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Rocky Mountaineer: Adventures Beyond the Train

By Natalie Schuetz

10.5 - 6 - Fairmont Château Lake Louise
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a GoldLeaf and SilverLeaf hotel of Rocky Mountaineer. IRT photo by Natalie Schuetz

As the mid-day sunlight danced on the azure waters of Lake Louise one afternoon last October, I was reminded of a comment my tour guide had made earlier that day:

“If you only knew how much money Canadian taxpayers spend each year to dump all of that blue dye into our lake…”

Named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, the glacier-fed Lake Louise was one of my favorite destinations during my Rocky Mountaineer Journey through the Clouds post-train tour. The terrain bustled with activity as visitors canoed, strolled around, and snapped photos of the magnificent lake.

The greatest part of my visit, though? My lodgings: the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Nestled on the eastern shore of Lake Louise, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a GoldLeaf and SilverLeaf property of Rocky Mountaineer (GoldLeaf and GoldLeaf Deluxe rooms overlook the lake, whereas SilverLeaf rooms overlook the grounds). The current building was constructed in 1911 after the original was destroyed in a fire. It was the vision of Cornelius Van Horne, manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, to create “a hotel for outdoor adventurer and alpinist.”

With its vaulted ceilings, ornate chandeliers, fine dining, and extra-wide hallways (constructed so that ladies wearing large hoop skirts could pass without running into each other), the Fairmont Château Lake Louise was a true gem. My only regret was that we only stayed there for one night!

Here are some other places and activities from my tour that I would recommend for our IRT guests:

Athabasca Glacier: I was excited to board the Ice Explorer – a giant vehicle with tires taller than I am (for reference, I’m 5’5”) — that navigated the ice. We wandered out on the ice for about 20 minutes and I could see my breath. I was glad I wore layers – scarf, hat, gloves, coat, and boots.  I was sad to learn that global climate change is causing the glacier to melt faster – and it could be gone in 50 to 60 years, the guide said.

The Banff Gondola:  I highly recommend this. The ride up reminded me up of the tram in Palm Springs, California that pulls you up the mountain except these small pods only hold 4 people comfortably. As a person who is usually afraid of heights, I was surprisingly fine with the altitude (7,486 feet above sea level). It takes between 7 – 8 minutes to reach the top and the view is spectacular; you can see all of downtown Banff, the Rimrock Hotel, and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. It had snowed right before we arrived;  the snow-capped mountains gleamed. The sky was blue that day – and with the clouds, I got some great photographs.

10.7 - 6 - View of Banff from Gondola observation deck
View of Banff from the gondola observation deck. IRT photo by Natalie Schuetz

Driving along the Icefields Parkway There is only one way to travel between Jasper and Lake Louise – by road. You can’t do it by train (this is a frequent misconception.) This trip in the big motorcoach takes about 5 hours with all the sightseeing stops, including the Athabasca Glacier stop.  I loved the fall foliage and the different lakes with their beautiful shade of blue fed by the glaciers.

10.5 - 5 - Waterfowl Lakes, Jasper NP
Waterfowl Lakes, Jasper National Park. IRT photo by Natalie Schuetz

Helicopter I add this because this would have been very cool and part of my package and that of many tours with the Rocky Mountaineer. However, it was too windy that day and the tour was canceled. (If this happens to you, you get a refund.) We drove past the field to see where the helicopters take off and land and we could see several wind socks dancing in the breeze. We did, however, get to spend more time with the hoodoos – tall, spire-like rock structures that are formed as a result of erosion.

To see Natalie’s report about her trip on the Rocky Mountaineer train, please click here.

 

10.7 - 9 - Natalie with Hoodoos
Natalie with the Hoodoos.  IRT photo

Book a 2018 journey of 8 days or more by March 29 and get up to $500 in added value per couple. Use it for things like extra hotel nights, meals, city sightseeing excursions, or outdoor activities. (Restrictions apply.) My trip was Vancouver to Calgary – but check out these trips, too.

For more information, call (800) 478-4881 for US and Canada. For the rest of the world, call (502) 897-1725. Ask for me, Natalie Schuetz, and I’ll be delighted to give you the latest details. Click here to send me an email.