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Day 23: Vancouver

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Day 22: Yellowknife

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Day 22: Bison at Yellowknife

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Day 20: Yellowknife

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Day 19: Calgary to Yellowknife

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Day 17: Lake Louise, Lake Agnes & Mountain Goats

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Day 16: hiking Sulfur mountain

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Day 15: Moraine Lake, Larch Valley, Conselation Lake

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10. Vancouver

Day 23. Yellowknife to Vancouver

Weather: A little ray of sunshine.

We were in the taxi by 4:20. There was already a crowd at the airport, but we made a timely departure and it was a smooth flight. Once we collected our luggage in Vancouver, we arranged to leave our large suitcase at the airport, so that we could explore for the day without the burden of our bags. Our first stop was the number one TripAdvisor rated cafe in the city: Jam Cafe. It was only just after 9 when we arrived but already the line out the front was halfway down the street…I consoled a hungry Stu by reminding him it must be good and worth the wait. Fortunately people in front of us gave up and we moved quickly enough to the front, to be seated by quarter to 10.

We ate eggs Benedict and wildly deluxe Canadian French toast, drank coffee and hot chocolate. Fuelled and now ready for the day, we caught the bus to our Airbnb, dropped the remainder of belongings and headed out to Stanley Park. We walked along the sea wall, from the rowing club in the harbour around to the sea, with the ocean air on our faces and the gulls flying overhead. We then cut back through the gardens, enjoying the comfort of the soft green hues. Eventually we found ourselves at a nice watering hole and we stopped for an afternoon snack and refreshing beverage.

We then continued on our sightseeing - walking along the main drag from one end of the city to the other, winding up near our destination of Rogers Arena for the evening’s hockey game. We had an early dinner at an Italian bistro, saluting our final holiday dinner together.

There were hockey jerseys everywhere on the street by the time we stepped out. We followed the crowd to the arena. The game was between the Vancouver Canucks and the Philadelphia Flyers and despite being my first hockey encounter and knowing none of the rules it was an absolute hoot. On home territory the entire stadium was supporting the Canucks, in what ended up to be a heart-stopping match. We had excellent seats, about centre looking over the whole rink, with a great view of all the action. The Canucks were out to an early lead, with the Flyers drawing level just before the end of third and final period.  With scores level at the end of the game, they went into overtime which entails 3 players against 3 for an extra 5 minute period. With no score in overtime, the game went to shoot out.  The Canucks goaltender, Markstrom, was the hero, blocking everything that came his way while one of the Canucks shot one past the Flyers keeper. Canucks won! The stadium was delirious. It is only 1 game out of a 92 game regular season, but they celebrated like it was a final.

We couldn’t have imagined a more fun way to spend our last night in Vancouver.

Step Count - 22,973

Wildlife - Black squirrels

Monopoly Deal - N/A

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Dave Johnson - Stanley Park

“First off the park itself is nice the layout on the other hand is not. The bike path only goes one way counterclockwise so if you get tired halfway around you're out of luck. Also the roadway is only one way counterclockwise so if you miss the poorly labeled exit to the lions gate bridge you are forced to go around the whole park again. There is no free parking, $3.50 an hour. Those are the cons of the park but there is a lot of good parts like the flower garden, the clear water surrounding the whole park, and the totem poles. I'll never go here again though.”

1 out of 5 stars

Day 24. Vancouver to Melbourne (via Auckland)

Weather: Nice like sugar and spice

Our last holiday morning was spent breakfasting at a quaint, but busy cafe, the Red Wagon, a short stroll from our Airbnb. Upon our return we packed our bags and made our way to the Granville Island Public Market on the bus. Granville Island had a fun, beach vibe to it, with buskers’ music and the sea breeze making it feel rather exotic. We walked through the bustling fresh food market, crowded with locals and tourists alike bartering with the array of providores. It was a delight for the senses. We then perused a handful of the arts and craft stores. 

We paused for a coffee, mostly to rest our pack-landen arms before walking back into town via a scenic route that followed the water.  After looking in a few more shops we took the train back to the airport - homeward bound. We picked up our stowed luggage, checked in, made our way through security and settled into a prime Monopoly Deal playing location until boarding for Auckland - bringing our Canadian holiday to a close.

Step Count - 13,053

Wildlife - nil

Monopoly Deal - Hannah crowned holiday champion!

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Patswife2 (Pennsylvania) - Granville Island Market

“Don’t take a tour bus here”

“Granville Island has a new policy of not allowing buses to park on the island. So they now drop and pickup at least 3 blocks away. Our 50 minute lunch stop ended up being fasting, as we tried to find our way back to the bus where he “hoped” to be allowed to stop. It was a total waste of time, we were hungry and absolutely livid. Go on your own if you have lots of time and don’t mind huge crowds. Hopefully they will wake up and be more hospitable.”

2 out of 5 stars

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09. (c) Yellowknife

Day 22. Yellowknife

Weather - Cold and extremely windy.

It was our final day in Yellowknife - and we were really hoping to go fishing. Unfortunately the motor on Steph’s powerboat was awaiting repair, so any fishing would have to be done from land. Also unfortunately, it was extremely windy, and the wind chill resulted in the morning being nothing short of freezing. The likelihood of catching anything and the uncomfortable conditions meant it was unlikely to be a successful morning’s work.

