Blue Lake and Rocky Shore... #3

Day 3.

Again we woke up to a dry, if overcast, morning. Emily didn't have a camping mat (d'oh!) so we were trying to share, I spent most of the night halfway between the cold floor and slightly less cold matt, and woke up not too rested I can tell you!

Chris had abandoned his tent at some point in the night and opted for the car and from this point on we'd pretty much leave him with the car keys in the evening. But we got up, ate breakfast and showered etc, admiring the squirrels as we ate. There were big fat ground squirrels, and ones with black-stripes on their backs: the ground squirrels were noisy buggers...

While some of them were getting washed and using the loo or something we were tidying up, and I left the garbage bag and some utensils on the table - about 3 meters from the car. I turned my back for all of 10 seconds to put stuff in the boot, and what do I see when I turn around? Ninja squirrel and crow over there trying to get into the bags!!! The cheek!! The others were pretty amused by my reaction (giving said miscreants a piece of my mind).

Heading out of the campsite we bought our first National Park Pass and stopped off in the village for a camping matt for Emily, some gas for our stove - just incase we ran out, along with a couple of other supplies. Then down the road to the actual Lake Louise - a bit of a must see for anyone in Banff National Park.

Luckily for us we were there early in the season, which meant that it wasn't busy:
The thing is you see, as stunning as Lake Louise is - everybody and their mother knows it. Every guide book sends you there, every brochure will sell you the azure blue of the lake, the icy web of peak-tops and the grey rocky mountains. And the guidebook is right - there's a comfortable lake-side walk for the tired, a moderate hike to the glaciers, as well as a hard-core route which will take you round to Mirror Lake and more!

The reputation is well deserved, for sure, but - as Jules said - the tourists kinda ruin it if you came to Canada for untamed wilderness.

It doesn't help that they built a Hotel on the lake:

Well whatever your opinions on the "Chateau" (in my opinion the architect could have done better - but then again, it coulda been worse), you'll soon pass the elderly and too-rich-to-care occupants of the concrete construction if you walk further than the edge of the lake.

We took the trail to the Plain of the Six Glaciers, which was just perfect for me. Exhausting enough that I'd felt I'd achieved something, but not so difficult that I ached all over for the next few days! In total it was about 11 km roundtrip, so 6.8 miles. It verges off from the path around the lake at the mouth of it - where the sandy, silty flats are cut through by the mountain stream which feeds Louise. The path starts to climb very, very, very gently alongside the sheer rock facese which were already set up with climbing leads for the tourists. Jules was gutted, she'd have climbed them if she could! But you know, the whole wrist thing, so she gazed forlornly at the rocks as we passed: The trail becomes quite forrested for a large portion, exposed to roots being the only thing to watch out for as you walk. Following the stream means there's an awesome waterfall section on the way up that we only really stopped to appreciate on the way down as we were somewhat concerned about daylight and time. So we continued on and the path started to get pretty damn steep, and pebbly too! As the trees and foliage slowly dissapeared, so did my layers of clothing. I am sooo unfit.

I'm tellin' ya I was already wheezing when we came across melting snow, supplying a small but constant stream down the path and down into the valley. Then there was a huge block of snow-ice in the path with a hole cut through where people had been walking. "Motherfucking glacier!" I exlaimed (completely out of my head exhausted) how cool is that! What was essentially the beginnings of a glacier (well, just ice really, but still!) crept into our path!

Then there was a family and a guy on a horse passung use: which was kinda cool to see on such a narrow path... Then we rounded the corner... motherfucking glacier. This pack of ice and snow not only encroached into the path, but covered it and then some! The sign post showing a split for horsetrail and human trail was almost covered up entirely - I actually used it to steady myself as we clambered around! (below)

It was nerve-wracking. Slippery snow, rocky ground, a bit of a fall - and I still had a dodgy knee! Needless to say that half-way round when the path split into high and low road I was pretty keen to take the low road and escape the snow. Jules came with me, she could tell I was struggling. So Emily and Chris kept going while we took out time getting across via the rocks. A patch of rain/drizzle passed over us so the coat came out briefly. It wasn't just wet but cold too. The wind chill was crisp and nippy, and as we got around the ice monstrosity, Lake Louise came back into view. A blue lagoon in the distance - stunning.

By now the glaciers seemed as though they were withing touching distance. The path continued through steep portions and slopes, more and more ice-melts peppering the pathway until, eventually, we were dealing with snow. Proper snow. Well trodden on by the hikers who had passed throughout the day. On severall occasions I was fooled by the sound of other human beings into thinking that we'd reached the tea-house, but just a small push through the snow and my hallucinations came true!

