We started our second day in the Canadian Rockies with our little tradition — a steaming cup of masala tea. There’s nothing like that comforting aroma to kick off an adventurous morning. While sipping our tea, we had a great chat with our wonderful host, Jeremy - a biker, traveler, and author of two books. He’s been around the world on his bike, and listening to his stories was truly inspiring.
After breakfast, it was time for one of the most anticipated parts of our trip - the Larch Valley hike and visiting my dream destination, Moraine Lake! We grabbed some Subway sandwiches from Banff downtown to fuel up later on the trail and then headed toward Moraine Lake by shuttle.
We started the hike around 12:30 PM, and wow — it was steep and challenging right from the beginning. But every step upward brought more breathtaking views of Moraine Lake below. The turquoise water kept peeking through the trees as we climbed higher and higher.
As we gained elevation, the larches turned golden, and soon we were surrounded by a glowing forest of yellow — it was absolute peak season. The higher we went, the more magical it became. At the top, we had a perfect view of the valley and even spotted a glacier in the distance.
We sat there, unwrapped our sandwiches, and just soaked in the beauty — the crisp air, the golden trees, and the sense of achievement. On the way back, we ran out of water, so we filled our bottles straight from a mountain stream — pure glacier water that tasted unbelievably fresh!
Back at Moraine Lake, we took a stroll along the shoreline and climbed the famous Rockpile Viewpoint — even though our legs were sore, there was no way we were skipping that iconic spot. Standing there, overlooking the shimmering blue lake surrounded by rugged peaks, felt surreal.
After the hike, we took the shuttle back, wandered around Banff downtown, and ended the day with dinner at an Indian restaurant — the perfect comfort food after a long day on the trail.
We went to bed tired but blissfully happy, hearts full of memories from a day that felt like a dream come true - Larch Valley and Moraine Lake, forever etched in our minds.
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