LAKE LOUISE HIKERS EXPERIENCE FOSSIL BEDS THAT CHALLENGE DARWIN

LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA, CANADA – Travelers looking to plunge back in pre-historic time can now hike through one of the richest and most important fossil sites in the world – the Burgess Shale.
Fossils 505 million years old discovered at the Burgess Shale site have rocked scientists' basic understanding of evolution and challenged Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest.” Discovered in 1909 in Yoho National Park, 20 minutes south of Lake Louise, the fossils of 120 marine species are extraordinarily old and well-preserved evidence of a diverse ecosystem unlike any uncovered.
June 1 through September 30, 2005, Lake Louise Inn is offering guests the Stay and Hike package, including: overnight accommodation, a full day guided hike of the Burgess Shale and Mount Stephen Fossil Bed, lunch and return transfer to the hotel starting at $158 per person. Accommodation-only rates range from $104 to $200 per night. For additional information, call 1.800.661.9237 or visit www.lakelouiseinn.com.
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Lake Louise Inn is nestled in the peaks of Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes surrounding Kootenay, Yoho and Jasper National Parks. The area is world-famous for verdant Rocky Mountain wilderness, glacial mountain lakes, and towering spruce and fir forests. It is also home to Canada’s largest, award-winning ski resorts and abundant wildlife including grizzly, elk, wolves and long-horned sheep.
Due to the UNESCO World Heritage status and the continuing scientific work at Burgess Shale, hikes are limited to guided groups of 15. The 10 hour hike is about 20 km (12 miles) round trip with an elevation gain of approximately 2,500 ft (760 m).
“The fossils of the Burgess Shale tell us more about how animal life appeared on earth than any other fauna in the fossil record,” explains Dr. Collins of the Royal Ontario Museum, whom logged his sixteenth field season working on the fossils last summer. “It is our most important fossil area and well deserves its World Heritage Site status.”
In addition to fossil hunts, curious hikers of all abilities can venture into the mountains for afternoon tea. Two tea houses originally built in the 1920s as a base for Swiss guide mountaineers now serve refreshments for Lake Louise hikers during the summer season. Set out from Lake Agnes for an hour hike to the first or continue another two hours to the Plain of Six Glaciers to reach the second and catch magnificent views of surrounding glaciers whose sediment-filled snow melt create the surreal emerald green color of Lake Louise. Guests can also horse back to the tea houses or take the same transportation as the tea … in a helicopter.
Banff National Park alone offers 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of hiking trails. Whether you are looking for an afternoon stroll or a month-long expedition, the Lake Louise area has something for hikers of all abilities. Other highly recommended hikes include Consolations Lake (novice), Lake Annette, Little Beehive, Moraine Lake, Larch’s Valley (in the fall), Helen Lake (a mountain lake), Surebrook Lake (in grizzly country) and Giant Steps (a waterfall in Paradise Valley). Experienced hikers will be interested in the summit climbs of Mount Temple and Mount Fairview, the first and second highest mountains surrounding Lake Louise.
A resort for all seasons, Lake Louise Inn can serve as a base to explore the Canadian Rockies year round. Travelers can paddle the emerald waters of Lake Louise, hike, mountain bike or rock climb craggy mountains and canyons, go whitewater rafting down the Columbia River, fish rushing mountain streams, or saddle up for a horseback ride along the river. A five minute stroll into the Village of Lake Louise offers quaint shopping with inescapable mountain views. There is also jet boating, gondola sightseeing and golfing.
Cross-country trails greet guests at the doorstep of the Inn, as does a complimentary shuttle en route to three of the Rockies’s premier ski resorts, all five to 40 minutes away. Lake Louise Inn offers guests tobogganing on the hills surrounding the resort, as well as romantic sleigh rides from the Inn’s front steps through the mountains. Guided snowshoeing and hikes, yoga classes and aquacise classes can also be arranged through the concierge. The Lake Louise area also offers prime dog sledding and heli-skiing.
A family-oriented resort, Lake Louise Inn offers queen and king hotel rooms as well as family condos including kitchen facilities, with or without a loft (to sleep six to eight or four to five guests). There is an in-door heated pool, whirlpool, steam room and a new recreation room for kids, including Play Station, arcade games and adult supervision.
Lake Louise Inn is managed by, Atlific Hotels & Resorts, a multi-brand hotel and management company with 46 years of experience, operating 28 hotels throughout Canada.

For more information contact:
Chris Higgins
Director of Public Relations
Lake Louise Inn
phone: 250.884.9541
e-mail: chris@seasmokepr.com
website: www.seasmokepr.com