As a result, we decided that perhaps visiting a few local spots around town would be a better end to our stay in Yellowknife. Steph made us pancakes for breakfast with the addition of arctic cranberries - a revered native berry, not dissimilar to how a good fishing spot is kept secret, the local ladies keep their lips sealed on their picking spots - with proper Canadian maple syrup.

The lake had almost all frozen overnight, so as we loaded into the canoe, we had to break the ice around it. It was slow going as Steph and Stu broke ice with their paddles each stroke - I was not paddling as Steph broke his paddle as we pushed off and confiscated mine. Our final safe crossing.

We drove into the centre of Old Town to the Pilot’s Monument. Atop a short climb up wooden stairs, there was a sweeping view of Great Slave Lake, all the houseboats and Yellowknife’s town and beyond. The monument was dedicated those pilots who used to fly supplies into Yellowknife in its early days, when the only access was via plane or boat. It was a beautiful view, but the aforementioned wind made for a very cold viewing, so it was a short stop.

Next stop was the North West Territory Parliament. Little did we know, that we missed the swearing in of the new territory parliament by an hour! The NWT Parliament is unlike any other province in Canada, the main reason being that everything needs to be passed by consensus. This is particularly important given for the indigenous populations that live in very remote areas of the NWT. Everywhere we went in Yellowknife, the Parliament being no different, there is enormous emphasis placed on the original people of Canada, and a desire to ensure they remain actively involved in decision-making today. It is the first Canadian Parliament to have a higher proportion of elected women than men.

Our last stop was the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The centre is dedicated to showcasing the history of the NWT and northern Canada, with a particular focus on its indigenous history, together with the early white explorers and how the north of Canada has come to be today. It was an extremely interesting museum, full of different displays on the indigenous ways of life including hunting and surviving the freezing cold of the north. We learnt a lot about the animals that they rely on to survive. There was also an extremely large taxidermy display including polar bears, moose, elk, arctic foxes, bison and other mammals that are native to the north. We also learnt about the early white explorers, and how heavily they relied on help from the local indigenous population. The white explorers primarily came to Yellowknife and the north in search of resources including diamonds, copper, gold, silver and other precious metals. Today, mining is a key pillar of the NWT economy, particularly with exploration and junior miners looking to literally strike gold.

After we finished at the museum, Steph insisted on shouting us lunch given we didn’t get to go fishing - so we rushed through the local Korean restaurant to grab some takeaway, before he dropped us at the airport. We said our farewells, gave a hug and were on our way back to Vancouver (or so we thought).

We checked in, dropped our bags, cleared security and were waiting to board. Only to hear the dreaded announcement that the plane was undergoing a mechanical assessment and we would be delayed. Half an hour later the announcement came that the flight would be cancelled and there were not other flights heading out for the day. Stu and I were out of the gate, past security and back to the check-in counter, before the announcement had finished. First in line we managed to secure 2 seats on the next flight out ... at 5:40 AM the following morning. After collecting our taxi vouchers, food vouchers (only useable in the airport!) and being given a hotel room, we made our way back to the hotel. After checking in at the Days Inn, we quickly remembered why we don’t stay in hotels - the stale smell, the lines of tourists at the front desk, and the general mouldy feel of the place. That said, this was supposed to be one of the nicer hotels in Yellowknife!

We then wandered down the road for a bite, ending up back at Wood Yard (NWT Brewing Co) after not being able to get a last minute reservation at any of the alternatives serving food of the edible variety. We had a nice meal, Stu got to enjoy another couple of their beers, and we wandered home happy to get an early night with a start in the 4s on the cards.

Step Count - 8,259

Wildlife - N/A

Monopoly Deal - HL 3:2

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - feedect222 (Amsterdam) - Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre

“Very small and boring”

"If you visit the museum frequently you will find the museum has no interesting content. Most the of the introduction of the Yellowknife Aboriginal history but these things can be seen in other museums in Canada, and is not worthy of being alone.”

2 out of 5 stars

[htravels]

09. (b) Yellowknife

Day 20. Yellowknife

Weather - Cold but calm

It was a lazier start this morning - while we were up at a decent hour, our host Steph, who we depended on for transport didn’t appear to be a morning guy. While Steph was whipping up bacon and eggs (part of the VIP package to which we were subscribed), Stu and I were forced to relax. For the first time, we opened our books. Stu was reading ‘Shoe Dog’, the memoirs of Phil Knight, who founded Nike. I’m reading “Call of the Reed Warbler”, a book about regenerative farming.

After a feed, some quality reading and a couple of games of Monopoly Deal, we were ready to hit the road (or in this instance, the canoe, to paddle across the lake). After our safe crossing, we drove to Cameron River Ramparts, a well-known local waterfall which was at the end of a very modest stroll through the bush. It was a welcome change of pace, and we made it to the falls in mere minutes - to our host’s surprise - “it can take three hours to do this hike with others!” 

