More Mountains...

The weather and skiing were so great - I just had to capture a few more snaps...

Be sure to bring your toque, eh?

Because your head will definitely be cold without it! Even better if it comes with a free bottle of Big Rock Honey Brown Ale. As we discovered, apparently Big Rock Brewery feels that everyone will enjoy their beer (and probably ski/snowboard better) if they get a free toque as part of the package so the oh-so-stylish blue toque joined us on the trip after our stop at the liquor store in Banff.

Good thing too, because we definitely did some outdoorsy stuff, which is what you SHOULD do in Canada's winter wonderland! In addition to a couple days of snowboarding and skiing (and only one semi-serious head injury resulting in temporary memory loss), we crammed in some winter hiking and exploring in White Swan Provincial Park and some snowshoeing in Panorama's back country.

We spent an afternoon exploring the frozen lakes in White Swan Provincial Park, which is a bit south down the highway from Invermere & Fairmont. We didn't really know what we'd find there in the middle of winter, but we virtually had the entire park to ourselves, save for a couple of diehard ice fishermen who were perched (no pun intended) on their snowmobile in the the middle of the frozen lake. We also agreed that ice fishing has got to be one of the most boring sports on the planet, although probably a great excuse for escaping from the family and drinking beer.

After a few hours and some excellent action shots on the ice, we discovered these awesome natural hot springs (Lussier) on the way out of the park, set down beside a mountain stream. It was pretty cool (well, hot actually) because it was totally au naturale - just three small pools of boiling hot water sitting right in the shore of the stream, which was glacier fed and freezing. We even ventured from hot to cold, although I was not as successful at doing the full dip - the water in the stream was painfully cold and apparently I'm a bit of a wimp!

There were some interesting characters at the springs though - there was this older hippie guy who I think was totally wasted - and definitely could have used a good meal because he was a bone rack. Anyway, he was obviously a regular - he even carried his own thermometer with him and was quite happy to share his knowledge about the springs. By the way, he was SANS toque.... He must be from the US or something...?

FYI

Toque
Pronunciation: 'tOk
Function: nounEtymology: Middle French, soft hat with a narrow brim worn especially in the 16th century, from Old Spanish toca headdress 1 : a small hat without a brim made in any of various soft close-fitting shapes2 : TUQUE3 : a tall brimless hat worn by a chef -- called also toque blanche

Sunny Alberta & Beautiful British Columbia - CANADA!

Those descriptors pretty much say it all when you get to the western Canadian provinces and they especially hold true at the end of March when spring is just peeking around the corner, the snow is soft, the skies are blue and the weather is great for getting outside.

I planned an impromptu trip out west with a friend who had never seen the Canadian Rockies in all their splendor (poor guy) but who is now a convert – that usually happens once they get out there – all thoughts of Toronto being the most amazing spot in Canada get put into perspective once you experience that first glimpse of those soaring snow-capped peaks.

We planned a quick trip out west – only 6 days, but definitely action packed as both the weather and the snow conditions cooperated nicely.

We landed in Calgary and headed west to Banff, which is the main town in Banff National Park, about an hour or so away from Calgary, right in the heart of the Rockies. We stayed in a funky new hotel up in the mountains and overlooking the town site, with great views – and an excellent hot tub! Nothing like a good hot tub under the stars on a cold night..

We skied Canada’s second biggest resort (next to Whistler) on Wed, Lake Louise, which has always been my favourite ski hill in the Alberta Rockies. It didn’t disappoint this time either as we had mild weather and a nice afternoon for skiing. And, because it was mid-week, the hill was deserted – on some runs, we were the only skiers, so it felt like our own private mountain. A good friend of mine from grade school runs the ski school operations and has for years, so we hooked up with him and had a great afternoon of skiing.

We stopped in at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise (which is a lovely hotel nestled at the base of the mountain) for dinner before heading further west to Radium, Invermere and Panorama Ski Resort, where my brother works.

The Columbia Valley is a massive sprawl of flat land at the base of another stunning range of mountains, the Kootenays. Once you round the corner into Radium, you’re greeting by this huge open expanse of land bordered by snow-capped mountains on either side.

We stayed right up at Panorama, which is another 10km up the mountain, but well worth the hike. It is a totally self-contained resort that still has a very small-town cozy feel to it. The mountain itself is not too big, definitely not a lifestyles of the rich & famous type place, but more family oriented – and there are tons of outdoor activities to take advantage of… which we did!