5 Days in Banff National Park

In the year 2022, I was in a relationship with a man who refused to plan an anniversary trip with me. As an incorrigible travel hacker, I had scraped and hoarded my credit card points the entire year and had a deep desire to go to an all inclusive resort in Jamaica where I could eat and drink my way to an early grave on the powdery sand of a Montego Bay beach resort. Alas, I was never able to realize this dream because I didn’t want to die alone amidst all the honeymooners. That’s a couples activity, obviously. And so, dear people who found my website on the internet, what do you think I did? I booked a solo trip for 5 days in Banff National Park. As one does.

I had 100k Amex points and 80k Chase points to blow and squander them I did. My points secured me a round trip flight and a car rental for nearly a week in Banff. Unfortunately, I did have to pay for my hotel because I ran out of points. However, I would estimate the amount saved to be around $2500. I booked a room in a six bed hostel for my stay because I’m insufferably cheap.

Costs:

• Flight: $70 (Taxes. Yuck.)
• Car: 72,606 points
• Samesun Banff Hostel: $452
• Total logistical costs: $522

And then I was off to Canada on my anniversary trip…alone. And let the record reflect that it is now 2023, I am single, and I don’t regret this trip.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Vermillion Room ($$$)
• Hike: Lake Agnes, Big Beehive, and Plain of Six Glaciers (12m)
• Dinner: Park Distillery Restaurant & Bar ($$)

After getting in very late the night before to Banff, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to begin my adventures. I started off big and bouje with breakfast at the Vermillion Room. I ended up here on accident because it had a similar name to a cheaper restaurant down the road but once I was inside I refused to admit my mistake (you may notice that this sort of thing happens to me a lot). The Vermillion Room is located inside the Fairmont Banff Springs Luxury Hotel and I finally got to see how the other half lives when I walked into this magnificent place. I wandered around aimlessly, refusing to ask for help just in case someone realized I didn’t belong and kicked me out. But then I stumbled upon my destination. Normally I try not to recommend very expensive restaurants as I think they are hardly ever worth it. Diner food is usually just as good (fight me about it).

THAT BEING SAID. Go to the Vermillion Room. They had a $35 breakfast buffet special with unlimited coffee and it was absolutely delicious and worth it. Never in my life have I witnessed a buffet with fresh eggs Benedict and a server who appeared out of thin air to refill my coffee until I asked him to stop. This took a while because I consume coffee like I have a clinical dependency issue, but at some point even I had to call it.

It was time to hike. I am an insane person when it comes to hiking. Underprepared and overconfident is my motto. One thing I did do beforehand was download the route on AllTrails. I learned my lesson the time I had to hitchhike back to my car in Death Valley after getting lost because I thought I was a land navigation expert.

I combined three hikes into one. Here are the loops:

• Lake Agnes Tea House
• Big Beehive
• Plain of Six Glaciers

The total length was around 12 miles. Ladies and germs, when I tell you…this hike took me the entire day to complete and I was an utter wreck at the end of it. I am not joking. My Apple Watch had my calories at 1,800, my steps at 36,109, and my end of day mileage at 15.57.

You begin the hike with an immediate steep incline that does not subside. I was huffing and puffing and wondered briefly if my dream of dying on vacation may come true after all. That being said, there were a fair number of senior citizens on this hike and I refused to be outdone. So, I did what any reasonable person would do. I booked it up this mountain. You think the Agnes this teahouse is named after is gonna outdo me? THINK AGAIN.

The first several miles were my favorite part of the hike. You’ll stagger up the side of a mountain toward the quaint Lake Agnes Tea House, where they serve some really delicious soups, baked goods, and tea. They airlift in the supplies with a helicopter and it’s really awesome to witness. The line is mindbogglingly long though so you should get here early to avoid the wait. I hung out on a bench to catch my breath and eat snacks before continuing on my way.

The next leg of your route winds around Lake Agnes. I went in autumn when the larch trees were changing colors and it was truly a sight to behold. It does get icy, but thankfully I brought my spikes. Some people were dangerously close to sliding right off this mountain because they were hiking in sneakers. After you make it to the top, you’ll have a fantastic view of Lake Louise and you’ll be able to see how blue the water truly is.

