the way back south on the Banff-Jasper hwy, we did some more climbing in the peaks to the west of the hwy (Mt. Athabasca, Mt. Andromeda, etc). I can recall nearly every detail of that vacation, but have trouble with things that happened yesterday. Several of the peaks mentioned above are seen in the left half of the Spirit Island pic.

[Bob Sawin]

Eastern Washington covers a large area and without knowing your route I'll suggest a few things worth seeing: Dry Falls, Palouse Falls, Grand Coulee Dam, Steptoe Butte to name a few.

[Andy Eads]

Thanks to all of you for your great suggestions. My wife and I have explored much of Eastern WA so we are interested in the Canadian areas. I really like the idea of going further North and we will explore that option as well. Again, thanks for your help.

Andy

[Kevin Crisp]

Dry Falls is very interesting, I just went there for the first time and have the shirt to prove it.

Morraine Lake, next to Lake Louise, is better than Lake Louise in my opinion.

[Jerry Bodine]

...Morraine Lake, next to Lake Louise, is better than Lake Louise in my opinion.

I agree, but Lake Louise is still pretty nice. The Valley of the Ten Peaks at Morraine Lake is very picturesque. My buddy and I made a trip in the 70's up to the backside of those peaks, but was cut short when he developed back problems (bummer).

I found a better pic of the Maligne Lake view from the "narrows", it shows better the peaks described in my earlier post: Monkhead on the far left, then the twin peaks of Mt. Warren, then Mt. Brazeau; the others are hidden. The Coronet Glacier is in the distance (above the shortest trees on the island) and the very tip of Coronet Mtn, which had a bunch of waterfalls coming down its walls. Most inspiring.

[Leszek Vogt]

Although I haven't been to the area since '87, I echo what Jerry and others say, the whole area Jasper/Banff/L. Louise is worth exploring....and slowing down. I've spend roughly 3 weeks in that area and the hwy to Jasper is still in my memory....snow covered peaks on both sides. I chose to be there (somewhat by default after the Expo in VAN) in Sept-Oct...after the kids went back to school....having the road and the place, in most cases, all to myself :>). It was so peaceful...it was almost like being in Alaska.

Les

[Nathan Potter]

If you get to the Jasper area take a drive up the Mt. Edith Cavel road to the parking lot. From there a short hike to the lake and Angel glacier. The lake usually has some small bergs floating around and the very picturesque glacier still hangs down over the lake although much reduced from my first visit in about 1950.

North on the Yellowhead highway out of Jasper I like the Mt Robson area with various views from the south, especially from the Robson river where it crosses the Yellowhead highway.

Nate Potter

[Ron Marshall]

A short hike to Lake Agnes is pleasant and there is a tea house for lunch:

http://www.lakeagnesteahouse.com