The mountains decide when the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse can open every spring.
Usually operating from June to October, the teahouse, nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the province of Alberta, can only open once the spring avalanches have fallen. “I know from experience there are six avalanche paths on the trail [to the teahouse],” explained owner Susanne Gillies-Smith, whose parents purchased the establishment in 1959. “I have to wait until the avalanches are down to break trail [for the season].”
Built in 1927 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the establishment served as both a teahouse and an inn for hikers visiting the remote six glaciers for which the teahouse is named. It is located in the mountains southwest of the world-renown Lake Louise in Banff National Park.
“The teahouse is the icing on the cake, butreally, the hike and the surroundings are what’s important,” Gillies-Smith says.
With an elevation gain of around 1,200 feet,the 4-mile hike takes around two hours at a slow and steady pace, includingtime built in to enjoy the view of Lake Louise’s striking turquoise waters, aswell as glimpses of mountain goats, jays, marmots, and the occasional grizzlybear amid the mountain switchbacks.
Sitting at 7,000 feet above sea level, thePlain of Six Glaciers Teahouse welcomes about 400 guests per day during thepeak season. People of all fitness levels and abilities tackle the climb, with thepromise of treats at the teahouse serving as motivation to keep going. The Swiss-stylestone-and-wood building emerges through the conifers, and colorful Nepaleseprayer flags hang from its wooden beams.
“(The prayerflags) celebrate peace and serenity and also serve as a congratulations, if youwill, for making it up the mountain,” Gillies-Smith explains. “For some people,the teahouse is their Everest, and they should be very proud.”
A backcountry business of this kind, withno electricity or plumbing, requires special considerations. The teahouse iscash only, with menu prices keptaffordable for a family. Twice per season,Gillies-Smith hires a helicopter to make around 30 trips to deliver 35,000pounds of supplies—propane, flour, sugar, and napkins. Every day, employeeshike up fresh ingredients—cheese, fruit and other perishables—and hike outgarbage and recyclables. Water is sourced from a natural spring on theproperty.
Soups, sandwiches, pastries, and around 20loaves of bread are made fresh every day, prepared on a propane stove. The menufeatures teas from the Banff Tea Company, a company Gillies-Smith founded and ownedfrom 2006 to 2012, located in the nearby town of Banff. Using teas importedfrom around the world, the shop sells more than 40 blends, including a custom herbaltea developed for the teahouse—a fusion of mint, berries, and hibiscus.
In today’s non-stop, screen-dominated world,Gillies-Smith believes the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse can bring people backto earth and into the moment. She hopes a visit to the teahouse will provide an“aha” experience in nature, a meaningful moment that will prompt them to “appreciateand enjoy the space where they are.”
Signs on the tables encourage people to putaway their phones (there’s spotty reception anyway), to congratulate the peoplearound them on the hike, and to contemplate the beauty of the scenery.
“It doesn’t have to be a ‘take-out’experience,” Gillies-Smith says. “Stay and enjoy.”
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