Beautiful Banff and Lake Louise

[Music] the canadian rockies with their crowning jewels of banff and lake louise form one of the most remarkable mountain playgrounds on the north american continent they offer 600 square miles of majestic alpine scenery with sky piercing snow-crested mountains and glaciers great canyons and sapphire lakes whether the approach to banff and lake louise be from the east or the west these alpine resorts in the canadian rockies come as a climax to scenery which is a succession of thrills [Music] here in a valley flanked by lofty peaks await new and different experiences banff stands at the junction of the bone spray rivers in one of the world's most impressive settings here is swimming at its best tennis fishing hiking trail riding and mountain climbing to the top of the world some people are content to explore the peaks from a hotel balcony [Music] crisp mountain air and warm sulphur spring water outside and cool water in warm surroundings inside provides swimming to satisfy everybody golf at banff is played on an unique course more than a mile above sea level surrounded by snow-capped peaks and fragrant spruce forests each hole is a challenge to the ordinary golfers skill or a flare for convincing alibis golf week here is one of canada's leading sporting events attracting the best amateur players what is there here that cannot be found at any country club the answer is of course the skyline ride and the mighty peaks of the rockies that cease to be merely distant pictures but provide the wild setting for exciting trails banff is the starting point for the riders who find new adventures on every trip far into the woodlands that pack the slopes they may canter here but there'll be many a pass that will slow up even these sure-footed ponies [Music] in the foothills at the morley reserve the primitive colorful past lives again to the beat of the tom tom these are braves of the stoney tribe and they cling to their traditions except that this practical mother dresses her papoose in the latest mail-order styles for babies then to the trail again amateur explorers and professional guide have many miles to ride to reach banff in the valley before darkness descends upon the mountains [Music] lake louise probably the loveliest gem of scenery in the world is 40 miles nearer the great divide and a thousand feet higher than band the lake and its many quiet bays and lagoons reaching far into the silent valley tempts the lovers of wildlife who can paddle a canoe into waters otherwise inaccessible [Music] on all sides almost every type of game in the canadian wilderness abounds from the smaller animals to the majestic moose he's just beginning to grow his horns and he's less than majestic without them but he's young [Music] then of course there's fishing and due to sensible regulation by the canadian government these lakes and their tributaries are full of game fish from the rainbow and cutthroat trout to the huge lake trout that may weigh as much as 50 pounds there's a strike and now a battle against light tackle and the skill of both the angler and the guide with the landing net give that fish an instant with slack line and he'll get away or let him run under the canoe he'll chafe the line in half on the keel of the boat the man with the net has to be an expert but that's the time the best part of fishing is the feast that follows as soon as the guide has everything unpacked and can prepare that big rainbow trout isn't he a beauty the rest of the catch isn't bad in fact it's the bag limit imagine the aroma of balsam chips blazing the thin blue smoke from bacon fat and the rainbow trout sizzling to a golden brown no millionaire could buy all this in any restaurant on earth [Music] when winter comes the most popular of all winter sports brings almost as many visitors to these snowy heights as the attractions of the summer months here are glittering ice fields of glaciers against a sky of intense blue on all sides is a panorama of white mantled slopes standing out in bold relief the tree shaded trails of summer now are impassable no man on horse or a foot could penetrate this wilderness now but there are sporting ski runs over miles of country for which the cautious amateurs will engage the swiss guide he'll show them the shortest and easiest way up [Music] they need a rest and refreshment after following him on these slopes already the effort is justified by the magnificent panorama although there is more climbing ahead the guide of this party is really going upstairs to the top floor if the amateurs don't quite live up to the first real test the guide will take them down the less dangerous slopes where reputations may be sprained but not limbs [Music] the top 10 miles to the valley 20 minutes for the expert but that means daring jumps into the blue and literally flying [Music] there they go with the guide in the lead there are many runs where terrific speed is attained with perfect safety so smooth is the snow and so expert the guide in avoiding those hidden obstructions that can bring disaster there's a good chance for the jump but no the guide has his group pretty well sized up [Music] they have only a few spills and they'll remember this run as a thrilling high spot of the entire winter season [Music] finally the hotel beckons with its inviting warmth and food for ravenous outdoor people here has found the peace and majesty of the mountain guarded inner world the entire region in the heart of the canadian rockies is in truth the samaritans of north america surrounding banff and lake louise the beautiful [Music]