On my way to Peyto, I'd seen a mountain with a lake in front of it off to my left. Since I wasn't at Peyto very long, I decided I'd stop and I am really glad I did. Perhaps my favorite place of the day: Bow Lake.
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There were trails to walk leading to the mountain but alas my bear paranoia was still ever present so I stuck to the trail around the lake. According to the trail map, there are falls in the area. A must do next time (and there will be a next time!) There is a lodge here called Num-Ti-Jah Lodge and I might consider staying here for a night or two next time I'm in the area. It is rustic and must have great views of the lake. It is about an hour or so north of Banff and would eliminate so much time in the car (I feel like I spent a good part of my trip driving. Not a bad thing given the lovely scenery.)
Crowfoot Mountain and Crowfoot Glacier are near Bow Lake. I'd read about Crowfoot Glacier but didn't realize I'd be near it. It's a glacier that is in the shape of a crow's foot however one of the talons has melted away.
It was still early in the day and I felt reinvigorated after stumbling upon Bow Lake. I drove to Lake Louise town for a quick lunch (which was super crowded and not so great but I needed food.) I then drove on to Yoho National Park and Emerald Lake. I'd seen pictures of Emerald Lake online and was hoping I'd get a chance to see it. It was a little further west (about an hour) and I wasn't sure if I'd go that far. I'm glad I did.
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After taking in all this beauty, I decided to head back to Banff. It was mid afternoon by the time I got back and it was about the same time of day, I'd seen the grizzly bear the day before. I was driving by Vermilion Lakes Road so I decided to see if I would see Yogi Bear again. I drove down the road (it is a dead end) and as I was coming back, I noticed several cars stopped on the road above where I was. I looked and sure enough, there was the bear walking in the grass above where I was. He was probably 100 yards away (maybe further.)
I had the wide angle lens on my camera since I'd been out shooting landscapes all day. He was headed for the woods so I had no choice if I wanted to try and get pics of him to use the lens that I had on the camera.
I snapped a few pictures and he went into the woods. I pulled the car over, hopped out and grabbed my zoom lens from the trunk. I made my way down the road and found several other cars (probably around 6) pulled over also trying to get pictures of the bear. Several people were out of their cars and there was one guy on his bike. The bear was probably 20 yards from the road, behind a lot of trees eating. He didn't show any interest at all in the people but I was thinking the whole time, these people are crazy, they need to get back in their cars. I snapped a few more pictures and then the Canadian Parks Authority truck pulled up and made everyone move on. I was told that in Banff, the authorities make the people leave when bears are sighted. It's the bears' land... the people need to leave.
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