No tunnel for you at Tunnel Mountain
If you are a hiker you will want to check out tunnel mountain. It is a relatively easy to moderate one and a half hours climb, but, funnily enough, you will not find a tunnel. So why the name?
The puzzle dates back to the mid-1880s, at a time when the Canadian Pacific Railway was expanding its rail line through Banff. The railway initially proposed to take the shortest route possible while creating the rail line and that would have meant a straight line through the heart of the mountain. After much thought about how difficult and the cost to dynamite through the mountain, they changed the plan to go around the mountain, following the course of the Bow River. The name was never changed and now you now.
Lake Louise owes its colour to the Rocky Mountains
Meltwater from the Victoria Glacier, containing ground-up particles of mountain rock or rock flour, as it is referred too. Sunlight reflecting off of this rock flour suspended in the frigid waters of the lake, the colour that’s reflected is the amazing turquoise color that’s know for its beauty, the world.
You can tell a lot about a mountain from its colour
If you travel through the Canadian Rockies, you’ll notice gradients in color from mountain peak to mountain peak. You can learn a lot about the mineral content of the rock by reading the different hues.
If a mountain has a reddish-orange tint it likely has a high iron content, for instance. As you might expect, given the colour of tarnished copper, a mountain containing that metal often appears greenish. A yellow mountain, on the other hand, suggests a high concentration of sulphur.
Are you one that loves to hike and explore?
If you love the clean air experience of hiking in the mountains, you will not be disappointed. Banff National Park has over 1,600 kilometers of hiking trails. Which means that you can stay as long as you like and will have a lot of hiking before you have to retrace your steps.
Wildlife crossing
Banff National Park’s wildlife can cross the Trans-Canada Highway on specially built over and under passes, designed to reduce vehicular collisions with the animals. These have set the world-standard for animal-highway relation
Not just one, but 5 parks
Visitors to the Canadian Rocky Mountains often aren’t aware that there is more than just the Banff National Park, and Jasper National Park. The Canadian Rockies are comprised of five major parks., Yoho, Jasper, Kootenay, Banff and Waterton.
Dry ice
Did you know that even though the mountains are known for the majestic beauty and vibrant outdoor activities, one park offers you both cactus and glaciers? That is right, if you make your way to Kootenay National Park you will be to explore the glaciers and see some amazing cactus as well. It is a wild and exciting find, and only in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
