Ptarmigan Viewpoint

Elevation: 2417 m
Elevation Gain: 290 m
The Lake Louise ski resort’s “Ptarmigan Viewpoint” is, supposedly, named for its views of the “Ptarmigan Valley” (which is, in reality, the Corral Creek Valley). The viewpoint does, at least, offer views of, officially named, Ptarmigan Peak (which is situated in the heart of Skoki). Not surprisingly, Ptarmigan Peak was named for the abundance of namesake birds that dwell in the surrounding alpine meadows.
My Ascents:
July 18 2021
Trailhead: Lake Louise Gondola Parking
GPS Track: Ptarmigan Viewpoint

On September 14 2013, Brianne and I wed on the sunny sightseeing deck atop the Lake Louise gondola. Just over 2-years later, we welcomed our first daughter Mera and, another 2-years after that, our second Penny. Our kids have long-known that Mom and Dad’s wedding was in Lake Louise but we’d never taken them to see the beautiful deck upon which our family began. With sunny weather forecast, we therefore decided that it was time to take a stroll hike down memory lane and revisit this special spot as a family.

(Plus, with Mera set to turn 6 in the fall, we were running out of time to take advantage of the Lake Louise gondola’s “kids 5-and-under ride free” policy!) 🙃

LEFT: Mera and Penny search for bears aboard their second gondola in as many days!
RIGHT: After hundreds of hikes and scrambles together, this gondola-riding business appears to agree with Brianne. I’d better be careful or else my girls might grow accustomed to this level of mountain luxury!

LEFT: Fine views back towards Mount Victoria from our gondola car.
RIGHT: You didn’t think that the Hobbs family would just ride a gondola up to a deck, did you? 😉 As we disembarked, we decided that the sightseeing deck would make for a fine finale to our day. In the interim, however, we elected to explore one of the ski hill’s “hiking” trails. After passing through the electric fence (!⚡!) that prevented bears from crashing our wedding, we set off towards the “Ptarmigan Viewpoint.”

As you can see, the “hike” can more accurately be described as a walk up one of the ski hill’s ugly access roads…

Ugly road or not, the views across the valley made the endeavor worthwhile.

LEFT and RIGHT: Some parts of the road proved damned steep! Indeed, the Lake Louise resort would be well-served to study what their counterparts at Castle have done. Down there, switchbacking trails weave between ski runs so that you feel like you’re actually hiking.

The ugly road’s steep grade compelled us to stop for a few breathers. When we did, we were at least able to enjoy Bow Valley panorama that was constantly improving at our backs. Click to see larger.

LEFT: Above the road’s steepest section, we reached the trail’s end – the “Ptarmigan Viewpoint.” As you can see, the resort could try a little harder to make this a pretty spot!
RIGHT: Brianne and the kids make use of a comically small bench at the viewpoint to enjoy their lunches and practice their horsefly-swatting. Again, would it kill the resort to drive a picnic table up the road (and then maybe hike it a few meters away from the unsightly chairlift)?

“Ptarmigan Viewpoint” panorama: more accurately described as the confluence of 2 ski lifts. 🤦‍♂️ A little different than what the resort advertises (“marvel at the beauty of Banff and Yoho National Parks while becoming one with nature’s beat” 🤨). Click to see their idea of “nature” in more detail.

A small bump above the viewpoint would, no doubt, offer better views without ski infrastructure everywhere. If the resort had a suggestion box, I’d implore them to build a small trail up to the first overlook here. For fairly minimal effort and cost, they could turn the “Ptarmigan Viewpoint” into a spectacular destination while improving their visitor experience ten-fold.

All negatives aside, the panorama over the “Ptarmigan Valley” (actually the Corral Creek valley) was spectacular. It looks even better when you Photoshop out a couple of the resort’s snow-making machines. Click to see larger (and see if you can spot the digital trickery)!

Looking up-valley towards Ptarmigan Peak.

LEFT: Mera and Penny lapping up the alpine surroundings. And what’s that behind them?...
RIGHT: … Why, it’s Fossil Mountain! The nearby peak that also played a pivotal role in Brianne and I’s marriage!

Redoubt Mountain presides over Boulder Pass (left) the verdant Corral Creek Valley.

A somewhat hazy southward panorama from the viewpoint. Click to see larger.

