My Excursions in Canada

Off-roading on the Transalta Trail

2017-07-10T12:36:00.002-06:00

Hello Folks,

I have been going off-road lately and done 2 trails so far.
The first one was on the Transalta trail and below is a link to the VLOG I created on youtube
Thanks for watching

Link to the off-road video

Glacier National Park

2014-09-18T13:25:00.000-06:00

Glacier Park in the US, is a part of the combined ecosystem and International Peace Parks with Waterton Parks Canada. Access is easy for Canadians coming from either British Columbia (BC) or from Alberta (AB). Folks coming in from BC can take the Eureka Crossing and come further down to Whitefish. This is the Western border of the park. Folks coming from AB can come through the Carway border crossing to Babb and St. Mary's.

Native Indian Tee-Pees on the Canada-US Border

Many Glacier Lake

Going to The Sun Road

Logan Pass

The other side of Logan

Tour Vehicle at Lake McDonald Lodge

Lake McDonald Lodge

Lake McDonald

Conrad Mansion, Kalispell, MT

Bertha Lake Hike

2014-07-06T18:00:00.000-06:00

Bertha Lake:
Is a pristine glacier fed lake in the Southern Canadian Rockies on the border of Canada and United States. It is a moderately tough hike from the campgrounds on Waterton Lake.

Facts:
a. Difficulty: moderately difficult
b. Elevation Gain: 500 m
c. Trail Distance: 6 KM
d. Breakup: first 3.2 KM, elevation gain 180 m (moderate); second 2.8 KM, elevation gain 320 m (steep)
e. Attractions: Bertha Falls at 2.8 KM, Falls from the Lake at 5.0 KM, Bertha Lake at 6.0 KM
f. Facilities: back country camping

Approach and accommodation:
a. About 270 KM from Calgary on HWY 2
b. Hotels and motels available in Waterton, Pincher Creek and nearby sites

Wind Farm South of Pincher Creek

Waterton Town & Lake As Seen From The Way Up

Along The Trail

Bertha Lake On The Other Side Of The Mountain

The US Side

Beautiful Conifers

White Flowers?

Cruising Up

Water From Bertha Lake Coming Down Into Waterton Lakes

On The Way Up

About 2.8 Km - Crossing The Bertha Falls

Bertha Falls

From Bertha Falls

More Conifers

Blue Skies

Hide & Seek With The Sun

Working Our Way Up

A Peek Of Waterton Lake Below

Slow & Steady

Just Below The Bertha Lake

Just About There

Bertha Lake #1

Bertha Lake #2

Bertha Lake #3

To Vancouver From Calgary

2014-07-04T15:05:00.001-06:00

There are two ways to reach Vancouver from Calgary by road:

a. Option 1 - faster
Total distance 971 KM
Time: 11 and 1/2 hours
Route Map: Calgary to Kamloops on HWY 1 & Kamloops to Vancouver on HWY 5

b. Option 2 - slower but picturesque
Total distance 1048 KM
Time: 14 hours
Route Map: Calgary to Kamloops on HWY 1 & Kamloops to Whistler on BC 99 & Whistler to Vancouver on BC 99

We opted for option 1 on our onward journey and the second one on the way back. The route takes you through The Banff National Park and The Yoho National Park. For first timers or for those who are visiting Canada at their own pace, it might be a good option to visit attractions in these parks as well. We made a stop in Yoho, at the famous Takakkaw Falls. It is a steep uphill narrow road to the falls from Field, British Columbia, which is approximately 15 KM.

Trip Attractions - Day 1

1. Takakkaw Falls, Yoho National Park

Takakkaw Falls, Field, Yoho National Park

At the bottom of the Takakkaw Cataracts

Vancouver Attractions - Day 2

1. Capilano Suspension Bridge

Capilano Entrance

Totem Pole

Trading Post @ Capilano

The Suspension Bridge

Rain forest Walk

The bridge as seen from the rain forest

Tree top adventure

Cliffwalk @ Capilano

The Cliffwalk

2. Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden

Sun Yat Sen Garden

3. The Bloedel Conservatory

The Conservatory from outside

As tiny as your thumb

Tiny Pair!

4. Queen Elizabeth Park

QEP 1

QEP2

Vancouver Attractions - Day 3

1. Vancouver Aquarium

Jelly Fish

Beluga Show

Dolphin Show

Colourful

Penguins

2. Stanley Park

Carriage Rides

Yatch

3. Prospect Point & Cafe

Prospect Point

Lion's Gate Bridge - Amazing View From Prospect Point

Misty Mountain Tops

4. Lighthouse, Trek and Totems

Random Shots

Totems

Lion's Gate Bridge

Lighthouse

Industry

5. Ferry To Victoria

Late Night Ferry on The Pacific

Victoria Attractions - Day 4

1. Butch art Garden

Butchart Gardens Entrance

BG 1

BG - Garden Gazebo

BG 2

BG 3

BG 4

Honey Bee

Ross Fountain 1

Ross Fountain 2

BG 5

BG 6

BG 7

BG 8

BG 9

BG 10

Rose Garden

Butchart Family's Home

Japanese Garden

2. Miniature World

Miniature village

Miniature - Train across the Prairies

MG - Earlier Times

3. Victoria Downtown and British Columbia Assembly

The Empress

BC Assembly Building

4. Beacon Hill Park

Beacon Hill

An Old Bridge

BH 1

Peacock

BH 2

5. Fort Rodd Hill Lighthouse and Fisgard Lighthouses

Fort Rodd Hill

Near The Lighthouse

Whistler - Day

From the ferry on the Pacific

Blackcomb Gondola (Cable Car)

Change Over to Next Gondola

Longest and Highest Peak to Peak in the world

Blackcomb

Hike Up

Downtown Whistler

On The Drive Back BC 99

These Narrow Bridges Are Common on BC 99

On the Bridge

The Moon Peaks Out

Plain of Six Glaciers Hike - 28Jun2014

2014-06-29T15:55:00.000-06:00

Plain of Six Glaciers is a moderate hike from Lake Louise to the glaciers that are the origins of the Bow River. The hike itself can be contemplated to consist of three legs:

a. Walk around the periphery of Lake Louise to the far end ~ 2KM. This is relatively flat

b. Trail to the Swiss Built Tea House ~3.6 KM - uphill

c. Trail to the Plain of Six Glaciers Lookout ~ 1.6 KM - uphill

There is an elevation gain of 365 metres from the surface of Lake Louise all the way to the lookout.

Directions: Drive 185 KM West of Calgary on Trans-Canada HWY#1 to the Hamlet of Lake Louise. From the public parkade head towards the Chateau Lake Louise. Trail markers will appear on the way. Do not head up the Lake Agnes Trail, stick to the trail around the periphery of Lake Louise. Even though you can go to the Plain through Lake Agnes, it will be a much longer hike.

Precautions:

a. Bear Country - stick to the trail and travel in groups. Obey all Parks Canada's regulations and recommendations

b. Glacier Zone - stick to the trail. There is lot of ice and snow on the way up even during summers

c. Narrow trail with considerable elevation.

Nordic Centre

Turquoise Environs of Lake Louise

Far End of The Lake - Beginning of The Trail

Landslide Zone

Glacial Silt On The Right Imparts Blue Colour To The Water

Uphill Trail Commences

Still A Long Way to The Top

Flat Zone to The Rescue

Glacial Water - Origin of Bow River

Those Glaciers Gonna Disappear One Day

Bow River In The Making

Dry Land Churning Out a River

Candid Blue Skies

The Chateau Far Away

That's a few stories of Glacial Ice

Tiring yet Fruitful

Weather becomes colderas you head up

Glacier

One of the many glaciers

From another angle

Various Glaciers

Misty Mountain Top

Near the Swiss Tea House

The Tea House

Glacier

Caught this on the way

One More Rainbow

The Glacier 7 km at the far end

Hike to The Elbow Lake - 21Jun2014

2014-06-22T12:09:00.001-06:00

Elbow Lake is a glacier fed lake in Elbow Pass, Kananaskis Country, about 135 KM West of the city of Calgary. It is the head source of The Elbow River, which is a source of fresh drinking water for the city of Calgary. The city gets its water supply from the Elbow River's catchment area formed by the Glenmore Reservoir.

