One Year Away

Joseph

We’re a couple of days behind on our postings now.  We’ve been on trains getting from Vancouver to Sacramento where we are now.  I’ll put a short post here about the rest of our time in Vancouver and our visit to Victoria.

In the evening after visiting Stanley Park (see post below), we had dinner with two friends who have recently moved out to Vancouver, Hilary and Adrian "Ace" Pelosi.  Continuing our theme of eating excellent Asian food we went to a Japanese tapas (or Izakaya) restaurant.  Hilary knew exactly what to order and we had plate after plate of delicious Japanese food creations.

It was great to catch up with them and talk about all the changes that we’ve each been going through.  Adrian and Hilary transplanted themselves from Toronto to Vancouver and are getting new jobs, new friends, etc.  Penny and I have picked up and left for a year of travel and recently became engaged.  We’ve each made significant life decisions recently and it was fun to be able to talk about them with someone in a similar situation. 

The next day we got up early (it seems there’s going to be a lot of that this year) and caught the ferry to Victoria.  It took us about 4 hours total travel time each way from our hostel to downtown Victoria.  We could have cut that down if we had taken taxis and express buses but we’re trying to stay within a certain budget so we decided to go the most economical (slow) way.  We still managed to spend most of the the day walking around the nice downtown area and waterfront. 

Personally, I thought that Victoria would be a city that my mother would love.  It has nice shops, an old English atmosphere to it, wonderful views of the water and most importantly a large quilt shop.  For Penny and I though there really wasn’t that much to keep us occupied. 

So in order to kill some time we entered Victoria’s Bug Zoo, which claims to have Canada’s largest ant farm.  Being something of an amateur myrmecologist (one who studies ants) I was the one pushing for it.  Penny, who is so afraid of insects she made me promise to kill any bugs we encounter during this trip, was not so keen.  We got in and the staff entomologist was giving a tour to a group of children which we joined. 

Then, the moment I’d secretly been waiting for happened.  The entomologist opened a case and pulled out a 6 inch long giant millipede which he put into the hands of one of the awestruck children.  As the kids stood with eyes wide the entomologist asked if one of the adults wanted to hold the millipede.  With a bit of prodding Penny stepped forward.  I love this picture.

  Penny

Being back in a big city after spending a few days in the Rockies is a very weird feeling.  One thing is for sure, meals are muuuccchhhh cheaper in Vancouver when compared to the town of Banff or Lake Louise.  Particularly, Asian food!

We have been very pleasantly surprised once again with the Canadian West coast.  Vancouver is a very nice city with a very bohemian and laid back feel.  It seems that there are always people in cafes and on patios at all times of the day… 

What shocked us the most was that there are true beaches in Vancouver and that there are palm trees that grow here! 

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon taking a walking tour around the city and ended up having Sushi at a sushi bar… $20 and we were both stuffed!

Today was more sight-seeing.  We spent almost all day in Stanley Park.  It is huge!  According to a park guide, there is a tree that appeared on the cover of a National Geographic magazine.  It is approximately 30 meters in circumference and over 1000 years old which makes it the oldest red cedar tree in the world…  Unfortunately, there is no path to it and you could not see it from one of the main roads (or trails) in the park.  Of course all that meant is that Joe wanted to go in the woods to search for it!  I entertained his craziness for about 30 minutes but that all ended after I walked through a spider web and  got tangled in it!  He was on his own after that…  I went to relax on the beach while he pursued his quest to see the oldest red cedar tree!

30 minutes later, Joe returned from the forest!  Alas, no sight of the tree!

Joseph

When our horses weren’t busy kicking Penny they got up to a few tricks.  One horse in particular seemed very bright.  Watch the video I got of him actually untying a knot to free himself.  Should I send this to one of those funny video shows?

Joseph

Whiskey Jacks are the very unshy birds that are all over the place here.  It is also the name of the hostel that we stayed at right after our adventures on horseback.  We made a silly decision to reserve the hostel knowing full well it is a wilderness hostel with few amenities.  By the time we emerged from the woods after 3 days we were ready for some luxuries and did not look forward to spending the night at one of the most rustic properties in the area, but it was too late to cancel the reservation.

Whiskey Jacks is near the top of a hill overlooking Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park, BC.  To get there you need to drive up some serious mountain roads and negotiate a few switchbacks.  Once you get there you are greeted by a not so friendly sign.   Beyond that, standing on the front porch was a mountain man who clearly had found his calling in life, managing a remote hostel and not having to deal with many people.  He walked a bit unsteadily and didn’t seem to be in the best health – but more on that later.  He checked us in and then disappeared into the private area of the building. 

