Two friends discover alpine cuisine and warm minimalism
by Gillian Richards
Photos by Samantha Mickelsen and Gillian Richards
Whoooooshh! EEEEEK! Ahhhh! We jumped shoulder-deep into icy water. After the initial terrifying jolt, there was an unfamiliar tranquility. Maybe those polar plunge people are on to something? What could have been the opening scene of a horror movie, complete with axes and below zero temps, turned out to be an immersion in mountain culture. After one day at The Lodge at Bow Lake, we found ourselves ready to take on just about anything.
Ditch the cell phone and hit the Great Canadian Rockies? Yes! We were up for the adventure. We set off on a snowy Thursday in a packed Rav4 — skis, slippers and no idea what to expect. Down Highway 12 from Edmonton through Rocky Mountain House, blasting early 2000s hits and stopping for photo-ops beside the marvellous Abraham Lake. We were surrounded by snow-capped pines, towering peaks and the occasional herd of wild horses.
Nordegg’s wild horses
Then, we caught a glimpse of our destination’s iconic red roof and peeled into the parking lot. We happily trundled into the lodge and exchanged our dripping Blundstones for our slippers.
Friendly and fresh-faced Maya Baylis greeted us at reception, where we peppered her with questions about recent headlines. Just two days prior to our visit, The Lodge was the emergency shelter for 48 stranded schoolboys from the UK. Their bus had caught fire, and The Lodge provided warmth, cookies and hot chocolate. Did I mention this was on staff’s day off? Talk about Canadian hospitality.
Maya gave us a quick rundown on the history of the lodge. Outfitter Jimmy Simpson fell in love with Bow Lake back in 1898. He made a promise to one day build a shack on the picturesque land. A promise he evidently over-delivered on. The Simpson family were the lease holders from 1925 (the lodge is in Banff National Park). The lodge expanded during that time and accommodated hundreds of guests until shutdown during the 2020 pandemic.
One of The Lodge at Bow Lake’s inviting fireplaces.
Enter Bruce Millar. The Millars, of the Lake O’Hara Lodge, were enroute to retirement. Instead, Bruce put together a group of investors (mostly former Lake O’Hara guests), became the third operator and opened last summer. The revamp under the new ownership is impressive, a flawless blend of contemporary and historic. Original woodwork, two massive fireplaces, vintage Simpson family photographs and framed newspaper articles on pine walls, while modern, mostly Canadian-made furniture adds a luxurious and sleek finish. It has a leave-your-shoes-at-the door casualness and is comfortable and cosy, yet sophisticated. Total mountain luxury, we were utterly charmed.
Our suite faced Bow Lake. There’s an elegant minimalism to the space. It’s clear the design is meant to foster mindfulness to our surroundings. No televisions or artwork and we headed straight to the view. Sam and I geeked out over the use of Canadian-made products throughout the room. The choice to support local business is deliberate.
At 6:30pm I rang the dinner bell with permission from the amused staff. This didn’t seem to be a typical occurrence at The Lodge but it sure was fun. The Elkhorn room was set for an intimate dinner for four guests. I’ll admit, my shy introverted self was thankful to have outgoing Sam by my side for the four-course meal with two complete strangers. Long story short, I have two new friends for life. We drank wine and dined with Elspeth and Allen for four hours that evening. Laughter echoed through the dining hall as we delved into topics ranging from travel to ridiculous dating failures. Staff would jump into the conversation, and we quickly found we all had more connections than expected. Around 10pm, the lights dimmed and we noticed the once roaring fire was now embers. Time to turn in.
The multi-talented Maya Baylis mixes cocktails
Our room was our very own pine-scented oasis. Flopping onto the beds and wrapping ourselves in the inviting wool blankets, we fell asleep with sincere gratitude for the opportunity to unplug both physically and mentally.
We reunited with Elspeth and Allen at breakfast, still giggling about last night’s conversation. We all opted for quiche and discussed our plans for the day.