Elbow Lake from the trail

I stumbled upon this lake inspired by my curiosity to find the source of the Elbow River. There is another attraction formed on the course of this river, which is the Elbow Falls, but that is on a different route than the one that provides access to the Elbow Lake.

Access to the Lake:

You have to hike a trial of 1.3 KM to get to the Lake from the Parking Lot.

a. Drive by road on HWY 1 - take exit 118 to Kananaskis Country and drive approx 70 KM South on HWY 40

Statistics:

a. Elevation 2120 metres (~ 7000 feet)

b. Trek/Hike length to the lake ~ 1.3 KM. There are further trails ahead as well.

c. Location: Elbow Pass, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada

Facilities:

a. Back country camping - needs permit

b. Hiking/Trekking

c. Skiing at nearby Stoney Nakoda Resort
d. RV Parks nearby
e. Numerous campground facilities in the vicinity

Caution:

a. This is bear country and due caution should be exercised

b. The hike is steep at places

c. Lake water is glacial and is super cold even in summers

Snaps:

The trail to the lake

One of the glaciers that feeds water to the lake

Conifers on the way up

First view of the lake

Around the trail #1

Around the trail #2

Around the trail #3

Around the trail #4

Around the trail #5

The Elbow River - so small when it starts

Around the trail #6

White spruce cones

Back country

Another side of the lake

To The Abode Of Ghosts - Ghost Lake

2014-05-21T12:42:00.000-06:00

Ghost Lake is a man made glacier fed lake near the town of Cochrane in Alberta. It is about 60 kilometers from Downtown Calgary. It does not have visitor facilities in the form of hotels, motels or inns as of May 2014, but who knows in future, it may. There is a small settlement of a few personally owned cottages on the Northern shore of the lake.

The lake is located in a pristine environment in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Cycling to Ghost Lake may be an endeavour which some may consider. But you would need to be a regular long distance biker for that.

Activities of interest:
a. Cycling
b. Boating
c. Speed Boating
d. RV / Camping in the whereabouts
e. Photography

There are ramps available if you would want to tow your boat to this place.

The Canadian Rockies

The glaciers that feed the lake

A Sail Boat - Towards The Southern Shore

The Northern Shore of The Lake

Driftwood in Copious Amount

Foothills of the Rockies

Private Gravel Road

How to get there:

a. From Calgary and from Southern/Eastern regions: Take the Crowchild Trail North and keep on it till it becomes HWY 1A. There are a lot of splendidly beautiful sights on the way

b. From Northern areas: Take 1A after reaching Cochrane

c. From Western Areas: Take the exit to 1A from Trans Canada Highway #1 from Canmore.

Nose Creek Pathway: Bike Trip - 10Aug13

2013-08-11T16:51:00.000-06:00

With this trip we completed 500 KM of cycling this season. And what more, we discovered a new trail that goes all the way North. How we got there? This weekend we had decided to head North East instead of the regular North West and also South that we are accustomed to.

Canadian Pacific Railway - We measured this end to end, it was 2.98 KM long

The Nose Creek - at the beginning of the trail

The difference in this trip was that it was done in more light as opposed to our other trips which we have been doing at night. For us, we got out of Downtown Calgary at around 6.30 PM and headed East on Bow River Pathway. This goes parallel to Memorial Drive for the most part; going past the Bridgeland Memorial Train Station, and then around the Eastern bank of Calgary Zoo alongside Bow River before taking North. There are two options here - one could drive South on the Bow River Pathway or take up the Nose Creek Pathway. We opted for the latter. By this point we had done about 6.5 KM on the odo starting from our apartment.

Dandelions midway

Making the most of available light

7:10 PM

The last time I had been here was in the year 2010 and there was construction going on and I was forced to take another trail which had landed me up elsewhere. This time I was glad that it was open all the way through.

Took this on the way

The other end of the Anaconda that some call CP Rail

Further North on Nose Creek

Fox Hollow Golf Course - 0.5 KM North of 16 Ave NE (Trans Canada HWY)

We did take a few snaps on the way up whenever we got something greener or colourful to see. I was also keeping track of our position on the GPS unit on my cellphone. The trail takes you past the Eastern ridge of the Fox Hollow Golf Course. This is approximately 4 KM North of the bend on which we had turned on to Nose Creek Pathway.

This electric pole is made of one giant single tree

Almost nearing the Airport

Calgary Airport Ramp - towards the right

We were making good progress on the number of kilometers crunched and 32 Ave and then later McKnight Boulevard came by. We were quick to calculate that our regular groceries store was around 8 KM East from this point. Further ahead came 64th Ave NE and we knew that we were almost on the median that divided Nose Hill Park that was was about 4 KM to our West. The weather was just phenomenal and in a little more time we reached the Calgary International Airport.

Further North of Calgary Airport - 17.4 KM North of Downtown

Downtown Calgary 15 KM South - on our way back

There was good light still in the sky and we decided to push ahead until 8 PM. This is when we stopped. It coincided with a bend in the pathway. Had we gone further ahead, we would have reached Country Hills/Panorama Hills. At this point we had done about 17.4 KM on the odo. We took a break, watered our throats and then headed back home.

Laycock Park, North East - shot on the way back

Flock of Bison at the Calgary Zoo

We covered a trail of 35 KM in about 2 hours and 40 minutes - not bad!

The Lakes Tour - Louise, Emerald, Waterton - 11May2013

2013-08-09T22:57:00.000-06:00

This was a trip of sorts, in that we went all the way North West on the first day and then came down twice the distance to the South, right until the US border. I would baptize this trip as 'The Lakes Tour'. We were joined by a new friend in this trip - Mr. Ankur Gupta or Sunny as he is popularly called.

Lac de Arcs - about 85 KM West of Calgary

Trans Canada Highway

The first arm of the journey took us through the Banff National Park and the Yoho National Park. The route? The contemporary and the ever-so-trodden Trans Canada Highway - HWY1. A stop at Lac de Arcs was customary. Next came Lake Louise (Banff National Park). I was not particularly happy seeing the lake this time, as I had hoped it to be sparkingly green or a variety thereof, and there it was - an expanse of frozen ice till the eyes could fathom. Nevertheless we spent quite some time there before moving on to Emerald Lake in Yoho.

A cottage near Lake Louise

Nordic stop

The frozen expanse of the lake

Timber way

The smiling family

Purest of the pure - frozen chasms

40 KM further West is Emerald Lake. This again is a glacial lake like Lake Louise. We did a bit of canoeing in Emerald Lake.

At the beginning of Emerald Lake

A cross section of the bridge

Charming green doing its magic yet again

Walking around the periphery of the lake

The walk juts out into the lake

L-R: Avneesh (the steer), Pravesh and Sunny

The canoes form a silhouette against the peaks

Mystique blue

It was a long drive from here to Waterton - about 470 KM. But we did not want to stay there at night, so we had planned to stay put at Pincher Creek which is 50 KM North of Waterton. On the drive there we did make a short stop at what is called 'The Natural Bridge'. This place is also in Yoho and is a wonder that has been carved out by the forces of providence through ages.

Yes, that's where you are

The Natural Bridge

Forces of providence work untiringly

Our drive South was exciting as we recited many old stories that we had heard in our childhood. Frankly speaking we did not want the drive to end that night. Munching up on our stories we reached Pincher Creek at night. It is a small town nestled in the cradle of fine prairies that have a formed a wonderful union with the southernmost ranges of the Canadian Rockies. These great views were nevertheless concealed from us by the dark shroud of night, and it was only the light of morning that revealed to us the wonder that mother nature had created in this child of hers. Breakfast was done early morning at the local Tim Hortons.

Early morning scene - Pincher Creek, Alberta

Southern ranges of the Canadian Rockies dote the road from Pincher Creek to Waterton

The ride from Pincher Creek to Waterton, again, is like the work of a painter who would have squeezed in all his imagination into the strokes of his paint brush while creating his masterpiece. Nonetheless, nature never has one masterpiece but infinite and we are always enthralled when the next one is shown to us. The road is winding at times and goes up and down at others while making its way amid beautifully snow clad Rockies.

At Waterton, we booked a one and half hour cruise in the Lake. The cruise cross the International Border between Canada and USA on the 49th parallel North.