There were two other couples there that night.  One, a German couple now living in Kingston, had already been there for a few days.  They advised us on what hikes we could do in the area that wouldn’t be too difficult, as Penny’s knee was still sore.  The other was an older man and woman visiting from Quebec city.  We shared a dorm room with them and I got to practice my french a bit.  The Quebecers were both asleep by 9 PM.

The hostel had no electricity, no phone line, no cell coverage and sleeping was in two nine people dorm rooms.  Why would anyone go there?  Well, the view out the front window can’t be beat.  Also, it’s in the center of several hiking trails.  At least it had hot water and a propane stove.  We cooked a meal of pasta, cracked open a bottle of wine and talked to the Germans.  By 9.30 PM we were in bed, there was nothing else to do. 

The next morning I woke up and looked out the window to see the hostel manager outside on a satellite phone.  We found out that he had collapsed earlier in the morning and was having chest pain.  He had used the sat phone to call an ambulance and then we waited anxiously for 45 minutes until it arrived.  The Quebecers, being about his age, kept him company for most of the time.  Just before he was loaded into the ambulance the manager asked me to lock the hostel up when we left.  We asked about him at the hostel in Banff and he was still in the hospital last they had heard. 

We did a couple of short hikes to the falls and around nearby Emerald Lake before calling it a day and heading back to Banff for our last night in Alberta.

   Penny

As we had previously mentioned, we have been away for the past 3 days enjoying some horseback riding and some rustic accommodations.  We joined a guided trail ride that took us into the mountains around Banff and led us to Mystic Lake. 

It all started Friday morning, when we went to the stables and met up with the other 13 people on the tour.  After a few introductions, we were off to meet the other members of our group, our horses.  We were each paired with a horse based on height, weight and riding experience… Oh, important to mention that I have been on a horse only a handful of time in my life!

I was paired with Marshall.  He was smaller than a lot of the other horses but he was one of the most beautiful.  Joe was paired with Moss a larger and very dark colored horse.

We rode for a couple of hours before stopping for lunch.   Burgers were on the menu and were cooked by our guides who carried all the supplies (including our bags) on mules!  Then we were off again for some more riding to get to our ‘camp’ where we would spend 2 nights.  The journey to get there was amazing!  Marshall rode through creeks and walked up some very steep hills.  He was very quick up those hills but careful at the same time.  All of our 4-legged friends were very calm and well behaved.  It seemed like they were on autopilot which gave us the opportunity to take in all the sights, sounds and smells at our leisure.

As we approached the camp, Marshall and I were riding behind Joe and Moss.  All of a sudden the ride came to a halt for some reason or another.  Marshall seemed to have an itchy nose and decided that Moss’s rear-end was a great scratching post… Moss did not agree.  All of a sudden, before I had a chance to make Marshall move out of the way, Moss lifted his back legs and gave us a kick!  Unfortunately, Moss’s right hoof (and metal horse shoe) came in direct contact with my knee!  All I could think of is "Oh no, my knee is broken… That is the end of the trip!"  Once Joe realized that I was hurt, he ran and got me off Marshall.  As I sat by the edge of trail, the guides took a look at my knee that had already started to swell and had a part of Moss’s horse shoe imprinted in it.  Being only 10 to 15 minutes from the camp, they lifted me onto Marshall and I rode with one foot out of the stirrup… 

The pain was incredible.  But being with 13 other people who you barely know makes you ‘suck it up’.  Finally, at the camp, I was helped off Marshall and was able to walk.  Bending my knee was another story… At least the trip would continue and there was no need for a helicopter rescue!  Thanfully, we had come well prepared with a lot of Advil!  Also, an ice cold mountain creek ran by the camp and I was able to dunk my knee in it!

The camp was very very rustic!  Of course this is what we were looking for.  We all settled into our tents but still did not have all of our stuff or the ingredients for dinner as the packer and the 8  to 10 packed mules had yet to arrive.  Only hours after we arrived at the camp, did the  mules arrive and the cook was able to start dinner.  Even in her very rustic and basic kitchen, Morgan our cook was able to make some amazing meals, including chicken, roast beef and french toast!

