After two consecutive days of skiing, we were going to give our legs a break today. After an early breakfast, we got suited up for a morning of dog sledding. We had booked with Kingmik Dog Sled Tours, who start their trips just down the road from the Chateau Lake Louise.

We booked the Great Divide tour, which basically follows the Great Divide Trail to the Kicking Horse Pass and into British Columbia and Yoho National Park. This trail, once the old Trans-Canada Highway, now serves as a hiking trail in the summer, and in the winter, is set for dog sled pulling and double-trackset cross-country ski tracks.

Arriving at the parking lot at the Great Divide trailhead, we were introduced to our driver and the team of dogs. Nadine and I sat in the sled, while the driver stood behind us. The dogs were all very loud and anxious to get running. Once underway, they seemed to much happier and calmer. Unfortunately, it’s quite overcast today, so the views are a bit dull.

Below is a video, running along the Great Divide trail, shortly after starting our tour.

After crossing into British Columbia, we made a big loop and headed back toward Banff National Park. Here we are passing under the old Great Divide Arch.

After passing through the arch, the driver stopped the team to make a few adjustments, changing the position of a couple of the dogs. Here are Nadine and I with the lead dogs.

On the way back, Nadine and I each got a chance to ride behind (along with the guide) driving the sled.

As we approached Lake Louise, we turned onto a trail through the woods. If the weather had been clear, it would have been stunning with Fairview Mountain in the background, which was barely visible through the cloud.

In the video below, we emerge from the forest into a large clearing (with Fairview Mountain hidden in cloud behind) where you can see another dog team running to our right.

Back at the trailhead, we had a chance to talk with the guide for a while, and learn about what brought him to this profession. In the video below, he let us help him feed the dogs after their run.

Once finished with our sledding activity, we returned to the hotel to get cleaned up. We had reservations to have Afternoon Tea at the Fairview today.

We enjoyed our lunch and had a relaxing afternoon around the hotel. When it came time for dinner, we went down to the Alpine Social again, for a nice casual meal.