“Good morning!” and a knock, knock on the cabin door. This is how your day begins at Shadow Lake Lodge in Banff National Park.

After the 8am wake-up call, you can spend a few minutes lounging in bed with the down duvet covers, enjoying the view from your private balcony or you can meander down to the dining cabin for hot coffee and tea. A bell is rung at 8:30am to let any morning stragglers know that breakfast is being served, and what a breakfast it is. During our visit we were treated to eggs and bacon, a frittata and buttermilk pancakes with a fresh berry compote.

After everyone has been served, the staff clear away the breakfast dishes and lay out an array of lunch meats, cheeses, veggies, breads and cookies. Guests are given a reusable Ziploc container to pack their sandwiches and snacks for their day of hiking. There are numerous hikes in the area to explore and if you only have 1 day in the area, I would recommend Whistling Pass if you don’t mind a longer hike (we clocked in at 26km on our GPS although the map shows 23.2km) or Gibbon Pass if you prefer something shorter (to the top of the pass and back is only 6.2km).

On our first day, we hiked up to Gibbon Pass. Although the trail was being closely guarded by a fierce gopher we did manage to pass and were treated to a beautiful meadow, flanked by Storm Mountain. We had heard that you can scramble up Copper Mountain (the ridge to the right when you hike up from Shadow Lake that is also known as Little Copper) for breathtaking views of the entire area but finding the start of this trail proved to be difficult. There were a few small trails leading off the main trail but all looked to be nothing more than animal trails that led to a small pond.

We continued past the pass and started on our way down to Lower Twin Lake before we realized that we had gone way too far and turned back. This time we took one of the small animal trails and managed to find a route up the side of the ridge. About half way up the ridge, dark storm clouds started to roll in so we turned around and headed back down to Shadow Lake Lodge.

On arrival back at the lodge, we were pleasantly surprised to find afternoon tea, baked goods and appetizers waiting. Shadow Lake Lodge also has a decent selection of wine (glass and bottle) and beer for purchase, and many guests purchased bottles of wine to share on one of the picnic tables, or on their private cabin balcony.

At 6pm the dinner bell rings and everyone makes their way down to the dining cabin for the evening feast. There are communal tables which we loved as we got to know some really cool people this way from all over North America. Each evening we were treated to a soup or appetizer to start and then the main course consisted of a protein (we had chicken, lamb and beef), rice, potatoes or pasta, a veggie dish and a salad. Each night, you were also treated to a homemade dessert which meant a cobbler, pie and pots de crème for us.

After dinner, guests can head back to their cabins or hang out at the main cabin, which features a wood burning stove, comfy old couches, numerous hiking and bird watching books and a large selection of board games. Most people retire to their cabins by 10pm, beaten by a day full of fresh air.

On our second day, we did the trek up to Whistling Pass and were not disappointed. The day began with the sun shining and a short 1km slog through mud to the shores of Shadow Lake. The area around Shadow Lake is quite muddy but once you head up into the higher passes, you escape the mud. This lake is spectacular, and worth the mud, especially in the morning light when the sun is shining on majestic Mt Ball that shadows the lake in the afternoons. From Shadow Lake, you have two hiking choices: you can stay right and head up around the lake to an amphitheatre and waterfall (which I’m told involves a little bit of scrambling and route finding), or you can head left and across the bridge to Whistling Pass or Ball Pass.

We went left and traveled up the valley 4.3km to Ball Pass Junction. The trail is pretty as it runs along a small river for most of the way and traipses in and out of beautiful meadows. If you can time your visit for July, the wildflowers are in bloom and are spectacular.

At Ball Pass Junction, again you have two choices: you can stay right to hike up to Ball Pass, or you can head left towards Haiduk Lake and Whistling Pass. We went left and started a short climb up into Whistling Valley. Once in the valley, the trail meanders through flowery meadows and larch trees for about 4km to Haiduk Lake. This lake is just as stunning as Shadow Lake as it was surrounded by mountains and scree, and even boasted three small waterfalls from runoff.

After Haiduk Lake, there is a steep climb up to Whistling Pass. The total climb from the lake is about 2km but really only the first bit felt relentless and had us breathing heavy. Once at the top of Whistling Pass you can see all the way back down the valley to Mt Ball. If you continue hiking and go down the other side of the pass you will find yourself at Scarab and Egypt Lake.

The return hike back to Shadow Lake Lodge is pretty much all downhill from here so you can definitely pick up the pace. We did to make sure we made it back in time for afternoon tea, a bottle of wine and some lounging on our cabin deck.

There are numerous ways to get into Shadow Lake Lodge. The easiest and quickest way is via the Red Earth Creek trail (total 12.7km) off the TransCanada highway. The trail is an old road that you can bike up for 10.5km. You have to leave your bike chained up as the last section is by foot or horse only. Be prepared for mud, especially if it’s early season or it has been raining. You can also hike in from Hwy 93 via Arnica or Twin Lakes, or you can come in from Healy Pass at Sunshine via Egypt Lake.

There are also numerous backcountry campgrounds in the area including one at Shadow Lake, at Ball Pass Junction, at Egypt Lake and at Twin Lakes. However, I highly recommend that you splurge for a weekend at Shadow Lake Lodge. Not only will you sleep in peace away from the mosquitos and bears, but you will be treated to amazing food, great company and superb service. We did this trip for my 40th birthday (I’m really not into Vegas) and we have now decided that this place is so special that we have to make it an annual visit. After all, how could we not go back to adult camp?