For the 3 days and 2 nights, we would ride for 5 to 6 hours through amazing forest and then sit by the camp fire drinking beer, wine or rye!  Getting to know everyone on the tour including the guides was great.  There was a lot of taking about horses and other animals including mules and sheep!

The knee is still sore and a little bruised but I will be fine.  Riding for 2 days after being kicked was probably not the best idea but it was worth it!

To our new friends in England, Saskatchewan and Edmonton, thanks for a great time and for the laughs!

Joseph

Sightseeing in the area around Banff had gone like this for us so far:  Pull up to lake/river/mountain, park car, get out to walk around and enjoy the views, be surrounded by other tourists.  Since the national park here receives millions of annual visitors I don’t know why I was expecting it to be any different.  For me though the experience of looking at a majestic mountain with a beautiful alpine lake is lessened when I’m doing it surrounded by loads of other people. 

Despite the crowds the scenery here is amazing and I can put up with most tourists.  There’s only one kind that really drives me crazy.  Before I go any further let me say I respect and enjoy the company of Japanese people; most anyways.  However, the group of teenage girls who seems to be following us around the Rockies in a tour bus is another matter.  They show up at peaceful sites and spend most of their time in a kind of loud group giggling competition.  It makes enjoying the grandeur of the scene very difficult.

So, Penny and I decided to get really off the beaten path and go on a three day horseback ride out into the back country.  Would giggling Japanese girls follow us?  I wasn’t sure, they seemed to show up everywhere.

On the second day of the ride we took the horses up into the mountains along steep rocky paths.  After 3 or 4 hours of steady climbing our small group got off the horses and hiked the rest of the way to Mystic Lake where we would stop for lunch.   As we cleared the last of the pine trees and the lake came into view I scanned the area quickly.  I noticed something unfamiliar…no giggling!  We had the beautiful alpine lake to ourselves. 

Penny and Joseph

Banff National Park is one of 5 parks in this part of Western Canada.  It alone is bigger than Prince Edward Island.  So, needless to say we are only going to be seeing a small bit of it.

Today we did the obligatory drive up to Lake Louise, about 50 km from the town of Banff.  The drive takes you through some incredible mountain scenery that is so foreign to eyes accustomed to Toronto’s flat-as-a-pancake geography.  Every bend in the highway up to Lake Louise gave us an "oooh ahhh" moment.

When we arrived at Lake Louise we took the classic Lake Louise photo.  Then we broke off from the hordes of tourists and joined a smaller horde heading up the mountainside to Agnes Lake.  The climb was 4.5 km each way.  Along the way we passed a couple of small alpine lakes and waterfalls.    We ended our climb at the Little Beehive lookout.  At this point we were pretty tired and hungry so we sat down for a snack and Penny had a short nap on a bench.  The views down to Lake Louise and the Chateau Fairmont were worth the hike though.

After getting back down from the lookout we headed for a quick look at Moraine Lake, about 11 km from where we were.  Getting there took us through some roads that you probably saw in a sports car commercial; winding, hilly…  It would’ve been more fun if we weren’t stuck behind an RV the whole way.

At the foot of Moraine Lake there is a massive rock pile nearby whose origin is a mystery to geologists.  It might have been deposited by retreating glaciers or fallen from the side of one of the mountains that ring the lake.  Climbing to the top of the rock pile gives a very familiar view as it is on the back of all the old $20 bills.

On the highway back to Banff there was a type of structure we’d never seen before; a wildlife overpass.  Interesting.

For the next three days we’ll be out of touch completely.  We’ll be in the back country playing cowboy in what they call a "wilderness tenting ride".  True city-slickers!

Penny

We were up at 4am!  You would expect us to be excited about the start of our trip but I think that we were both still exhausted and unable to stir up much enthusiasm.  But as we said ‘bye’ to my brother Frank (who we stayed with last night) it finally started to hit us.  The big day had finally arrived!

The fist stop on our journey is Calgary.  As both Joe and I have traveled very little in Canada, we thought that heading West and hitting a couple of big Canadian cities was a good idea.  Calgary is a very nice city.  Prince’s Island was beautiful and was filled with noon-hour joggers.  It seems that jogging is this city’s favorite pass-time. 

Today was also the first time that Joe and/or I stayed in a hostel.  I actually felt that I was in high school again.  I believe that we were a little older than the average age but overall I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations which include free parking and access to a hair dryer!

After all the stress of the last week, today is a day for relaxation.  And maybe a big Alberta beef dinner!  Tomorrow we are off to Banff…