Rockies water is cold!

One of the things that I have never been able to get used to since I moved to Banff 12 years ago is how cold the water in the streams, rivers and lakes is.  The water in Lake Louise is just 4 Celsius even in the middle of summer. Places like Lake Minnewanka and forty mile creek are about the same.  So even on the hottest days in Banff, I haven’t been able to train myself to actually take a “swim” in a lake.  Normally what I do is just do a quick plunge and scamper out of the water as fast as I can.  That’s enough!

There are some local lakes that are a little warmer like Johnson Lake which is the official “beach” of Banff. Others are much braver (or more desensitized) than I am and can swim there for hours.  Maybe if I was a good floater I could last longer, but if any part of your body goes more than 2 feet down, you reach the cold water level.  That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy water activities in Banff National Park. My favorite things on the water are fishing and canoeing.  I also have no problem throwing sticks in the lakes for my dogs to swim after.  So when you visit, I encourage you to take off your shoes and wade in to a stream up to about your knees. See how long you can last before your feet go numb and you want to race out.  Or stay dry in one of our rental canoes at Blue Canoe, at the river end of Wolf Street.

Sumitted by Rich Bullich - Sales & Marketing Manager Discover Banff Tours