On our last full day in Banff, we hiked to Lake Agnes. Lake Agnes is a renowned for the tea house that sits at its shore and sells a variety of teas. The hike clocks in at 4.5 miles round trip with 400 feet of elevation. The trail starts from the shore of Lake Louise and in the shadow of the Fairmont Chateau. A quarter of the way through the hike, you will happen upon a break in the tree line, which allows for a clear glimpse of Lake Louise. Further up is Mirror Lake, which is situated in the shadow of the Big Beehive, which we would also eventually climb that day. After Mirror Lake, you are almost at the tea house. After rounding a bend in the trail, you will begin to hear a waterfall and soon you will see the falls set next to a wooden staircase. After stopping at the waterfall, we climbed the staircase and were greeted with our first glimpse of the tea house and Lake Agnes. The tea house has been serving hikers since 1905 and now a very popular destination for those in the area. If you do not arrive early in the morning, you will not be served or a few hours or at all. The inside of the tea house is truly something out of a storybook with its warped glass and minimal lighting. We were able to grab a table outside on the porch with a view of the lake. After ordering some tea and chocolate cake (of course) we learned from our waitress that all grocery items are carried up the trail in +50lb packs by the employees (crazy stuff). Our food and tea soon arrived and was the perfect snack after the hike. I happily snapped tons of photos of the house, the views, and the tea cups. From this point, our family parted ways: my parents and Madison headed to the Little Beehive. Meanwhile, Patrick, Lauren, and I set off for the Big Beehive, where I had plans to continue on to tackle Devil's Thumb. The Little Beehive shows views of Lake Louise, while the Big Beehive shows higher views of Lake Louise as well as views of Mirror Lake. Furthermore, Devil's Thumb shows even higher views of Lake Louise with additional views of Mirror Lake and Lake Agnes. We set off for the Big Beehive, which shows takes you around the shoreline of Lake Agnes and eventually up switchbacks. Once you conquer the switchbacks, you still have a hike across the Big Beehive to see the lakes. We eventually reached the end of the Big Beehive and were given incredible views of Lake Louise. After I stopped for snacks and tons of photos, I parted ways with Patrick and Lauren for my final destination of Devil's Thumb. All I knew about the hike to Devil's Thumb was that it was a unmarked path that was opposite of the Big Beehive trail and that you would eventually need your hands to climb the trail. So I headed off looking for this "unmarked path". I found a path. At the time, I wasn't sure if it was the right one. I came upon a large rock that I had to scale and then stepped onto a dirt path clinging to the rock face. This path snacked around the cliff and without a clue as to whether I was on the right path, I told myself that I would turn around 15 minutes if I didn't know for sure. No sooner did I voice this promise to myself that a couple turned the corner ahead of me. I happily called out to them, "Is this Devil's Thumb?" They smiled and said in German accents, "Yes. You're going the right way." I breathed a sigh of relief and told them of my promise to turn around soon and that I was lucky to have caught them. They then walked me through some recommendations on how to conquer the rest of the trail. I thanked them as they left and went on my way. I soon came to a rough gradual rising cliff that I estimate to be a 60 degree face. The grade of the rise wasn't the hardest part but rather the consistency of the face as it was made completely of shale that crumbled and slide down the hill the moment you stepped on it. This first step forced me to put away my camera into my bag as I needed both hands to successfully climb the grade. Even with the Germans' recommendations, I had a tough time getting across this portion of the hike. A half a mile probably took me 45 minutes to achieve. After much slipping, sliding, and catching of breath, I found a faintly worn path that was still difficult to traverse. It eventually lead to a crest of the mountain that clashed sharply with the bright blue skies above. I slowly climbed this face expecting to be done when I was greeted with yet another rise, this time to the east and filled with massive boulders the size of small cars. I happily climbed these rocks hand by hand and step by step over the slate-bearing path previously. Finally, I created the boulders and came face-to-face with with a platform of rock that had gaping holes in its surface. If you are familiar with Imagine Dragons' debut album cover and the ground that is shown in the art, that's how the ground of this mountain was. It was beautiful. Just beyond this surface was a massive mounds of rocks of varying sizes, which appeared to be placed by hand from previous hikers. I set off for this mark and with each step unfolded more and more of the horizon and view below until I had a complete 180 view of the valley below, highlighted by a milky Lake Louise, minute Fairmont Chateau, and ant-sized canoes upon the lake's surface. I was all alone. This was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life. I spent the next hour or so gazing in all directions and being amazed by the towering snow-capped peaks, glinting lakes, and my then-isolated state. With the further retreating of the sun and the extensive hike to the shoreline beneath me, I decided it was time to leave. I gave one more look back at the view and then proceeded to find a large nearby stone and carefully place it on the pile. I carefully began to retrace my steps down the slippery slope. My decision to leave was rewarded when I came face-to-face with a group of four fellow hikers making their way precariously up the hill. They asked for tips as to how to safely scale the rise, which I did my best to elaborate on but felt was unsuccessful as I still don't understand how to properly reach the peak. The rest of the descent was easy sailing as I raced downwards past the Big Beehive, the tea house, Mirror Lake, and finally to the Lake Louise shoreline where I found my family in Adirondack chairs.
As I climbed towards the summit of Devil's Thumb, I couldn't help but hear this song in my head.
Above: The trailhead. Below: Cool stickers.
Above: Photographer frenzy for the morning glow. Below: Mom is all business.
Above: One of my favorite photos. A break in the pines for a view of Lake Louise.
Above: The Big Beehive from Mirror Lake.
Above: Mirror Lake from the Big Beehive.
Above: Step One is to see the waterfall.
Above: Step Two is to take the stairs.
Above: Step Three is to enjoy the teahouse.
Above: Lake Agnes. Below: Warning - just the beginning of a ton of teahouse photos.
Above & Below: I attempted to experiment with these edits. Hope you enjoy.
Above: One of my favorite photos.
Above: Off to the Big Beehive.
Above: One of the many switchbacks.
Above: A pano of Lake Louise from the Big Beehive.
Above: Lauren enjoying the view of Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau at its shore.
Above & Below: The gazebo at Big Beehive.
Above: Onwards to Devil's Thumb.
Above: A pano of my view from the trail to Devil's Thumb.
Above: "I DID IT! I'M THERE!" Below: My view as I realize that it was a false summit. Note Mount Whyte in the background.
Above: Exhausted but thrilled with the sight. Below: These rocks were incredible. Stepping stones towards the finish line.
Above: I got some serious Moana-vibes with this rockpile. Every one who conquered Devil's Thumb just making the spot even higher. I wonder how tall it will be if I ever return.
Above: The unbelievable view from Devil's Thumb with Lake Agnes on the left and Lake Louise on the left. The contrast in the colors of the lakes give you an appreciation for the incredible tone of Louise.
Above: Snapped some self-portraits with the view.
Above: Lake Agnes. Note the teahouse at the top of the lake.
Above: A thumb's edge.
Above & Below: Close-ups with the surrounding peaks and their receding glaciers.
Above: The view from Devil's Thumb shows you the true beauty and tone of Lake Louise. This is super zoomed in photo and still, note the minute canoes on the milky surface.
Above: I really like the shadows of the pines of the lake's surface.
Above: As I began to make my descent (carefully), I noticed a group of hikers coming my direction. I chose a good time to head out.
Above & Below: Some texture photos for my buddy Steve.
Above: I should have pointed at Devil's Thumb with my own thumb.