On every vacation there is usually one place that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Our Canadian trip was filled with these places and we weren’t able to single out one. However there were a couple of side trips we took that we would definitely take again – Emerald Lake and Maligne Canyon.
Emerald Lake is one of those rare finds we treasure every time we look at the pictures. From November to June the lake is normally frozen so you don’t get to see the vivid colors. Here in July the oohs and aahs aren’t for fireworks, they’re for this precious jewel in the Canadian Rockies. It’s a wonderful time to visit. Water laden with limestone rock flour is streaming off glaciers flowing into the lake. When the sun comes out Emerald Lake shows off her resplendent vivid turquoise colors. Yes, full sunlight is the final element that completes the picture.
This is one of the reasons Wooly has a love/hate relationship with the sun. Most of the time he prefers partially overcast days that block the most intense sunlight and makes the skies interesting. However, when you see a glacier fed lake in full sunlight you appreciate that those colors only really pop when exposed in full sunlight. In those places the sun is your friend.
Since we had a schedule to keep we couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked. A hike around the lake is a must should we return as well as renting a kayak to explore the place from the inside out. We’re glad the sun revealed Emerald Lake’s glory that day so we could fully appreciate the beauty of the place. Enjoy the photos that make us want to return.
woolyandraeski 