Canadian Rockies

So the big news in our lives is that Genevieve has been offered a job with the new Breakfast TV in Montreal and we will be moving there in a couple weeks. It's going to be an exciting new challenge for sure, and personally I'm really looking forward to putting Edmonton behind me. There has been one thing, however,  that's been a real diamond in the rough that I had wanted to write a little blog about, and that's been the Canadian Rockies.

I had always been of the opinion that the mountains in Canada, and the Rockies especially, were the most beautiful and stunning mountains in the world without question. I think you just grow up with that impression in BC. When we drove through the Alps, particularly the Dolomites in Italy, I was really surprised, humbled and a little disappointed by just how incredible they were. My whole belief system was rocked. At the time I thought they were easily more spectacular, they are jagged and raw, with peaks and valleys one after the other. The roads were thrilling hairpin turns and switchbacks. It really opened my eyes to the fact that while Canada is great and all, there's a whole big world out there challenging our landscape even where we excel most.

Before moving to Edmonton I had already driven through the Rockies more times than I can count, but the key words there are driven through. It's always been on the way to somewhere else, and while driving through both routes, Jasper and Banff, offer amazing scenery from the highway there is something to be said for making a destination of them and taking the time to stop and explore. In the past 8 months we've been lucky enough to do that several times. We've also driven through several more on our trips to BC. The first couple times through I still felt the Alps had us beat, but I'm beginning to appreciate the differences. The most obvious being the wildlife, we saw almost nothing in Europe and there is so much to see in the Rockies. Never been through without seeing at least an elk or some sheep. The little gophers and prairie dogs are awesome to watch stand on end and peak out of their holes. Reminds me of the British obsession with meerkats.

Our first visit was a 5 day stay in Canmore in February for some skiing and snowboarding at Sunshine and Lake Louise. We stayed at a condo with Gen's sister Michelle and a couple friends from the island, Cory and Ryan. We got great weather both times we went up the mountain, and the riding on Lake Louise was awesome. That's a mountain I'd love to go back to. Sunshine wasn't as great terrain wise, but the views were absolutely stunning. We had a perfect sunny day and you could see just how expansive the Rockies are from up there, seemingly endless peak after peak.

We went for a light hike through Johnson Canyon to the frozen waterfalls there a different day. The blue ice on the cliffs and the still beauty of frozen waterfalls are something you probably can't easily visit in many other countries. Cory and I were really tempted to dip at the pool below the falls, but a nearby tour guide assured us it would be certain death. This only fueled my desire, but the exit looked a little treacherous for frozen hands and feet so we had to opt for an easier entry point down the river. I'm always up for some stupid swimming and the looks on peoples faces was priceless as we ran back to the truck in our skivvies. A fascinated little girl told me I was silly as I clambered up the snowy bank. She was right.

We also had a night out on the town in Banff, which was a reasonably priced cab ride from Canmore, and had a lot of fun at a couple different places. These ski towns can be a really good time, and in another life I would love to have spent a season or 2 on the mountain. Aussies are far from perfect, but damn do they travel well.

Our second trip was to Jasper for a couple days when our friends Jaimie and Matt visited from Vancouver in April. We decided to take them to the mountains since there's only so much you can do in Edmonton after the mall and an Oilers game. The snow was still out and we had a nice walk through Maligne Canyon and the frozen waterfalls there. We drove out to Medicine Lake which was still covered in snow and ice and surrounded by the mountains. We had a close encounter there with a fox that was a bit of a show off. Jasper is a nice little town and the brew pub there was great for cheap craft beers and tasty food.

Our last and most memorable trip was just Gen and I, and her parents dog Zia, camping for 5 days from Kananaskis Country south of Canmore up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. We went in early June, which is apparently still off season so camping was limited. Reminded me of trying to camp in Italy in September. Most people just seem to enjoy a 2 month season it seems. We did find couple nice spots, and everywhere we drove was spectacular. The weather wasn't great the first couple days, but we were lucky enough that it was inconsistent so we did still get the views of the peaks and the sun on the snow and water that really brings out the beauty of the mountains.

Even in June the tour buses were aplenty at the more famous spots like the Columbia Icefield and Moraine Lake. I think the tourism spectacle might be a bit much in high season. It was kind of strange to see Canada's vast natural landscape as a tourist attraction, especially the price gouging. Food along the Icefields Parkway is insanely priced, and a 90 minute boat ride on Maligne Lake was over $60 each. Our cruise around Cinque Terre in Italy was like $15 and I hate to say it, looked a hell of a lot better. These busy spots are quite picturesque though, and worth a look. Luckily there's countless equally nice and empty places to see with a little more exploration.

We headed east from the Saskatchewan River crossing towards Rocky Mountain House to a campsite at Crescent Falls that Michelle recommended. The site was awesome and the falls were nice too, but the weather wasn't great that night. We stopped at a lot of different waterfalls on the way up to Jasper, as well as a snowy walk up the the viewpoint at Peyto Lake. The turquoise water was something photos don't do justice.

Our last night was just past Jasper on the Snaring River. This was a great little campground with a bunch of spots right on the river. I've realized that unless I'm camping within 100 feet of water the spot is a bit of a failure. It happened a lot in Europe, but luckily only once on this trip, and very view times in Canada in general.

The unexpected highlight of that trip came in the small mining town of Nordegg, west of Rocky Mountain House. We stopped here for the necessities, and found ourselves at the Beer Cabin, a log cabin turned cold beer & wine. The owners were an old couple, him from England and her from Scotland. We ended up being there for well over an hour listening to their life story. He had visited the area decades ago training with the British Army and loved it so much they ended up back here years later. They had lived all over the world and had such a fascinating life. He loved to talk and she loved to add her tidbits at all the right times. It sounds stupid but it was really enjoyable, and it was so nice to relate what little travel experience we had with them, and just listen to all of theirs. Some of the most interesting people we've met have been the ones that took chances, stepped out of their comfort zones, and worked hard along the way to make it all possible. It's a real inspiration. On that note, I'm gonna go duck into a mine for another 12 hours and then move to Montreal to give that a whirl. Wish us luck.

-Justin