You’ll spend the next several miles of your journey under the forest cover on winding dirt paths until you emerge at another tea house! It’s less famous than the Lake Agnes Tea House but they serve basically the same food. If you don’t feel like waiting in line at Lake Agnes, this is a better option. You should take a rest break here as well if you plan to hike to the Plain of Six Glaciers. That is the next and final leg of your route before turning around to come back. It is windy as hell, and the terrain turns to loose rocks. I’m not even embarrassed to say that I had to crawl to reach the final destination on this hike. I almost fell off this mountain twice but I ain’t no quitter.

On your way back you have the option to return the way you came, but I think that’s boring and I don’t like to see the same things twice. Also I had committed a hate crime against my feet and the more direct route down the mountain seemed reasonable. You’ll walk through the forest and emerge at the edge of Lake Louise. Follow the lake back around to the Fairmont Château Lake Louise (where I was supposed to have breakfast) to end your hike.

Dinner was at the Park Distillery Restaurant & Bar and they serve some delicious pork ribs and delightful cocktails. I was too exhausted to stay for long after my hike and I was also feeling self conscious as I was the only person there alone. I’ve done a lot of solo traveling and am accustomed to dining alone, but I have to admit there are certain locations (usually outside of cities) where people tend to gawk at you for dining alone and this restaurant was definitely one of them.

Day 2

• Breakfast: Whitebark Cafe ($)
• Scenic Drive Stops:
  • Peyto Lake
  • Athabasco Glacier & Falls
  • Bow Lake
• Hike: Wilcox Pass (5.8m)
• Dinner: Grizzly House ($$$)

I woke up to a tragically overcast sky on my second day in Banff, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me from exploring. I really don’t know why I decided to wake up at the utter crack of dawn every day while I was here because the trails were not nearly as crowded as I was warned. I tugged my hiking boots on using my phone as a flashlight while the other five people staying in my dorm room snored through all the noise I made.

I started off my day with a very relaxing latte and breakfast sammich at Whitebark Cafe. It’s one of the only cafes in town that is open as early as 7am and this place is a delight. Their bakery section is really good and there is a little fireplace area right next to the cafe in an adjoining hotel so you can enjoy your breakfast by the hearth.

Instead of hiking through the rain (I might be crazy about my hiking but I am a diva about my hair), I decided it was a good day for the scenic drives that went all the way from Banff to Jasper National Park. Here are some of the memorable stops from my drive down the Icefields Parkway:

• Peyto Lake
• Athabasca Glacier & Falls
• Columbia Glacier
• Bow Lake
• Mistaya Canyon
• Wilcox Pass

It’ll take you about 3 hours to drive the whole thing (not including stops for photos) and remember that it’s usually closed from November-April every year.

The rain did clear up about halfway through the day so I tried to do a hike. Big mistake. I attempted the Wilcox Pass trail. While I did get all the way to the top, I had to turn right back around and descend through the woods back to the parking lot. I did my best to weather the wind but in the end I had to give up. I couldn’t see anything and I almost got knocked off the mountain at least twice. I may jest about falling off mountains…but this time I came so close I decided it wasn’t worth my early death. Contrary to the fantasies I had about expiring on a Jamaican beach several weeks ago.

I came back to the town of Banff for a scrumptious steak dinner, only to be disappointed by what is apparently the standard for Canadian cuisine. I’m not sure if it actually is the standard, or the waiter was lying to me to cover for the horrendous steak I was served at The Grizzly House. I was even more disappointed because every travel blog I read before coming here said this place was amazing. It was not. Apparently, they only serve steak well-done in Canada because of food poisoning regulations? I really doubt that very much, but I was too polite to say anything and instead consumed this entire steak with a smile pasted onto my face like one of those creepy ventriloquist dolls. The spirit of Jesus Christ himself must have spoken through me because I also told the waiter the steak was “fantastic.”

It was not.

Day 3

• Breakfast: Whitebark Cafe ($)
• Hike: Emerald Lake and Emerald Glacier Trail (6.7m)
• Attempted Hike: Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots (7m)
• Dinner: Ticino Swiss-Italian Restaurant ($$$)

On my third day in Banff National Park, I woke up before the sun again for some reason and decided to eat breakfast at the Whitebark Cafe (again). We’ve established by now that I am a creature of habit and once I find something I like…I’m sticking to it. I’ve been eating at my favorite restaurant back home for eight years and I’ve only ever had two things off the menu, and the second one was a mistake. I sat by the fireplace next to the cafe and read my book while I sipped a latte and waited for the sun to come up before heading out to the wilderness.