A glacial stream passing by benches situated facing the glaciers, the odd patch of pine, and a rest stop complete with teahouse!

There was a small bridge over the stream which I sat on for a bit to catch my breath and enjoy the stunning view. Jules stuck her bad arm in the freezing waters as she had been doing on the way up from time to time. You see she has to keep the injured wrist cool - so the melt-water was a really good remedy!

Moving to a bench we were visited by yet another stripped-back squirrel, and as we ate some nuts, seeds, and dried berries part of the glacier in the distance came crashing down from a cliff face with a thunderous roar. The powder raining down like a waterfall right in front of us. AWESOME.
So eventually we decided to move it to the tea-house - a cute little Alpine-esque cottage a few metres away. We sat upstairs on the balcony, near the lady's kitchen/living space. You see there was an Aussie girl working there, and she would live in the tea house for a few weeks before someone else would come up. Supplies came up with the change of shift, or locals coming up to visit, horsetrail leaders etc. No mains gas or electricity, no internet or phones. Apparently they'd opened for the season only two weeks before, so we were actually pretty lucky. There was just one couple upstairs with us and we all got to chatting.

Most of them had hot chocolate. I however had tea. If I remember right an Earl Grey, and chocolate cake - let me tell you, with that scenery, and being that exhausted from the exercise- the cake was sublime! Utterly divine even. I didn't care that it was expensive, (I hadn't expected it to be cheap - to be honest it was moderately priced considering!) it just tasted so good. Worth every penny! And I even let everyone have a bit!

There was another cheeky stripped squirrel who hung around the teahouse - cute, but it's kind of a shame that tourists have turned them into pests. And you know what? The teahouse wasn't built by Brits?! Swiss! What do ya know - eh?

So we made use of the tea-house's restrooms which were outhouses, pits, very well kept but still... drop downs, and apparenly that's what the tea-house workers have to use too because there's no running water/sewage pipes.

Then we began the descent... and the sun was so bright I realised it was burning my scalp, so I decided to wrap my scarf round my head. Yeah, I looked like a complete idiot, I know but it functional!
On the way back down Jules, Emily and I saw a Marmot thanks to a family of hikers who's paused on the path which wasn't snow-heaped - Chris had taken the snowy path again. I also found the most awesome rock in the world! It was malachite, I think, and just the right size for hugging!

Slowly but surely we made our way back down again, spending some time at the waterfall:

and taking a rest at the mouth of the lake for a nibble to eat. The squirrels were there again, after our scraps! Resourceful little buggers. Actually, we'd stopped there earlier for a little bit, and there were a couple of Asian tourists feeding the squirrels so they got a perfect shot - can't say I approved. There's a reason that its against the law to feed the wildlife in National Parks and its not to protect your fingers getting nibbled off!Once we'd gotten back to the car we drove to Banff - I wasn't too impressed. It was pretty and all, but expensive, and it wasn't that different to anyother town except there were more hotels and restaurants than citizens! We bought some roast chicken and stuff from Safeway for our dinner and drove to a campsite just outside of town with an awesome view of Tunnel Mountain.

As we settled down to dinner, Jules' was getting into a bit of a panic about the fact that her wrist didn't feel any better. Bless her, so we said if it hurt we should take it to a doctor in Banff - which in the end we didn't do. I think it probably just felt worse because she knew she needed it better in a week's time! Anyway, we sat out with the candles and had a little nightcap. But as the darkness drew in it got very cold, so we went to bed early, hoping that the forecasts would be wrong for yet another day...

Hot Springs and Mountain Clouds #2

Day 2.
We woke up after a night of rain and disrupted sleep to an overcast day, but one which was ultimately dry - Wooo! Breakfast was bread and peanut butter and eggs - the last of which I wasn't to keen on, but ate anyway seen as though we had little else. Then, of course, a lovely warm shower. I washed the pans, and was about to use the sani-station when a very kind old man pointed out that this was a bad idea, as it's used for the toilets in RVs, oops! Luckily he said it wouldn't do us much harm out here, where the water probably all comes from the same pipe - but out in the Rockies he said I'd have to watch out because they pump it right out of the ground. =S

Then, while we were breaking camp an American woman with an RV came over, asking why the washrooms were locked. Complaining that "we paid for full service, you'd think that'd include the washrooms" moan, moan, moan... seriouly? You have a shower and a toilet in your RV, and besides, you could always ask the office nicely. Jules leant her one of our keys anyway, and she seemed content with that.
By 11am we were fed, watered and ready to go! Chris was riding shotgun today as it made sense that everyone should get a turn - and break up the stress-factor too, lol. We headed out along the beautiful Shuswap Lake, stopping briefly at Salmon Arm for some petrol, before continuing, out through the beautiful Revelstoke area and National Park. I can see why it's such a hot-spot, even on a changeable day it was stunning.