Prince of Wales Hotel - Waterton

Our stead for the cruise

The Waterton Lake

We visited Cameron Falls which are in the town thereafter. Then it was a 300 KM drive back to Calgary.

Cameron Falls in the town of Waterton

Glenmore Biking Trip - 15Jun13

2013-08-05T14:03:00.000-06:00

Our first true long distance trip together. This was a night trip. We must have begun from Downtown Calgary at about 8:45 PM. We took took the 8th St SW all the way up to 12 Ave SW and kept going East until 4th St SW. Then we headed South until we reached Elbow Drive. There it was West again all the way until the jungle where the trail to the reservoir begins.

The suspension bridge leads into the park - 10 PM. The Elbow River below

The trail leads in through a park, which has a cutoff time at 11 PM. So we had to get in and then back out of it by then. It was a little over 10 PM when we entered the park. So we had to make it quick. The entry into the park is through a suspension bridge. It is quite narrow so cyclists have to dismount while making use of it. The trail continues thereafter albeit with a huge steep ascent.

The pathway leads into a steep ascent ahead of this

The trail and the bridge are almost at the level of the banks of the Elbow River. You would have gained an elevation of about 100 metres by the time you reached the top of the trail. This is sure a calorie burner and when you reach the top you can feel the air and blood surging through your lungs alike.

After gaining an ascent of approx 100m from the Elbow River

The beauty of this trail is that once you gain height, momentarily after that you start losing and then gaining again. By my standards I would definitely recommend new folks to have tried the Bow River Pathway at least a few times before attempting this in one go.

On the North Eastern banks of Glenmore Reservoir - 10:30 PM

We did not attempt a full circle of the reservoir at night as we were constrained by time. We have left this for sometime in future. More posts on that when we do. The trail opens up to the view of the Rockies and the reservoir had we continued for another 5 kilometers on the trail. The trail always goes through Heritage Park. We decided to head back but just for fun sake spent some time on the North Eastern banks of the reservoir.

Downtown Calgary - about 15 KM North of us

There was some confusion at night which way to head back as the trails split up at the North end though we had good lights on our bikes. Some time was spent in losing the way and getting back again on track. This is when we saw the Downtown from a distance at night. We have seen this kind of sight from various points in the landscape during our tours, but it always fascinates us. From our odometer I calculated this point would have been approx 15 KM South West of Calgary.

The moon from the jungle we were in - 10:54 PM

Unfortunately we lost one of our bikes' head lamp on the slope down due to an overhanging branch. That point on we slowed down full scale. The bike at the back was now dependent solely on the head lamps of the one in the front. But it was fun anyway. We managed to get out of the park just about the time at which it closes. It was then a long ride back to Downtown through Elbow Drive.

Elbow River Pathway - aside Elbow Drive - 11:15 PM

Cycling In The Floods - 20Jun13

2013-08-04T17:38:00.000-06:00

I had done about 1000 KM of cycling in 2010 from March to September alone. Cycling as an endevour and as a pastime had taken a back seat after 2011 owing to the higher frequency of out of town long distance trips. 2013 however, saw an increase in the fervour as I was joined by my wife. This day (the 20th of Jun) was special though: Calgary had been hit by floods, huge floods. We were not totally aware of the scale that this was going to be of though. In the afternoon one of my friends had messaged me that water levels had risen in the river system in Calgary - the Bow and Elbow rivers, and to keep an eye out on the trails.

Bow River Pathway - 2.5 KM West of Calgary at 9:40 PM

We had ventured out westward on the Bow river Pathway at 9:15 PM. We did notice that the river was much too voluminous and way too fast for its regular course. Nevertheless we maintained our journey. About 2.5 KM into the jaunt what did we see - the river had overrun the banks and had dangerously leapt into the pathway. About 150 metres of the pathway was deep in water to begin with.

Scouting the jungle - a detour, an escape from the flooded pathway

Navigating the thickets - the pathway still flooded

Finally saw the pathway empty - making a dash for it

It was too risky to continue ahead on the pathway so we trekked a bit up into the jungle to the left and once we had gained safe elevation continued through the jungle. The thick growth and the mosquitoes made it a little tough to cross the portion. As there was a lot of wet mud, we had to drag the bike in addition to riding it. We were constantly keeping an eye on the pathway below, as much as visibility in the jungle allowed to, and came back on the pathway where it was safely above the river.

Downtown Calgary during the floods at 9:55 PM

Once on the pathway, we took the new path that goes up the hill instead of continuing straight into Edworthy Park. This trail gives a good view of Downtown Calgary. It was raining continuously and levels in the river rising. Many passersby advised not to use the trail to go to Downtown. Little did they know that we stayed in Downtown and had no choice but to go back to our apartment.

Water marker: a rise of 12 ft+ from normal below this bridge

While coming down we took the bridge to cross to the other side. This bridge joins, like many others - the North bank of the river with the South Bank, and is below the ramp to the Crowchild Trail. We were startled to see the scene under the pathway bridge. The water had risen by 12 feet above the normal flowing mark. The flow and the roar of it was as though it would wash the bridge off. It was also getting harder to see on account of it raining profusely.

Completely submerged pathway

Downtown Calgary from the Pathway at 10:20 PM

There were very few cyclists on the road at this time, but those that were, did not carry lights. This made it all the more difficult to ride. We saw quite a few more wonders that the river had done. Some of the pathways and links underneath had been completely submerged. Even the Soldiers' Memorial on Memorial Drive @ 9 St NW had been brought under the effect of the flood.

Water runs up Soldiers' Memorial 10:33 PM. More than 12 ft of water

Lighting on the Soldiers' Memorial

We met with friends while crossing the 9th St bridge. And to beat the cold we hunted for coffee, gathered at my apartment and chatted a few hours past midnight. The next day we heard of Downtown Core getting shut off. Many people were evacuated from their homes - 2 families that we knew were among them, who stayed with us for a week. It was a great experience serving and spending time with the folks at home.

Plain of Six Glaciers Trek - 6Jul13

2013-08-04T12:57:00.003-06:00

Lake Louise offers pristine and serene environs to its visitors not only around itself but also in the vicinity in the form of numerous serendipitous treks, trails and hikes. I had earlier, in 2010, done one of the trails upto Lake Agnes. Yet this time it was to come again and in bigger proportion. It had been quite a few days we had ventured out for a trip. Jul the 5th was Friday and starting of the Stampede festival in Calgary. The event commences with the Stampede Parade. While we were elated at watching this marvel of a parade, our hearts were kind of dampened with the last of the troupes marching out of town. At this we all unanimously voted in favour of having a trip. This time it was to be a trek, a trek to the lakes above Lake Louise.

Lake Louise - The mountain at the far end is 6 KM from the other end of the lake

Lake Louise is around 180 KM from Calgary and after a 2 and half hour drive, our car that happened to be a Ford Fiesta was parked in the upper parking lot of the Lake. We began the trek from the base at about 1200 hours. There are quite a few trails that begin at the bottom -

a. Lake Agnes/Beehives

b. Plane of Six Glaciers
c. Highline Trail
d. Saddleback Trail

Of these, the third one does not really begin at the bottom, but is a further branch after you complete the Big Beehive. We did the first three among the above listed. The weather was towards the chillier side - slight drizzles with a temperature of 10°C. We had our umbrellas ready - my intention of using one was protecting my SLR and not myself. On greater heights there were bouts of hail as well.

Trying to gather some history

A felled conifer on the way up

The way up to Mirror Lake is generally covered with a thick cover of forest, however there is a spot in between, where there is clearing enough to be able to catch a good glimpse of Lake Louise below. It is amusing to see how the water viewed from different angles can impart different colours to the lake. It is a property that is imparted to the water by the sediments carried by the glacial waters into the lake which reflect light differently at differing angles.

A glimpse of Lake Louise while on the way up

Got some hail on the way

It is a good solid 2.6 KM up to Mirror Lake from the start of the trail. You could add another 600 metres if you counted the distance from the upper parking lots.

Mirror Lake

The top featuring the Big Beehive

The journey starts getting interesting here. The splendour of this little lake energizes you with a zeal to go even further. The climb ahead to Lake Agnes is another 0.8 KM but a substantial gain in elevation from here.

