- Short hike on the Canadian Mount Everest Expedition Trail
- Drive on the gravel road towards Canmore
- 3 hour hike up to Chester Lake
- Drive on the Transcanada Highway through Banff National Park and on through neighboring Kootenay
Today more hikes are on the program. The weather in the mornings is initially cloudy and unusually cool - as has often been the case in the last few days. We want to do the trail recommended by the guide to Mount Infatigable. Unfortunately this has been closed for a few years as it leads through first-class grizzly habitat. So we drive to the Visitors Center and explore alternatives in the region. To warm up, we hike the Canadian Mount Everest Expedition Trail to a lookout point between the Kananaskis Lakes.
Then we start the journey on the well-groomed Smith-Dorrien / Spray-Trail gravel road. Every passing vehicle creates large clouds of dust. A coyote crosses the street twice, but that's it for the animal sightings. But the landscape is all the more grandiose. Clear traces of last year's storm can be seen everywhere. Then we go on a longer hike up to Chester Lake. Once at the top, the forest clears a little and we walk through meadows. The rugged mountain peaks of the Kananaskis chain can be seen between the clouds. After a picnic we start the descent.
Then we continue towards Canmore. At the Engadine Lodge we take a look at the grandiose river valley below. The area around the subsequent Spray Lake is very popular with the locals for fishing and picnicking. The lively town of Canmore only serves as a transit point in the direction of Banff. The Transcanada Highway represents an almost insurmountable barrier for wild animals except for the few game bridges and divides the park in two. It leads through a fascinating, largely untouched mountain landscape with wild river valleys and forests. We cross the Banff National Park and turn into the less visited neighboring park Kootenay. The road is noticeably less busy and only one lane. After a few stops, we arrive at the end of the parking lot in Radium Hotsprings. There we find shelter on the comfortable Redstreak Campground. We roast our steak and make backed potatos in the fire.
