Lake Agnes Tea House Hike

This was our first major hike of the summer, and I think we realized how brutally out of shape we are. It's a rather short hike, something less than 3km each way, but the way up is pretty steep. Still, it was definitely worth it. 

The hike starts out from just West of the Chateau at Lake Louise. Make sure you get there early, as the parking lots fill up excessively quick, and then the trails get clogged up. We managed to be there by 8:30AM, meaning we got a few shots of Lake Louise with no people standing around. That's pretty rare in the summer. 

The Lake Agnes Tea House Hike heads up and away from Lake Louise, winding up switchbacks until you get to Mirror Lake. The view from here is pretty breathtaking as you look up at The Beehive from the lake. Take time to snap some photos of the glassy looking lake if you want to, but you are about halfway to the Tea House at this point. 

Waterfall out of Lake Agnes

After continuing up from Mirror Lake, you'll come to some stairs that lead up to the tea house, and it's a welcome sight. Stop here for some snacks. The apple pie and black currant tea were pretty good, and the views from where you sit are amazing. You can see the Trans-Canada in the distance, and you really get a feel for how high up you are. This is one of those places where you realize how lucky you are if you live close to the Rockies. 

Coming back down was pretty steep, but definitely easier than the initial climb. More people had obviously hit the trails at this point, as huge groups were coming up as we were coming down. Most of the time people were courteous and moved, but a couple times it was like swimming up river. Again, get there early if you can. 

Overall, the hike to the tea house was definitely worth it, and something we had been wanting to do for a while. It's a fairly easy hike, and since there is a spot to snack once you're at the top, you won't need to bring much other than water and proper clothing. There are also other trails you can connect with to make it a full day event.