Wild and Wonderful West; Canadian style

After months of anticipation we drove to the wonderfully accessible London airport to fly to Calgary to visit friends and tour their territory.  Kim and Mike welcomed us with  delicious meals, warm hospitality and plans to golf, hike and bike around Cowtown before heading to Kimberly and the BC mountains.  

We played their "local" course, Shaganappi Point, and were treated to a short but challenging course with spectacular city views.  What an oasis in the middle of the city as is the modern and comfortable home of our hosts.  

You should be able to click on pictures to enlarge them.  

Nothing like warm sunshine to keep us enjoying the beautiful venues of this city.  After a wet and cool summer the Calgarians were appreciating this as well!  We rode through some neighbourhood streets to access the Glenmore Reservoir path and enjoyed a 15 km ride through lovely scenery including an aspen forest.  Stopping for lunch was a treat at a great restaurant minutes from the trail.  

The next day we went to a golf course called the Canal at Delacour, a lovely link style at the north east side of Calgary.  The greens were like lightning and despite the open look of this course it was challenging!  

 Next we were delighted to drive less than 2 hours to beautiful Lake Louise for a challenging but spectacular hike.  The plan was to head up to the Lake Agnes Tea House for lunch then continue to the top of the Beehive.  From there we would take the back trail back down.  I can't describe the beauty of this hike.  You know the saying...a picture is worth 1000 words.  

How could you not smile? And the day had just begun! 

Someone said my hair matched the glacier! Hmmmph.

Destination Beehive

What do you expect out West?

Scared.....

The Tea House at Lake Agnes

Contemplating Agnes

The colours of the Lakes and Rivers are incredible...more on this later.

Agnes from the Beehive!  

Lake Louise looks like a piece of plastic from this height! 

Breathtaking

Finally down on flat ground but a long way to go back to the hotel where we started.  We had tired muscles for a few days but it was well worth it!  

ROAD TRIP: There is no easy way to get to Kimberly BC, only beautiful ways!  Our hosts insisted we take their convertible instead of renting a car.  Honestly, what a joy it was riding with the roof down, the wind in our hair and the glorious mountains towering over us.  Heated seats and a windscreen made it very comfortable even in cool morning air.  

We took a turn off Highway 1 to Kananaskis along yet another scenic route to see the famous golf course.  (Well, famous to John) It has been closed since the spring when flooding devastated the fairways beyond repair.  It will have to be rebuilt.  The area is well known for skiing but without this summer attraction who knows how they will survive?  You can enlarge a picture by clicking on it so take a close look at the ruined landscape behind the sign.  Actually we were surprised at how far reaching the flood damage was: well beyond the city.  

Next stop, Banff.  We didn't spend much time here but drove through the lovely town centre with trendy shops and up to the famous old Banff Springs Hotel.  Behind the hotel is the beautiful Bow Falls and the golf course.  No we didn't play it but of course we had to have a look! 

Now back on the road  we planned to stop at a couple of lookout points.  This 60 mile route from the Bow Valley Parkway to Radium Springs called the Kootenay Parkway is considered one of the top drives in BC.  At Marble Canyon we took a walk.  The aqua coloured water rushes and roars and refrigerates you in spots as you cross the bridges.  The canyon goes very deep and steep before you get to the main falls a few kilometres back from the road.  It took millions of years to erode to this point!  The name "Marble" comes from the smoothness of the walls which are actually made of limestone.    Notice the stark trees in the background...this area is recovering from a huge forest fire that burned for 40 days in 2008.  

At a lookout I was reminded of the glens and valleys of Scotland! 

At Radium Springs we thought we might take a dip in the hot springs. We were a bit overwhelmed by the number of cars in the parking lot so decided to just stop for lunch in town.   We ate at the lovely Old Salzburg restaurant pictured above from their website,  but not on the patio as shown here.  We ate inside to keep away from the bees.  It was lovely and I would soon realize that the Alpine theme, reminiscent of the European Alps, is very common in the Canadian Rockies.  Mmmmmmm....schnitzel....my favourite!

We arrived at Kim's Kimberly Condo near the top of the ski hill (mountain) to find our hosts greeting us with open arms...again!  How could you not love Kimberly??  

In the morning the guys went to town to rent bikes for John and I.  The plan today is to ride from Kimberly to Cranbrook, 26 km. down the road.   Wait a minute, this is beginning to feel like boot camp!!  But the key word is DOWN and I hung on to that thought.   First a coffee on the deck.  I looked past Kim out to the yard and saw a bear!!  We had been talking about bears and hoping we didn't run into one but from the safety of the upper back deck this was quite exciting.  He/she was about a par three away checking out some construction material, maybe thinking it was a dumpster.  