Large conifers doting the slopes

Water release from Lake Agnes

The last few steps to the Tea House

The Tea House - the highest in Canada

A few more minutes and we were elevated to Lake Agnes and the highest Tea House in Canada. It was quite chilly at this elevation - a gain of 350 metres from the surface of Lake Louise. We had to pay a visit to the tea house here. This is the highest tea house in Canada and built long ago. The folks servicing this place stay here in summers and the yearly supplies are brought up once in a year.

Empty benches - the rain says it all

Lake Agnes from the Tea House

Tea time

Bidding adieu to the Tea House

We secured a place on the outside deck while we ordered a flask of Maple Tea which we all very much enjoyed. The environment was just perfect and the cup of tea added to the tingle. We shifted inside after a bit as it was chillier outside. We spent a good 45 minutes before beginning the next leg of our journey.

Lake Agnes changing colour with the advent of some sunlight

The Tea House seen as we advance towards the Big Beehive

Shades of green

Towards the Big Beehive

It must have been past 3 and the hunger element had begun to kick in. So we had to open up our snack packets enroute and take in as many calories as we could at the moment. We took care not to drop any particles to attract the attention of bears. One has to go around the other end of the lake a complete 270 degrees to start the ascent to the Big Beehive. During my past visit here in 2010, we had ended the journey at the point where the ascent begins. This time I was excited to make it further ahead.

Another 150 metres above the Agnes

Further glimpses from the twining ascent to Beehive

Once you reach the top it is pretty much flat but broken with stone faces and big conifer roots. Finally you reach the precipice. This is it - it is called the Big Beehive. You would have gained an elevation of at least 600 metres from the surface of Lake Louise by the time you are here. The Beehive is marked by a dead drop to the land below, which is at the level of Lake Louise. There is nothing stopping the fall from here until the base. It can get scary if you venture too near to the precipice.

The lookout atop the summit - Big Beehive

Twin rainbows; Lake Louise about 600 m below

Chateau Lake Louise from the heights of the Beehive

We were glad at what we did next. There is a path that goes steeply downhill from the front face of the Beehive. This leads to one of the most beautiful sights - viewing all three lakes from approximately the same place. You are at such height that the line of sight is almost perpendicular down to the plane of all lakes. Well in reality the lakes are separated by at least 170 meters each vertically.

Mirror Lake (left) and Lake Louise

Lake Agnes

Phew!!

We spent considerable time on the summit. At one time we were all crouched up on the edge of the precipice and two feet ahead of us lay the colossal fall. At first it was all covered with clouds and fog and looked less frightening, but the truth was revealed once the clouds swept away. Nevertheless it was very beautiful and we made the most of our time there.

The rugged way down

And we chose the Highline Trail

The plan thereafter was to descend down the other side of the Beehive using a steeper trail - the Highline trail, and get back to Lake Louise. It was a much denser forest cover and uncouth trail on this side. Fairly down the descent, or so we thought, we came across a split in the trail. One end led to Lake Louise via Mirror Lake and the other took us further down the Highline Trail to Lake Louise. I was able to convince the folks to take the longer one (3.9 KM vs 5.3 KM). Also we wanted to see the Plain of Six Glaciers, which we assumed would be on the Highline Trail, which we later discovered was quite offset from this trail.

They were once full of snow and ice in summers

One of the many glaciers

The melt - this gets into Lake Louise

Further down the trail there was another route that led to Lake Louise and yet again I convinced the group to make it to the Plain of Six Glaciers. We came across a few more such forks and each time we kept taking the longer one. There were quite a few animals in this part of the trek. We saw numerous Prairie Dogs and one of us also managed to scare us by coming suddenly in front of us. The sight of trekkers on this side of the trail is very rare.

Lake Louise and the Chateau - about 5 km down

We had trekked enough and long and that was still not stopping us. We wanted to be at the Plain of Six Glaciers. But the climb was getting too treacherous for us and the clock was ticking by fast. So we made it to the second Tea House and decided to take a break and get back for good. It was 8 PM and the final destination was still about 1.6 KM from there but that would mean adding a few more hours in these mountain conditions.

The second Tea House

Facilities for the Tea House Crew

We were in the remote. Far away from civilization. and all the while we sat in the tea house, the only thought that was coming to my mind was 'What would these crew do if a Sasquatch were to appear'. We were keen to continue our journey to the summit but it was past 8 PM and we had another 6.5 KM to trek back. On the way back we had many more glimpses of serene nature.

On the way back - the Chateau, still about 2 km away

The sediments that impart its characteristic turquoise colour

Night 10 PM - in front of the Chateau

We reached the base at 10 PM, comforted our knees and started back the drive. Dinner was at Canmore and we were finally home at 1.30 AM.

Braving The Weather Together - 02Jun2013

2013-06-02T22:24:00.001-06:00

Jun the 2nd, 2013: I would call this the 22 KM jaunt. This distance, for enthusiasts and seasoned cyclists alike, would not score very high on their rating cards, but the fun part was in the heavy rain and temperature that endured during this short trip. Summers are here in this part of the world and the citizens of Calgary are ever eager to embrace it with open arms. But the summers here are interspersed with bouts of rain that bring along lower temperatures with them. The fact is not very bewildering that we had been very excited about this weekend but our feelings were somewhat dampened by the weather forecast. When we woke up this morning the feeling was amplified by actually seeing the weather out of our balcony. And this is when we decided that we had to go out. The statistics: 9 °C and loads of rain.

My favourite snap from this trip: Angel's Cafe, Edworthy Park

We warmed ourselves up with thick clothing and topped it up with windcheater jackets. The bikes were ushered out of the apartment at 10.30 AM sharp. We were met below by cold and rain. An 800 meter walk out of downtown, and we arrived at the Bow River Pathway, a cycle track that dwells aside the Bow River for most of the part. There was an event along the pathway. This included both jogging and walking. The track was full of people with umbrellas. This is Deepa's third jaunt with me and she is still picking up on the tricks of cycling and the event definitely seemed to thwart our attempts to beat the weather. We nevertheless decided to continue. The crowd would stay with us for about 3.5 KM from the start.

We threaded cautiously through the crowd until we reached the bridge. The crowd turned right here, making way for us, and we continued straight. The pathway was almost completely empty barring an occasional cyclist or a jogger on the run. The weather was harsh, thereby inducing an extra effort on the Triceps Surae (calf muscles) to crunch the kilometers. This was a blessing in disguise as I was able to demonstrate the usage of gears on the bike. Deepa was quick to pick up on the fundamentals and apply them on the job.

There is a forest patch that begins a little after this bridge and it had been doing the rounds in our daily chit chat before we made this trip. So Deepa was very thrilled to see it. The pathway becomes curvy and gets away from the river when in the jungle. And then at one bend it opens up just in front of the river. The levels in the river were seemingly voluminous and the current was stronger than what we had seen a few days ago. We kept riding until we had to cross the tracks of the Canadian Pacific Railways. There is a small ascent after this and you again ride alongside the river for a bit although the jungle keenly follows you for the most part, and at times completely swallows the track, thereby blocking any view of the river.

Edworthy: in the shade of the coniferous woods

Squelching out the rain from our clothes

Misty environs

White blossoms

After a 7.5 KM stint we arrived at the Edworthy Park. Picnic areas were very sparsely populated on account of the rain and cold. We wandered around in the park, soaking in plenty, the greenery and the all-so-tantalising looks of the coniferous trees. We had been drenched by now. The jackets had prevented the rain from getting in but there was still a good amount of seepage. My hands felt stiff from the cold and it was tough to reach out for stuff that was inside my bag. But I did not want to lose the opportunity to take photographs of this serene environment.

Crossing the Bow River

My cellphone's camera was fogging up on account of moisture seeping into the bag, where I had safely tucked it away. Nonetheless I was not dissatisfied with the results that it produced. We walked around the park, strolling amid the woods that doted the landscape. Also noticeable was the faint aroma that comes when water leaches out the excipients of the birch trees. After spending some time in the park, we crossed over the Bow River to the northern shore of the river.