Somewhere around here we passed a waterfall on the Highway with a suspension bridge over it:



Crazy Creek Falls wasn't a free attraction so this picture was actually taken from the Highway - and not by me I hasten to add! We parked in the car-park for the bridge and walked back along the road. Jules and Chris went up onto the bridge to get a few snaps - something I wasn't too keen on doing myself, as there was no hard-shoulder and no pathway on the bridge. All they had was a foots-width brick between them and the huge 10ft lorries - and I'm talking Optimus Prime sized here!

So after this short interlude we continued on until we reached Canyon Hot Springs - which came highly recommended by Lonely Planet: I enjoyed it. It was, after all, an opportune moment and the first time I'd ever been in one. Plus, at around $8 it was probably cheaper than it would've been in Banff or Jasper. Jules said it was a shame that the mountian-tops were covered in cloud.


Chris said that in New Zealand the Hot Springs aren't usually pools, as in swimming pools, but kept as natural as possible. Oh yeah, and apparently the cold wasn't cold enough? Still, it was clean, well kept, and no-where near busy. So I enjoyed it immensley! There was this tiny winy cutie of a bird which hung around as well, flying impossibly quickly!
Well, after a nice swim we sat out on the park bench near the car-park and had lunch. Jules decided the kiddies swing was irresistable, then we took a few snaps before heading out again.

Having already phoned Budget before we went to the Spring, they knew we were heading into Alberta, so we carried on through Glacier and Yoho National Parks. There was a river in an utterly glorious valley between two mountian ranges, and this huge road going over it, and we stopped on a dirt track the other side of the bridge, hoping to get a better look. No such luck really, we just ended up stretching our legs: Oh and I redeemed myself with the map-reading. At one point the Highway we wanted diverged from Route 1 or something, and Chris was telling Jules to carry on when I pointed out we probably needed to turn off. And I was right - phew!

So we pretty much carried on right into Banff National Park without stopping - crossing the border into Alberta and - the very first Wildlife I see? - a Black Bear and it's cub on the edge of the forrest about a football pitch or so away from the highway! How cool is that?
As we drove into the village of Lake Louise the weather was looking decidedly dismal, so we decided not to go with the BBQ, and bought some alcohol anyway. The village was tiny, and, I never truly understood what my cousins meant about Alberta until I reached that town. Very different to Vancouverites, for sure.

There were campsites nearby run by the National Park, and the lady at the gate was pretty nice - she let us camp without a park pass so we could just buy it in the morning and save ourselves a little money. At first I was pretty worried by the state of the toilets until I realised there were cleaner ones with the showers around the corner! lol Ironically I was far less worried by the bear-fence around our perimeter. But the campsite was well sheltered from wind and rain - which was quite a concern at this point - and the firewood came free!

So we camp-fired it up, sausages and marshmellows, had a little to drink and went to bed.

The Rocky Roadtrip... #1

So I guess we should start with the beginning? Sunday, 6th June. After a Saturday night close at HMV, I wake up bright and early so we can rent a car for the week. Luckily there wasn't too much of a bathroom-rush because our new housemate - Izsumi (I think that spelling is right) - was already on her way to Seattle for the day! Jules had moved out at the end of May, so she arrived around 9am with the newest addition to our party.

You see, both Ellen and Jon had wanted to come with us, and both had been unable (for various reasons) =( So Jules had sent a message out via Craig's List for anyone interested in travelling to the Rockies and sharing costs. So that's how we found Chris.

A Kiwi who'd been living with family in Richmond, Chris had his own tent etc, and was pretty cool about getting the go-ahead only the day before. So after he'd met up with Jules and Emily we decided to ask him to come. He was a pretty cool guy, I mean, he pulled his own weight... and we discovered he was a chef - so even with limited supplies we were eating pretty well for the week!

Dumping our stuff in the kitchen we headed out down Earles to catch the bus down Kingsway to Budget Car Rental near Fraser. It was a bit more expensive than projected, but not by much thanks to the fact that Jules is over 25! Despite her wrist (which she injured kayaking at the end of May) Jules decided to drive which, despite her dislike for city driving, worked out well I think. Even though Chris is an experienced driver (used to drive bus tours in New Zealand,) Emily and I knew Jules better, and as everything is on the head of the driver and renter... well, you get the picture. We used my credit card ... so I was technically the renter.

