Lake O'Hara Lodge History

I love my weekend adventures for getting away from it all, experiencing raw nature, and not a reminder of work.  However, as an architect, I have to admit that sometimes the structures that I come across fascinate me just as much as the scenery.  The Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise are, of course, classics, but beyond those grand hotels is a history rich in backcountry lodges.  Here's an excerpt from the Lake O'Hara website:

Lake O’Hara Lodge was built in the winter of 1925-26 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. With a monopoly on rail transportation through the Canadian Rockies, the CPR was looking for ways to promote passenger traffic. To accommodate its more adventuresome passengers, the CPR constructed a network of backcountry lodges, which provided an alternative to larger hotels like the Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise. Although the original Lake O’Hara Camp had already been established in a nearby alpine meadow, the present site was chosen when a larger building was needed. The impressive Douglas fir and cedar timbers for the Lodge were hauled up the horse trail on sleds. The winter after the Lodge was built, the Lakeshore Cabins were skidded down from the meadow using horse teams. The main building in the meadow was then handed over to the Alpine Club of Canada, and still operates as the Elizabeth Parker Hut. The Guides’ Cabins were built in 1961. Until the late 1950s, guests reached the lodge either by horse or on foot; bus service began in 1958.

And here's another blurb from the Glenmore Archives.

It's amazing what stories these places tell and I can't wait to go.  On Saturday I'll be having lunch at the historic Lake O'Hara Lodge.