|
|
|
“...the thought crossed my mind that if I were to hurt myself, I’d be screwed.” |
I arrived in Calgary on an early monday afternoon and grabbed a shuttle from the airport to Banff. The trip required about 2 hours as we caught a little traffic and although I fell asleep a few times, the deeper we got into the exhilarating mountains, the less tired I became.
The shuttle dropped me off at the Samesun Hostel (see review) and I was amazed at how great this place is. I packed my skis in the free locker area and made my way to my room. The room had a total of six beds, but I found only two of them occupied by napping people, so I quietly put my things away and took a nap myself. We all woke up at about the same time and so I met my roommates, Greg and Amy, a couple from Australia traveling through the Rockies on their honeymoon/skiing adventure. Turned out to be great people and we even went out together a few times. I got my bearings around town that night, bought my ski pass for the next day, had an amazing elk burger at Tommy's bar, and then off to bed.
Day 2 saw me awaken early and enthusiastic at the skiing day ahead of me, especially as it had snowed during the night. I grabbed a shuttle bus in front of the hostel toward the Sunshine Village resort and arrived there 30 minutes later. The only way to get to the slopes at Sunshine is to take a gondola that goes around to the other side of the mountain, and on this particular morning the lineup was long. I decided to let the crowd dissipate and have my skis waxed at the pro-shop and that is when the luck I was to have throughout this trip struck. As I was waiting in the shop, the winds picked up and they had to shut down the gondolas. After about 30 minutes an announcement was made that the resort was offering refunds and I could see throngs of people leaving. Faced with the ordeal of having to bus it back to town and lose half my day trying to get to another resort, I decided to wait it out, and two hours later (11 am) they reopened the gondolas and there were only about 30 people in line with me.
Arriving at the base on the other side of the mountain, I could see it would be an amazing ski day as there were no crowds, no lines, and fresh snow on the ground. I took a lift to the top of Citadel peak and felt as though the mountain belonged to me. The wind was harsh on the mountain face giving me limited visibility, but I could see no one on the trail in front of me. Halfway down the trail I still had not met anyone and the thought crossed my mind that if I were to hurt myself, I’d be screwed. I managed to make it almost all the way back to base before I saw other people. And so with no crowds I was able to try tons of slopes and ski as fast as I wanted for one of the most amazing ski days of my life.
Day 3 was a day to rest my legs and I headed for Sulphur Mountain Park (a UNESCO world heritage site) and the Banff hot springs at its base. The Banff gondola took me to the peak of Sulphur, accessing its nature trails. Again I was lucky as it had snowed the night before, the sky was clear with great visibility and not a soul around. I’m guessing many people had come to Sulphur the previous day when Sunshine was offering refunds and today the place was empty…good for me. I was laying fresh tracks with my boots and the fresh snow was making it easy to track animals. The setup is amazing as they have pictures and descriptions of the mountains fauna and flora, making it easy to know what you’re looking at. The main trail leads to the peak where you can see the historic Sanson's Peak Meteorological Station, once used to study cosmic rays.
Once I had exhausted myself in my unsuccessful attempt to sneak up on animals to get pictures, I decided my legs needed a well deserved rest. So back down the mountain I went, walked about 300 meters and found the Banff hot springs.
The water was listed at 40 degrees Celsius and the steam was rising into the cold air. I met a lot of people just sitting in the water including the man who was sitting next to me on the plane. The surrounding are striking; imagine sitting in a pool of hot water while feeling the benefits of this miracle of nature, feeling the cold air around your head and seeing the snow covered peaks of the Rockies all around you… Incredible!!!
Day 4 was a day to fulfill a lifelong dream: Ski Lake Louise. I took the shuttle bus to Lake Louise and enjoyed the beautiful 60 km ride. The exhilaration I felt as I stepped foot on the mountain cannot be described. I grabbed my skis and hopped on the Grizzly express gondola toward my first run of the day. The crowds were thick yet there were no lines for the lifts and the scenery is spectacular no matter where you are on the mountain. I particularly enjoyed the back bowls, starting easy with the Saddleback but eventually risking my neck on trails like Sandy’s Stash, Vertical Cornice and the well named ER 6. Skiing Lake Louise was such an accomplishment for me that when I stopped to take some photos before my last run, I couldn't’t help but be overcome with emotion at the dream I was living. What a day!
In the evening I went out to Wild Bill’s legendary saloon with the roommates where we saw a Black Sabbath cover band called Sack Blabbath. They were the crappiest cover band ever: the singer was already wasted when they hit the stage and he was dressed in a red outfit that looked like it was borrowed from David Lee Roth’s collection. Although they were awful, along with the lone headbanger in the middle of the dance floor, they were absolutely hilarious. I would have loved to grab a photo but didn’t have my camera.
Day 5 was a day for shopping, photos and a flight back home. It was a short trip, but one of the most thrilling ever. It was a perfect mix of physical activity, culture, relaxation and a beautiful setting to do it all in.
previous travel blog entry
jenadventure says:
Rob, your Banff entry made me think of my travels in the Rockies this summer. Only now, I desperately want to go in the winter. I also stayed at the Samesun hostel!