Wild Animals We Saw

White Water Rafting

Final day of hols went white-water rafting. Got to love the outfits they put you in, but they are useful and keep you warm, even if you do end up with more water in your shoes than anything else. We did 2 runs in Class 4 rapids. The 1st one was not that bad, there was only a couple of times it was a bit scary. The 2nd time was much more fun we had obviously learnt enough from the 1st time and he took us into scarier bits. We did actually get stuck on a rock in the middle of the river! No one in my raft fell in but a couple from the other raft did. We did all voluntarily jump off into the water and almost straight away regret it, it was freezing. It was a lot of fun and would definitely do it again.

Day Four

The final day we went to the Athabasca falls then on to Lake Peyto which was good as when to a spot where there was no one else there. We then when to bow lake for lunch and then a hike to the waterfall, we made it half way before turning back as we still looked ages away and didn't want to go, it wasn't worth it anyway. So we went back and took the photos we wanted and looked at the gift shop and then the others where back. We then went to Lake Moraine the last stop before banff.

Day Three

The next morning we where up really earlier to hike up Mt Edith Carvil before the crowds where there. It was a steep hike up a mountain and took about an hour to get up. Was a good view at the top but I preferred the view in Jasper. Have definitely decided I'm a downhill hiker as can even run down mountains . We discovered it was actually easier to run as it didn't hurt your knees as much trying to stop yourself going to fast. After that we had some time in Jasper for lunch and shopping! Then we when to maligne lake and went on the boat trip to spirit island. On the way we stopped at medicine lake and the maligne canyon. Then had dinner and went to the Jasper hostel - would rather of went to the wilderness hostel again about 50 people in a dorm room. We still had a laugh thou, got drunk next morning it didn't seem as good idea.

Day Two

The next day we went to the Columbia icefields. The weather still wasn't that good so when we got to the part of the glacier that they let you out to look around it was snowing. It has already got cooler in the rockies and apparently summer is over, you could tell it had been snowing on the top of mountains since we went to Jasper a couple of weeks earlier. We where having a snowball fight on the glacier. You couldn't really see anything as it was snowing but the glacier was good. After that we went to Jasper for another hike this time at pyramid lake, they where going to do the one that we did the last time we went to jasper but we told them it wasn't good. However the hike we where now doing went up a steep hill! It was however worth it when you got to the top as the view was great even on a cloudy day, so would have been better on a clear day. We would have went further round the cliff top but it started to thunder and lightening and we thought we better get off the mountain. After that we went to the miette hot springs, the word shower was so appealing as we where staying in another wilderness hostel that night. It was really good you where in a pool of really hot water outside looking at the rockies. After that we had dinner and then went to the hostel. We had a bonfire and roasted some marshmallows and if course had a couple of drinks.

Day One - Rockies Tour

On the first day of the tour we went to Lake Louise the most photographed lake in the rockies! The day we go it is cloudy and raining but it is still a pretty lake just not the same as the pictures that you see. We hiked up 3.5km to Lake Agnes and the tea house that is on one of the mountains. Passing the mirror lake on the way up. Then came all the way back down and had a look inside the famous Lake Louise Chateau it is very fancy but it is in the middle of nowhere and to get anywhere you would need to drive or hike. Lake Louise also has the most expensive groceries store in the rockies, just as well we stop in banff. Our van broke down just as we parked in Lake Louise so while we where hiking they tried to fix it without any luck so we had to get a replacement van which was about an hour away when we met back up in Lake Louise, so we ended up just walking the 3km to the village and looking around the shops until they got everything swapped around. That night we stayed in the first wilderness hostel of the trip - no electricity or running water! Got used to going to long-drops by the end of the trip. The hostel did however have a sauna! So we all went to the sauna and then when it got too hot you ran out to the creek and covered yourself in cold water from the glaciers lake and then ran back to the sauna. It was more fun than I thought it was going to be. We also went looking for the beaver dam that was down the road but we couldn't find it as went the wrong way, saw it the next morning and would properly of walked by it if actually went the right way.

Banff

As always when you go on holiday the weather turns awful. We decided to get up early and get the bus to banff so we could spend the day doing stuff and go horse riding. Get on the bus it's raining, arrive and its raining. Went to the info centre to get some brochures in order to find out what you do when it rains and turns out you do the same as when it is nice! We decided to rent mountain bikes for the day and at least we could get to where we were going faster. It did stop raining for a couple of hours and we thought it might actually clear up - but it didn't. It actually was a lot of fun on the bikes better than horse riding. We went to the cave and basin which was sulphur water so it smelled like mud baths. Also went to the park museum which is full of dead stuffed animals. Then went around banff on the bikes was some of the lakes and cycled around the river. Later that night went for dinner and even tried an Elk burger it was quite nice, lot nicer then the Bison (buffalo) burger Mandy had.