Okay, this is getting scary.  As we started out on the bike trip we passed part of the ski hill and came across this posting.  Good thing we weren't biking down the mountain this way but we did bike down and down and down.  John had a bit of a wipe-out on one of the steep turns but made a miraculous leap to save himself from a face plant on the paved path.  Impressive!  Soon we were on the bike path to Cranbrook and it mostly was downhill until it became uphill past the river.  It was a hot day but a glorious ride and we earned our supper again! 

We stopped at Marysville Eco Park for lunch and rode the fish statue.  Well, one of us did!!  

Mule deer are abundant in Kimberly and not fearful of humans.  This cute little fawn was feasting with his mother nearby at the Park at Marysville.  

After lunch we visited Marysville Falls on the Marysville River. 

 There were lovely views along the way and parts of the path were near the edge of long drop offs. 

After we crossed this long bridge we started the uphill climb to complete the ride.  We were out of water at the end, not expecting it to be so hot, and each guzzled a litre that we had picked up at a gas station.  Very glad we shuttled the cars and could drive back to Kimberly.  What's next??

Time for more golf.  One thing I was very excited about was playing golf on these "mountain" courses.  And I was not disappointed.  We played Trickle Creek Golf Club only a few minutes from the condo.  Gorgeous!  John thought it was one of the best courses he has ever played and that's saying a lot.  As with biking and hiking, golf is challenging in the mountains since there is not a flat lie anywhere. Elevation changes play havoc with every aspect of your game and your stamina.  Even with a power cart you get lots of exercise.

We also played the Kimberly Golf Course and Bootleg Gap, all excellent courses.  

You can see the fluffy white clouds against the mountain in the background but we didn't get much rain that day.  The next day however it poured and we toured by car.  It turned out that while we were down at a lower elevation exploring, it was hailing above.  We were amazed at the build-up of the white stuff along the roads and on the golf courses as we made our way back up the mountain to the condo.  

Kimberly is a lovely town with lots to do.  The economy is suffering however as is evident by the numerous empty businesses in town, but Kimberly is a diamond in the rough in my opinion.  Quaint restaurants like the Pedal and Tap and the Old Bauernhaus had more atmosphere than places in highly popular destinations like Banff.  I felt compelled to buy a few things in town to support the economy!  With such amazing golf courses and the ski facilities I am sure this beautiful town will survive.  

John enjoyed the "Sampler" of drafts at the Pedal and Tap. 

We had a delicious meal at the Baurenhaus one evening.  

The Platzle is a beautiful bricked street for pedestrian traffic only.  The shops  are unique and appealing and hopefully this town will continue to thrive.  Check it out.

 http://www.kimberley.ca/

ROAD TRIP # 2

John and I took a different direction when we left Kimberly, heading south toward the American Border of Idaho but not crossing it.  We stopped at Creston, a beautiful town nestled in a verdant valley reminding me of the Niagara region in southern Ontario with it's orchards and wineries, but with mountains as a backdrop.  

From there we drove up to Castlegar and northward again toward Revelstoke driving a big loop through some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever witnessed. The mountain ranges are too numerous to name, not to mention confusing!  Suffice it to say that we were travelling in the Kootenay Region (Koot-nee) in south central BC. Stopping for lunch at Frog Peak Cafe was my first genuine BC cultural experience.  It really is a different country here! 

 The road followed the rivers and lakes which changed names frequently and it seemed like we were coming to the end of the world when the ferry sign appeared at Galena Bay.  It was very remote here and again reminded me of Scotland especially since the ferry was free just as if it was an extension of the road.  Which it is really. 

 We crossed to Shelter Bay and in no time we were in Revelstoke where we planned to stay the night.  Like Kimberly, Revelstoke is a ski destination that is a bit remote and not easy to get to.  But beautiful!  The town is surrounded by towering mountains on all sides.  Historically Revelstoke claims the honour of building the first Alpine ski jump in North America in 1915.  Scandinavian settlers were instrumental in this endeavour.  It was nice to see more fish statues, similar to those in Marysville but they were in the centre of town.  I was glad no one decided to ride them! 

A tour bus arrived at our downtown hotel while John was in the hot tub and it was inspiring to note that most of those who disembarked were at least 20 years older than me.  Lots of travelling to do yet!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover."