Cappuccino @ the Angel Cafe. Bow River outside

The bridge from the cafe

All warmed up for the trip ahead

There is a small ice cream and coffee shop on the other end of the bridge. I have always had wanted to visit this place and what would have been a better time. We lined up our bikes alongside the wooden railing at the entrance and I secured them with the number locking cable. Inside, there are two sit-outs, both covered. The first one is outside of the serving area and is larger. The second one is inside and has windows overlooking the river. This is where we chose to sit. We ordered two cappuccinos. I was quite happy with the way it tasted. We spent some good time inside, enjoying the coffee and our chit chat.

Coffee and chit chat over, we started again, further west, headed towards Shouldice Park. This is about 2 kilometers from the cafe. The rain kept pouring in, but the coffee had done its job well, both in providing the much needed warmth and boosting up our morale. About a kilometer short of Shouldice, there are numerous playgrounds. Some of them are baseball grounds and the others for soccer. There was a game of soccer in progress while we passed by. Shouldice Park also has picnic spots, but it is not as big as Edworthy.

End of the 1st leg of Bow River Pathway

John Hextall Bridge: Connecting Calgary to Bowness since 1911

The pathway curves around the river after the park ends and opens up after a climb into the John Hextall bridge. This bridge used to connect the Bowness Area to Calgary in the 1910s. It is now a wooden walkway. It's worth it, to spend time here, especially with the Bow River swelling below it. We crossed the bridge and went further into Bowness. We decided to turn back as our odometer had crossed the 11 KM mark.

On our way back: Shouldice Park

Approaching Prince`s Island

The journey back was faster without stops. We did this in 3 hours, something that could be done in about an hour and a quarter, but the stops were worth.

It was definitely a great way of enjoying the weekend!!

To The Land Of lce Sculptures - 26Jan2013

2013-05-25T13:34:00.001-06:00

And the saga continues into 2013.....

It was cold, but not as much as it could have been. It was the 26th day in the month of Jan, and the mercury levels had managed to slip 15 notches (centigrade) below zero. Weighing in the wind factor it could very well have dropped a few more degrees below. We wanted to visit Lake Louise for the famous Ice Magic Festival. This is a yearly event that is hosted by the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise towards the end of January. Ice sculptors from the world over come here to compete.

Lac de Arcs - A Frozen Lake

It was a Saturday and like many of our earlier rides, this one would take us through the Banff National Park. As on any other ride on the Trans Canada HWY #1, a stop at Lac de Arcs was customary. The lake was frozen this time of the year and we could not resist ourselves from setting foot on the frozen water. It was bewildering to see some rocks frozen midway without reaching the base of the lake.

After a short stop at the lake, we resumed our jaunt. Another 100 kilometers and we were at our destination. The scene at the village of Lake Louise was one of a bustling place. There was so much crowd that the parking lots near the lake were full and the authorities were involved full time at the base, which is near the village itself and is a few kilometers below the lake. We had to find a parking spot on the road which also had become full by then, servicing the loads of vehicles to which it was privy. Shuttle service had been made available to ferry tourists to the lake premises. This was a few hundred meters away from the spot where our vehicle was anchored. The line for the shuttle was certainly not the shortest I have seen and we waited almost an hour and a half to get our turn to board the shuttle. The ride up the ascent to the lake took about 10 minutes.

Inside the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Once the shuttle dropped us at the hotel, we wasted no time in getting inside to secure a warm place. The prolonged stay outside while waiting for the shuttle below had dampened our bodies with chill. Flesh on the face, toes on the feet and the fingers seemed to have lost sensation of worldly touch. Inside there was a huddle of people floating all over the place. It was very sweet of Pravesh to have packed lunch for us all. It was afternoon, and the surging hunger in us made devouring the lunch a super fast activity.

This creation was called The Crazy Train (from the USA)

This one - Chasing The Sun

An artist gnawing away at his creation

Another ice sculpture

I'm your puppet (from the UK)

Resplendent with the charge that the lunch had put in us, we ventured out, with cold slapping our faces and bodies alike, to watch the ice sculptors in action. Many of the sculptures had been completed and many were under way, just about to be finished. The artists were busy laying their finishing touches to their respective creations. These sculptures change every year, but what does not change is the Ice Bar and also the Ice Palace. Below are pictures of the same for the benefit of the readers.

At the Ice Bar

The Ice Palace and The Skating Ring

I had begun to feel numb by the time I had completed the tour of the sculptures. I could not afford to spend any more time outside, exposed to the cold, and hence after visiting the Ice Bar and the Ice Palace, I decided it was time for me to get back to the warmer confines of the hotel. There were heating panels on the window sills and I allowed some time for my cold limbs to get back to normal, after which I bought some coffee. I waited inside for Avneesh and Kunal and their wives. The queue for the shuttle back to the village below where our car was parked was not as long as the one while coming up. It was almost dark when we came back to our car, although the time was about 4.30 PM.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Calgary Skyline from Crescent Heights

We dined at an Indian Restaurant known as Namaskar in the North East. It was a treat, kind courtesy Avneesh on getting his new job. We then drove to Crescent Heights, the hill that overlooks Calgary downtown. It is always a joyous moment to watch from the atop the hill, the city lights bustle. The mild mist and the cold together did an excellent job in mixing these very same lights in varying proportions, thereby casting an orangish glow on the fringes of the dark sky that ever so subtly yet lightly kisses the city landscape. Each time it is a treat to watch this sight and this time it was from within the warmth of our car.

North To Alaska - 23 Dec 2011

2012-06-30T04:35:00.000-06:00

This trip is one of the most revered by me among all trips that I have so far planned. I would second it only to my trip to the Arctic Ocean which I had made in the Sept of 2010. One of the reasons for this ranking, and the prime one is the fact that this was a complete family trip. The other being - it was quite laid to detail in the 3700 KM that we traveled, all through thick sheets of ice and snow. This trip also put my driving skills and patience to test and I thoroughly admired it.

On The Alaskan Border - The Hamlet Of Stewart In British Columbia

Our destination? The hamlet of Stewart, in the province of British Columbia, which is right on the Alaskan Border. Driving to the far extreme of the Western Leg of the British Columbian Mountains' Circle Roads had always been on my mind and it had been postponed many a time due to other destinations taking preference. In addition to the regular bachelor gang, we had two couples with us this time, which is why I call it a complete family trip. The fun was not just in the destination, but in the bond we built over the various legs of the journey, and most importantly getting together for wining and dining in a common suite and the loads of gossip that entailed each one of these 'Get-togethers'.

Planning for the trip had begun much in advance. I recollect we had started to plan almost 3 weeks prior. Anand, Somu Da and myself had chalked out the trip itinerary over the course of a few days and we were quite satiated with the job we had done. As we were 7 people in all, I had booked an Extra Large Luxury SUV and had personally visited the rental station thrice to request on file that I get either of these and I had been promised one -

Ford Expedition MAX (EL)
Chevrolet Suburban
GMC Yukon XL

A day prior to our trip we got a request from one of our colleagues - Sandeep, if he could join us along and we had obliged. He would be joining us in his own vehicle. On the 22nd of Dec, 2011 when we went to the Rental Office to pick up the vehicle, I was sadly disappointed to see that I had been given a Full Size SUV instead of an Extra Large. This sure was to pose a problem to carry the luggage of 7 people and also to the comfort of the rear passengers. So we decided we would shift our luggage to Sandeep's car. I had advised Sandeep to rent a 4X4 SUV, but he chose to go with a standard car.

Flagging Off on the 23rd of Dec

Days are too short in winters as your latitude goes Northwards on the upper cup of the earth. Our journey was not only spaced vastly across the Longitudes but also ventured us up North. Hence, we wanted to cover as much as we could on the first night, so that we could start early the next day and stop before each sunset - that was the general plan. Our first camp was set at Valemount in the province of British Columbia. This is about 540 KM from Calgary and takes about 7 and 1/2 hours of driving. Friday was a working day for all of us and after office I drove around downtown to pick up folks from 10th Ave and 4th Ave. Though we had planned to push early we lost a bit on time waiting for Sandeep's car. The drive on the Trans Canada HWY 1 was not new, and this time of the year many portions of the road had thick layers of snow. The Yukon had stood testimony to the some of the wickedest forces of nature in earlier trips and it was proving its salt in this one as well. We were much ahead of Sandeep's car and we had to stop at Banff to allow them to catch up with us. This stop was also utilized to fuel up the SUV and to add some charge of coffee to the evening which had long ago shut the curtains to sunlight.

