Douglas Lake is a very weird lake.
Banff is home to some incredibly beautiful lakes. Lake Louise is the lake, but it's hard to miss its brother Agnes. Minnewanka looms out to the east, twisting to escape into Kananaskis. The Skoki Lakes lie buried in the mountains, and yet thousands of hikers, backpackers, and skiers make the pilgrimage to enjoy their splendor. Every lake that means something to Banff has been conquered.
...except for Douglas Lake.
Hiding just a day past the Red Deer Lakes campground lies an unimaginably pristine lake that no one knows about. A couple years ago some random person posted this:
They never revealed where the photo was taken, only that it was 2 days into the backcountry of Banff. After some zoom and enhancing, I was able to find something in Google Earth:
Douglas Lake.
This magnificent lake is quite the enigma. Only after hours of planning did I stumble across this post which starts with a similar sounding preamble, and recounts an expedition through the Valley of the Hidden Lakes.
I still haven't read the post though. Planning the trip from topographic maps and satellite imagery alone is way too much fun. In a world where I have access to limitless information, it's exciting to experience the draw of the unknown. I've uncovered the trails we can take, the mountain passes we should avoid, and even learned some secret beta from the original photographer. It's not just a lake; it's an adventure. A journey into a new frontier.
Now I just need to convince my friends to follow me.