We then drove to another set of falls, where we met a very friendly bird, a Grey Jay (or Whisky Jack). Steph showed us how to coerce it with breadcrumbs - each time we extended our palms, it would fly down and perch on our fingertips looking for snacks. We watched it squirrel away some bits of biscuit, depositing the food in the tree for later retrieval. As we made our way back to the car, the Grey Jay followed us, hoping for more! Then his girlfriend showed up, and we’re sure the Grey Jay was very pleased to show off his stash of food.

We then headed for town, to use the public shower facilities at the local sports complex. There is no running water as yet on the houseboat, so they use these community facilities. 

Back on the houseboat, after a stunning crossing in the canoe, another restful evening was ahead. Steph cooked steak and potatoes for dinner. We also tried some delicious Caribou soup, which Steph had managed to get from a friend with an indigenous wife (as only indigenous people are allowed to hunt Caribou, and even then, they must ‘gift’ any part of it, and cannot sell it).

After dinner, as we were readying ourselves for some more reading and maybe a game or two of monopoly deal, Steph and Allyce had set up the board game, Catan.  They insisted we play, taught me the rules, and so ensued the battle for wood, brick, hay, stone and sheep. Stu was very happy about this after he played in New Zealand with his cousin Duncan. His experience showed through, winning the game with a wry smile on his face - he was pretty pleased with himself.

After the game finished, we stayed up for an hour or so, in the hope of seeing Aurora however no such luck. We also set our alarms a couple of times in the night, but the aurora wasn’t playing nice when we got up - as it was cloudy and sub-optimal aurora viewing conditions.

Step Count - 9,142 

Wildlife - 2 Grey Jays

Monopoly Deal - HL 3:2

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - YKDweller - Cameron Falls Trail

“Long walk....somewhat impressive falls”

“The Cameron Falls are a 45 minute drive outside of the city, and then a rocket, fly-invested 25 minute hike in. Once you get there, the view is impressive, but not spectacular. Not tops of my list of things I’ve done in my fine city.

3 out of 5 stars

Day 21. Yellowknife

Weather - Cold and sunny

We were excited today. It was BISON day. Both Stu and I had been most excited to come to Yellowknife and go bison viewing. It was the one activity we wanted to do more than anything else. After another enforced slower start (see previous post), we paddled our way across the lake and set off south from Yellowknife, headed for the MacKenzie Bison Sanctuary. The Frontier Trail is a road that runs straight through the sanctuary, is and commonly used by trucks as it is the road that connects Edmonton in the south to Yellowknife in the north. 

With eyes peeled, and cameras ready, we drove past an indigenous housing community and a number of indigenous houses, each with teepees set up in the front yard. Steph explained that once set up, they would often light a fire inside the teepee. Once the fire heats up, the smoke would essentially act as a hallucinogen which they would commonly use to bring on dreams and thoughts.

The sanctuary commenced about 105km south of Yellowknife, along Great Slave Lake. Within a mere few minutes of crossing into the sanctuary....BISON. Stu spotted what he initially thought were rocks, but was in fact a pack of approximately 15 bison sitting and chewing on grass. Steph was amazed as he had never seen them sitting and chewing their cud previously. We were in awe of these animals, a mix of bulls, females and even a few calves. They were no more than 25 metres off the side of the highway, and we sat there for a good 20-30 minutes admiring these beasts. We jumped out of the car to take photos, but never ventured far from the car, as Steph warned us the males can be territorial and we should remain ready to jump back in and drive at any moment!

We could have sat there all day, but we thought we should try and find more! Another 25km down the road, we saw another 2! Both males - just wandering alongside the road, looking for food. One of the males was more skittish than the previous bison we’d seen, so we kept our distance so as not to frighten it.

After admiring these two for a short time, we headed further south in search of more, until eventually time required us to turn around.  Luckily for us, the group of 2 were a little further up the road than where we’d previously seen them earlier and so we again sat and watched them graze the roadside. 

A little further up, the herd of 15 that we had seen earlier were up and about, scattered all over the road! As we pulled over and followed their movements, we had to flash many cars and trucks to alert them to their presence. We did find ourselves pretty close this time - no more than 10m or so, and Steph was constantly ready to go in case one started to charge! Fortunately the group seemed pretty content doing their own thing, and weren’t too interested in us snapping photos.

Steph was then determined to take us out for dinner - after the day’s viewing, he was certain we needed to go and get a bison steak! Albeit a little morbid, we obliged and met Allyse at the Traders Grill at the Explorer Hotel for dinner. Stu had a couple of local beers and the bison steak. I went for (Canadian) French onion soup and some of Stu’s dinner. The bison was very tasty and definitely more tender than we had both expected. 

After dinner, we grabbed a couple of things from town, and headed back for our last night at the Aurora lodge. Ready to view all the aurora we could, we went to bed early for a pre-viewing nap. We woke at 11, but unfortunately the Aurora was being elusive. We set alarms for every hour to check for the lights. We saw a few small lights come through - but nothing that lit up the sky. That said - nothing was going to dampen our spirits, as we were on a high from spending the day with the bison.

