Day 16, Stampede

On our last full day in Calgary we did a bit of shopping in the morning, then parked near a C-Train station and in 15 minutes were standing at the gates to the 'Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth'. Much of the Stampede grounds are devoted to the same activities that we have at our CLE but on a much, much larger scale. Amusement rides, games of (little) chance, every kind of food that should never pass your lips, and entertainment of all kinds (Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, Bare Naked Ladies, gold medal figure skaters Moir and Virtue, a host of country artists, Budweiser Clydesdales). But the big show here is the rodeo. On the day of our visit, July 16th, 6 horses had been killed since the start on the 9th and a few groups were voicing their feelings in the media. For the most part Calgarians seem to pull on the cowboy hat, boots and checked shirt and accept it as part of the show. We briefly took in one free event, the cutting horses. I've always loved watching a quarter horse work. They dance around reading every move of the cow and show off their years or training. Everything was good until the cow was being chased and turned by horse and rider and ran out of corral and went slamming into the steel fence. That was enough for Sal and Mel. I could have sat there in that big cool building for hours. My old love of horses came rushing back out of nowhere.

Just an FYI, Jet and Cord from Amazing Race were the marshalls of the parade, a decision that got some attention. One of the amusement rides lost an arm and injured 10 teens after we had left.

Sal and I had steak sandwiches as shown below. She also indulged in deep fried cheese-cake, Mike tried deep fried pickles. There were huge buildings with art contest winners, trade shows and I fully expected to see Slap Chop Vince as there were a dozen of his kin with the aprons, head-mics and smooth deliveries trying to sell everything from no-stick pans to health food.

We were going to wait until 9pm for a free concert but when I converted to Thunder Bay time and realized we wouldn't get home till well after 1 am we decided against it. The drive home is always longer then the drive out and we had to get up at 5am Calgary time to get going. It was good to get back to the kids place, pack up and relax. Mike found out what the losing end of the Dominoes game is like and didn't appreciate the experience at all.

Day 15, Return To Banff

As I drove along through the mountains back to Calgary I came upon the idea of another trip to Banff. We hadn't seen Lake Louise or the other I remembered from way back, Moraine Lake. When I mentioned it to Sal she was all for it so I set out a plan, drive to Banff, then up the Bow Valley Parkway, across the Trans Canada to Lake Louise, up to Moraine and then back on the Trans Canada to the town of Banff for shopping and lunch. It would be a full day, and as it turned out one of the best of the trip.

As we approached Banff clouds started moving in so I decided to go straight up the Trans Canada (the quick way) to get to Lake Louise while the sun was still out. We arrived in the village at about 10:30, found Laggan's Mountain Bakery and Deli for a coffee and a fresh cinnamon bun. We called dad to wish him a happy birthday from a picnic table next to a rushing stream. Then we started up the 4 km to the lake. The parking lots were crowded and there were people all over. We got lucky in the upper parking lot and had a short walk to the lake. And there it was, even without full sunlight the colour of the water was that strange blue-green. Mountains dropping straight out of the clouds all the way to the edge of the water. And people. From every corner of the planet there were people milling along the shore of the famous lake making a picture without a head or two nearly impossible.

We walked along the shore with the rest of the crowd trying to get a few clear shots and a few with us in them. Even a tripod didn't clue some in. We wandered through the expensive shops of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and then back out before returning to the parking lot.

Our next stop was Moraine Lake, an 11km climb at an average 7.5% grade that reminded me that the Tour de France was on and this would be just an average climb for the riders. We rose steadily and could catch glimpses of the Bow Valley and then as we came around a corner we entered the Valley of Ten Peaks (check an old 20 dollar bill for another look). The ten mountains that surround Moraine Lake are all over 10,000 feet high. The parking lot was a simple loop that was jammed with a capital J. One frustrated motorhome owner had left his parked taking up 50% of the lane of the narrow highway. I dropped Sal off at the top of the lot expecting a long walk from a spot but again got lucky. I came past the end of the 'buses only' spots and got one just a hundred yards from where I had left Sal.

The turquoise colour of Moraine Lake is something that has been stuck in my mind for the last 40 years and I know now that my memory is not totally gone. It was simply breathtaking. What I didn't remember was the surrounding peaks. I felt so small standing there. They just fill the sky. We walked around a bit and were happy that despite the condition of the parking lot there were far fewer people here.

