So I had the bright idea to go for a hike, look at the map 5.5km to the Tea Hut and some more to get to the foot of the Glacier. The weather was to improve, the last few days of being stuck inside while it rains was getting to me. So I load up an take off. As I get in the mountains the clouds are low and I start to wonder what kind of views I am going to get. I arrive at the parking lot at the Chateau and it doesn't look so good. Lots of people are gearing up so what the heck. Grab my bag and realized I didn't have a hat, oh well.
Started on my way trying hard not to elbow my way past the tourists taking photos of them with the fog so thick behind them it could have been anywhere. Why is there always one guy with a TV camera running around like a fool zooming in on weeds? Ok yes they have a nice flower but they are weeds!!! Oh I am here to get back to nature not get angry by idiots.
The lake shore is nice and wide and fairly flat. I found myself with a couple going my pace but they weren't very talkative. At the end of the lake there were people on horseback, which explains why the rocks were slippery. Horseshit. The fog was lifting and the other side of the lake was becoming visible. It reminded me of that bike ride out the plant, tops of hills poking out of the fog. It was nice. So off I go, it is warming up and I stopped to take off a layer and get the hiking pole out, might use it for the first time. I chatted for a moment with another couple. We were going the same pace and they were very entertaining. We swapped stories all the way up the hill, and I answered their questions of the area.
On one of the trails leading to the upper section we hear that someone saw a bear. But it was above us and we were aiming for the tea hut, if I did the route I had planned on I would be on that trail later on. There is a very steep section where it is switch backs, good grief that was a good climb. I think that hiking pole was helping my hip because my calf only got a bit stiff not sore like running. So we finally make it to the tea Hut and had to assure them that their really was tea at this hut. I realized I didn't take out any cash so I was just going to eat my snacks but they offered to pay for a PB&J sandwich for teaching them of the area. It was a good trade, the bread on sandwich was soooo good!!
It took about 2:15 to get up and we practicly ran down because it took 1:30. It was funny to see the looks on people's faces going up as we went down... some were ok but others were like WTF did I get into. Reminded me of when as a kid we took a hike around Upper Kananaskis Lake and mom got the bonk really bad.
So we get back to the hotel and swap emails, their luggage was lost by Air Canada but good news it was on the van driving out to Lake Louise at that moment. So they were without the camera, I promised to email them photos.
I put the photos into a collage with this software I found last week. It's kinda fun :)
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