Step Count - 5,069 (low, low)

Wildlife - 1 herd of and 2 additional bison

1 very beautiful foxy loxy (spotted in the snow)

Monopoly Deal - HL 3:2

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Karen B - Traders Grill

“Tasteless, poor selection and price increases”

“I ordered the lamb chop lollipops medium, with risotto and wine reduction. Lambchops undercooked, not seasoned and risotto was very bitter, Wine reduction was 4 drops and tasteless. Best thing I can say is the wine was good for $10 a glass. I would have gotten more taste from my napkin. Won’t be back. Cheers.”

2 out of 5 stars

[htravels]

09. (a) Yellowknife

Day 19. Calgary to Yellowknife

Weather - Snow

It was still dark when the alarm rang out. I peered out the window. The concrete building with the proclamation “Jesus is Lord” painted in red lettering and car park below were dusted in white. Snow fell gently past the window.

We had only 11kms to travel to the airport, but driving in the Calgary morning traffic in snow was an experience. I left Stu to the challenge, providing no more than navigational guidance. We farewelled our Hyundai Elantra, getting the tick of approval from the rental company.

Despite the snow and contrary to expectations we boarded our flight to Yellowknife on time. We then spent an hour on the tarmac waiting for the truck to de-ice the Bombardier’s props and wings. Just over two hours after take-off, we landed in Yellowknife, the capital (and only city) of the North West Territories (population ~20,000). On the bank of Great Slave Lake, it is about 400 kms from the arctic circle.

The town has relied on mineral trade since European settlement - firstly copper (the Indigenous had ‘yellow’ knives and tools when white-fella showed up looking for fur), then gold, and today diamonds.

Jackets were zipped up to cross the tarmac and into the two-gate terminal. The baggage carousel had an intricate polar bear, seal taxidermy display, with the town’s taxidermy company proudly on display - should anyone be looking for a souvenir.

We were greeted by our Airbnb host Stephan “Steph” - who pulled up in a zippy Chevrolet with a whole lot of enthusiasm. (Sidebar: our hosts apparently starred in the Animal Planet TV show “Ice Lake Rebels”). Our tour started immediately, with a photo opportunity at the “Welcome to Yellowknife” sign on the town limits, a tour of the old town and a stop at the North West Territories brewery for lunch, and a stop by the dock to pick up some fish for dinner from the fisherman who had caught it only an hour before.

Then the real adventure started. We headed out past the city limits, turning into an unused mining road. Eventually Steph stopped the car and we loaded our bags onto our shoulders. We then hiked five minutes over rock and through shrub to the edge of Vee-Lake. Across the other side of the lake we could see the secluded houseboat that we would be calling home for the next three nights. We loaded everything into the canoe that was moored to a tree on the lake edge, scraping the snow off the hull. It was like something out of Swallows and Amazons.

We were greeted by Steph’s wife Allyce who ushered us into the warm confines of the houseboat. The wood heater was roaring. We were instantly made to feel at home. The place is totally off-grid, operating on solar (with a generator to get them through winter) and no running water (debates with local council over water licences have prevented this to date). Due to the influx of Chinese tourists however there was wifi - although the strict limit of 5GB per month meant this had to be rationed (hence the blogging delay).

We’d taken only one bite of our fresh fish dinner when Allyce called out from upstairs “the Aurora is out”. We jumped out of our seats and ran upstairs to the balcony to see the lights dancing across the sky. We stayed outside watching as long as we could - which wasn’t very long in the below zero temperatures - before returning to our dinner. The lights, although not a vibrant storm of colour, were still magical for the fleeting moments that they strayed across the sky. We drifted to sleep that night with glimpses of Aurora from the window in our bedroom that looked out onto the inky lake.

Step Count - 4,126 (low, low, low)

Wildlife - nil

Monopoly Deal - HL 2:1

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Tingting Wang - Yellowknife Airport

“Worse experience in the airport. The line up was super long and slow, only However they have STUPID RULES, they ask you to put all of ur toiletries in to a tiny plastic bag (one bag per person). Also they have ILL MANNERED SECURITY STUFF, THE OLD WHITE LADY WHO IS 5.9 FOOT WITH SHORT BLOND HAIR AND SMALL EYES, I wish I could know her name because she is rude and arrogant. There is NO carry on baggage information board around the security check in door, the stuff does not explain anything to you either. I will never come to this freezing stupid place again. Btw the aurora light sucks here. Bye.“

1 out of 5 stars

[htravels]

08. Calgary

Day 18. Banff to Calgary

Weather - Windy; Chinook.

Our last morning in Banff. We started with a leisurely wake up, and a stroll to get Stu’s coffee from Wild Flower and some gluten free biscuits for future snacks. We completed a few shopping errands including the purchase of some new "hiking” and “outdoor” socks - when we asked the shop attendant the difference between the two styles the response was “the hiking socks are for hiking; and the outdoor socks are better for general outdoor activities”. Helpful. 

We repacked our bags, checked out of the hotel, and then made our way out of Banff. We stopped in Canmore, a mere 20 minutes from Banff. We strolled the the main street enjoying the sun on our faces and perusing the shops. In local homewares shop we found ourselves a souvenir - a metal bison we’ve named Gavin. Named in our honour of our man on the ranch, it seemed a natural fit... maybe we should have bought four Gavins (so one could go fishin’)! 