As much as we wanted to stay we had more to see in this last day in Banff. We drove back down and into the village and were greeted by a traffic jam that would have New Yorkers looking for new 4 letter words. Luck was with us again as I got through a 4 way stop and to the outside lane that crossed the Trans Canada and over to the Bow Valley Parkway. Traffic was backed up from the 4 way stop, across the highway, down the ramp and onto the highway as far as I could see to both the north and south. The 58km Bow Valley Parkway which is advertised as the 'slow and scenic route' was the fast way to travel today between the town of Banff and the village of Lake Louise. It slowly parallels the Trans Canada on the other side of the Bow River. There are dozens of spots with historic information, picnic tables, viewpoints, and campgrounds along with simple pull offs that must be designed for viewing the wildlife. The parkway is actually restricted during early morning and evening travel in the spring and fall to avoid collisions. We stopped often for pictures and as we were just about back to the intersection with the Trans Canada we were on a divided section. I came around the last corner before the road joined up with the opposing lane and on the side of the road just over a concrete barrier were 2 bighorn sheep. I snapped a few shots and then pulled up so I was past the corner. Both of the sheep trotted along the barrier and then crossed the road right behind the Impreza while I climbed out and snapped a handful of pictures. We had finally bagged our trophy, a scraggily looking pair but they completed a perfect day.

We went back into the town of Banff, got another gem of a parking spot and had lunch at the Magpie and Stump which surprised us as it was a Mexican restaurant. We shopped for an hour or so and then reluctantly made our way back to Calgary. Another round of Dominoes followed and my luck ended when I passed out of the park boundaries I guess as I struggled all night.

What a day. Memories tend to build experiences up over the years and when you finally get back, reality can't live up to the memory. Not this time, if anything it was more amazing. I didn't appreciate things then. Now the memory is clearer and I won't wait decades to go back. Parks Canada has done a tremendous job keeping the park in excellent condition for 125 years. Despite the multitude of souvenir shops in the town, it just doesn't feel like the tourist trap that a place like Niagara has become. The beauty of the park is the focus and not the dollars that could be drained from the visitors. The whole day cost us gas, lunch and a $20 entry to the park. Considering that it costs $11 to park at Kakabeka Falls for even 5 minutes this has to be one of the greatest travel bargains.

Day 14, Rest

We mostly stayed close to the house, I don't think Sal even went out once. Everyone was catching up from the long drives and flurry of activity. I stunk at Dominoes, racking up as many points in one hand as everyone else had collectively earned over several. We burned a few cds for the trip home as we were quickly running out of tunes. The only thing the Impreza is lacking is an auxiliary jack for the otherwise excellent sound system. It is a pain to carry a book of cds when I could just plug in a phone with 16 gigs of music, about a weeks worth if you listened 24/7. The little car proved itself on this journey, roomy enough, quick enough and frugal. I kept thinking about how well it performed but never wanted to say anything and then have to eat the words as I rode the singlespeed up a mountain in search of a service station.

Day 13, Back to Cowtown

After a quick breakfast and some long goodbyes the 4 of us climbed into the Impreza for the trip back to Calgary. Kevin had suggested the 'scenic' route as he is wont to do. We turned off on the Trans Canada leaving the relatively boring but high-speed Coquilla for the long views of the Fraser and Thompson River valleys on #1. Our guide had said we would lose about a half an hour but the views were worth it. I have 2 issues with that advice Mr. Wicklund, construction and 3 sleeping passengers. We lost abut 2 hours, mostly due to construction. #1 is mostly 2 lanes through twisty mountain roads, beautiful but I'm the only one that saw most of it. I stayed behind the wheel until we got back to Banff where Mike brought us home in the rain, dodging a tire in the middle of our lane quite nicely. I read 'Call of the Wild' on my phone since the mountains were now obscured by cloud anyway. The pic below is the view I remember most, sitting behind the Barrel of Monkeys waiting for construction at the entrance to a tunnel. Honestly the drive was something I always wanted to experience, the Colquihilla is faster but missed much of the charm of the drive through BC. You're off the hook Kev.

Day 12 (July 12)

The whole gang was back together and decided on an outing to White Rock. It took 2 vehicles to move the 6 of us but it was worth the short drive. We walked out on the pier and while Susan had a snooze, the shops and restaurants along the waterfront. There are so many diverse restaurants there you could spend a week just trying different spots. We headed for the Wicklunds for supper. Kevin and I took his regular 30km bike route over to Fort Langley and came back as the sun was setting. A short game of Dominoes and off to bed as we were bound for Calgary early in the morning.

