Septermber 18, Canada, Day 17

Our first adventure of the day (don't you just love multi-adventure days?) took us up to Sunshine Meadows. This is one of the most popular day-hikes in Banff National Park.
 

 In the summer this a most spectacular high alpine meadow, full of sunshine and wildflowers. When we were there, near the end of the hiking season, snow covered the meadow and sunshine intermittently broke through the clouds.

Still, the views from the trail and from the top of Standish Lookout are spectacular.

 
There are three alpine lakes at three different elevation. All three lakes, Rock Isle Lake (left), Lorix Lake (center) and Grizzly Lake (barely visible at the far right), are visible from Standish Lookout.

A fairly gentle hike an the well-marked, well-maintained trails starts at the Sunshine Village ski resort at 2200 meters (7,150 feet). From there the trail gains about another 100 meters (330 feet). Various trail combinations can take an hour-and-a-half to three hours. Or this can be the starting point for a multi-day back-country hike to Mt. Assinaboine and beyond.

Our second adventure of the day was a visit to Vermillion Lakes, a series of three lakes and wetlands in the Bow River valley right outside the Banff townsite.

There are spectacular views of one of my favorite mountains in the Rockies, Mt Rundle.

I didn't know until we got back that this a trail and we could have hiked up Mt. Rundle. Ah, well! Next time. There are so many things to do next time.