Field, British Columbia, Canada

Sunday, September 15, 2024

Our day began in Banff National Park. We parked overnight in the Lake Louise Overflow Lot for a cheaper and more conveniently-located camping option. Campgrounds in the national park don’t offer hook-ups anyway, so all we’d gain by staying in an actual campground would be the ability to use the dump station, refill water, and have a bonfire. This parking lot worked just fine for sleeping. Interestingly, there was a tall electric fence around the entire parking lot to keep animals at bay.

First order of business this morning was to secure camping spots for tonight. Laura & Shaun followed behind us as we left Banff National Park, and drove 20 minutes to Monarch Campground in Yoho National Park. This campground was located right beside the Trans-Canada Highway and a train that ran every 15 minutes. It was quite a noisy campsite! The benefit of staying here though, was the open sky which works well for our Starlink satellite internet and we were also able to snag two first-come, first-serve sites right next to each other. It’s also a few minutes’ drive from several hikes and viewpoints in Yoho National Park.

We were completely out of water in our RV, and unfortunately the Monarch Campground water spigot was broken. Andi asked a park ranger where we could fill up. She laughed, and said that someone had driven off with the water hose still attached to their RV, so we’d have to go to the next campground over called Kicking Horse to fill water there. Considering how many rental RVs there are in & around Banff National Park, I could definitely see this accident happening!

We filled our water tank at Kicking Horse Campground, then drove back to Monarch Campground to park our RV there. Why not just camp at Kicking Horse? Well, that is a reservation-only campground and spots fill up there months in advance. Since we’re traveling without a plan, we typically camp in the first-come, first-serve spots.

Next, the six of us hopped into Shaun’s pickup truck to go explore Yoho National Park. We were snug-as-a-bug fitting six people safely in his truck, but it was such an easy way to sightsee. It was great that we could all be together as well.

To be honest, we hadn’t done much research about Yoho National Park since we’d originally planned to go to Jasper National Park after we visited Banff. But, the recent wildfires and park closures in Jasper caused us to rethink our plans. So far, Yoho N.P. looked equally as beautiful and there were far fewer crowds.

Our first stop was Takakkaw Falls. The small parking lot was full when we arrived, but the shores of the Yoho River weren’t at all busy. I’m assuming that most of the cars in the parking lot were hikers as several trailheads began at this location.

The six of us wandered along the river for a while, admiring the pretty scenery. The Yoho River was much more milky-colored compared to the turquoise-blue rivers in Banff. Tiny glacial particles of rock, called rock flour, are pushed down the mountain, entering into water streams. The amount of rock flour suspended in the water, and the amount of sunlight, gives the water its unique turquoise or milky blue appearance.

A bridge around the river bend led to the roaring Takakkaw Falls. Takakkaw Falls is meltwater from the Daly Glacier. The water plummets over 1,000 feet down the rock face into the Yoho River. This is Canada’s 2nd tallest waterfall, and its power was pretty impressive!

I loved all of the natural geometric lines and shapes — the angle of the mountain, the texture of the trees, or the curve of the river through the valley.

This was a great spot — not too busy with tourists, and very pretty. There were several picnic tables by the river that would’ve been a perfect spot to have lunch on this sunny fall day.

We didn’t bring a picnic lunch with us today, though we should have. Tory did say she was hungry, so we decided to go back to Monarch Campground to have lunch there before an afternoon of exploring in Yoho National Park.

Back at camp, Shaun brought tzatziki dip and cowboy caviar, plus some Stacy’s pita chips and Fritos over to our campground picnic table. Andi cut up some summer sausage, and contributed cheese and hummus. Laura made Moscow Mules. The adults enjoyed a “snack lunch” outdoors while Tory and Aden opted to sit inside the camper and eat their lunches with iPads.

Around 3:00pm, the six of us set off to adventure again. We drove in Shaun’s pickup truck to the town of Field, which is headquarters for Yoho N.P. Field is a cute little community with a small grocery store, a couple cafes, and a pottery shop. Andi & the kids went inside the pottery shop with Laura & Shaun while I sat outside to soak up the sunshine for a few minutes.

When Aden returned he said, “Mom! Guess how much one coffee cup was in that pottery shop? $450!” Andi chimed in to say he asked Aden to slooowly set the cup down, and exit the store immediately once he saw the pricing. $450 for a coffee cup? Maybe there was a decimal missing …

Our next stop in Yoho National Park was Emerald Lake. This lake is the most popular attraction in the national park, and for good reason — it’s really breathtaking. There’s also a 3.2 mile walking path around the lake to take in the view from all different angles.

The employee at the pottery shop warned Andi that parts of the Emerald Lake loop are muddy. With the recent rains and the direction of the sun’s rays, parts of the trail are more forested and receive less sun than others. A little mud didn’t scare us though; we were up for the challenge. Tory was the only one apprehensive about getting her shoes and her white sweater dirty.

Two charter buses with tourists dropped off at the same time we arrived at Emerald Lake, so it was a bit hectic when we arrived. There were people everywhere! We pushed our way through the crowd, and found the trail around the lake.

I think we started the trail opposite the way most people go. We began walking on the shady, forest side of the lake where the trail was really muddy. The upside of doing it this way was that we barely saw any other people. Most tourists stick to the sunny, paved portion of the trail, or never venture further than the overlook.

There weren’t many views of the lake on the forested side of the trail, but the kids had fun jumping from rock to rock to avoid stepping in the mud, and the trail was very peaceful. Today was a gorgeous fall day — sunny with temperatures in the upper 60’s. The six of us were peeling layers in no time as we walked along the trail.

Earlier today, Aden found a piece of rope by the Yoho River and has played with it all day. How long can a piece of rope keep a 10-year-old boy entertained? A long time, apparently. He tied the rope around a piece of driftwood and dragged it behind him on the trail. He called his invention the “Mud Saver 3000,” flicking the stick forward whenever the path was muddy so he could step on the wood instead of in the mud.

About half-way around the lake, the forest ended and the scenery changed to more of an open prairie. Grasses and shrubs lined this side of the lake, and the ground was much drier.

During our walk, Andi stepped on Aden’s piece of driftwood not realizing the rope was tied around Aden’s hand. The rope pulled tight, and pinched Aden’s fingers. He burst into tears. Andi felt terrible, and offered to drag Aden’s rope and wood for a while.

A man passed us on the trail, and burst out laughing. “What’s his name?” the guy asked, barely able to contain himself. It did look like Andi was walking a pet piece of driftwood.

“Sparky. My parents never let me have a dog,” Andi shouted back with a smile.

The joke had us all laughing, including Aden, and suddenly he forgot all about his hurt hand.

The rest of the trail was an easy, semi-paved walk around the lake. We saw several more people on this side, but it wasn’t overly crowded. I loved all the different viewpoints this trail offered of beautiful Emerald Lake.

By the time we finished our walk around the lake, it was 7:00pm. We drove back to Monarch Campground, and Shaun and Laura made a stir-fry for dinner. Meanwhile, our family took turns showering in our RV. Once all four of us showered, we were completely out of water again; we only have a 25 gallon tank. We’ll have to fill up with water once more at Kicking Horse Campground before we leave the area tomorrow.

Today was a fun day in Yoho National Park! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, the weather is pleasant, and we’re really enjoying spending quality time with Laura and Shaun. Tomorrow, our plan is to venture further west toward Golden, British Columbia.