Day 11 - Chinatown

On Sunday morning Sal and I headed out alone, bound for Vancouver and Chinatown, Canada's largest. Traffic was minimal and navigation required just one exit off the Trans-Canada. We were able to park 2 doors from the restaurant where we had dim-sum. We strolled around the shops of Pender and Keefer streets. We walked through Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden which was very calming. We found the chinese sausage we were looking for, a bakery with some goodies and a back scratcher for Susan. We had dim-sum and then made the drive back. The rest of the day was spent with a little shopping. Mike and Mel called for a pickup so Kevin and I headed over to Burnaby. We came back had supper and then...DOMINOES. The game would be a nightly feature for the rest of the trip.
Sal in the park, us in the park, Sal at the Millenium Gate.

Day 10 - Victoria (Sat. July 10)

Mike and Mel were picked up by friends early Saturday morning so that Kevin, Susan, Sal and I were free to wander. We decided to go to Victoria for a bike ride. The girls would amuse themselves and catch up. We went for the 11am ferry from Tsawassen to Swartz Bay. It's a great way to travel, a little costly but fast and efficient. From the ticket purchase to pulling away from the dock was less than 20 minutes. Hard to believe all that they carry. We had some lunch right on the boat. Sal and I went out on the deck for some pictures but the wind was cold and blowing hard so we got only a few before heading in for warmth.
After landing we made the 20 minute drive down to Victoria. Downtown was buzzing. People, bikes, cars and horse drawn carriages all vying for space. Last time we came it was much later, during the week and nowhere near as busy. Kevin circled the ocean side trail looking for a place to drop off the girls but bikes were not allowed on the coastal trail so they ended up in a park a bit more inland. We took off through downtown and on to the Galloping Goose Trail. It went near the inner harbour and around the bay. We went out about 15km and then headed back. About a 2 hour ride. On the way in we followed a guy totally decked out in new gear. He constantly checked his mirror to see if we could keep up. Nothing like a challenge. I laughed with Kevin as I stomped on singlespeed Eowyn to stay on his multi-geared tail uphill. I found my climbing legs late on the ride with Mike, getting up a steepish 1km hill after about 70km and I still had them as I nagged the back wheel of the newbie. We stopped for a picture but Kevin had a bit of an adventure figuring out the camera-phone. He got some video and a picture of his thumb before we finally got this one of me in front of the Empress Hotel. We didn't stop for tea.

After getting back to the girls we loaded the bikes (Kevin found a Schwinn with pretty decent components for $60, worth about 4 times that) and went to Sidney for supper at the Beacon Landing beside the beach. Then it was off to the ferry for the 1 1/2 hour return crossing and 1/2 hour drive home. A long day.

View Track 6 in a larger map

Can't Wait

We're heading to Stampede and I might not have a chance to post for a few days so I wanted to get at least one shot (from the camera on the phone, better to follow as Mike let me use the Nikon) from our incredible day in Banff. Lake Louise is still 'that' colour but even better was Morraine Lake and the Valley of 10 Peaks. More to follow, when I get a chance.

Day 9, Drive to BC

We packed up the Impreza and stopped at Ricky's for breakfast. Mike took the wheel as he has been most of the time around Calgary. He knows where he's going and I've done enough driving just to get us out here. We stopped just after the entrance to Banff and I took the wheel after we snapped a bunch of pix. Construction was happening all over the road so the going was slow at times. They are 4-laning the highway from Kamloops all the way to Banff over the next couple of years so things will be even better. But not a great time to be making the drive. One thing they are adding in Banff is wildlife bridges (pic below). They have fenced off the edges of the highway but are putting in bridges complete with trees and undergrowth for animals to cross the highway and by all accounts it is working as collisions with the critters is down.

The views are stunning so much so that I had to quit trying to see things and concentrate on the road. That is tough when you look up and can't see the top of the mountain that starts it's rise just a few hundred yards out the window. Mike took the drivers seat again at Revelstoke after gassing up the car and ourselves. It was too hot to sit so we just kept on going.


We got into Kamloops and the temperature on the dash read 38, we really didn't want to leave the car but Mike had another call from nature and I took another turn at the wheel. The road was now a 4 lane divided run of 350 km to Langley. The Coquihalla Highway zooms along but always going up or down, theres not a flat spot on it. I was surprised that the TransCanada wasn't part of it. More on the TC route later.
We got to the Wicklund's place at about 7pm Pacific time and could hear Susan screaming "they're here, they're here" from the street. We had a nice quiet supper with Kev and Sue while we caught up. Even doing only a little more than half the driving had me exhausted, it was a long day and bed felt great.