We had a quick bite at the local cafe, which specialised in bagels. I had dreams of it comparing with my oreo cream cheese bagel from NYC last year. I failed dismally. Stu thinks I need to accept that nothing will come close to that bagel, and as such, need to lower my expectations, or stop purchasing bagels.

On the road again, our next task was to find a car wash - why you ask? Well, hypothetically speaking of course, one might wash it because they want to return a call in fantastic condition. One also might wash it if they drove 45km on a wet, gravel road when your rental agreement says you’re to drive it on sealed roads only and you do not want to alert the rental company to such fact. (Plus our Elantra had only done12,000 kms when it came into our possession and it seemed a shame for it to be so filthy when it was still so shiny and new). We found a DIY car wash, and gave it a quick rise to ensure it was ready to go for drop off the following day.

The drive from Canmore to Calgary was very flat, and very boring. While only 90 minutes or so, compared to where we had been driving previously, the scenery was flat, arid, dry and largely uninteresting. We made our way to an AirBnB in downtown Calgary, and upon the advice of our host, went to a local cafe until the apartment was ready. We walked into Tokyo Smoke, which had the feel of a Fitzroy cafe, arty, trendy, gallery-feel, a few bits of merchandise on the wall - it wasn’t until after ordering drinks, it dawned on us that we were in a cannabis paraphernalia shop moonlighting as a cafe - we didn’t buy anything else, just the drinks. 

We then checked in at our apartment, which had great views including across to the Calgary Stampede grandstand. For dinner we were meeting Stu’s Law School friend, Erin, who is a Calgary local, visiting her family before she moves to NYC for work. Erin, had picked out Coup, a vegetarian restaurant in a hip end of town. We enjoyed the walk down to the restaurant. Dinner and drinks were delicious, nutritious - Best Eat Calgary - and thoroughly enjoyed the company. 

Sidenote: we gifted our bear spray to Erin on account of it being highly flammable and explosive and thus not being allowed to fly with it. Hopefully it will be put to good use, or rather, not put to use.

Despite the balmy day (18 degrees Celsius), as we stepped out of the restaurant, I felt the thick air against my skin and the sweet comforting smell - “feels like it is going to rain” I said. “Feels like it is going to snow” Erin corrected. We were experiencing the Chinook winds, which originate from the ocean. The winds cool as air rises up over the west side of the Rockies and then warm significantly on the eastern slopes, resulting in the warm day.

We sauntered back to the apartment, packed ourselves once again, ready to go for the following morning.

Step Count - 10,903

KMS Driven - 128 kms

Wildlife - nil

Monopoly Deal - SA 1:0

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - The Coup - Mhwho02

“Very disappointing”

“It’s my first time writing a review about a restaurant because I’m not the type to do this. But this time I felt the needed to do do as I wanted to share how terrible my experience was. I had a waffle and it had a choice of savoury or sweet toppings. I chose to go with sweet toppings and it tuned out it was the most sour dish I had in my life. According to the waitress, apparently the topping was made with “sour cherries” which was nowhere noted or communicated when I specifically asked the waitress about it before I ordered. If you are a big fan of a sour waffle go ahead and pay 14-15, if not waste of money and time”

1 out of 5 stars.

[htravels]

07. (c) Banff

Day 17. Banff - Lake Louise

Weather - sunny and nice, with a touch of snow underfoot

We were up early again today, keen to once again secure a coveted spot in the car park and get a jump on the crowds at Lake Louise.

We arrived just before daybreak, watching the lake turn from grey to blue. By the time the sun was up the crowd was three-deep (mostly full of camera buffs having wanky discussions about their Canons and Nikons). As the sun rose, the colour of the lake began to show through, and once again, Stu and I were left in awe of the pristine aqua colour of the lake, surrounded on all sides by snow­ capped mountains. Wanting to again jump the crowds, while most got their fill of photos, we started the climb towards the first of two teahouses we planned to visit today.

The first part of our hike was towards Lake Agnes - the early vertical had our calves aching. After an hour or so, a few switchbacks, and slight views of Lake Louise through the tree-lined hills, we arrived at a small, frozen lake - Mirror Lake which sits below the "Big Beehive". After a short climb up some stairs, we arrived at Lake Agnes and the historic Lake Agnes Tea House. A wooden cabin that had originally been built in 1905 by Canadian Pacific's early workers as a place to rest for tourists while enjoying a cup of tea. The cabin was entirely off­ grid, with crucial supplies being dropped once a year by helicopter, and fresh ingredients hiked up by staff daily. We enjoyed a break from the crisp morning, sipping steaming tea and hot chocolate (and playing Monopoly Deal – my winning form dominating Stu) as the sunshine streamed through the window.

Sufficiently rested we headed out, fixing our cleats to our boots, and making our way around the icy shore of Lake Agnes. As we reached the far side we began to climb, the snow becoming thicker with each step. We passed many a person sliding around on the icy in their runners, hearing the occasional painful yelp as someone slipped. Up we climbed. Eventually we made it to a plateau - the top of the "Big Beehive" and made our way out to the edge, with views to our left of Lake Agnes and views to our right of the breathtaking opal that was Lake Louise, shining in now full-light. We stayed for a while, just taking it all in, watching the canoe boats, the size of ants, that now dotted its surface. 

