{"id":1590,"date":"2015-09-01T08:10:59","date_gmt":"2015-09-01T14:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=1590"},"modified":"2019-03-16T11:09:32","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T17:09:32","slug":"bow-lake-the-trail-to-bow-glacier-falls-banff-national-park-canada-7-25-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=1590","title":{"rendered":"Bow Lake & the Trail to Bow Glacier Falls, Banff National Park, Canada (7-25-13)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bow Lake is located on the W side of the spectacular Icefields Parkway Hwy No. 93 in Banff National Park\u00a0roughly 22 miles N of the junction with Trans-Canada Hwy No. 1.\u00a0 Bow Lake is clearly visible from the Icefields Parkway which goes right past the E shore.\u00a0 The trail to Bow Glacier Falls starts at the red-roofed Num-Ti-Jah lodge on the N shore of the lake.\u00a0 There is parking, but no sign or official trailhead that Lupe and SPHP have noticed.\u00a0 Just look for the trail heading W along the N shore.\u00a0 It’s easy to find.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lupe visited Takakkaw Falls<\/a><\/strong><\/span> in Yoho National Park on the morning of July 25, 2013, the 16th Day of her 2013 Dingo Vacation to the Beartooths & Canadian Rockies.\u00a0 After seeing the falls, Lupe\u00a0and SPHP returned to Banff National Park and headed N on the Icefields Parkway, Hwy 93.\u00a0 There was still time\u00a0for an afternoon trek.\u00a0 On this hot summer day, SPHP had a good one in mind that doesn’t involve too much elevation gain\u00a0– the trail from Bow Lake to Bow Glacier Falls.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking SE across Bow Lake. The Crowfoot Glacier is visible just right of center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SPHP\u00a0parked the G6\u00a0near Num-Ti-Jah lodge<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0located near the N shore of Bow Lake.\u00a0 The lodge is\u00a0within sight of Icefields Parkway Hwy 93.\u00a0 It’s red roof is easy to spot coming up\u00a0the Icefields Parkway\u00a0from the S.\u00a0 The first thing Lupe did was trot on down to\u00a0the lake to check out the small beach near the lodge.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Num-Ti-Jah lodge located near the N shore of Bow Lake. The trail to Bow Glacier Falls starts from the lodge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on the pebbly\u00a0beach at Bow Lake near the Nim-Ti-Jah lodge. There were actually quite a few people around at the beach on this hot summer day. SPHP suspects it is best to be part Canadian if you want to go in the water. The water comes right from that glacier in the distance!\u00a0 Bow Glacier Falls, where Lupe was headed, is seen just below the left side\u00a0of the glacier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe cooled off a bit wading around in the cold water.\u00a0 She had a big drink out of Bow Lake.\u00a0 There were more people than SPHP expected to see at the beach, but it wasn’t a big crowd.\u00a0 A few hardy souls were even in the water, mostly children who tend not to notice hypothermia much.\u00a0 Lupe and\u00a0SPHP set off on the trail to Bow Glacier Falls sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 PM.\u00a0 The trail\u00a0starts off heading W along the N shore of Bow Lake.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking S across Bow Lake at Crowfoot Mountain<\/a><\/strong><\/span> (10,023 ft.)<\/strong><\/span> from the Bow Glacier Falls trail.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking back to the E along Bow Glacier Falls trail on the N shore of Bow Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bow<\/a>
Bow Lake in Banff National Park. Bow Glacier Falls is visible below the Bow Glacier, which is part of the Wapta Icefield.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were quite a few people on the trail to the falls.\u00a0 There were a couple of big scary dogs, too.\u00a0 Lupe got by them when the big dogs decided to go for a swim in the lake.\u00a0 The trail gradually curves toward the S\u00a0as it proceeds along Bow Lake.\u00a0 By the time it leaves the lake behind, the trail is heading SW.\u00a0 There the trail enters a still nearly level area of gravel deposited by the Bow River.\u00a0 The trail heads for a narrow gap at the S end of a small ridge ahead.\u00a0\u00a0A steep set of stairs climbs up the small ridge on the N side of the gap.<\/p>\n

\"Beyond<\/a>
Beyond the lake now, Bow Glacier Falls trail heads for the gap at the S end of the small ridge ahead. Bow Glacier Falls is visible above the small ridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking NE back at the stream from Bow Glacier Falls on its way to Bow Lake. A small section of Bow Lake is visible through the trees. The bottom of the stairs leading up the small ridge is in the foreground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the trail climbs the stairway, it can be seen that the stream from Bow Glacier Falls is passing in a torrent through a very narrow, but deep gorge just to the S of the trail.\u00a0 The gorge is so narrow\u00a0that near the top there is a huge boulder wedged\u00a0high up between the edges of the gorge.\u00a0 The boulder spans the\u00a0gorge creating\u00a0a natural bridge.\u00a0\u00a0People cross this boulder to a side\u00a0trail that heads\u00a0S into a\u00a0gorgeous valley leading to St. Nicholas Peak, Mount Olive and part of the Wapta Icefield.<\/p>\n

