#YOLO in YOHO National Park

I've insisted that if #YOLOinYOHO isn't their tourism slogan, someone isn't doing their job.

Yoho National Park is a gem we knew little about, but as the old Trans Canada runs right through the park we couldn't help ourselves--jumping off the highway for a detour is what our days are made of. With no way exhausting the adventures Yoho has in store, we got a taste of the good stuff and learned what the word confluence means. What a time to be alive!

Emerald Lake

I'd say our first true 'Jewel of the Rockies' lake. You know, the oxymoronic lakes that are creamy electric blue/green but weirdly also super clear. Very inviting for a swim but cold AF. Canadian icons. Being a bit busy in and around the parking lot, the crowds thinned out a bit as we walked the 5km around the lake. To better paint the picture, the trail was busy enough that you wouldn't need bear spray but sparse enough that one could duck off for a sneaky tinkle. I really don't think I could be anymore clear. 

Nature's playground!

Being a glacial lake, the water was only 5° C, but ya know #YOLOinYOHO

Loved seeing the lake from different angles (hope you did too), and way less congested and frantic than getting close to the likes of Lake Louise (more on that later). If you're ever driving through Yoho, Emerald Lake is a must stop.

The Natural Bridge

Carved from the Kicking Horse River, there's a giant hole in the rocks forming a 15-metre natural bridge. Pretty neat quick stop to-or-fro Emerald Lake. Also the Yoho River flows to its confluence with the Kicking Horse River, in case you were wondering

Didn't actually take a pic of the natural bridge 

Takakkaw Falls 

Largest cascading waterfall in Canada, falling an uninterrupted 381 metres, she's a powerful beauty with her own climate (but aren't we all?). When approaching the falls, the sunny day disappears and you're engulfed in a misty wind storm. Super cool, in more ways than one. 

What's more fun than one vintage travel book, but two.
Turns out my Dad had an original copy of the
same book. You can't beat the classics!

I'm sure at this point you're thinking to yourself "Wow, these guys know a lot of fun facts about stuff." Apt. It's true, we do. But the funnest (most fun 😒) fact is that we found all this info offline from a trusty CAA Canadian Book of the Road circa 1979, purchased at a thrift store on Vancouver Island for $1. This book was perused every night, dog-eared, captioned, brought us to some little visited corners of Canada, and will someday be passed onto Baby J as a family heirloom. Thanks CAA.