We were still 300 KM short of Jasper and 425 KM short of Valemount. A few KM after Lake Louise we took the North Ramp to hit the Icefields Parway (AB-93 N) towards Jasper. My worst fears were about to come true. This 240 KM stretch through the Canadian Rockies is a narrow, slow speed and treacherously winding route, and it becomes quite dangerous when you have a continuous sheet of ice on it with ample amount of fresh snow. One wrong manoeuvre and you can land up in the valley steeply inclined on the open precipice. I generally accustom myself to the environs for the first few kilometers of a change in landscape. Owing to the snow, I was driving at about 40 - 50 KMPH, which is a lot lesser than the posted speed limit. I had asked our other car to drive ahead of us. Driving a non 4X4 on this terrain was asking for trouble. We could actually see Sandeep's car ahead spin quite a bit due to the ice. The car was behaving just like a perfect drunk man who wobbles just about at any moment unpredicted, while our 4X4 SUV was exhibiting qualities of a seasoned marksman made to shoot while running on ice.

I soon started losing out on my patience driving at 40 KMPH trailing the ever-so-slow car, and after 15 - 20 KM of this elaborate slow moving setup, I overtook it, to resume at my own pace. The weather conditions were quite harsh with snow blizzards reducing the visibility of an already dark night to a big Naught. Twice or thrice it so happened that there were pockets of snow which were laid out in elongated patches that were almost a foot or 2 deep. The SUV, though weighing over 3.5 tonnes, would spin out of its trajectory, by a margin as thick as 90° on such occasions. This would be complemented with shovels of snow being pumped onto the windscreen from underneath the already overworked set of front wheels skittering under immense tangential forces.

Nevertheless, I tried to maintain speed and we reached Jasper in record time. It was freezing outside at the Petrol (Gas for the North American readers) Bunk. I was feeling quite nice with the distance covered in the drive as we were now left with only 125 KM to Valemount. We filled up the SUV, parked it in the designated spot, and took our share of coffee from the machines inside. It was good chatting among the group - everyone having coffee and sharing their stories. We must have waited for about an hour and there was still no signs of our other car. Even phone calls were not getting through. The Icefields Parkway does not have a good coverage for cellphone signals. We decided to leave for Valemount, as wasting more time could mean a problem in securing accommodation at the destination.

We had been travelling North-West until now on AB-93 and after Jasper we took West on Trans-Canada HWY 16. This is a wide and almost straight road with more frequent ice cleaning activities and I was able to drive at the posted 100 and 110 KMPH limits. After Jasper, you enter the Mount Robson Provincial Park and about 100 KM into the drive you have to turn South on BC-5 and drive another 20 KM to reach Valemount. I was maintaining healthy speed and we were in Valemount by 11.30 PM and as Valemount is in BC, our clocks shifted back by an hour and we got the advantage. After inquiring the rates and facilities at a few hotels we checked into one. We had taken 3 suites and earmarked another for the other car.

We gathered in my suite for dinner and the customary drinks. Each one of us taking comfortable positions were well poised to get into a big round of chatting and gossiping. The ladies had prepared good amount of tasty food for the night. While we sipped on and chatted we also tried to establish contact with Sandeep's car. They had just reached Jasper. It turned out that the car had not quite survived the onslaught of the snow. It had twice met with an accident and they did not want to come any further than Jasper. The problem with this was that Anand was in the other car. So we persuaded Sandeep to drive down till Valemount. While the other car joined us we had a gala of a time on the first night of the trip.

To Burns Lake On The Second Day (24 Dec 2011)

Our suites were all on the first floor. With a lovely view from the balcony, which we had noticed on the night before, we had a soothing view of the Rockies, which were just about 5 KM to the front and of course the burgeoning mass of snow on the roof that covered the porch.

A View From Our Balcony - 8:36 AM MST

This day, there lay trouble ahead. The second car did not want to come any further, which was but obvious. The problem now was accommodating one extra person in our vehicle and also some cargo. But hats off to the crew who were so accommodating. So after a hearty breakfast, we pushed off further West and further North. The destination was Burns Lake, British Columbia. We would be driving in excess of 530 KM this day.

We had made a list of spots to be covered for each day. Some of these were offset from the main highway by quite some distance. Each one of those could not be covered and hence we had some sitting on the list tentatively. The first stop for the day was not a marked one; it was however quite picturesque. The ladies were new to these white environs of snow and were very intrigued with the sites; the gentlemen however, were seasoned sightseers and were accustomed with these environs. I have included some clicks we shot at this spot.

L-R: Anand, Somu da, Poonam n' Kunal, Avneesh n' Pravesh

Snow Trails

About Half An Inch Of Ice Sheet On The Entire Road

Enjoying The Sun

The entire drive was very refreshing and it gave me the constant boost to drive further and further. Just a little distance ahead of our first stop, we stopped yet again, and this time it was at McBride, which is about 50 KM North-West of Valemount.

McBride Welcomes Us

Far Beyond Into The Mountains

We drove for another hour and a half more before we stopped at a small spot that had what is called 'The Inland Temperate Rainforests'. This was quite an elaborate stop and the group enjoyed the scenery a lot. We walked around the place and a few games were played with the ice speleothems, particularly the stalactites hanging upside down.

Our Third Stop - This One Being Quite Elaborate

L-R: Avneesh, Self And Kunal

Ice Speleothems

Attempt To Murder With An Ice Stalactite

Wildlife In The Rainforest

Swift Brook Cutting Through Ice

Liked The Background

The Gentlemen Together

The stop for lunch was made at Prince George. A few of us went straight ahead into a Fast Food Joint (I do not remember the name exactly) and the rest went to an adjoining Indian Restaurant. The good thing we did here was that we packed a good amount of food for dinner as well. I guess we were quite late to wrap up the procedures for lunch and while the rest of the group continued to savour their meals, I took a power nap in the driver's seat of the SUV. It must have been about 4 PM and as expected the skies were growing darker. Burns Lake was another 230 KM and with a fuel stop we made it there by 7 PM. Upon arrival, we started our customary practice of hotel searching and soon checked into the Burns Lake Motor Inn. We took three suites and after taking showers gathered in my suite for the usual round of gossip.

Stewart Finally (25 Dec 2011)

This was an eventful day for us. There were lots of spots to be covered. The first on the cards was the hamlet of Francois Lake. This place is 25 KM South of Burns Lake on BC-35 S. A ferry has to be taken to cross the waters of Francois Lake to be on the other side (yes the hamlet is named after the lake). The ferry operates on an hourly basis going from shore to shore and you can load your vehicle on it. We left our luggage in our suites and started in our SUV for the ferry, early morning 8 AM. The darkness of the Northern Skies coupled with the shiny gleam that the ice cast all over, along with the early morning mist loaned a dramatically mystical look to the environs. I was, and I believe everyone else as well, was enjoying this panoramic effect that nature had cast upon itself in the wee hours.

8.30 AM PST - Notice The Light In The Sky Trying To Barge Out In The Background

Francois Lake Seen From Southbank

Ferry Maintenance And Docking Equipment

Mist Hangs On

We had a ample amount of time to sight-see before we boarded the ferry. As the sun was trying to sneak up the magical horizon; its light, which was changing from red to bright orange, was trying to do its own tricks on the placid waters of Lake Francois. Then there were some lovely low hanging clouds which seemed to garner a harmonious chord with the ever clicking cameras, seeming to make comrades alike, with the Sonys and the Canons. The next ferry to Francois Lake would arrive on Southbank and leave for Francois Lake at 9.40 AM.

Playing Games On Ice

Francois Forester, The Ferry

Our Group (The Folks n' The Vehicle) On The Ferry

The Hamlet Of Francois Lake

After completing the tour we got back to Burns Lake and checked out out of our hotel. Next to be visited was Babine Lake Provincial Park (Pendleton Bay). This is a fairly huge territory and to take a complete tour of it, you should set aside at least 2 days for the job. There are pretty good spots on the North Side of the Lake as well and some on the other corners. We did not have that much time so we went to Pendleton Bay. It has an active Lumberjack Community. The road to Pendleton Bay is quite narrow and was completely packed with snow. Caution had to be exercised while doing the corners, as there was little yet some traffic coming down South and a skid round the corner meant trouble for both bodies.