The quiche is a popular breakfast choice
Sam and I planned to ski fresh powder at Louise, while our new friends planned to hike in the area. The Lodge provided bagged lunches in a reusable pouch—Italian sandwiches on ciabatta with fresh basil were heaven-sent, along with fresh fruit, trail mix and baked goods. I am still dreaming about the ginger cookies.
We returned to our red-roofed haven in time for cocktail hour. Tonight there were 21 guests and Maya, a woman of many hats, was our bartender. We shared a few laughs until the infamous polar plunge (ice bath) came up. The staff themselves had taken the plunge a few weeks earlier, so Sam and I couldn’t help but sign up for the challenge. It didn’t take long for Maya to radio Mike Law, one of the managers, to let him know of our plans.
We trekked through waist-deep snow out to a tub-sized hole on Bow Lake.
Samantha Mickelsen (L) and Gillian Richards take the infamous icy plunge in Bow Lake
Mike followed closely behind with a shovel and axe—remember our fears about being in a horror movie? Luckily for us, Mike is just a very hands-on manager. He chopped through the ice to make a hole big enough for two. Before we could question our judgement, we took the plunge. We lasted a minute and a half. Not bad for a couple of first timers, though the record is six and a half minutes. I can’t even. Another guest caught wind of our shenanigans and jumped in (after some mild coaxing of course).
Exhilarated, we had 10 minutes to get from ice bath to dinner, where we had new table mates to share the experience with. Dinner—Berkshire pork schnitzel, utter perfection—quite literally took us out. We didn’t last more than a couple hours at the table before heads bobbed from exhaustion. Some of the guests headed to the living room for board
games. We headed for the sack. Another terrific night for the books.
After a luxurious slumber, it was time to get back to reality. The Lodge packed lunch for the road trip home. We said our goodbyes to staff who now felt like friends. After two wonderful nights we can’t wait to return. The Lodge at Bow Lake is now open for its summer season, and I have a feeling it will be magnificent.
The Lodge at Bow Lake is open for the summer season, June 1 to October 7 and for the winter season, January 30 to April 7, 2025. Rates include breakfast, lunch and dinner for all guests, accommodation, taxes and fees, lodgeatbowlake.com. A café is open to travellers during the summer for lunch.
Chef Chris Parnell’s Mountain Cuisine
Dinner was always a big deal at Lake O’Hara Lodge and the tradition continues at Bow Lake. Chef Parnell describes the dining options as “international mountain food made with Canadian ingredients. We serve a lot of game, Alberta beef, BC fish, Okanagan fruit. We’re inspired by mountains everywhere, Japan, Switzerland. We might offer ramen, or schnitzel.”
Cocktails, such as Bruce’s Famous Pisco Sour, and local craft beers join a concise wine list, primarily British Columbia (including some rarely seen gems like Blue Mountain bubbles and Daydreamer Jasper) along with Washington and Oregon bottlings.
Dining in an isolated spot has its own set of challenges beside seasonality. “Not everyone is willing or able to drive up to our door. We meet several small purveyors in Lake Louise, we go in every day for the mail run.”
Menus are set daily with several options for a lavish breakfast. A buffet is set up for guests to pack themselves lunch. Everything is made in house. It’s a massive and busy kitchen with seven cooks making stocks, baking, and prepping for dinner.
Dinner, which is available to the public with a reservation, is a four-course set menu. “We might start with an amuse bouche, arancini maybe,” says chef. “Then soup and salad. Guests choose between a vegetarian or meat dish for the main, things like bison braised in red wine, or roast halibut. We always have gluten free and vegetarian options.”
Just driving by? “The café is open every day during the summer season, with amazing cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, and things like chickpea curry or chili, great for travellers on the highway.”
Behind the Scenes
How do you reawaken a historic lodge which had seen better days? “It did take a lot of work,” says Bruce Millar. “We took over October 2021. There were permits and infrastructure and a lot of cleanup to do.”
He had put together a group of partners for the project. “Many of them had been Lake O’Hara Lodge guests—supportive, fun, smart people.”
Most of the furniture was made locally. “The tables in the sitting and living room were made in Calgary from reclaimed poplar from Sunnyside School. A lot of the bedroom furniture, the front desk and the bar are made by a guy in Invermere.”