Photos

A short drive from Banff allows some of the nicer hiking in the park along the back side of the Sunshine Village ski resort. The resort charges hikers to take them up via bus along the resorts gravel access road, but the charge is well worth it. A loop leads around the three lakes pictured, from left are Rock Isle Lake, Laryx Lake, and Grizzly Lake, as viewed from the top of wind whipped Standish Ridge. In addition, a less traveled loop leads hikers along the north side of the ridge through the alpine Sunshine Meadows, with nary a hiker around to compete with the ever present chirping of the Ground Squirrels (close relatives of prairie dogs) that make this area home and provide ever present targets for the Grizzly bears that traverse the area and leave their mark as they dig up the ground squirrel's underground homes in search of a tasty meal. Didn't spot a grizzly myself, but was told by hikers on the way down that there had been a few sightings around the aptly named Grizzly Lake that same day.