78. Sunshine Meadows

Distance: about 12 km
Elevation; about 500 m

On Monday, July 22, Margaret, Doreen, Herm and I started a hiking holiday. Our first stop was Sunshine Meadows in Banff, an easier start to our hiking list. We had done this for our 12 1/2 wedding anniversary and looked forward to doing it again.

The gondola took us up from the parking lot to the Village. From there we followed a circuit around various lakes and through meadows amid many wild flowers and past many people on a gorgeous sunny day.

Our first stop was Rock Isle.

We enjoyed our lunch with this view.

Next we hoped to continue to Grizzly Lake but the trail was closed because 2 grizzlies had been seen there shortly before. A park attendant was manning the gate to be sure we didn't enter.

 

On our retreat, we met another attendant who said the bears had moved on and fortunately we could continue. We enjoyed the hike to Grizzly Lake and noted the great burn at Simpson Pass a few years previous.

From there we continued to Laryx Lake and watched a silent loon.

Continuing on, we climbed to a constructed viewpoint which allowed a full overview and let the viewer put all the lakes in order.

 We continued on through slightly marshier meadow with fewer people and different flowers to Monarch viewpoint. From here we could see where we had hiked from Healy Pass a few years previous.(in the background)

We continued back to the Village down a long ski slope in the good direction in time to take the chair lift for a final view of the area.