“No scene has ever given me an equal impression of inspiring solitude and rugged grandeur. I stood on a great stone of the moraine where, from a slight elevation, a magnificent view of the lake lay before me, and while studying the details of this unknown and unvisited spot, spent the happiest half-hour of my life.” – Walter Wilcox, 1905, six years after “discovering” Moraine Lake with Ross Peacock.
The morning of July 23, 2013 was totally overcast, almost foggy at Lake Louise Village. SPHP had decided to return for more exploration of the Moraine Lake area with Lupe, but the day didn’t look very promising. Moraine Lake was only 14 km away from the turn off the road to Lake Louise. Half-way there, Lupe and SPHP drove out of the gloom and into brilliant sunshine.
The inspiring solitude Walter Wilcox experienced at Moraine Lake in 1905 is long gone. Now crowds swarm over the rock pile at the E end of Moraine Lake just across the outlet stream. On summer days the large parking lot fills quickly with cars, and they then line the road for long distances. Buses bring more people. It was still early when Lupe and SPHP arrived. Early enough so there were still plenty of places to park in the parking lot, although they were going fast.
Lupe and SPHP took the very short Rock Loop trail leading up to the top of the “rock pile” from which Walter Wilcox had viewed the lake. Hordes of tourists were already there. Although the inspiring solitude is history, the rugged grandeur remains. The striking colorful beauty of the waters of Moraine Lake beyond which lay towering peaks of the Valley of Ten Peaks didn’t even look real. The whole scene looked like a fake impossibly beautiful postcard – but it was all real.
After visiting the Rock Pile, Lupe and SPHP took the 1.1 km Moraine Lake Lakeshore Trail. The Lakeshore Trail goes along the forested shore on the right side of the photos above to the far end of the lake.
On the previous day, Lupe and SPHP had gone up to see Eiffel Lake and the upper end of the Valley of Ten Peaks. However, Lupe and SPHP had not yet been on the 3 km long Consolation Lakes trail which starts just below the Rock Pile at Moraine Lake.
Due to recent grizzly bear activity in the area there was a requirement that people hiking all these trails stay in groups of at least 4 or face a $5,000 fine. Lupe and SPHP waited at the start of the Consolation Lakes trail for a likely group to join. Although far fewer people were interested in seeing Consolation Lakes than Moraine Lake, it didn’t take long before SPHP and Lupe were on the way as part of a large group of kids led by a couple of adults.
The trek to Consolation Lakes was through a forest virtually all the way, so there weren’t really any big views. The trail was broad and easy to follow. It gained elevation at a slow to moderate pace. Approaching Lower Consolation Lake, the forest gave way to a broad flat valley of meadows through which a stream flowed. The meadows ended at a large boulder field which had to be traversed to get to the shore of the lake. Lupe and SPHP went boulder-hopping and wound up sitting on a boulder at the water’s edge relaxing.
Lupe and SPHP stayed there at the edge of Lower Consolation Lake for quite a long while. There were plenty of people around, but not nearly so many as back at Moraine Lake. Upper Consolation Lake, which is slightly smaller, was just out of sight beyond Lower Consolation Lake. Every 15 or 20 minutes or so the rumbling roar of a large snowfall could be heard from a valley to the right beyond Lower Consolation Lake. That valley was also out of sight, but seemed to be in front of and to the W (right) of Bident and Quadra Mountains.
Unfortunately, the trail did not extend past the boulder field at the N end of Lower Consolation Lake. SPHP thought it would be great fun for Lupe to explore over to Upper Consolation Lake, from which the source of the rumblings could probably be seen. (According to maps, likely snow falling off glaciers on Mt. Fay.) No one else seemed to be interested in heading over there, however. With the minimum 4 in a group rule in effect due to grizzly bears, Lupe and SPHP could not go over there alone.
The return to Moraine Lake was uneventful. After eating dinner at a picnic ground along the Bow Parkway and spending a little time at Lake Louise Village, Lupe and SPHP went to Lake Louise. SPHP sat on a bench with Lupe and wrote postcards. A low-flying helicopter flew directly overhead and got Lupe all excited. The helicopter hovered for a little while over the far end of the lake.
As the sun disappeared over the mountains and light was beginning to fade, Lupe and SPHP took the Lakeshore Trail to the far end of Lake Louise. The helicopter was long gone. No one was around. Lupe sniffed the air and trotted happily along the trail like she always does. The lake was smooth as glass in the stillness of the evening. By the time Lupe returned, Chateau Lake Louise was all lit up.
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