The Lake Louise

We are living in Field for the next four weeks.  We are working a few days a week in return for accommodation, at a little hostel called Fireweed.  It is cute and tidy, and we get our own house to live in while here.  It is great, nice and tidy, and super warm – as in we can sit around in t-shirts, while it is snowing outside. Much better than any of the hostels we have stayed in so far.

Field is a good location, right in the middle of the rockies, 20mins drive to Lake Louise Skifield, and between 1-2hrs drive to get to like four other skifields.  We are surrounded by steep mountains, trees, and a lot of snow (and squirrels, and elk!). Field is just near the border of British Columbia and Alberta.  An hours drive will get us to Banff.  The roads are good for being covered in snow most of the time, the road by Field is the main Highway that heads east, so it is quite big, and they clear it regularly.   Occasionally gets closed for avalanche control.

 

Sunday we woke very late, nice to have a permanent place to stay, and getting a decent sleep in.   We were a bit sore from boarding, but I went for a run anyway.   Met the elk again, they were wandering along the back road out of town.  There was sun around, so the whole thing was lovely and pretty, and I could see mountains everywhere.

After breakfasting (at lunchtime), and getting sorted, we headed back to Lake Louise, this time to look at he actual lake.  It is quite pretty.  It is mostly frozen over this time of year, and covered in a layer of snow.  They had brushed the snow of the closest part of the lake, and had set up a free ice rink, complete with Ice Castle.  That was very pretty!

There is a massive hotel, the Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau, probably quite fancy, sitting at the end of the lake.  We walked up to the other end, stepping off the path occasionally for the horse and sleigh that went past occasionally.

There were also people cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.   At the end of the easy track was a waterfall, all frozen and solid, and a deep icy blue colour.

Monday was work day, and the hostel work is pretty easy.   Shovelling 20+ cm of snow is not fun.   We have to keep our place clear, the hostel, carpark, and then 6-7 other places around town – just walkways and footpaths.  A little bit is easy and quick.  A lot is not.  Especially if all 30cm of snow from the roof has slid off and landed on the path.    A good workout though.