Zooming along Canada's Highway #One. Signs gave lots of warning for the turnoff to Lake Louise.
"Let's go see the lake in the winter."
A quick exit followed by a short, but steep drive brought us to the parking lot. We hike here in the summers (click on link to see a photo of the lake in warmer times), but hadn't seen it in the winter.
The lake was frozen, and a large skating area cleared of snow. A beautiful castle wall created from ice stood in the center of the skating area. The setting sun, shadowed by clouds, gave a bit of glow to the scene. In front of the Chateau Lake Louise were ice sculptures. My two favourites are shown above. What a difficult medium to work in. Several sculptures referenced the Olympics.
A friendly young couple visiting from Wales took the iconic photo of the two of us in front of the lake and mountains. When I snapped the photo of Tim leaning against the ice castle wall, I bumped up the exposure a little. What a difference that made, as evidenced by the darker photo he took of me.
I'm always attracted to the sight of a little cabin tucked against the forest in the snow. I imagine how peaceful it would be to spend a couple of weeks there, reading, walking, and not doing much of anything.
After all of my years living in the tropics, I'm not yet tired of snow. I'm certain I would be if it was a constant presence for many months. But I get my snow in small batches and find it beautiful. It makes me happy to see a white-covered landscape, to hear the crunch when I walk in it, and to feel the tingle in my fingers and toes and ears and nose from the cold.
Linking to Sunlit Sunday, hosted by Karen of My Little Home and Garden, and to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary of the Little Red House.
Glorious photos - snow certainly does give us great photo opportunities. I love the ice castle and the sculptures. I would enjoy being in the cozy little cabin, for sure.
ReplyDeleteYour images are gorgeous! I love the ice sculptures and the log cabin in snow.
ReplyDeleteWhat magical photos! Thank you for sharing these beautiful views with us!
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of seeing Lake Louise once and can tell, from your photos, that it is incredibly beautiful in the winter too. I'm so pleased you and your husband decided to make a detour in your trip and visit this breathtaking spot.
ReplyDeleteThe ice sculptures show the talent of the artists who created them; they remind me of skating on the Rideau Canal and seeing the ice sculptures at Dow's Lake in Ottawa.
Thank you for championing the joys of a snowy winter in Alberta!
Karen
A lovely series of shots. I've seen the lake in early autumn, but not in the winter. It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful and the ice castle and sculptures are amazing seen in the open air like that. I've only seen ice sculptures inside but out there they look stunning.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie,
ReplyDeleteSpectacular, snowy photos of a beautiful, and wintry, Lake Louise! I had the pleasure of visiting these gorgeous surroundings during Easter vacation, as a teenager, when my dad was working at one of the many hotels in the area. Lorrie, the photo of that little, log cabin nestled at the bottom of that vast forest, is breathtaking! The contrast of the sprawling forest and the tiny building it seems to be protecting, is captivating!
Poppy
Beautiful posting . I'd say ,wonders of the winter time . I love snow and winter , BUT , not wery long winters .
ReplyDeleteI am glad you decided to visit the lake..what lovely shots!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen ice sculptures like that. They are amazing! It must have been a very lovely visit. I want to live in the cabin.
ReplyDeleteThose ice sculptures are incredible!! Can you even imagine working in the cold to create that art. Oh to dream about holding up in a cabin with no agenda or schedule with liads of books and movies. Sounds like heaven!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful series of Lake Louise. The ice sculptures are amazing. Love the cabin in the snow ... I'll join you there with my tea and books! :) Happy Sun Lit Sunday!
ReplyDeleteC'est vraiment magnifique, et les sculptures, quelles prouesses ! Pour le moment pas de neige ici, mais des microbes, je suis malade, et j'aimerais qu'il fasse moins humide... s'il y avait du froid sec et de la neige ce serait au moins joli, mais non, il fait juste gris et humide et je me sens grincheuse. C'est toujours comme ça en février, vivement que ça passe !
ReplyDeleteSo beauiful, all of it! And bravo for photographing under nearly impossible (well for me anyway) conditions too!! I love Lake Louise...any time of year. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these lovely photos. Lake Louise is breath taking in winter. I have only ever seen it in the summer time! So happy you had the chance to be there and capture it this way!
ReplyDeletemany hugs,
Karen B. ~ Todolwen
The ice sculptures are lovely to see...nothing like ice skaters on ice, which is my favorite. Still, it is not that lovely aqua that we think of when imagining Lake Louise, is it? Yes, brief times of snow are okay. I am not much of a fan because it takes ongoing snow to keep it looking lovely and who needs that? It taxes the economy pretty significantly and we become "snow poor." Come visit me on Monday and you'll see why it gets depressing. (And who can refuse such a charming invitation? LOL!)
