The view from the top of the Little Beehive was breathtaking! The emerald coloured water of “Canada’s diamond in the wilderness” Lake Louise, more than 500 meters below, was so vibrant that it almost looked like paint on an artist’s palette. Already anticipating the changing seasons, the larches had begun changing their colours, and above, fresh snow had already settled on the mountain peaks.
The hike up to the Little Beehive begins on the west shore of Lake Louise, winds its way up through the forest before opening up, and revealing panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and lakes. We began hiking at noon, which is much later than we originally wanted but because this hike was fairly short – 9km round trip, we knew, we’d have plenty of time for it. After navigating through the crowds of tourists at the shore of the lake – over a million people visit this lake every year, we found our start and stepped onto the trail. From the very beginning, the trail, although not steep, climbs un-relentlessly. It had snowed a little the night before and because the temperature was a few degrees above freezing, the trail was muddy and we were continuously bombarded with drops of ice cold water falling from the trees. Drip, drip, drip…
After hiking for about an hour, we reached Mirror Lake and after a short photography break and a quick snack we once again donned our packs, and continued our climb up the trail. Soon, the thick, impenetrable forest began to open up and offered us some of the first, unobstructed views of the mountains around us and Lake Louise below.
We continued hiking, stopping every few minutes to make photos. There was a new exciting photo around every corner and near the top, a marmot even paused on a rock to pose for us. After a few more photo stops, we reached the top of the Little Beehive. We sat down, drank some hot tea from our thermos, and just let the beauty that was surrounding us soak in.
Being outdoors, enjoying nature, is a kind of meditation for me. I may come home satisfyingly tired, but mentally I feel re-energized and rejuvenated. It’s always great to be outside and this day was no exception.