Eventually we retreated, heading back as we came from the top of the Beehive, and making our way down the other side of the mountain. Again our cleats saved us from the icy perils. At the foot of the mountain we joined the "Plain of Six Glaciers" trial - now on the hunt for the second teahouse. The geography changed on this path, with the confines of the trees replaced by open, rocky outcrops. We passed a mountain goat and her kid high on the vertical rock face above us. We watched them in awe of their ability to graze on such hostile territory. 

Eventually the flat path started to climb again. Weary and hungry it was slow going. We rejoiced when we started to pass other hikers that exclaimed we were nearly there. The ground again became icy and we were forced to tread carefully as we continued to climb. After what seemed like an eternity we reached our destination and were able to adjourn. We climbed up the steep, narrow staircase to the balcony of the log cabin, where we were greeted by tables crammed into nooks on the rickety verandah, all looking very inviting in the sunshine. Icicles on the awnings dripped slowly. This tea house was built in 1927, again by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and also has no electricity and trail access only. Supplies are delivered by pack horse or hiked in. We enjoyed possibly the most delicious lunch - no doubt made extra delicious by our hunger. A bowl of hearty vegetable soup, followed by a sandwich on house made bread with a thick slab of local cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, followed by chocolate cake and washed down with coffee and hot chocolate. So good. 

The walk down was in much higher spirits, with sufficiently fully bellies and the knowledge that the 5.5kms return to Lake Louise was mostly downhill. We enjoyed walking back along the lake, still marvelling at what a sight it is. By the time we reached the foot of the lake the crowds were well and truly there - certainly the busiest sight we've seen in the parks. We retreated quickly back to the car park and headed back to Banff - via Highway 1A (unfortunately no wildlife sightings to report). 

Step Count - 30,575 (record!!!!!)

Wildlife Mountain Goat: 2 (inc. cute baby goat) Squirrel-monk: 6

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House - Emilplu (London) 

"Terrible and Expensive" 

"We didn't expect much from it given the location (on top of a popular hire, not easy to access) but still they managed to disappoint us, Our drinks were expensive, too sweet and not even cold! You don't even get the view from the tea house because it's in the middle of the trees." 1 out of 5 stars

[htravels]

07. (b) Banff

Day 15. Banff 

Weather - well below freezing

The alarm rang out at 04:30. For the slightest of moments I considered rolling over and going back to sleep. The haze of sleep lifted and I remembered what we had planned today. Excitement replaced drowsiness and we jumped out of bed.

A regimented 15 minutes and we had our hiking boots strapped on and in the car, rolling out of Banff and retracing our way north. Still under the cover of darkness, we took the Lake Louise turnoff, soon followed by the Lake Moraine road. At just after 05:30, we were relieved to find the road open. The guidebook, hiking forums and visitor information had all told us we’d need to arrive early to snag a coveted car space in the Moraine Lake carpark. People just days before had lamented arriving at 06:00 to find the carpark full and road closed, forcing them back to the Lake Louise overflow carpark and needing to catch a shuttle that commences at 09:00.

With our 05:45 arrival, and a brisk -5 degrees Celsius outside, we found ourselves a car park and set up camp, reclining the seats for a snooze until 07:00, followed by a pre-packed brekkie. At 07:15 it was just light enough outside to make out the path to the lake. There was already a crowd building at the foot of the lake, people perched with their telescopic lenses in hope of getting the perfect sunrise snap. We watched the lake change hues from grey to blue as daylight edged its way through the cloud cover.

We started our walk up the mountains to the north of the lake, keen to get ahead of the crowd that would soon be following. Very quickly we reached steep switchbacks and our leg muscles ached in the cold, whilst our lungs started to puff. Occasionally you would catch a glimpse of the blue lake below and it would stop you in your tracks. By the time we reached the first fork in the trail there was snow on the ground and ice under foot. We veered right, upward towards the Larch Valley which was lined with Larch trees whose needles turn amber in the autumn. It started to snow. How beautiful. The novelty started to wear off as the snow became thicker and the wind stronger, but I could see blue sky ahead, so we pressed on. Eventually we walked our way out of the blizzard, to find a lovely day on the other side, and the most stunning view back over the valley filled with autumn colour.

There was now thick snow underfoot and we were very grateful for our shoe upgrade. It must have been cold because we got to a lake that had frozen over. Stu thew a stone and it just skidded across the top. The falls of water leading to it had frozen into icicles too. On we walked, to the base of Sentinal Pass. It was only just over a kilometre of walking and 150 m vertical to reach the top of the Pass between two of the peaks and the guidebook had lured us here with  the promise of amazing views. We could see two people ahead of us, making their way slowly up, albeit with poles - but this assured us it was possible. On we went. By the first switchback we realised that the snow on the path was much heavier than we had realised; the path was much steeper; and it was far far colder than we were prepared for. It was time for a pragmatic decision. “Fuck it, let’s go to Consolation Lakes instead”. We made our way carefully back down with our cleats on our boots gripping the snow. We made our way back through the valley, which now was full of people posing for their photos for the socials, and cockily pranced past those in sand shoes slipping and sliding their way down on the ice.