ReplyDeleteLake Louise is as gorgeous in the winter as the famous summer shots I've seen and the ice sculptures are awesome.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh...I am so glad you visited Lake Louise and shared these beautiful photos with us! The ice sculptures are amazing! Love the photos of you two! Beautiful...
ReplyDeletePS At first I thought maybe that was your little cabin in the woods...it looks so inviting...sure put a smile on my face!
Blessings,
Gert
Beautiful photos. Those ice sculptures are great!
ReplyDeleteBeing a prairie girl through and through,,,I love the snow in the winter....love the cabin and there is something about being in the mountains with lots of un touch snow all around you! Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteThat shot really IS iconic!
ReplyDeleteYears ago I spent a week in February at The Chateau Lake Louise, at a conference for School Trustees. It was a magical week - I'll never forget a ride across the lake in a sleigh. I was tucked under a buffalo robe and felt like a character from Kamouraska!
Hi Lorrie, over from Karen's. I agree with your words about the short time we have snow. Just enough to enjoy it. We are right in the middle of the US in Ky. and I love the 4 seasons. Some great shots here. I know it must be very beautiful there. I have been on a train ride into Canada from Michigan but was in the spring. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteThat looks incredible! Wow, all that snow, and those mountains! Great to have met you yesterday, Lorrie! I hope we'll be able to do it again some time.
ReplyDeleteSheila
These past few weeks I've been living without a bunch of snow. But can't imagine doing that all the time. Love the ice sculptures.
ReplyDeleteCindy
I've popped over from Pondside after reading about your bloggers get together. Really enjoyed this post. I've never lived where it snows, I think I'd be in love with it, too. (At least for a while!)
ReplyDeleteLake Louise is a beautiful place and I would love to visit there someday. The mountains and the ice sculptures are lovely. Beautiful post, have a happy week!
ReplyDeleteHow gorgeous those ice sculptures are! We have not been there for years and years and years and then it was in the summer. This is just lovely.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos Lorrie! I like to help other tourists by offering to take their photos. I would love to visit there this month. We hope to get to Canmore at least but Banff and Lake Louise is a stretch I think.
ReplyDeleteI agree, when we don't get much snow we can appreciate it so much more.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are gorgeous and how I dream of sometime visiting Lake Louise.
Spectacular! It looks so different during the warm summer months. What a treat for you both to stop off and see Lake Louise area with winter clothing. (P.S. You both look adorable too.)
ReplyDeleteI went from breathtaking to, well, breathtaking in two completely different ways. The ice sculptures are amazing and make me think of something from the Chronicles of Narnia. The cabin is exactly the kind of thing that draws me in and like you I would love to hunker down there for a spell. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful place to visit. I love the ice sculptures and that little hut with the forest behind certainly looks like a great place to "chill out" for a while. I agree that bumping up your exposure helped with your husbands portrait shot.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week and thank you for stopping by my blog today.
What a treat. It sounds like you didn't skate. We have a pond here we can skate on but it's bumpy. I'd like to take the kids to a groomed place, much easier!
ReplyDeleteThat's a very beautiful pit stop there Lorrie. I love the ice castle walls...sigh.
ReplyDeleteJen
Hello fellow BC blogger! You're brave to go into the Rockies in the winter...must be cold. But then it's a dry cold, isn't it? So probably much more comfortable. It's just so lovely there. I remember taking the Rocky Mountaineer one winter to Banff. It was just a magical winter wonderland.
ReplyDeleteA glass castle on Lake Louise! I've only been there in the summer and had no vision of the possibilities of winter! What a surprise.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of surprises.... we woke up to sunshine and 6" of snow!
Beautiful! Adjusting your exposure compensation really did make a difference.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, the ice sculptures are so cool!
ReplyDeleteOh my how beautiful! Just marvelous photos you have captured with your camera. And i enjoyed your January moments too!
ReplyDeleteI adore the Lake Louise area in Canada, but like most, I 've only been there in the summertime. SO wish I could see it in winter now--it's magical! Thank you for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Aimee
How beautiful! I love that castle wall made of ice.
ReplyDeleteLorrie this is such a beautiful place and I think that little cabin would be charming. We enjoy travel into land like this and we always try to rent cabins, or cottages. Of course they have to be pet friendly with our 2 dog faves. Have a great day~
ReplyDeleteWow, that is awesome! I am so glad you decided to stop by. I have never seen anything like that. It's fun when we celebrate winter instead of letting it be in our way (but it's difficult sometimes to venture out when it's so cold outside).
ReplyDeleteI've only been to Lake Louise once (40 years ago) and it was so beautiful. - Love seeing your wintery shots of the lake. That little cabin is so picturesque. My first (but not last ) visit to your blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://wishesdreamsandotherthings.blogspot.com/2014/02/songography-sunlit-sunday.html
Gorgeous photos and beautiful virgin snow.
ReplyDelete