Before leaving Alberta, and entering British Columbia, three lakes and their mountain counterparts deserve another look -- Minnewanka, Moraine, and Louise.
Lake Minnewanka ("Water of the Spirits" in Nakoda), a glacial lake located in the eastern area of Banff National Park, is 13 miles long, is fed by the Cascade River flowing east of Cascade Mountain, and is bolstered by a large reservoir dam. Stone tools and a Clovis point spearhead have been discovered in the area. The western end of the lake can be reached by following Lake Minnewanka road from the Trans-Canada Highway. A hiking and mountain biking trail runs along the northern shore. This is grizzly bear habitat.
The earliest reliable report of human flight: in 1066 a monk named Eilmer fastened wings to his hands and feet and jumped from a tower. He glided more than 600 feet but then hit the ground, breaking both legs. He decided that his endeavor failed because he had not fitted himself with a tail.
(Next: Moraine Lake)