Back at the car park we returned to the car to defrost slightly and get feeling back in our fingers and had a snack. Once we’d warmed up enough, we headed back out, this time turning east from Moraine lake and heading out about 3km to Consolation Lakes. Turned out our consolation prize was a pretty good one. The forest suddenly cleared away and we found ourselves climbing amongst big rocks like steeping stones to the foot of the lake. It’s amazing how quickly the geography seems to change.

On our way back we circled around to a viewpoint over the lake - getting to see it now in it’s full day-time glory (although the sunrise was pretty special). A 17km round trip and a great attempt at mountain climbing.

We drove back to Banff along the Highway 1A, which is an alternate road to the fenced highway, and usually offers good wildlife sightings. Unfortunately we didn’t even see a mouse.

Later that afternoon we hit up the Hotel Lounge where they had a Gin tasting - with Gin that is made at the Banff distillery and apparently the only one located in a National Park in the world. We both thoroughly enjoyed the gin, and were slightly disappointed to hear it was only for sale at the duty free in Calgary (and not Vancouver!). For dinner we ate at Saltlik, recommended by the guidebook and which offered a great steak, potato gratin and some fancy maple Brussel sprouts.

Step Count - 27,758

KMs Driven - 144km

Wildlife - None :(

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Saltlik - “Worst steak sandwhich of my entire existence on earth” - (M3147FFmikea, Burlington, Canada)

“Stringy, chewy unidentifiable with strong rosemary flavour. Truly disgusting. Other menu items may have been tolerable.” 

1 out of 5 stars.

Day 16. Banff

Weather - overcast but nice

After yesterday’s early start we awoke at much more relaxed hours. We wandered around town for a bit, grabbed a coffee at Little Wild (which had a reputation for the best coffee in town being made by Aussie Jules) and re-checked the trail conditions with the visitors centre. Back at the hotel we returned to the guest lounge and spent an hour or so getting ducks in a row, momentarily returning to the demands of real life mixed in with some monopoly deal.

Just after 2 PM, we managed to remove ourselves from what had become a very comfortable position in the hotel lounge, again laced on our boots and walked our way out of town, across the Bow River and around to the west side (or back) of Banff’s Sulphur Mountain. Here we started the ascent of the mountain, which was just over 5.5kms and approximately 850m vertical. My oh my did the calves burn! Despite snow either side of the track, the trail was wide and relatively clear. We’d read a few things online that this was a better hike than attacking Mt Sulphur from the front - positives included less tourists, less icy trails, a wider track (being an old fire access road) and better views. This sure didn’t disappoint - we had to stop and take it all in a few times, sometimes getting lost in trying to reach the top, before one of us would exclaim ‘wow’ and we’d take in the view off thousands of trees across multiple mountains and yep, more lakes and rivers. We must have only crossed 3 or 4 other hikers, so our ‘bear alertness’ was on high - particularly as we’d been told Banff was grizzly country. Fortunately there were no encounters of the bear variety, just a pika, which is a small marsupial which lives in rocky mountains (and we think was the foundation for Pikachu of Pokemon fame).

We reached the summit of Mt Sulphur at approx. 4:30pm and climbed along a boardwalk to the Mt Sulphur Observatory, which sits at 2,270m. The Observatory was built in 1902 to provide shelter and a place to observe weather patterns, and it provided a stellar view over Banff and the Bow River beyond. After a few quick photos and moments admiring how high we’d climbed, we scurried into the large, tourist-riddled building to try and warm up.

Inside, we found the SkyBistro, where we managed to snag a couple of seats at the bar. We felt this appropriate given it was a rather well-to-do sort of a place, where the clientele had Louis Vuitton handbags and Canada Goose jackets draped over their shoulders, who had ridden the gondola up the mountain, whilst we were both wiping sweat from our brows and sporting hiking kit. First thing Stu wanted, was a hot chocolate with schnapps - apparently this is ‘Apres Ski’. However without schnapps, the friendly bartender Rob from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, fixed us up a hot chocolate with Baileys + a splash of maple whiskey. Fair to say these went down like a treat! We were warm and a bit more content so we thought we’d try a gin cocktail, made with larch syrup and larch bitters (which was made from the bark of the Larch trees which we’d seen on our hike yesterday); accompanied by some delicious snacks. We bided our time until 7 PM - at which point the gondola becomes gratis - and these savvy little hikers enjoyed the descent down the mountain in style. (For reference a return trip on the gondola is $70 per person...I’d hike and drink gin any day)

Our ride down the mountain was with a Canadian woman of Ugandan heritage, who came to Canada as a refugee in her teens, was recently retired after 45 years of nursing, and was going through the Rockies as one of her ‘bucket list’ items. Stu and I both left the gondola in awe of this woman, whose daughter was an international migration lawyer, having studied at Harvard and Cambridge - and marvelled at how much this woman accomplished in her life, and how happy we were both were for her that she was now being able to enjoy some things for herself.

Exhausted and not particularly in the mood for another restaurant (but still hungry), we grabbed a pizza from the well-known Bear Street Tavern, ducked back to our room, devoured some pizza and hit the hay ahead of another earlier start in the morning.

