When we checked out from the motel in Banff to start our drive to Jasper, the counter staff suggested that we could stop along the way to see Peyto Lake.
After driving for about 6Km from Bow Lake, we saw a road signage directing us to turn left to the car park for visitors to Peyto Lake. Once we parked our car, we discovered that we needed to hike for one Km through hilly forest before we could reach the viewing platform to see Peyto Lake.
True to the words of the counter staff, Peyto Lake is unique. Its turquoise colour seemed unreal and one has the impression that colour water has been poured into the lake instead of natural water!
Peyto Lake is similarly glacier-fed. Its size is almost identical to Bow Lake but slightly smaller. To be exact, 2.8Km maximum length, 800m maximum width and 1,860m surface elevation. The lake is named after an early trail guide, Bill Peyto.
As I discovered later, the turquoise colour is caused by rock flour or glacier flour. This fine-grained, silt-sized particles of rock are product caused by grinding of bedrocks by glacier erosion. When this is mixed with the melted snow water, it makes the water to appear cloudy. When this cloudy water flows into a glacier lake, the lake may appear turquoise in colour when content of this flour is extensive.
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| Peyto Lake is just 7Km away from Bow Lake downloaded from Google Earth. |
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| Peyto Lake from Google Earth. |
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| Turquoise colour of Peyto Lake is unique. |
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| Upstream of Peyto Lake. |
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Upstream end of lake. Extensive fine to coarse grained
materials are brought from the glaciered mountains. |
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The park rangers set up a counter next to the viewing
platform to educate tourists about grizzly bear. |
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Waterfowl Lake
It's 12.30pm after our visit to Peyto Lake. We decided to drive a bit further and stop at the nearest convenient spot for a picnic lunch.
After driving for about 9Km from Peyto Lake (16Km from Banff), we noticed a left turn junction and decided to stop there for lunch. We soon discovered that it's a huge camp site next to Waterfowl Lake. It's a fairly heavy wooded forest and there were pitched tents, vans and caravans put up by campers all over the place. This camp site is close to the numerous nearby lakes and hiking trails. This site which is approx. midway between Banff and Jasper is most ideal for campers.
We found a spot under a tree by the lake as our picnic spot. After a refreshing lunch break, we continued to our next destination.
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| Lunch by the lake. |
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