Purple Mound (left) and Lipalian Mountain (right): site of Brianne and I’s 6th anniversary adventure. Tiny Wolverine Ridge (site of our 5th anniversary adventure) is also visible at far left.

Looking south towards 30-km-distant Kootenay National Park. Giants Storm Mountain (left), Mount Ball (center) and Stanley Peak (right) are all apparent. Somewhat miraculously, we were treated to decent visibility on this day (while nearby Calgary was enveloped in thick, noxious wildfire smoke).

The view that everyone comes to Lake Louise for: the Continental Divide across the Bow Valley. Click to see larger.

A closer look toward the Valley of the Ten Peaks: Mount Bident and Quadra Mountain rise up beyond Panorama Ridge on the left while glaciers cling to the steep faces of Mounts Babel, Fay, Little, Bowlen and Tonsa Peak to the right.

Glacier-capped Mount Temple towers above Little Temple (foreground). While Little Temple doesn’t look like much next to its “big brother”, it’s comparable to nearby Mount St. Piran in height!

LEFT: Glaciers galore! Haddo Peak, Mount Aberdeen and Mount Lefroy make for a fine backdrop to Fairview Mountain.
RIGHT: The Jewel of the Rockies – Lake Louise at the foot of spectacular Mount Victoria.

A closer look at the rapidly disappearing Victoria Glacier and “the Death Trap” below it.

After successfully swatting 8 million horseflies, we set up for a quick “Ptarmigan Valley” family photo and started back down towards the site of our nuptial vows below.

Potential promo material for the Lake Louise ski resort. Call me if you’re interested SkiLouise. I have all sorts of ideas for improving your summer hiking experience! 😉

LEFT: Penny and Mom start back down the hiking trail ugly road.
RIGHT: ♫ On the Road again… ♫

LEFT: After descending the road’s steepest section, we noticed the small “Pika Trail” and followed it to the “Pika Ponds.” We found no pikas (in fact, even the ponds were almost gone) but the diversion was, nevertheless, pleasant. In fact, it was the only part of the day that actually felt like hiking! As we strolled through wildflower-laden meadows and larch forest, we finally started to “become one with nature’s beat.” 🤣
RIGHT: Colorful asters near the “Pika Ponds.”

LEFT: Aurulent arnica.
RIGHT: 5-year-old Mera provides a measure of assistance to her 3-year-old sister Penny.

LEFT: “Indigenous” paintbrushes.
RIGHT: Vibrant fireweed.

Marvelling at the beauty of Banff National Park (it helps when you crop out the ski hill access road below and chairlifts overhead 🙃).

Mount Balfour towers over the Wapta Icefield as we make our way back along snow fences towards the sightseeing gondola.

As we neared the gondola, the electric fence kept us from shortcutting towards the sightseeing deck. While this proved inconvenient, the fence's raison d'être became apparent minutes later!

LEFT: Between the gondola and the deck, we thought we spotted something foraging below. Stopping at a conveniently placed bench, we took a closer look (and somehow lost a shoe 🤦‍♂️).
RIGHT: A rather impressive forager indeed! 🐻 The Lake Louise ski hill is famous for its grizzly bears and we were thrilled to watch this one (from behind the safety of an electric fence) for 10 minutes (at which point our children tired of the bruin’s majesty).

Despite the fact that grizzlies weigh up to 700 pounds, they still look small when compared to the massive peaks of the Lake Louise area.

After watching the bear chow down for a few minutes, we decided that it was finally time to revisit the deck (which is, apparently, an upscale bistro when no one is exchanging vows). Unfortunately, we couldn't afford to chow down like a bear thanks to the deck's touristy pricing! 💰 "Just drinks today please!" 😂

While the menu was nearly as steep the the hiking trail access road, the deck's view was priceless. Click to see larger.

LEFT and RIGHT: Penny and Mera enjoyed "mocktails" while Brianne and I told our girls all about Mommy and Daddy's wedding here several years (and a couple of lifetimes) ago. 💕

LEFT: After finishing our drinks, a server was kind enough to take a family photo for us (in the exact place that we exchanged our "I do's" some 7-years, 10-months and 4-days earlier 🤵 👰).
RIGHT: While the kids enjoyed seeing where Mom and Dad tied the knot, the deck proved nowhere near as exciting as the gondola ride for them! 🙄

Whether they cared or not, Brianne and I cherished our stroll hike down memory lane (made all the more special because we were able to enjoy it as a family)! 🥰