I came across this Mark Twain quote recently and it is really resonating with me.  I can't help thinking of  the "seniors" we saw , on a tour of the majestic BC mountains, many of them with canes and limited mobility, but they were out there doing it!

We hit the road early after a comfortable night at the Regent Hotel downtown Revelstoke.  We were hoping to get to Jasper today and had a long way to go!  The Trans Canada Highway from Revelestoke to Golden is another one of the top ten drives in BC.  This takes you through Mt. Revelstoke National Park, Glacier National Park  and the famous Roger's Pass.  There were clouds around when we started out but as they broke up we saw tantalizing glimpses of very high and jagged peaks. 

 Roger's Pass is a narrow valley through huge mountains and not a likely place for the Trans Canada Highway and Pacific Railway.  But that's exactly what it is and the monuments and Centre at the top describe the incredible history and hardship involved to build it.  Today it is the home of the largest mobile avalanche control program in the world.  We watched an old movie, 40 years old at least, showing how the Department of National Defence and Parks Canada worked together to detect where avalanches might occur.  Then they used canons to make it happen while the road was safely closed.  Afterward I asked how they manage the avalanche problem currently and was surprised to hear it is basically the same.  Snow sheds help protect the highway as well.  I was very happy we were not there in the winter!   

After we left the information centre we came to a dead stop for about 45 minutes.  A rock slide was being cleared from the road so I guess even in the summer there are hazards up here!










After Golden we drove through Yoho National Park and Kicking Horse Pass on the way to the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper.  We stopped at the Spiral Tunnels at kicking horse pass to see the trains winding in and out of tunnels and trees in the mountain.  

As we headed toward the Icefield Parkway we crossed a continental divide and noticed the change of direction of the flow of the river.  We crossed a huge switch back and stopped at a viewpoint to look back to where we had been.  From there we made a couple of stops on the way up to Jasper.  Lake Peyto had been recommended and it did not disappoint us.  Like Lake Louise and so many other lakes and rivers in the mountains the colour of the water is incredible.  Finally we got an answer as to why.  We saw glaciers up in the mountains and now realize these are all part of "ice fields", all that's left of huge glaciers that have been receding for millions of years.  

This explains why the colour of the lakes here are so intense.  Rock dust (rock flour) left behind from the mud, rock and silt from glacier water is suspended in the water and light shining through it causes the colour. 

We arrived in Jasper late afternoon and booked into the gorgeous Jasper Park Lodge for one night.  An elk gave us a little excitement when she decided to graze on the lawns between the lodges terrifying a woman who was trying to get to her room.  Hotel personnel and security chased the elk off the lawns toward the lake and I was stunned at her power.  She seemed to go into warp speed in a matter of seconds.  She was so close we could hear her breathing and chewing.  I had a burst of adrenaline myself when I saw her coming and made it up to our back balcony without even knowing how I got there.  Apparently this happens often and the females rarely charge.  If it had been a male it could have been a different story.  The lodge was so beautiful and our time so short that we did not spend any time in the town of Jasper.  No worries, I am not a shopper.  

On the way back down the Icefield Parkway on our way back to Calgary we stopped at the Icefield Centre and learned more about the Columbia Icefield and walked to the Athabaska Glacier.  It is spectacular to be that close.  We could have taken a snow bus and gone on the glaciers on a tour but decided the walking experience was fine. 

We drove into Canmore a lovely town an hour outside of Calgary and finally saw big horn sheep.  Unfortunately they were painted on a bus!

Once back in Calgary Kim and Mike had another golf course booked for us in Bragg Creek, a town on the outskirts of Calgary.  We very much enjoyed Wintergreen yet another beautiful golf venue.  Bragg Creek was severely flooded in the spring and you could still see evidence of it but the golf course survived.   Golf was a big part of this trip and John and Mike managed to slip in more rounds than I have mentioned here.  As you can see and we enjoyed it thoroughly! 

One of our fondest memories was sitting out on the deck (more like an outdoor room) overlooking the city with a blazing fire and/or heater keeping the chill off.  Whether at Calgary or Kimberly we were wined and dined and lulled into thinking we may never  want to leave!  Alas, we have a home in Ontario and needed to get back to it!  







It was not fun getting up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport for our flight home.  But we were back home 12 hours later with no hassles.  Flying from London instead of Toronto was excellent!   What a fantastic trip this was and we are so grateful to have such good  friends who have shared their wonderful playground with us so graciously.