Step Count - 20,650

Wildlife - 1 pika

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - Little Wild - Surfshark, Alberta, Canada

“Staff are unfriendly and don’t make very good coffee”

We went here last week and the chubby lady was rude and not at all a good service type personality. I won’t return. Coffee was not enjoyable either! There are many coffee and pastry options in Banff! 

2 of out 5 stars.

[htravels]

Day 13: Athabasca Falls; Athabasca Glacier

[htravels]

07. (a) Banff

Day 13. Hinton to Banff

Weather - Cloudy, intermittent sunshine.

Breakfast number two at Dana’s Tiny House did not disappoint. French toast and blueberry sausages, with a side of meringues and berries, and a snack-pack of white chocolate raspberry scones. After a goodbye hug, we packed up and headed off down Highway 16 back towards Jasper. A mob of Bighorn Sheep parading down the road caused a brief sheep-jam. 

We refuelled in Jasper we headed for the world-famous Icefields Parkway, the highest road in North America. It was a slow journey because our jaws dropped around every single bend. THE SCENERY. Every corner was like: “Wow” “Wooowww” “Wwwwooooowww”. We had to restrain ourselves from constantly pulling over to take photos and gawk at the view. Quote Stu: “every corner greeted us with extraordinary mountains, stunning tree lines and scenery you only dream of seeing in movies.”

En route we stopped at the Athabasca Falls. Wading through the instagram-hungry tourists fishing for likes #blessed, we enjoyed the falls, which were in our humble opinions worthwhile and not like 1000 others. 

Next stop was the Athabasca Glacier, where we found many more fellow tourists, some armed with cameras that could double as telescopes. The impressive glacier, which 1000s of years ago, had covered the entire Icefields Parkway from Jasper through to Banff and beyond. Today it covers 6 square kilometres, but is receding 5 metres per year. We walked to the ‘toe’ of the glacier, boosting the day’s step count in pretty spectacular surroundings.

Banff was bustling when we arrived. Far busier than Jasper, it had a line of souvenir shops and at least four “ye olde shoppe”’s, including two “candy shoppes” where the addition of the ‘-pe’ suffix which really is a good indicator of the historical validity of the shop and therefore a hit with tourists, especially those visiting from the Orient.

Staying right in the middle of town, we had wonderful views of the hotel air conditioning units and mountains beyond. We settled in and began planning our adventures for the next few days. Dinner was at a ‘Mediterrasian’ restaurant called Block - the guide book didn’t disappoint. They squeezed us on the end of a table - took a game of twister to get into our seats - but so worth it. Already this hot spot is in the running for Best East Banff. The food was delicious, including some lovely asian persuasion samosas and beef lettuce cups and tried out the local fare with a bison pizza. Stu’s local beer was also a winner.

After a brief turn around town, we retired for the evening, tired from our day of driving - content with out efforts and ready to throw ourselves into all Banff has to offer.

Step Count - 9,043

KMs Driven  - 367 km

Wildlife - 1 mob of Bighorn Sheep.

Trip Advisor Review of the Day - “MirandaT33″ - Athabasca Falls

“Just a waterfall”

“I live near Niagara Falls so maybe I’m biased here but I was not wowed at all with the waterfall. I drove from Canmore and there was honestly a better fall called Tangle Falls on the way. You are level with the waterfall and I thought we would be looking up at the waterfall...I just wasn’t wowed.”

Day 14. Banff

Weather - cloudy with a chance of “wow”

Today ended up being very quiet. We slept late, surprisingly exhausted from our travel day yesterday. We found brunch at Tooloulou’s - a top ranked breakfast spot with a queue out the door - to find it was American diner-style, full breakfast plus pancakes and waffles type place. Despite its popularity, you could smell the grease and Stu wasn’t too impressed with the filtered coffee.

We walked around town, discovering a little more of pretty Banff. Upon dropping into the visitor centre, we quickly learnt that all the trails and hikes we’d hoped to do were under snow/ice due to the unexpected cold snap last week and early snow dump. It was time to get serious about our hiking exploits. We perused the shops and ended up investing in some hiking boots - which were on sale and $200 cheaper than if purchased in Australia - so technically we saved money. We also bought some cleats - essentially metal claws you strap onto your shoes - to walk on ice. Seemed like a good insurance policy against broken limbs. 

The afternoon was wiled away; hikes planned, Monopoly deal played, blog written, and the contemplation of opening our books that we’ve lugged around. 

Dinner was a local burger bar, with the baseball and NFL playing above the bar; and an early night due to needing to get a head start on tomorrow’s adventure.

Step Count - 8,713

Monopoly Deal  - 2:1 to H.L.

Wildlife - nil

Trip Advisor Review of the Day  - “686reidm” (Banff, Canada) - Tooloulous

“Great Breakfast”

“Do not let the line up deter you. After a 5 min wait we sat down and the service was quick and efficient. The food is amazing and the hashbrowns are top notch. Also really good coffee.”

5 out of 5 stars

(Sidenote: Stu has made a very strong case that 686reidm may in fact be the owner of Tooloulou’s)