While browsing the postcards in the gift shop, you happened to dream?. Sail away dreams to the place from the photo, and stay for a moment. Minnewanka Lake is one such place. Real lake, with history and ghosts
MINN-WAKI
In the language of the native inhabitants of Minn-waki means Lake of the Spirits. The Nakoda Indians lived in the symbiosis with nature, treating it with due respect. For centuries, they camped and hunted along the shoreline of the lake. The lake gave the life and had great spiritual significance. Minn-waki aroused respect, but also fear of the ghosts inhabiting its waters. The peace between the original inhabitants and their spirits was disturbed by Europeans who came to Canada. The newcomers turned Minn-waki into Lake Devil and eventually excluded the Nakoda Indians from their lands.
Along with the arriving of the settlers, streets, houses, restaurants, hotels and resorts began to arise. Once a wooded area, it slowly began to turn into a bustling summer town called Minnewanka Landing. The town served primarily for recreational purposes and attracted residents of the surrounding cities. The situation changed in 1912 when, as part of the construction of the new dam, a decision was made to flood part of the area. Minnewanka Landing, which was poorer in land, was developing and existing until 1941. When the new dam was built, it finally crossed its chances of survival. History came full circle and the ghosts of the lake swallowed the rest of the town under water.
MINNEWANKA
Lake Minnewanka is located 5 km from the city of Banff and lies at the eastern end of the Banff National Park. This glacial lake, which is 21 km long and 142 m deep, is an ideal recreational place. In summer, it is a great place to relax. Picnics, hiking, canoeing and mountain biking are extremely popular there. The lake is perfectly suitable for scuba divers. The low water temperature meant that the buildings of the sunken city were preserved in very good condition.
NIGHT IN THE POSTCARD
The trail leads along the rocky shore of the lake. Sometimes it rises upwards, and reveals rocky peaks, like sharp claws growing out of the ground. Sometimes it falls down and leads along a path into the dense forest. The prevailing silence is only disturbed by the sound of small bells attached to our backpacks. The melody they win is associated with the reindeers which pull Santa’s sleigh. The bear season is underway, as warning boards inform us about. Small bells, megaphone and bear spray are supposed to keep us safe. The landscape soothes our feelings of anxiety. Sometimes only rustling from behind trees and bushes reminds us of the possibility of meeting a bear on their way. When we reach the campsite and stand on the stony bank, we can’t believe the view that is spreading in front of us.
The crystal clear water reveals a rocky bottom. It is so clean that it is difficult to determine its depth. On the opposite shore, forest hills rise in the company of the Inglismaldie, Girouard and Peechee mountains. The lake is surrounded by green forests and gray rocky beaches. The awareness that the same landscape used to accompany Indiana Nakoda for centuries makes us understand why they believed in Minn-waki. Water encourages to throw tired feet in it. Some do not stop and enjoy an ice bath. When we see a motorboat in the distance, we think that we broke the law with our bath. The motorboat, however, flows aways, not paying attention to us.
INGLISMALDIE MOUNT CAMPING
The campsite is very well organized and marked. The place for our tents is located right next to the pebble beach. It gives a sense of intimacy because it’s surrounded by trees, but does not obstruct the view of the sun behind the mountains. When evening arrives, we warm up by the fire and absorb moments spent in the bosom of nature. Perhaps the ghosts of the Nakoda Indians are sitting by the fireplace with us. Memories of the camping at Lake Minnewanka are among the most beautiful. Even moments of night’s fear when we thought the bear had visited us did not take us away from the thoughts that we would come back here someday.
Trekking along the lake can be spread over several sections. Camps are located at 8, 9, 11, 20, 22 and 31 km from the main parking lot on Minnewanka Lake. Advance booking is required, and also a declaration that we will be traveling in a group of 4 with bear spray in the bear season. There may be high fines for not following these rules. Our camping site, Mount Inglismaldie, is located at 11 km and it took us about 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach it. The campsite is also a vantage point from which you can admire Inglismaldie Mount, hence the name of the campsite. Here you can present a map from the Backcountry Trials in Banff National Park, among them is also Minnewanka Trial marked
A deep night fell, so we went to our warm sleeping bags. At night, as usually the forest comes alive and its inhabitants set out on nearby walks. A frequent point of visit is a place with water, where animals can slake their thirst in peace. At night, our bladders do not sleep without regard of head suggestions connected with coldness, darkness and bear nearby. In the end, we give up, and we left the tent. Of course, not alone, we did not fail to wake up our companions. We decided to go to the stony beach, because in the dark forest the way to the latrine was even more sinister. After completing the activity, we were happy and ready to return to our tent. Suddenly, in the distance, just between us and the path leading to the tent, we saw a flash. A pair of bright, big eyes was looking at us just above the ground, then it rose to a considerable height. We were able to hear the stones sliding down from heavy steps. The first thought came to us- bear spray stayed in the tent, the second thought came even more quickly- we were told not to run away. The third thought did not appear anymore, because the legs decided for us and led us into the dense, dark forest. We stumbled several times, we probably fell into a ditch, and were scratched by the bushes. Finally and breathless, we fell into our tent as if it were a fortress surrounded by a moat. We grabbed for the bear spray, and we were waiting tensely. After a while a beautiful deer appeared between the trees and proudly walked past our tents ……