Our friend Margaret is not a morning person by nature. But it is summer in the Canadian Rockies, and the true beauty of Lake Louise is best shared early. Really early.

We were up at 5:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. departure. Our forecast was for partly cloudy skies with scattered showers possible. 

We arrived around 7:30 a.m. and found parking easily. A steady, pelting rain greeted us. Undaunted, we bundled up in layers with raincoats and hiking poles and set out for the Plain of Six Glaciers teahouse. The rain created jewel-like images that were nothing short of magical.

The rain turned to drizzle as we started our ascent. The trail was essentially ours alone. Glaciers surrounded us. We made a steady climb through woods and scree. Part of the trail was out due to water, so we adventurously bypassed it on steep terrain. Awesome.

We reached the top and enjoyed the Teahouse's famous chocolate cake and tea. A short trek to view the glaciers was followed, along with some scary stories about Pole Glacier, a.k.a. the Death Trap. Fun.

Mountain solitude met high tourist season on the way down. But, we were content. Not only did we conquer mountains, we conquered CROWDS.