In this port, Janel and I are going to grade the different things we did on the trip. This is targeted at people looking for suggestions on what they should and should not do on a trip to the Canadian Rockies.
Lodging
Revelstoke Inn: B+
This was a nice stop on the way. It had some decent views of the Revelstoke Mountains, and a really comfy bed. We did get upgraded to one of the nicer rooms.
Banff Aspen Hotel: B-
Free breakfast (with good muffins). Decent beds. Small Hot Tub (bigger one was under construction). Close to downtown.
Lake Louise Inn: C-
No free breakfast. Lots of dinner options, but nothing particularly great. We had a recently renovated room, but it was only so-so. The beds were not particularly comfortable (even after camping for 4 days). It was kinda loud too, which was annoying since we wanted to get to bed early for the long drive home.
Camping
Egypt Lakes (backcountry): B
Great central location for base camp. So-so views from camp. Lots of mosquitos and flies. Bring a headnet. Bear ropes provided. Great wood-chip tent pads. Nice pit toilets. Moderately crowded (for the backcountry).
Lake O'Hara: A
Great location. Very nice camp with tent pads, shelters for cooking (and hiding from rain). Bear boxes. Limited people. Not a lot of bugs. So-so views from the campground. Well protected from the wind.
Lake Louise: B
Good location. Relatively secluded (for car camping in a big national park). Not too loud (but not quiet either). Free hot showers. Okay flush toilets. No tent pads (we were spoiled at this point).
Hikes
Sunshine to Simpson Pass: C+
The first part of the hike out from Sunshine (on our backpacking trip) was just okay. There was a good view-point at about 1.5km from Sunshine, but after that it was just a slog through mosquito-infested woods. The views at Sunshine (where we were at least) are only okay.
Simpson Pass to Healy River: B
This portion of the trail is between the pass and where the trail that comes up from the parking lot (where a lot of people come from) meet. There are some nice little lakes and meadows along this stretch, as well as a bit of wildflowers. I would not go out of my way to go here, but it was a large improvement over the slog leading up to Simpson Pass.
Healy Pass: A
Great vistas, and amazing (probably the best I have ever seen) wildflower meadows. Still worth it without the wildflowers (maybe a B+), but great with them. Don't bother walking down to Egypt Lake from the pass unless you are spending the night and can go farther. It is not worth it.
Egypt Lake: C-
The Egypt Lake itself (not the area, which is commonly called "Egypt Lakes") is pretty boring.
Whistling Pass: B+
Decent meadows, and good views. Not as good as Healy, but still worth it for a day trip. Doing a shuttle trip through Egypt and Shadow lakes would be fun.
Scarab and Mummy Lakes: B
Scarab lake was pretty easy to get to, but not all that exciting. Mummy Lake was a lot harder (some rock scrambling. All in all not bad, but not the best either. I would not bother if I had to carry my loaded pack.
Simpson Pass to Sunshine
I just wanted to call out that if I was doing this hike again without an ACL problem, I think it would be best to hike out down Healy River. Going back up to Sunshine had a good amount of annoying (viewless) climbs, and was not particularly fun.
Helen Lake (and Ridge): B+
The hike up to Helen Lake is okay. There are some views across the valley to a glacier. Helen Lake itself is boring. There are lots of marmots along the way, which are kinda fun. The meadows are decent, but don't compare to Healy Pass. I would rate the hike up to Lake Helen alone a C-. Hiking up to the ridge above the lake is a lot better, and what redeems the hike. Scrambling up Cirque Mountain would be a lot of fun if you are into that sort of thing.
Johnston Canyon: B
This was a nice a change of pace for the hikes. The waterfalls were nice. If you went during the day (and not at the crack of dawn) I would probably give this hike a D. I also think that the hike may rate an A if you are not from Oregon (and therefore not a waterfall snob). Lower falls is definitely the highlight.
Moraine Lake: A
This is a short little trail that goes to the end of Moraine Lake. It was short and had a lot of bang for your buck. There are tons of people there, so again I would recommend either doing it close to Sunrise or Sunset.
Lake Oesa: A-
This was a great hike. Meadows, vistas, alpine lakes, waterfalls ... everything your heart desires (okay maybe not). If you did the ledges (and are not afraid of heights) it would probably rate an A. If you scrambled up to Abbot Hut (don't forget your helmet), it would rate an A++. You can also get reservations to stay in the hut (but no camping on top).
Opabin Prospect and Lake: B+
Nice hanging valley. Decent lakes. Great views of Lake O'Hara. Our rating may be a bit skewed because we did it in the fog.
Takakkah Falls: C-
Big waterfall. Not really very nice looking. I was not a bit fan. Again, this may have something to do with me being from Oregon.
Wilcox Pass: A+
Great hike for the mileage. Great glacial views. Good chance to see mountain goats. The drive up is also quite nice. Highly recommended.
Plain of the Six Glaciers: A
Great hike if you do it early or late in the day. Way to many people mid-day. Definitely hike out to the end (past the Tea House) for some great views. The tea-house is pretty quiet if you get their early. We also especially enjoyed it because it was the "other side" of the pass from Lake Oesa. Don't plan on going up to Abbot Hut from this side though.
Towns
Banff: D
Way too many people. Not very well located for hiking (most of the good stuff is farther north. More focussed on shopping and fashion rather than being in a national park. Good information center, decent food, and a good grocery store (the only good qualities).
Lake Louise: B
Not as big as Banff. Good location for good hikes in Yoho and Banff (and maybe Wilcox Pass). Okay grocery store. Good campground. Felt more like a national park town than a tourist village (although there are still a ton of busses up at the Chateau).
Books
I always like to get 2 books for vacations. It is always better to get two perspectives on things rather than just one ... and also allows both Janel and I to have a book when we are trying to make plans.
Canadian Rockies Trail Guide: B+
This book has tons of information. It would be the perfect book for someone living in Calgary who could make numerous trips up to explore all the different options in the Canadian Rockies. It has decent maps for some areas ... but seems to be lacking on certain hikes. It does pretty much nothing to rate the different hikes ... which is kinda annoying when you have a fixed amount of time and are trying to figure out what to do.
Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies: The Opinionated Hiking Guide: B+
This book compliments the Trail Guide nicely. It rates all the hikes, and does a pretty good job of it. I have had other books that do a better job (breaking it down by scenary, solitude, and difficulty) ... but this did the trick for us. This book does not have as many hikes, but had plenty for a vacation. The maps in this book are quite poor. I would recommend picking up a topo map. You can get them from the Information Center in both Banff and Lake Louise.
Miscellaneous
Roads: A-
The roads are in great shape. They are finishing up a 4-lane highway that connects Lake Louise to Banff. Once that is complete, it will really speed things up. Bow Valley Parkway was a nice alternative to the new fast highway (reminiscent of what the roads used to be like). Ice Fields Parkway (which heads up towards Jasper from Lake Louise is a great 2-lane highway with amazing views that is worth the drive (especially early in the morning or in the evening before Sunset).
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