the road abroad.: BANFF is for BAMFs!

BANFF, ALBERTA and JASPER, ALBERTA

I traded in my cowboy boots for runners (that’s Canadian for ‘sneakers’) and decided to take Sarah Butts/Booth’s bicycle down from the basement rafters. I followed the nice trails around their community to the interstate and then down along the pristine blue/green Bow River. It was one of few summer days in Calgary and I took full advantage by riding along the river until I reached the city center about 8 miles away. They talk in kilometers here but I will keep it American for you all. The parks were beautiful and surprisingly desolate except for the few lucky groups that were blowing up their inner tubes to float down the river on their day off. Does it get any better than river floating??

                I was riding along for about 4 miles when an old timer came up beside me and asked if my helmet was for biking or climbing. I had borrowed it from a friend so I didn’t know the answer. But the fact that he was questioning it tells me that I must have looked ridiculous. He was a retired teacher who now enjoyed singing to kids…and apparently serving as a self-proclaimed tour guide for the biking community. He was out to ride over 100kms that day and didn’t mind telling me about all the neat areas we passed throughout the outskirts of the city center. He took me to Prince’s Island Park and we listened to his friend play some guitar in the warm sun. They both gave me tips on some new music to download as well as where to visit during my next few stops- Banff, Jasper, and Vancouver.
                Sarah, Brent, Kurt and Cyndi took me out to a Mexican restaurant that night where I had a Mexican Bulldog, aka Beergarita, aka Margarita mixed with Corona. We shared some good stories amongst each other and I felt so lucky to have these 4 in my life. I had forgotten just how much they had seen me grow up. I've known them since I was 17- Sarah taught me how to drive a standard (and may still suffer from neck pain), Brent waited for me to come in from NYC via Fung Wah so we could drive up to Maine on weekends, and I’m pretty sure Kurt has picked and eaten my boogers on a couple occasions. Yeah, I’m pretty sure of that one. At dinner, Kurt asked me when I became so adventurous since, let’s face it, the Sanders clan is more on the conservative side of things. He remembers when fluff had a significant presence within my food pyramid and wanted to know when I deviated from my well-worn paths. It's funny when a basic question really gets you thinking...it must have been when I broke up with my boyfriend before my senior year of college. I felt much lighter in life and was suddenly able to explore unknown paths…one of which brought me to NYC. And then that evil empire basically served as sensory overload for the past 6 years. Ain't no stoppin' me now.
                The next day, Cyndi lent me her car and I headed an hour north to Banff National Park! I was heading toward Johnston Canyon when I spotted 2 enormous elk and my first black bear! The cute little cub caused a traffic jam as he meandered along the side of the road for his morning snack. I had a nice 3 hour hike to the Inkpots of Johnston Canyon where I put my hand into the coldest water I’ve ever felt in my life. At a chilling 32 degrees, the blue/green water was lined at the bottom with white bubbling quicksand. I grabbed a rock for my mom before heading to Banff RV park to meet up with Heinz Huester and his wife Teresa.
                Meeting Heniz and Teresa was freestyle tramping at its best. Upon receiving my mass email with all of my destinations, my dad’s cousin, Keith emailed me in efforts of hooking me up with his friends Heinz and Teresa who would be in the Calgary area around the same time. Heinz ignored the Canadian roaming charges and gave me a call to coordinate. Soon enough we were solving most of the world’s problems (pretty easy stuff overall) and enjoying some lime margaritas with the salmon that Heinz had caught a couple days earlier.
                At about 9:00pm I made a mad dash for Jasper National Park, which was about 3 hours away. I followed the sunset almost the entire way so I was still able to see the Canadian Rockies until about 11:30pm! I passed by Bow Lake and tears came to my eyes- I’d never seen such a beautiful lake in all of my life. The sunset had given the blue/green water a unique teal tint that popped against the mountain silhouettes. I had been the only person on the road for hours and was so happy to absorb that scenery in solitude.
                Besides one large black bear that sauntered across the highway, I was alone for the rest of the trip. No streetlights or headlights until I got to the hostel in Jasper that housed 18 people/room. Gross. I was low on every battery I possessed so I quickly charged up overnight in order to hike the Opal Hills around Maligne Lake the following day. On my way into town, I picked up two British girls who were walking from my hostel and had no idea just how long the walk would have taken them. We had breakfast and then I headed to Maligne Lake to hike the 5 miles up and around the Opal Hills. The trailhead had some pretty alarming warnings of Grizzly Bears in the area. My mind really took over from there and I imagined every possible way that I could be mauled by a bear. There was absolutely no one on the trail with me so there would be no chance of survival. Besides those masochistic mind games, it was a great hike! I had seen some tourists with "bear bells" attached to their shoes but thought I would rather get eaten by a bear than listen to those jingling bells throughout my hike.
                I made it back to Lake Louise for sunset and was again just floored by the beauty.   Only one hour away from Alberta’s largest city, the Canadian Rockies might as well have been Switzerland! I could only imagine how cool this town must be in the winter time when icicles hung from the colorful awnings and the smell of a wood stove filled the mountain air. Environmentalists know a good thing when they see one and have attempted to limit development (and therefore population) in the area over the past 10 years. If one wanted to live amongst the 8000 residents of Banff then one better bring some serious dough. Based on real estate prices, it was clear that Banff was definitely for BAMFS (Bad Ass Mo Fo's)! I’ll definitely make it back there for a winter visit even if I am penniless.