The Ride Part II

A woman came along on a bike and just happened to have a paper trail map. She didn't know where the pathway went but we all looked it over and found the trail. She was taking the same route so we pedaled off together. we cam to a few other spots that left the location of the trail somewhat a mystery but managed. As we rode along the trail came to a Y and the woman rang her bell at a jogger and then almost ran her over.  We rode along a bit further and came to a park, the woman decided she was going on another way so we pulled up at a sign with a map of the trail. We saw we were going around a dam and lake in Glenmore Park and figured out the shortest way as the trail split and followed both sides. Off we went and within a few hundred yards we seemed to be going the wrong way, but the Elbow river has plenty of turns so we carried on. Until we passed the jogger that we had encountered earlier... going the other way. We came to the other side of a suspension bridge we had seen 30 minutes earlier and knew we were cooked. We crossed it and redid the route back to the park and map. Mike had noticed a trail going under the bridge leading into the park and it was the route we should have taken, confusing to say the least. You'll notice the loop on the red track at Stanley Park.
The trail followed the river for  bit and then dumped us on a street again but this one had some blue cycling signs so we stuck with them. Eventually we found the pathway again and made our way over the Glendale dam (passing map lady as we did) and around the man-made lake. We got to the south end of the park and picked up the trail as it went straight south through a huge dogpark, Weaselhead Flats (love that name). Here the sun was out in full force, shade was non-existant and our fluids were running out. After about 45 minutes we crossed 37th Street and coasted down a long hill to the entrance to Fish Creek Park. Mike was more familiar with the area as it was close to the old apartment. The trails in the park are everywhere, winding their way across Fish Creek over and over again. At one point we crossed the creek on exact copies of a bridge about 3 times in 5 minutes, I was almost sure we were getting lost again. After covering about one third of the park we stopped at a map and determined that to get some food and liquids we needed to climb out of the valley and get to a Mac's. We found a route out and struggled up the hill to Canyon Meadows Drive where we found a closed Husky Truck Stop and finally a Mac's. Canyon Meadows is probably the only road in all of Calgary without a trail or at least sidewalks on both sides and we had to ride on the sloped grass boulevard or on the road but it went mostly down hill so it was pretty easy especially since we had fueled up. We found another entrance to Fish Creek and Mike thought if we went down into the valley again we could ride the trails across and save a lot of time. We slid down into the park again and crossed to the entrance to McKenzie Meadows Golf Course. We ended up going a bit too far south, climbed out at Highway 22x, crossed the Bow River and then dropped down into the valley where we faced a long hard climb out onto MacKenzie Lake Blvd. which runs back over the Deerfoot and into Copperfield. In all our return was 51 km for 81km in 6 hours for the day. I have to say I'm proud a a bit amazed at Mike's performance. It was his third bike ride in 20 years and to do that distance without complaint is amazing. He didn't sit down for a day or so after that butt he managed to finish an epic ride and made bringing Eowyn worth it. For a detailed map hit the link below and then the red marker for data.



View Track 5 in a larger map

Day 8, The Ride

Mike and I planned to ride the 30km or so from his place to downtown along the Bow River Pathway. Sal and Mel would drive in and pick us up. It was cool and sunny at 7:30 when we left, we were both wearing long sleeves. The paved trail is well marked, clean and smooth. Calgary has a division of parks and rec totally devoted to the trails and it shows. We quickly made our way along the path dropping into the valley. About 30 minutes in we came to a section that was closed for construction of a new housing development. A singletrack through the grass paralleled the river so we decided to take it rather than turn back. It was fun rolling through the narrow path and in about 20 minutes the trail picked up and we were zipping along again. As we got into the downtown area we came to more construction. There was no easy way around without hitting the streets so we turned back to a branch that was labelled Zoo. It felt like the wrong direction. We came across 4 police officers on bikes and asked them. After a smart comment about 'when you see bears and elephants you're at the zoo' they told us how to get around the construction. 15 minutes later we made Prince's Island Park in just over 2 hours.

View Track 4 in a larger map
Mike called Mel and reported that we had made it and said we were going to spend some time riding around the park and we'd call again when we were ready for rescue. I commented that I was considering riding home and Mike surprised me when he said he was up for it. No numb hands or worse and his butt wasn't really that sore. We called back and committed.

On the way in Mike had noticed another trail marked the Elbow River Pathway. When we came to the intersection we took it. We headed west along the Elbow River through the Stampede grounds, passing the Saddle Dome an a small town of cowboys in rv's. Suddenly we came out at a major intersection with no markings. We tried getting a gps fix on the phone with no success but the trails don't show up on the maps anyway. We asked a few people and finally found a biker with a paper map. The trail continued on the far side of the roadway. This was just the beginning of the confusion.