Back To Our Hotel In Burns Lake

Babine Lake Road

The Turning Towards Pembleton Bay

Thick Ice Slates Forcing A Shift To Low Manual Gears

As we neared the Park, the snow seemed to have been scooped off, thereby unraveling a thick transparent layer of ice underneath. There were fresh prints of heavy lumber Semis (trucks) leaving their tread on the ice. The descent was fairly steep with narrow winding turns. I had long ago shifted to manual and 4X4. To avoid skidding due to manual brakes, I shifted to first/second gear and let the vehicle do the descent. Despite this precaution the vehicle was skidding at speeds as slow as 5 to 10 KMPH. At this juncture all hell could break loose had even a 60 feet Semi appeared from the front. Without chains on I could have easily toppled the 3.5 Ton SUV down the slopes into the cold waters of the Babine Lake. After doing a short round of the narrow trails, I meticulously backed the car and parked it at a level skid free spot.

Our Group At Pendleton Bay (Babine Lake Provincial Park)

A Snap Of The Couple - Poonam And Kunal

Cold Waters Of Babine Lake

Far Corner Of The Pendleton Bay

We were so far doing pretty good on our pace of covering the various spots. Our next destination, and the final one for the day was Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park. This is further North West of Burns Lake near the town of Smithers, which is about 150 KM from Burns Lake. You go all the way up to Telkwa on HWY 16 and then turn further North on the Telkwa High Road and ride for another 18 KM for the park. While still on our way to Driftwood, we stopped at Hungry Hill Grizzly Mountain for a short rest. The clock would have read 2.30 PM Eastern Time, had I looked at my watch then. Deep down the ice filled ravine, we heard long roars which were unmistakably that of a Grizzly. This place has a history which is mentioned in one of the photographs after this paragraph. We did not stop for a long time there and scurried off after a short snack.

North West On Trans Canada Highway 16

The Hungry Hill Grizzlies

There Are Grizzlies Down There

Half an hour later we had crossed Telkwa and were well within the confines of the Driftwood Park. From here you start seeing the beautiful peaks of the Babine Mountains, which become more profound after you cross Smithers. and go towards Meziadin Junction.

Peaks Of Babine Mountains As Seen From Driftwood

Telkwa High Road

Further Into Driftwood Canyon Park

As soon as we hit the Driftwood Road, I turned the music on to maximum volume. The vehicle started to rock on three counts - the undulating road, the volume of the music and the people dancing to its tunes. A few favourite numbers did the rounds, and those were all big hits from the late 80s and the early 90s - Jo Jeeta Who Sikandar, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak being the chart busters.

Driftwood Canyon

One Of Three Narrow Bridges

The Second Bridge

L-R: Kunal, Somy Da, Anand, Self, Avneesh (Red)

Our Yukon

Me a.k.a. Rahul Rane

Love Birds Pair 1 - Pravesh and Avneesh

Love Birds Pair 2 - Poonam and Kunal

If You Want To Cross The Stream!

I had started growing weary of the 300 odd arduous kilometers I had driven on the day and desperately needed a stop. Smithers was a few kilometers away and we had a very late lunch, it was almost supper (5 PM Eastern Time). We filled up the SUV as well, at a nearby bunk.

Stewart was another 330 KM. The first 120 KM till Kitwanga would still be okay, as they would be on HWY-16, but after that 150 KM would be on a tough HWY-37 North and the last 60 KM through an excruciatingly narrow and avalanche prone Bear Pass. With thick flurries of snow blowing right into the windscreen and the road fully snow packed,. it was getting very painful to maintain course. So bad was the condition that the rare on coming vehicle could not be seen until it was a couple of feet away. Equally painful was to find the centre line and stick to your side of the road. I was using 4X4 and manual transmission and never let the vehicle go past the 4th gear (The Yukon is 6 geared). Maintaining healthy speed we reached Kitwanga and it was pitch dark there. The gas station was closed but I had to take a stop as my eyes were literally on fire concentrating on the road.

The Petro-Canada Gas Bunk In Kitwanga

From Kitwanga to Stewart it took another 3 and 1/2 hours. There were snow cleaning vehicles on the entire stretch of Bear Pass and I was always below 60 KMPH. The sight in Stewart however, was scary. Nothing was open and it was Christmas Evening. The fuel in tank had reduced to a trickle that would last another 150 KM at max and the Petrol bunk at Kitwanga was also closed. The Fuel Bunk in Stewart was closed as well. We tried calling the number that was posted on the Bunk's door, but no one answered. We were stranded here and after minutes of agony we were able to fetch The King Edward Hotel, which was also closed. There was a phone placed on the front door and we used it. The call was answered by a man who we came to know as Jim Hyslop, the owner of the Hotel. He was at his home that time but was kind enough to come over in his truck and give us rooms for the night. We felt so lucky. I give the credit in room finding to Anand Sastry.

Across the street from where the main building was, there were individual suites and we got three of them. It had been one heck of a day - 12 hours of continuous driving (excluding the stops we made) and lots of good spots covered. It was Jack time now and Somu Da gave me company.

The Suites Of King Edward Hotel, The Hamlet Of Stewart On The Alaskan Border

A Snap Of The Corridor - 10 PM Eastern Time

Somu Da And Me

Grand Daddy Of All SUVs - The GMC Yukon

Thick Trails Left In The Snow

The feeling which we got that time cannot be put into words. It was beyond elation. We were on the Alaskan Border and it had been great so far. We ventured out of the suite. Outside we could see the mountains in their icy gleam. Stewart is flanked by mountains on all sides. It was a wonderful night.

Stewart, Stewart and More Stewart (26-Dec-2011)

When I woke up this day I mentioned to Anand and Somu Da that if permitted and if provided with a Net Connection and a Phone, I could work from this place for another month. This was not possible and I was wondering if we could at least stay there for a day more. The plan that day was to see Stewart and get back to Prince George. As soon as I got ready, I came out of my suite. It was about quarter to nine, and the it looked as though night was descending. But I have always liked this dark aspect of these skies.

The Mountains Flanking Stewart, 8:45 AM

The North American Map - Somu Da Had Observed This At Night Itself

Our Ride - The Mammoth, Warming Up

One of our group accompanied me to the Gas Bunk, which was still closed and the person who was driving the Ice Cleaning Truck told us that it could open at 10 AM. Meanwhile Anand and the rest had gone in to check out of the hotel, which is when news poured in that there were possibilities of the Bear Pass being closed due to heavy snowfall. We had to see Stewart, so we hoped that the pass would remain open until we finished our tour.

One Of The Many Beautiful Houses in Stewart

It Had Snowed All Night Long

It Must Be Tough, Yet Fun To Stay In There

We packed up and started towards the Alaskan Border. The streets (well there is only one major street) in Stewart were lined with Christmas Decorations. As we did not have a US Visa, we could not enter Alaska. But we stopped just short of the Border on the inlet of Portland Canal. This was a very scenic site.

Right On The Alaskan Border

The Inlet Of The Portland Canal

While on our way back, we stopped at Quickee Mart, the Coffee Shop cum Grocery Store on 223 - 5 Ave (Glacier Highway). A beverage before starting the day was customary. The store was quite antique and was operated by an old Swiss Couple.

Quickee Mart

Me And Anand (R) Enjoying Coffee

Avneesh Pouring Out Coffee

The Coffee Shop As Seen From Outside

By then we were pretty sure that the Bear Pass would be closed, yet we decided to try our luck. Staying for even a few more hours would land our complete travel plan in jeopardy as we had to reach Calgary on the next day in affirmative. My mind on the other hand was constantly craving to stay for one more day in Stewart. The place was growing on my mind like anything. After a few kilometers of leaving Stewart what did we find? A Government Truck blocking the entry to Bear Pass. We asked the person when would the road be cleared. He was not sure himself and asked us to check the radio for updates.

The Entry To Bear Pass Being Shut

I knew of the fact that during such severe snowfall, the avalanche prone areas are cut off at both ends. The authorities then trigger a forced avalanche and clean it up. This way it is made sure that no one gets trapped under ice accidentally. We turned back to Stewart, and Jim, the owner of King Edward was kind enough to give us a room for the afternoon at no charge.

