Our first stop after Calgary was Banff. Maybe it would have been logical to start out slow, but we decided to tackle a long hike as our first hike in Canada. After taking our time in the morning, we left our tent in Banff and headed to the trail head– just off of Trans-Canada Highway 1. Our plan was to make it to Bourgeau Lake, and continue onto Harvey’s Pass if we had the time and energy.

The hike started out mildly inclined and heavily wooded. This was a breeze, so we spent the first two hours chatting and laughing– catching up on our past year’s adventures. Eventually the trail got steeper and we got quieter. We hiked for about an hour without saying anything to each other– which is why hiking with these girls is so great. We have a great time whether we are gabbing about Margit’s new witch and Maria’s new boyfriend, or hiking in total silence. Eventually we passed the heavy tree line and the landscape opened up to great views.

Shortly after, we arrived at Bourgeau Lake. The lake was beautiful, but also positioned in a wind tunnel, making it pretty chilly. We had our lunch, saved a German from drinking from the glacial-melt lake, and carried on our way.

Our way up to Harvey’s pass was more taxing. The wind was strong at some points, and it was easy to lose track of the trail. It was obvious that this part of the trail hadn’t been hiked much (or at all) this season.

Even though we had been fighting heavy winds and cold rain for the last 40 minutes, the view from the top was amazing. The clouds cleared up just long enough for us to snap some pictures.

After debating whether or not we should continue the next 2km or so of steep terrain to summit the top of Mount Bourgeau, we decided to head back down because of the storm that was headed our way.

By the time we got to our car, my legs were like jello. I replaced my hiking books with Chacos and drove us back to camp, exhausted. Our first Canadian hike was a 7 hour success.