[Above: The Car posing near Hope]

Once we were inside there was a minor panic when Chris' seatbelt didn't seem to fit (turned out the correct one was still under the seat), but apart from that everything was a-okay. Jules drove us back to ours to load up the car, and while they did that I ran to Metrotown to get a car stereo jack for our MP3 players. As HMV had given me a $20 gift voucher for being awesome at cash-crashers I didn't have to spend a penny which was awesome. By the time I got back we were pretty much ready to go. Though, I have to admit that personally, I would not have packed the BBQ and coals (especially without the lighter fluid) - but then again, I am the egit who forgot to bring the blanket - which would have been very useful. Anyway, its not like we didn't have space - even once we'd bought food there was still room in the car for stuff!

So for the first day I was up-front and navigating... which was working out well until I discovered Boundary Road was not a left turn. Ah. Now, silly me, I'd not printed a Google-map of the Burnaby area, and Highways in this country (for some reason) are very badly signposted. Well, maybe its just becuase I wasn't used to them. Either way, we ended up snaking our way up and down through Burnaby all the way to the Coquitlam area before we got anywhere near the highway - highly embarassing I can tell you, especially when the new guy's probably thinking I'm just really bad at reading maps (not true! I had no map! lol) We stopped briefly at a gas-station in the Surrey area for a Subway - or a pizza if you're Jules or Emily, before heading back out, at which point we were convinced that we were on the right road.

But, it got even better... the map Jules had borrowed from the library was at such a large scale that though I thought we were on Highway 1, we actually weren't! Suddenly the landscape had gotten really flat and there were signs for US Border... eek. Even consulting the map it was hard to tell where the frig we were! Chris pointed out it was better to head back to Vancouver (even though it was pointing us towards the Delta which was the opposite direction to Alberta), and get our bearings. Which is what we did. And whilst on the wrong Highway there was a turning towards Hope and Highway Route 1 and, shouting for joy, I said next right with some actuall confidence!

So following the signs towards Langley and Route 1 I could kinda tell where we were on the map. Not for the first (or, sadly, the last time) did I second guess myself in one of the towns and turn off too early. No biggie, because we just went round until we rejoined the Highway, but it was one of those moments where you look back and think - why the hell did I turn off there? My only explaination is there must have been a highly misleading sign. As I realised by the end of the trip, a lot of signs on the highways will give you the name of a place, with an arrow for the next turning, with a km underneath which doesn't mean how long it is until the turning - oh no - it means how many km after the turning... craziness!

Eventually we ended up on the correct highway, en route to Hope, and deffinately, deffinately out of Vancouver!

Around the point where we reached Hope we stopped briefly for coffee at a Husky gas-station.

It was a proper Diner. Seriously, it was just like in a movie or computer game, even down to the phone in the corner by the washrooms. The waitress there seemed like a really nice lady - she was pretty excited by the exotic collection of nationalities that we represented: A German, a South Korean, a Brit and a Kiwi. It sure does sound pretty impressive I guess.

[There were big trucks like this (above) all the way through our trip - except on the Icefields Parkway, where they're banned. Some of them were travelling well over the speed limit! To which all I can say is - bloody good job the National Speed Limit here is 10mph slower!]

So from Hope we joined Route 5 to Kamloops, which - can I just say - is a spectacular drive. The second half takes you right up into the mountains, and as it was a changeable-weather kinda day it was doubly impressive; with the clouds snaking their way around the mountains, and the odd splash of sunlight highlighting the still-icy rocks.

Reaching Kamloops around 5pm, we went food shopping as planned. As it was a Sunday evening most shops were closed, so I asked a nice hostess at a restaurant on the outside of a mall for directions and she was very helpful! Finding Save on Foods, and using Chris' store card for extra savings, we eventually came away with all the old camping favourites... peanutbutter, hot dog sausages, bread, pasta, eggs. Then we decided to go as far as we could before night, knowing we wouldn't make it to Alberta. We almost made it to the Shuswap Lake proper, instead we camped at Chase, a few km from Salmon Arm on the Shuswap.

It was a lovely campsite run by the Lions, and the guy there was extra nice and let us pitch Chris's single tent at a discount as it was so small. Jon had let us borrow his three-person tent for the week - and it was a pretty awesome tent (something Jules was keen on saying the whole week long lol).

The first night brought rain. Jules was pretty worried about this. Chris was even more worried by this as his tent was too small for him and therefore, let in the damp. Emily and I were pretty cold, but I just put it down to the first night camping and getting used to it... Still, we were all hoping that the week would not continue like that, so we were very pleased to see a dry, and even sunny, morning... it seemed we were in luck for the day.