Day 7

No we haven't gotten lost, just away from a computer for a bit. We took in the Calgary Zoo and did lots of walking in the rapidly warming weather. It's a facility with a few animals I've never seen,  hippos come to mind. Sad to say that we saw a few that have 'Chippewa bear syndrome'. That never ending pace along a neverchanging route that says the animal has been lost.

After lunch we hit Costco, boy we definitely need one of these in Tbay. Great prices and lots of bargains. We hit a grocery store for supper ingredients and Mike made excllent burgers on the bbq, 50% beef and 50% sausage.

Day 6, I Can Now Die Happy

We went to Banff this afternoon after debating whether the weather was worth it. It was supposed to rain but we all figured what the heck and headed out. If you need a definition for surreal, take a drive into Banff. It just didn't seem real. We had lunch at an Irish Pub called St. James Gate amongst some soccer fans roaring for the Netherlands. We did some shopping and then went to the Sulphur Mountain Gondola. During the drive in I thought the view was amazing but as we went up in the cable car the scene became unbelievable.

Ginko made a new friend.

I tried a neat feature and app from the new phone, GPS and My Track. It records data from your position and then uploads to Google Maps. Click Gondola for a bigger map and then the red end point for data.

View Gondola in a larger map

Day 5

Another day where rain was called for. M and M had to pick up a friend at the airport so I ventured out to Ikea with the Garmin and phone, both of which were used. Mike took us for a tour of his school. The pic is his office, head of phys-ed department. It was great to see where he hangs his hat. We went downtown to Prince's Island Park and Chinatown. We picked up a bbq duck at Ken BBQ House. Then we made our way to Bow Cycle and not for my benefit, Mike was looking...honest. We grabbed some groceries for supper and while Sal put things together Mike and I played on the xbox360.
We rode over to Blockbuster for a movie, Mike is getting into the 'ride instead of drive' mode. There is a cool little set of shops nearby, not a mall but almost has a small town feeling to it.(try streetview on the link for  look). Everything here seems so 'new'. At times I miss the history that a place like Toronto has but Calgary is definitely a great place to live.

Sal is warming up to the cats, never thought I'd see this. She calls them the grandcats.

Day 4, the Fun Begins

Mike and I took a quick ride last night but he was still sleeping when I decided to try and find a way to the Fish Creek Park. I told Sal I'd be back in an hour, grabbed my phone, the Garmin and Eowyn. In about a half hour I came up to a spot I'm sure I scoped out with streetview a week ago. A path went through an opening in the homes and off in the distance I could see the Rockies. A few hundred yards up the pathway I found a sign labelling it as The Bow River Pathway. The view was amazing, Rockies to the west and the cityscape to the north. I'll be back there soon, going to try and make it all the way to downtown. Calgary boasts over 700km of paths, most in North America. May not see them all but going to give it a go.
We were heading for downtown until rain started finding us so we diverted to the CrossIron Mills Mall for some shopping. I found a pair of shorts in Bass Pro Shops, a store I probably would never have even gone into. Had some sushi in the food court and was surprised at how good it was. Chef Mike is preparing risotto for supper. Something I've never tried.

Day 3

We hit the Calgary Farmer's Market this morning, same as TBay, just 10x bigger. Sal was in her glory going through the produce and checking out the various booths. We made the trip to Ikea and managed to spend a little.

Mike and I picked up a borrowed bike so we'll probably hit the trails sometime soon.

As we came in yesterday I thought could see the Rockies from 40 km outside Calgary and as we got closer I was surprised that I was right. They are right there where I left them about 40 years ago. Can't wait to get up there.

Day 2

Got up this morning to reports of severe thunderstorms all along the Trans Canada. Not much info as to where the cells were on the Weather Network so I tried the radar maps online with the new phone and could see that we might just hit the south end of north moving storms. As I loaded up the car there was lightning all over the sky to the west amd mosquitos all over me. We decided to head out anyway and managed to miss every purple mess until we got to Maple Creek (where the washout was last weeek) and then it came down and got windy. No funnels or lightning so we kept on going. Came out of the clouds in Medecine Hat and stayed dry the rest of the way. Almost 1100km today. We only stooped for gas, coffee and bathroom breaks. The Impreza must be more comfy as we don't feel like we travlled that far in 2 days. We'll have some more pix later. Below Ginko the travel monkey shows off his Montanas moose antlers and enjoys? his bath.

Day 1

950km in 11 hours
2 moose, 2 cows that needed a barn, 1 scary live deer, 1 dead
lots of canola
Gas in Dryden 1.01, 92.9 in Wpg, 96.9 in Brandon gotta love that