Plain of Six Glaciers: 5 of 60

5AM and I set out. The sky still dark. I had a long drive ahead of me and enough time to contemplate my planned hike for the day. After the success of Boom Lake the day before, success meaning no bear encounters, I was feeling more confident about this hike. I was headed to Lake Louise and my longest planned hike yet. The directions from my favorite LLM said, walk around the lake and if your legs are feeling good, follow the signs for the Plain of Six Glaciers. I walked the paved lake path, eyeing the tourists with their coffees and dogs, enjoying the cool mountain air. Remembering my coffee that I had left at the hotel earlier that morning, I almost turned around. But I kept going. At the turn-off, I went right.

If I had known this hike was taking me to the top of a mountain, I am not so sure I would have turned right at the turn-off. Because this hike follows the switchbacks around the mountain and you find yourself wondering when you’ll get to the top.

But that is all forgotten when you look down upon the shimmering lake and realize, you just climbed a mountain. Now, I just had to get back down.