Winter in Banff.
James and I decided to stay here in Calgary for the holidays this year. I'd like to say it wasn't an easy decision, but given everything going on with covid and me being pregnant, we knew it was the safest, smartest decision to just stay put. With that said, we decided to spend that money on a little cabin getaway in Banff National Park for a couple of days with the dogs.
Our cabin was tucked at the base of Castle Mountain, about half-way between the town of Banff and Lake Louise at the Castle Mountain Chalets. Our cabin was so cute and cozy with a wood stove and a little kitchenette so we could make all of our meals right there. If we needed any extra snacks, there was a small general store right on the property. It was really quiet and perfect (besides the train coming by every hour), and the snow made you feel like you were in a winter wonderland.
I had to do quite a bit of research to find a couple of winter hikes for us to tackle. A lot of the popular summer hikes are in avalanche territory in the wintertime, but I was able to find two that were safe for us to navigate without avalanche training or gear. James and I are always prepared for just about anything when we hike. Avalanche training is on our list of things we need to do, but we definitely overpack for our day hikes in case anything goes wrong.
Our first hike was Stewart Canyon Trail, right outside Banff town by Lake Minnewanka. The water was gorgeous! The hike took us along the lake and back into the woods along the creek and the canyon. The water was so clear, and we had the trail all to ourselves besides one other couple who was back there. It was a nice, relatively easy hike, and microspikes were very helpful on the snow-covered trail as it went up and down. It can be really easy to slip out there, but the spikes prevent that from happening.
After the hike, we went into town so I could get my vanilla latte fix. There's not a whole lot better than a coffee after a hike. Whitebark Cafe is a great place to stop if you ever get to Banff! We then decided to drive up to Lake Louise, because we still had a couple of hours before we could check-in. As always, Lake Louise was absolutely magical! The snow was falling so lightly that it felt like you were in a snow globe. I'm always smitten with the beauty of the lake, whether in the summer or winter and feel so lucky to live so close to visit as much as we have!
On our second day, we woke up, had breakfast, and hit the trail. This time we decided to climb our way to Castle Mountain Lookout. Microspikes are definitely needed for this one in the winter. It was an 1800 feet climb up two miles, which typically wouldn't be too bad for me, but halfway up, my pregnant self needed to walk Copper so he could pull me up the mountain. I regret nothing. We truly did have the trail to ourselves, which made it even more peaceful, and the views (while a little cloudy) were stunning. The dogs were exhausted after two days and nine miles of hiking, so we headed back to the cabin to snack and relax. It was pretty cold out, and the communal fire pit was closed (no outdoor gathering in Alberta because of covid), so we just used the woodstove and binge-watched TLC all evening.
The next day we made the drive back home. It was nice to get away for a couple of days, but sharing a queen sized bed with two dogs is less than ideal. Every time we drive through the mountains, I'm in awe of how beautiful they are and how grateful I am to be here. We take advantage of our outdoor playground every chance we get, and I can't wait to bring our baby girl out there to experience it with us!
xo, Stef