There were two hikes on the itinerary for Day 3 and I was pretty confident I could do both of them after the insane hike I accomplished on the first day. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots trailhead, I discovered that the majority of the hike was closed so park rangers could rehabilitate the trail. Something about mudslides. Pfft! Mudslides? Never heard of them. But I am a rule follower and didn’t have the chutzpah to sneak through the warning tape so I just did the easier introduction to the trail before heading to the big event of the day: Emerald Lake.

Sometimes I’m disappointed when I hear a magnificently named trail only to arrive and be underwhelmed by the sights. That was not the case with Emerald Lake. This is the most vibrant lake I had ever seen with my own two eyes. I arrived when it was still rather early in the morning so I wasn’t able to see the blues and greens in all their glory but when the sun came out my jaw dropped.

The Emerald Lake and Emerald Glacier Trail is almost 7 miles long. You can walk the perimeter of the lake without climbing up the nearby mountain and make a nice easy stroll of it. But that’s just not who I am in my heart of hearts. I’m here for the struggle, people. The Emerald Lake trail – as you might expect – follows the path around the lake and it’s relatively flat. It can get very muddy if there’s any rain, so you should still plan to wear your hiking boots. But if you’ve got a taste for some more adventure, there is an out and back trail up a nearby mountain called the Emerald Glacier Trail. I didn’t see a glacier, much less any snow, but this hike was still a killer. For all the hiking I do, I’m honestly not sure I’m getting any better at climbing mountains. It’s still a massive struggle every time that is filled with lots of huffing and puffing and definitely no swearing (I am lying). I suspect I’ve hit my peak fitness and there’s no room for improvement. That’s a little pathetic considering how undeniably mediocre I am.

The day gets a little depressing from here on out. At every other turn I ran into a couple happily waltzing their way through the wilderness. Which reminded me that I had planned a solo vacation for my anniversary. I reached the top of this mountain, took the lovely picture you saw above, and then cried while I scarfed down three beef jerky sticks and a block of cheese. After I finished my impromptu crying session, I descended the mountain and walked the rest of Emerald Lake’s perimeter until I reached the parking lot and headed back the town of Banff.

For dinner that evening, I stopped in Ticino Swiss-Italian Restaurant on a whim. This is a semi-upscale restaurant that serves some really delicious pasta dishes and has a great wine selection. I also discovered that they serve fondu. I took a look around the restaurant and immediately decided to indulge all my worst impulses when I realized that, yet again, I was surrounded by couples happily serving each other noodles from their own forks. I ordered a giant pot of fondu and made sure every last drop of cheese made it into my belly. And it was worth the stomach ache.

Day 4

• Breakfast: Melissa’s Missteak ($)
• Hike: Bourgeau Lake & Harvey Pass (9.3m)
• Afternoon Activity: Lake Louise Ski Resort Summer Gondola
• Dinner: The Bison ($$)

You will all be so proud of me. On my fourth day in Banff, I did not go back to the Whitebark Cafe and instead made the choice to be more adventurous with my tastebuds. I sampled some delicacies from Melissa’s Missteak. Or at least I think I did. I have no recollection of this place, and it’s probably because they didn’t have a fireplace or bacon wrapped quiches. You know, the way they have them at Whitebark Cafe. However, the internet tells me this place is delicious so feel free to give it a try.

Day 4 in Banff will detail quite literally the most difficult hike I’ve ever completed in my long 30 years upon this floating rock in space (i.e., Earth). When I tell you…Bourgeau Lake & Harvey Pass is God’s way of testing how serious your self hatred really is. This mountain. Was so entirely steep. I thought I was going to have a real life heart attack on the ascent.

Things start off easy enough, with an uphill stroll through the woods. This trail is much less traveled than many other routes in Banff and now I can see why. Agnes and her f*cking teahouse would be DONE FOR if they attempted this loop. So, the silver lining is that not many people will witness your near demise should you attempt the Bourgeau Lake & Harvey Pass trail. You’ll emerge from the woods to a treelined path running almost directly up the side of a mountain. Bourgeau Lake waits for you at the top.

The only reason I feel okay admitting to you how poorly this hike went is that I was not the only one absolutely suffering on the way up. For the few of us brave enough to actually attempt this hike, it was truly a narrow brush with an expeditious cardiac arrest episode. People were hanging on for dear life to their hiking poles. I saw a woman cry when descending hikers told her there were still miles left to walk. Men who looked like they ran marathons were sprawled out on rocks to take a breather. I literally had to get on my hands and knees toward the very end to emerge victorious at the summit.

