In the past, Dave and I have avoided visiting Banff's Lake Minnewanka (Lake of the Spirits). Thoughts of crowded parking lots, shuttles, and tour buses have always discouraged us from exploring the area. That is until one fine June day, we decided to hike the Minnewanka Lakeside Trail to Aylmer Pass Junction.
Heading to Banff, with Cascade Mountain in the distance.
It was one of those rare, sunny days by June standards, and summer hiking restrictions had yet to take effect. We arrived early and had no trouble parking—not one tour bus in sight!
A view of the lake from the Lake Minnewanka Day Use Area.
Lake Minnewanka shoreline.
The beauty of this hike is the diversity of the experience. We set out towards Stewart Canyon, starting from the Lake Minnewanka Day Use Area. It was kind of busy for the first mile—as Stewart Canyon is the primary destination for most folks. After that, the crowds quickly dispersed.
Stewart Canyon.
Stewart Canyon with the lake in the distance.
Our hike continued from the canyon to above the lake along a rocky ledge that gave us an entirely new perspective of our surroundings.
We were passed by an insanely experienced mountain biker, slowly pedaling up the narrow trail above us. Frightening. We stayed above the lake until we neared the junction.
Backpacker headed to Aylmer Pass Campground.
The hike was a little over ten miles (16 km) roundtrip, with around 1,600 ft (500 m) of elevation, mainly from the initial climb from the canyon bridge.
Our turnaround point.
After a snack on the bridge, we grudgingly began our return.
Snack time.
What goes down must come up.
By the time we got back, the day-use area was popping. Tour buses, families, sun, and plenty of ice cream had taken over. The normalcy of it all felt quite remarkable.