Hi Everyone! Here's What’s Happening This Week!

A photo taken over Canmore on 2 August has a UFO researcher claiming a cloaked craft is sitting inside the cloud. It is a lenticular cloud, which forms a smooth lens shape over mountains and has been fooling people for as long as people have been looking up at them.

Highway 742 has been closed since early June after a rockfall, which has taken the road past Grassi Lakes and the whole Spray Lakes corridor with it. It is expected back in service in the coming weeks, which is useful to know if you have spent the summer driving the long way round.

Over at the other end of the valley, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake still take more planning than most people expect. The full-day tour that strings them together, with Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and Johnston Canyon, deals with the shuttles and the parking on your behalf.

Staying at the Chateau solves it differently - it is the only hotel actually on the Lake Louise shoreline, and the Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers trailheads are a short walk from the door once the crowds have gone.

Plan Your Visit To Banff For August | September | October

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Lake Louise and Moraine Lake take more planning than most visitors expect. This full-day tour keeps it simple, linking them with Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge and Johnston Canyon, so you can focus on the stops rather than the shuttles, parking and timing.

See the full tour details

🛸 Canmore Cloud Draws UFO Claims. A photo taken above town on August 2 has a UFO researcher claiming a cloaked craft sits inside it. Lenticular clouds form smooth lens shapes over mountains and are routinely mistaken for saucers.

🪨 Spray Lakes Road Reopening Soon. The stretch of Highway 742 between Canmore and Kananaskis, closed since early June after a rockfall, is expected back in service in the coming weeks.

🔥 BC Declares Wildfire State of Emergency. More than 20,000 people have been evacuated across British Columbia, with over 100 fires burning west of the Rockies. About 1,500 firefighting personnel are currently deployed.

🏔️ Jasper Tourism Two Years On. The 2024 wildfire wiped out accommodations and attractions, and CBC has been looking at how the local economy is adapting. Fewer beds and rising prices are shaping what businesses now call the new normal.

🌊 Kananaskis Surf Wave Under Repair. Flooding earlier this summer left Big Mountain Wave unsurfable, and volunteers are now rebuilding it. Surfing in a glacier-fed valley hours from the nearest ocean was always going to involve some maintenance.

🔥 Fire Ban Still in Effect. Open fires, charcoal barbecues, wood-burning stoves, turkey fryers and tiki torches are all prohibited in town and the park. Some propane and gas devices are permitted under direct supervision.

🎿 Lake Louise Refurbishing Top Chairlift. Top of the World Express is gaining chairs and new electrics this summer, adding 10% capacity. Last year's identical work on the Glacier chair cut its downtime in half.

🌧️ Smoke drifting in from BC adds haze to the cooler, wetter weather - Sunday brings a chance of showers and smoke with a thunderstorm risk at 23°C, Monday stays cloudy and wet at 21°C, and Tuesday continues that mix of sun and cloud at 20°C. Keep the rain jacket handy! Full Forecast Here

🐻 Buffaloberry Season Brings Out The Boss Grizzly 122, 28 years old and 700 pounds, was photographed feasting roadside this week under a Parks Canada escort. Expect slow traffic and stay put if you spot him. See the photos here

🌼 Sunshine Meadows Guided Hike - A 12km return hike past Rock Isle, Larix and Grizzly lakes at around 2,200 metres, with the gondola up and a packed lunch included. Only 300 metres of climbing, so the day is long rather than hard.

⛓️ Mount Norquay Via Ferrata - Clipped to a steel cable the whole way, with ladders, a 30-metre suspension bridge and a guide beside you. Choose the 2.5-hour Explorer or the 4-hour Ridgewalker. Shuttle from downtown Banff included.

🚁 Lake Minnewanka Helicopter Flight - Thirty minutes out of Morley, up the Ghost River and along the Minnewanka shoreline before looping back past Yamnuska. Hotel transfers are included,

🎟️ Do I need to pay to park even if I have a national park pass? Yes - your park pass covers park entry, but parking in Banff town centre is charged separately, year-round.

👀 Can visitors actually see The Boss? Sightings happen, mostly from roadsides like the Bow Valley Parkway - but treating any encounter with caution and distance is always the right approach.

🥾 Where are the best places to see the larches in Banff? From alpine hikes to scenic drives, there are options for every fitness level - you do not need to be an experienced hiker to enjoy the golden display.

The Chateau sits right on the Lake Louise shoreline, so once the day-trippers clear out, you get the lake and the trailheads to Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers almost to yourself.

Find out more about this iconic hotel

Yesterday’s Question: What engineering marvel in Yoho National Park helps trains navigate the steep Kicking Horse Pass?

✅Answer: 1) The Spiral Tunnels - 71% Correct

📅 Featured events for today are listed below. Visit our website for a complete list.

FULL EVENT CALENDAR

13:00 | Métis Plant Identification Walk | Cave and Basin | Banff

15:00 | Live Music Afternoon | Three Bears | Banff

15:00 | The Cheezie Musical (Matinee) | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore

18:00 | Sunset Festival @ Banff Gondola | Banff Gondola | Banff

19:30 | Magic Men Australia Takeover Banff, Canada | Melissa's Missteak | Banff

19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper

21:00 | Sunday Funday: Party | High Rollers | Banff

10:00 | Fire Ecology Hike | Old Fort Point Trailhead | Jasper

18:00 | Sunset Festival @ Banff Gondola | Banff Gondola | Banff

19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper

20:00 | Monday Trivia | High Rollers | Banff

20:00 | Live Music Night | Three Bears | Banff

22:00 | DJ Set | High Rollers | Banff

22:00 | Karaoke Night | The Drake | Canmore

12:00 | Lux Cinema - Cheap Tuesday | Lux Cinema | Banff

19:00 | Trivia Tuesday | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore

19:00 | Long Table Dinner Series | The Fat Ox | Banff

19:30 | The Cheezie Musical | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore

19:30 | Jasper Historical Tour | Jasper Town | Jasper

21:00 | Montreal's Punk Rock Legends | The Pump and Tap Tavern | Banff

21:00 | Latin Night | The Drake | Canmore

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