Banff Part 1 - Lake Minnewanka

We are a little ways away from the interior of BC, but that's okay.  I took a vacation, and went to Banff National Park to do some camping, hiking, and of course, kayaking.  There are a number of beautiful lakes with amazing mountain views in Banff, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a few.

Now, the big problem we faced was finding a place somewhere near Banff where we could rent a second kayak.  There is nowhere within the town of Banff that will allow you to rent a kayak, and take it to any lake you wish.  After some extensive research, and almost giving up on the idea of kayaking while in Banff, I discovered one shop in Kananaskis Village that rented kayaks, and would allow them to travel "wherever we liked."  So on our first day there, we drove all the way into Kananaskis to pick up a rental.

After a longer drive than planned (it turns out Kananaskis Village is not right on the Trans Canada Highway - it is another 25 km further...) we started out on Lake Minnewanka.

Lake Minnewanka is a large lake that is blocked by a hydroelectric dam at one end.  The water is a beautiful greeny/blue color, which is crystal clear in shallower spots, and the entire lake is surrounded by mountains.  The area had been engulfed in smoke the day before from forest fires burning in BC, but it was clear and sunny when we got there.

Here is a nice view of the boathouse, where you can rent motor boats at an astronomical price by the half hour.  Or you can take a guided tour of the lake on a much larger boat.

We paddled along, with the wind at our backs pushing us along. 


















The wind wasn't bad when we started out, but it gradually got worse.

 

 

So much beautiful scenery....

 

Eventually, the wind got a bit too strong, the waves got a bit too big, and we had to stop on shore to wait it out. The boats were getting swamped and pushed around by the waves, which was a bit scary. At one point, it reminded me of kayaking on the ocean in Mexico, only at that time, I had a much larger boat that handled the waves better. My little 11 foot kayak was not much of a match for these waves.

We found a nice beach to stop on.  I paddled towards the shore, and figured I had better get out of my kayak, since it was about to be filled with water.  I stepped out into the water, which appeared to be ankle deep.  Turns out it was about waist deep - oops!  Good thing it was a hot, sunny day!  The water wasn't as cold as I thought it would be.  I ended up with a nasty bruise on my right arm where it smacked the edge of the cockpit on my way out.

But we made it to shore.  And it was such a pretty spot to take a break, and take some photos.

We waited a little while, and the wind died down a bit, but then got worse again as we tried to get back onto the lake.  A few minutes later, we tried again, and made it, without swimming, and with minimal swamping.  Although it is more difficult to paddle into the wind, I found that I prefer it that way, as it is easier to see the waves coming at you.

On our way back to the boat launch.  As Murphy's Law would have it, the wind died down considerably as we approached the boathouse, and then picked up again just as we thought we might be able to paddle around a bit longer.  It was a beautiful lake, and I hope I get a chance to see more of it someday.