Lake Louise is where the Icefields Parkway begins, and the lake has been drawing people for well over a century. Tom Wilson, a packer working for the Canadian Pacific Railway, was led to its shore in 1882 by a Stoney Nakoda guide, and the lake was soon renamed after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, a daughter of Queen Victoria. The railway built a chalet there, which grew into the grand hotel at the water's edge, and the picture of that milky turquoise lake under the Victoria Glacier became one of the defining images of the Canadian Rockies.
The colour comes from rock flour, finely ground sediment carried down by glacial meltwater, which scatters light and gives the water a luminous blue-green. The glacier at the head of the lake feeds it, and in early summer, when the ice on the lake is just breaking up, you can see the shift from grey to turquoise. The village below, a short drive away, is small and tidy, with a handful of shops and restaurants, a visitor centre and a few motels.
The Icefields Parkway itself, Highway 93 North, runs 232 kilometres from here to Jasper through some of the grandest mountain scenery in the world. It was built in the 1930s, partly as a Depression work project, and follows a chain of valleys between great ranges, with glaciers, lakes and waterfalls beside the road. You need a Parks Canada pass to enter the national parks, so buy one at the gate or in advance, and keep it on the windscreen or in your pocket.
Fuel is the key practical matter. Lake Louise has petrol stations, and the next place along the road is the Saskatchewan River Crossing, about a third of the way along, with limited hours and higher prices, followed by nothing until Jasper. Fill the tank and bring snacks and water. In winter the parkway can be icy or closed by avalanches and snow, and even in May or October conditions can change quickly, so check the road report.
Wildlife is part of the show. Black bears and grizzlies feed on the roadside meadows in early summer, and you may see elk, bighorn sheep and mountain goats. If a car has stopped, there is probably a bear nearby, so slow down. Stay on the bike, keep your distance and pass slowly. The best time to start is early, when the light is soft and the traffic light.