First Hike to Lake Agnes

I’d never hiked in Banff before. Lake Agnes felt like a good place to start. The trail begins at Lake Louise, passes Mirror Lake, and continues up to the tea house. It’s considered a moderate hike, and for someone with very little hiking experience, it felt like a fair challenge. The climb took us about an hour and a half, while the walk back down was just under an hour.

The trail was busy, but not crowded. There were people hiking with their dogs, groups stopping to take photos, and others moving steadily uphill with trekking poles. Some had full hiking packs, while others looked like they had decided to hike on a whim. It didn’t feel like there was one way to do it.

We stopped at the Lake Agnes Tea House before heading back down. The apple crumble was easily the highlight. After spending the morning climbing, it was exactly what everyone said it would be.

Going into the hike, I was more concerned about my feet than the elevation.

I have wide, flat feet and deal with plantar fasciitis, so I usually expect some discomfort after longer walks. I wore the Norda 001A for the entire hike and didn’t think about them once. There were no blisters during the hike, and my plantar fasciitis didn’t flare up afterward either.

That’s not something I usually expect after a few hours on uneven terrain.

The wider fit worked well for my feet, and the grip felt reliable on loose rock. By the end of the day, my legs were tired, but my feet weren’t.

Looking back, what stood out most wasn’t reaching the tea house or checking another trail off a list. It was realizing that hiking isn’t as intimidating as I’d made it out to be. You don’t need to move at someone else’s pace, have the most experience, or own the most gear. You just start walking.