(Note:\u00a0 Later in the day, on the way back from Bow Glacier Falls, SPHP really wanted to go explore this wonderful valley to the S, but crossing the boulder looked just too scary.\u00a0 Although the boulder was very large, it was rounded, not\u00a0flat.\u00a0 It really wasn’t all that tricky, but the roaring water gushing through the narrow chasm below gave SPHP visions of Lupe’s claws being unable to hang onto the solid rock of the boulder, and Lupe falling into the raging torrent to be lost forever.\u00a0 No valley, no matter how wonderful, was worth a chance of losing the sweet dingo.\u00a0 If SPHP had thought of exploring this valley earlier, it would have been easy to just cross the stream below Bow Glacier Falls and head for this valley.)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The wonderful valley to the S that SPHP was too chicken to let Lupe explore.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once on top of the small ridge, Bow Glacier Falls is in clear view ahead.\u00a0 The trail drops partway back down the other side of the ridge and then steadily climbs through a mostly barren rocky area.\u00a0 This area is roughly the same size as the area between\u00a0Bow Lake and the small ridge.\u00a0\u00a0The climb steepens as the trail nears the falls, but it’s pretty\u00a0easy.\u00a0 It\u00a0never\u00a0gets all that\u00a0steep.\u00a0 The trail ultimately disappears among the rocks near\u00a0the base of the falls.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe reaches Bow Glacier Falls.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>Lupe and SPHP\u00a0climbed up very close to the falls, had a snack and photo session, and then climbed even higher until\u00a0almost in\u00a0the falls itself.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP lingered there for a while enjoying the sound of the water and the amazing world on display.<\/p>\n

\"SPHP<\/a>
SPHP took this photo on 7-25-13\u00a0looking NE from Bow Glacier Falls. It wasn’t until writing this post on 8-2-15, that SPHP realized this is a photo of Cirque Peak<\/span><\/strong><\/a> (9,820 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> which Lupe climbed on 7-27-14 during her 2014 Dingo Vacation.\u00a0 (She went up the long slope at the right.)\u00a0 Click this red link to view the post on Lupe’s ascent of Cirque Peak<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0which includes a\u00a0view of Bow Lake, Bow Glacier Falls and the huge Wapta Icefield from the summit!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was almost no one left on the trail by the time Lupe made her return trip to Bow Lake and Num-Ti-Jah lodge.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP drove a short distance to the SE along the Icefields Parkway Hwy 93 to a picnic ground located on the E side of Bow Lake.\u00a0 Here Lupe and SPHP spent the rest of the evening\u00a0having a very pleasant time looking at the mountains and watching the sun sparkle on Bow Lake as it slowly sank behind the glorious Canadian Rockies.<\/p>\n

\"Early<\/a>
Early evening at Bow Lake from the Bow Glacier Trail.\u00a0 The picnic ground is located among the trees across the lake along the shore seen on the left side of this photo.\u00a0 Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Crowfoot<\/a>
Crowfoot Glacier above Bow Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Bow<\/a>Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from\u00a0Lupe’s 2013 Beartooths & Canadian Rockies Adventure Index<\/a><\/strong><\/span>,\u00a0Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span> <\/a>or Master Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bow Lake is located on the W side of the spectacular Icefields Parkway Hwy No. 93 in Banff National Park\u00a0roughly 22 miles N of the junction with Trans-Canada Hwy No. 1.\u00a0 Bow Lake is clearly visible from the Icefields Parkway which goes right past the E shore.\u00a0 The trail to Bow Glacier Falls starts at … Continue reading Bow Lake & the Trail to Bow Glacier Falls, Banff National Park, Canada (7-25-13)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[105,32,248,74,73,30,31,106,72,26,104,75],"class_list":["post-1590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2013-beartoothscanadian-rockies","tag-american-dingo","tag-banff-national-park","tag-bow-glacier","tag-bow-glacier-falls","tag-bow-lake","tag-canada","tag-canadian-rockies","tag-carolina-dog","tag-crowfoot-glacier","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-lupe","tag-wapta-icefield"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/P1050115.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1590"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20792,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1590\/revisions\/20792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}