Banff, Alberta. August 2015.  It's refreshing to see a town that doesn't over-industrialize the land.  The community of Banff takes pride in their environment while maintaining a healthy amount of tourism. 

                                                  Mount Norquay. Backpacking, day 1.

 Mount Norqay, Banff National Park.

 Robert, headed up stream.

 Mystic Lake.  Home for the night on day one.

 Robert starting a fire around dusk.  Yes, dusk.  The sun doesn't go down until around 11 p.m.

Grizzly proof.

 Hammocks were a good call after walking close to 30 miles on day one.

 Bon Apetite.

 Approaching 10 p.m.

 Mystic Lake.

 Luellen Lake.  Aproximately 40 km from Mystic Lakes with an elevation gain of 2,300 ft.

 Book of choice in the wilderness.  Choinard's philosophy on business and life was an enlightening read.

 Overlooking the first range of mountains we trekked through.

 Big horn sheep.

 Reflections.

                                                        No bathrooms, no problem.

 Tripod skills lacking.

 Chi Power.

 Mystic Pass. 

 Like father, like daughter.  Fishing on Luellen Lake.  8 p.m. 

 The light on the back end of the lake was blinding, but so hard to stop looking at.

 The lighting in the Canadian Rockies were sort of mind boggling.  The shades of the clouds and landscape would change almost every 30 minutes.

 The mountains are everywhere.

 Summertime flora.

 When we popped over Mystic Pass, we were pleased to find another wild lake.

 Photo by: Little Brother

 Hiked about 14 km. behind the infamous Lake Louise to find humbling young mountains spewing out glacier water.

 Hitched 80 km from Banff with Jeremy and Elise.  Both local French Canadians enjoying their backyard.

 This lake was at the furthest point of our backpacking journey.  Baker Lake.

 Lake Moraine.

 Conquistadors.

 Brotherly love.

 Nap time.

 Crazy Larry.  Currently training for his 3rd attempt to beat the world record of  the Great Divide Route.  The Great Divide Route is the world's longest off-pavement cycling route. It was tirelessly mapped over a 4 year span, and published in 1998 by Adventure Cycling Association, North America's premiere bicycle travel organization. The route is highlighted by long dirt roads and jeep trails that wend their way through forgotten passes of the Continental Divide. It travels through Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and the United States of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. By route's end a thru-rider will climb nearly 200,000 feet of vertical (equivalent to summiting Mount Everest from sea-level 7 times).