Originally Posted by
THUNT836
Heading up Oct 31 - Nov 4 (start of off season - only way it fit into our modest budget)
Planning to propose by the lake, couple possible spots, depending on crowds
Anyone with experience at the hotel around this time that can comment on most likely weather, activities, etc.? (Ex: likelihood of snow, ability to do small hikes without major gear, skating or canoeing on lake if not already shut down, crowds in hotel/restaurant, etc.)
Sorry if this has already been asked ad nauseum, I read a lot of the thread but it is very very long and often discussing things above our modest budget. Just trying to anticipate and plan as best I can. It will be a great trip even if we just sit around in the hotel, spa, restaurants, she has always wanted to go to Banff/LL
Thanks!
Crowds won't be a problem at start of November. It is the lowest visitor numbers of the entire year, so you shouldn't have a problem finding a spot for a crowd-free proposal.
Canoeing will be long shut by that point. There won't be any skating yet, as the lake will not yet be frozen. Skating normally starts in mid-December. The ski hill normally starts up in early November with limited terrain, but snow pack will be limited. You should be able to do some hiking, but you need to check trail conditions to see which are safe. The classic summer trails are not all safe to hike in the winter, but early November many of them could still be OK--Parks Canada will have up-to-date information at the time. You will want micro spikes for your boots. If the trails are not covered in snow, you can expect them to be icy.
There are some nice spots you could propose. The shoreline in front of the hotel will have the most people, but you could find a time when it's not busy. You could try over by the canoe dock, which won't have many people at that time. You could hike up to Fairview Lookout. You could perhaps hike to the end of the lakeshore trail and do it there.
You might find the lack of activities a bit limiting at the CLL at that time. You could also consider visiting Lake Louise as a day trip, for your hiking and proposal, and maybe lunch/dinner at the hotel, but stay at the Banff Springs instead, if you want more restaurants and a better spa (the new CLL spa, which will be fabulous, is not set to open until summer 2025). I guess it depends what environment or setting you're looking for.