Canada 2025

Saturday13thSeptember

The night before, a small setback with the tent! The zipper on the outer door failed us miserably!   And there was nothing to be done, all methods to patch it up failed... Desperate times call for desperate measures, we decide to mourn my tent, which was about to reach its 14th year. Yes, it was the one that sheltered us during our entire trip to Iceland in 2011! And it was still the one in South Africa in 2023. But we have to turn the page; we will have to find a replacement that is just as practical and quick to set up. The only way to do that: return to Calgary to find the designer of the two-second tent! Yes, Decathlon, the French store, opened in a few Canadian cities in 2018. This disrupts our schedule, but too bad! Calgary is a two-hour drive away, which means a big part of the day will be devoted to replacing the tent!

And two hours later, here we are already in front of Decathlon. The purchase was quick, but unfortunately, the model similar to my two-second tent no longer exists. So I fall back on the closest model, the 2" Fresh & Black. Lower, blocked light, closing system, dirt-prone color—so many negative points that make me say I won't be a fan of this version, but I have no choice, we'll try it and see! In the meantime, and before hitting the road back to Lake Louise, we take advantage of the parking lot tables to have a picnic.

The beautiful landscapes of the Rockies on the way back to Lake Louise.

And hop, transformation! The new tent has taken the place of its predecessor and our inflatable mattresses are already in place. All that's left is to start the day's program that was planned in Yoho National Park.

First stop in Yoho National Park, 40 minutes from the campsite: Takakkaw Falls. The waters rush from a rock face for a free fall of more than 250 meters. Fed by the Daly glacier, this waterfall is among the highest in Canada.

To reach the waterfall, you have to cross the Yoho River, which is fed by Takakkaw Creek.

The Takakkaw River.

Here we are at the next stop, 20 kilometers from Takakkaw. The tumultuous "Kicking Horse" River has sculpted a natural bridge through millions of years of dissolution and abrasion of the limestone rock.

Iron bridge versus stone bridge...  

Mount Stephen.

Mount Burgess.

The passage of sediment-laden water eventually pierced the rock wall, creating the natural arch.

The limestone strata, once horizontal, were straightened by tectonic forces and then patiently sculpted by the current.

It's bubbling, it's bubbling!  

Third and final stop, Emerald Lake!

Discovered in 1882 by guide Tom Wilson during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Emerald Lake remains one of the most iconic sites in Yoho National Park. The guide was so impressed by the spectacular hue of the basin that he named it after the gemstone whose brilliance it shares.

Mount Burgess and its reflection...

A tour of the lake is possible in two hours and we had planned to do it, but the "little" trip to Calgary prevented us; it's already almost 7 p.m.! It's not all bad, it will rest our legs from the long hours of walking the day before...  

Cabins can accommodate tourists to enjoy the lake and its surroundings for several days.

Little guitar solo with feet in the water.  

Back to the campsite for the traditional wood-fired barbecue. It will be skewers and vegetables for tonight.   This is our last night here. Tomorrow, we leave Banff National Park to join Jasper!