We might have like to stay here longer and explore the beautiful scenery, but we had to tear ourselves away from the beautiful view from our window and set off on our travels once again. This time our driver was Max, a very pleasant young Argentinian guy who is a very experienced mountain and park guide as well as provider of challenging outdoor activities and experiences.

Our first stop was at Moraine Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Not really a genuine Moraine, but a giant rock fall, the lake kept its name regardless. We climbed up the steep Rock Pile walk and Max pointed out rocks which had a ripple pattern on them, a relic of millions of years ago when the rocks were under the sea. We saw a cute little rodent called a Pika, and were reminded by signs to watch out for bears. On reaching the viewpoint over the lake we were rewarded by the usual stunning views of snow-topped mountains and clear, blue, peaceful waters. No wonder this place was so popular with artists in times gone by.

At Kicking Horse Pass in Yoho National Park we stopped to watch two trains go through the Spiral Tunnels which were built in order to slow trains down on the steep descent. Plenty of other tourists had the same idea so there was quite a little gathering. The Kicking Horse River is swift and good for rafting, and nearby we stopped at The Meeting of the Waters, the point where the Kicking Horse and Yoho rivers meet. Overlooking us is the majestic Cathedral Mountain with a huge hanging glacier glistening in the sunlight. Driving along we see small red flowers at the side of the road which are called Firebush or Indian Paintbrush. This whole area is great for ice climbing in the winter when the waterfalls freeze.

Next stop was at the Natural Bridge. Once upon a time this was once a waterfall then the force of the water enlarged gaps in the rock to create a new channel underneath. Eventually the bridge will collapse to become a gorge or canyon.

Along the side of the road we saw a small grizzly bear. The rangers were making noses to scare him back into the woods so we didn't hang around. A couple of minutes later we spotted a black bear strolling along the railway track, probably eating grain fallen from the trucks. As we watched another bear came up to join him, and then a train came! Oh dear!! We watched in alarm fearing a messy disaster but the driver of the slow moving freight train sounded his horn again and again and I’m pleased to say that the two bears ambled off the track without mishap and sauntered out of sight.

At the Lake Louise Gondola we had some lunch before heading for the lift. This is a ski lift in winter and used for sight-seeing out of season. We rode in an open car towards the top of the chair lift. There were still patches of snow on the ground and we amused ourselves by working out where the ski runs were and what they would be like. People coming down as we were going up called down to alert us that there were bears by pole 11 so we watched out with eyes peeled and cameras at the ready. Sure enough there was a mother grizzly and her two cubs on the ground to the right of the lift and we watched as they ambled off towards the trees. A wonderful sight!

At the top we learned from the rangers that the grizzly was named Olivia, quite a gentle name for such a big bear. We had a walk around and saw various ski runs and a café and wildlife centre. At the viewpoint we were able to look out over Lake Louise and see the Chateau where we had stayed last night. On the way back down in the chair lift we saw the three bears again, sitting down over by the edge of the trees. Ominous grey clouds were gathering overhead and by the time we were back in the car there were the first spots of rain.

Still in the Bow River Valley we stopped at Castle Bridge where there was an osprey nesting on top of the bridge. It looked as if there may have been chicks from the way the bird was so busy in there, but we couldn’t tell for sure as no little heads popped up.

At Johnston Canyon we set of to see the waterfall even though a few spots of rain were falling and we hadn’t brought our raincoats today. (Well, we brought them every other day and didn’t need them!) We walked at a brisk pace along the half mile of walkway beside the river and the rain was getting heavier all the time. By the time we reached the lower falls we were drenched! Luckily the falls were worth seeing and we dutifully scrambled through the cave and lots of puddles to get a close up view of the falls including lots of spray. As we were so wet already it didn’t really make much difference! Because of the weather we decided not to go on up to the upper falls and headed back to the car. Masses of tourists were coming the other way, obviously not deterred by the rain. By the time we got back to the car we were drowned rats but luckily it was not far now to the hotel.

As we entered Banff we found that some roads were closed due to the presence of grizzly bears. We stopped briefly to pick up supplies (wine) before going up to The Banff Springs Hotel. The hotel turned out to be an enormous Scottish castle and almost a city within itself. Once inside you might never find your way out again! The building itself is very impressive and the whole atmosphere is elegant and majestic. A lady harpist was playing in the lobby and kilted staff were at our service everywhere. We were soon in our room, which was spacious and comfortable, and finally had a chance to dry off. The view from the window couldn’t match what we had at Lake Louise, but gave us some views of the mountains nonetheless.