BUT. Once you make it, you get the grand sight of a lake on top of a mountain and it is truly a sight to behold. It was also FREEZING. But so worth it. And check out that sick photo I got of myself! As they say, do it for the #gram. Or something.

I had planned to complete a second hike that afternoon (Mount St. Piran at 8.1 miles) but I actually could not walk after descending the Bourgeau Lake trail. And so I did what any reasonable person would do. I took a little ride on the Lake Louise Ski Resort Summer Gondola. The guides told me this was one of the best ways to view wildlife in Banff. And I’m sure that’s true most of the time. But I did not see a single animal on the way up or down. But you know what I DID see? A restaurant and bar at the top. I drank enough espresso martinis to not only forget my sorrows, but also to ascend to that special level of drunk and energetic where you gain access to a parallel universe.

Day 5

I think you know what’s coming people. Yes I woke up for the fifth time at the ass crack of dawn to begin my final day in Banff. The trails were waiting! I could not delay! There is absolutely no reason I couldn’t delay other than my own hyper-fixation on beating the crowds (that I did not beat because everyone else had the exact same idea).

I arrived to Moraine Lake at what I thought was a very reasonable hour. Everyone else thought the same thing. And that’s how we all ended up in a parking lot over five miles away waiting for a shuttle bus to take us to the lake because the parking lot was already at capacity. It was at this moment that I started my period. If Banff were any less beautiful, this vacation would have been in utter ruins between me having to come alone and my monthly mayhem coming to TORTURE me while I was just trying to frolic in the woods. Luckily, the front desk employee at the Moraine Lake Lodge took pity on me and allowed me to sit by their fireplace and sip my hot chocolate until I felt well enough to walk around the lake.

I thought Emerald Lake was jaw dropping? It was because I hadn’t seen Moraine Lake yet. This was the stuff of dreams.

The trail itself is very easy. It’s an out and back trail along the side of the lake opposite the mountains. I strolled along this path and took probably one thousand photos of Moraine Lake and somehow, it didn’t seem like enough. I didn’t want to forget this place. But that’s impossible, because it’s unforgettable.

The final hike of what turned out to be a really peaceful solo vacation was the Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass Trail, which ran about 7.2 miles. The biggest reason I chose Banff National Park over my other options was because of the larch trees. I’m a sucker for a beautiful photo and that’s largely what I base my travel plans on. So, when I started seeing photos of the vibrant yellow and orange larch trees of Canada changing colors I decided I had to witness it in person. It was definitely worth the trip.

The Larch Valley trail is yet another steep incline up a mountain. The sprawling valleys of larch trees lay at the top of the mountain. When you first enter the trail, it seems easy enough. However, you’ll soon find yourself climbing along very long switchbacks up the side of this mountain to get to the top. To one side, you can peer through the trees at the valleys and lakes below. To there other: be prepared to look directly at the uphill climb you are currently trying to complete. I recommend looking down at the beautiful trees and lakes. It’s less stressful.

When you finally reach the top, it feels like you’ve walked through the Looking Glass into another universe. You’ve stepped through a portal to an ethereal fairy realm where orange leaves waft to the ground around you, the air is crisp, and everyone is silent in the face of such beauty. Lay claim to one of the large boulders and settle in for lunch time. That’s what I did. Hikers munched on snacks and children frolicked among the falling leaves as the sun reflected off the foliage.

After devouring my sammich, I descended the mountain. Part of me wonders if I’ll ever see anything like those larch trees again, or have the chance to eat a quiet lunch on top of a mountain in Canada because I impulse purchased a flight to Banff one afternoon.

On the way back to the town of Banff, there is a secluded bed & breakfast that has a rustic restaurant inside called The Storm Mountain Lodge. I stopped in here for my last meal of the trip. The decor makes this place what it is. It is a mountain lodge to its core. It is also not crowded and therefore an excellent way to end my solo journey. I sipped some red wine, picked at a tastefully arranged charcuterie board, and switched on my Kindle while the sun set outside.

All in all, I think spending my anniversary alone was the best way to celebrate…and it also foreshadowed the fortunate end to this relationship. Hopefully in my next relationship, we can spend our anniversary getting blitzed on a beach in Jamaica. But until then, some pinot and my latest read will have to do.