Christmas Goodies Conferred Upon Us At Quickee Mart

We cozied in the room, waiting for the pass to open up. A few of us went to the grocery store to get something to eat. While they were away at the store, we started to play small games to kill time. The folks did return in sometime and they returned with a huge bounty of Christmas goodies which people at the store had given them. The Pass did not open until evening, when we heard rumours that it had opened. So at 6 PM we left off again. As we steered out of Stewart a fresh spill of snow on the road caused a drag in the vehicle which pulled it so hard to the right that it got stuck in feet of snow. We tried desperately to pull the vehicle out, but it did not budge. Anand, Somu Da and Kunal started on foot to get help, while Avneesh and me tried frantically to remove the snow. It was snowing profusely and we had to regularly come into the vehicle to keep our body from freezing. We discovered later that the engine block had perched itself on a thick block of snow and no matter how hard we tried, it would be futile. The heat of the engine had melted the snow at first and the resulting slush had then traveled into the wheel arches and quickly frozen, thereby completely immobilizing the vehicle.

Our Vehicle Stuck In About 3-4 Feet Of Snow

We asked the ladies to stay inside the vehicle. Three Quarters of an hour into the lame exercise, which Avneesh and me had been performing, a car passed by. Two guys in their late twenties hopped down from the car to help us. They had a shovel and we tried hard but to no avail. One of them even tried to run our SUV out of the snow but it did not work.They also told us that the Pass was not yet open.

15 minutes later, help arrived in the form of Uncle George. How did he come? Well, our guys had gone to get help, and the lady who worked at Quickee Mart - Ronway, she asked her husband who happened to be Uncle George to help us out. He had a 4X4 Truck and we used his rope and his truck to salvage our vehicle - we tried a few times, but each time the rope snapped. He then went back to the village to get some chains and finally was able to pull us out. After 2 and a half hours of toiling in the snow when we got back to the hotel it was fun time. Anand had organized some beers and in some time Ronway and George arrived with loads of food for us. It was a lovely night despite our ordeal.

The Journey Back To Calgary (27 Dec 2011)

This morning we waited intently checking out the condition of the Pass and as soon as we came to know that it had opened, we started our journey back to Calgary. But before leaving, we went personally to meet each one of the people who had helped us - the Swiss Couple from Quickee Mart and Jim Hyslop, the owner of Kind Edward Hotel. Unfortunately we were not able to meet Ronway and George. We hope to make it to Stewart someday in summer again and meet with these people without whom the stay would have been brutal.

Bidding Adieu - At Quickee Mart

With Jim Hyslop, King Edward Hotel

We had liked Stewart a lot and it was with a heavy heart that we bid adieu to this place. After carefully navigating the Bear Pass we stopped at Meziadin Junction for some photos.

Mountains Flanking The Bear Pass

Just Before Meziadin Junction

Meziadin Junction

Shot Taken In Sepia

Our Group At The Junction

The night was spent at Prince George where we had a wholesome Indian meal at the same restaurant from where we had picked up food while traveling to Stewart. We reached Calgary on the night of 28th. It had been a long sweet trip (3690 KM covered on the Odometer).

Down South To The Yellowstone National Park - 07-Oct-2011

2012-03-04T20:19:00.002-07:00

Hello Friends! It feels great to pick up the virtual pen yet again. Yes! And this time it is with my new Thinkpad 520. Anand and me had been holding a US Visa and after our trip to Seattle had been wanting to explore our existence past the great environs of Canada. We both have a terrific ability to sneak beyond the definitions of maps to graze past the dominions of nature's behold - and this time it was the Yellowstone National Park in the United States. While Monojit was old to our legion, Soumya had joined anew and it would be his first long trip with us. This trip once again like the earlier ones was a runaway success with us smoking the wheels to the likes of 2640 kilometers.

Wild Bison Flocking - Yellowstone Park - Exotically Exquisite

6-Oct-2011

It all started on this day. As our trusted Rental Company, we picked up our SUV from the National Car Rental Agency on 10th Ave SW. We were provided with two options - A Jeep and A Hyundai Santa Fe. We had never driven a Santa Fe before and decided to go with it. That was not a wise decision as I later learnt. Sorry to the Hyundai fans sitting out there, but I do not have high regards for their vehicles and within 10 minutes of riding, I decided I could not drive it for the entire trip. Within minutes of me making the decision, I was glad to hear the same opinion coming from the passengers. It had a jittery suspension, an uncanny rattle, a bad tendency to understeer and worse still, a bad ride. After making our purchases for the trip that day which ran to almost half a grand, we parked the vehicle home only to change it the next day.

7-Oct-2011 - The Trip Commences
Distance Covered: ~520 KM
Route Map: Calgary, For MacLeod, Lethbridge, Coutts, Sweetgrass (Sunburst, USA), Great Falls (Montana)

Day 1 - Map

After running some errands and getting the vehicle exchanged for a Ford Edge during lunch, we wrapped up our office work on this Friday, and started for the US Border at Sweetgrass.The drive South to the US was on our much traversed route viz. HWY 2A. The US Border at Sweetgrass is about 340 KM from Calgary. About 200 KM short of reaching the US, we discovered that there would be Visa Complications for Monojit as he was not carrying his PR Card (discovered at the 11th hour), but we still decided to take a chance and drove on. We reached the Border amid some tense moments, and after a little commotion we finally were able to get into the US. The drive further South into the US was a pleasant one - Interstate HWY-15 was smooth and I was able to make the most of the manual shift on the vehicle with speeds averaging 80 MPH (~128 KMPH). Taking a pit stop for fuel and dinner in between, we drove 200 KM from the border to reach Great Falls (in the state of Montana) at midnight. The suite we took at the Holiday Inn was roomy and comfortable.

8-Oct-2011 - Entry Into Yellowstone
Distance Covered: ~700 KM
Route Map: Great Falls, Bozeman, Yellowstone West Entrance (All in the State of Montana),
Lower Geyser Basin (Fountain Paint Pots), Midway Geyser Basin (Excelsior Crater), Yellowstone South Entrance, Jackson Hole (All in the State of Wyoming)

Day 2 - Map

We were all geared up for the day's jaunt, well not exactly a jaunt but an elaborate thread of joyful riding across two states of the USA - Montana and Wyoming. We were able to push out of Great Falls by quarter to ten.

L-R: Soumya, Self and Anand

Driving down Interstate 15 took us through some of the most picturesque vast open stretches of Prairies, interspersed with lovely Hillocks all along the way. This was a tad different from the familiar Canadian Landscape, which is equally beautiful, but different in the sense that the land is less undulating, thereby exposing a vaster stretch of Mother Earth, making you feel that you can actually sense the earth's spheroidal nature.

South on I-15

Miles Of Scenery All Around

Having driven about 1/2 an hour on the IS-15, being treated with the miraculous spell of stunning beauty of Mother Nature all through, we decided to pull over the curb at one of the scenic spots. It was historical as well - The Saint Peter's Mission.

Anand @ The St. Peter's Mission

I must admit, the people who chose to earmark this spot must have been splendid in their senses to probe the most beautiful spots amongst an already 'Hungry-to-be-crowned' chain of locations. The hills rose just as much above, as to seem big, and yet allow a peek of a beautiful Truss structured bridge a few miles across.

The Bridge On Truss From The Viewpoint

L-R: Self and Monojit

One thing which I observed conspicuously was Soumya's passion for photography. The gentleman is good at his work with his Canon SLR, so much so that you have to pester him to get his image into the photographs, the ones which can be jointly called as Group Snaps. We stopped at just one Fuel Station before my foot hit the deceleration pedal at the I-90 Crossing. It was Coffee Time for some, Snack Time for the rest and both for those who love the concept of interjection.

Our SUV Being Refueled

The drive further South was pretty much the same, with beauty strewn around all nooks and corners. I could imagine the plight of the Judges in a Beauty Pageant at those junctures, when I put myself in their shoes, trying to judge which of those spots would give me the Album Cover for the trip.

Merging Into I-90

I was finally relieved of the responsibility of making this choice (well, at least for the time being) when a Dead End on the Highway made me (rather my GPS device) chose the IS-90 to the East. I was liking the way the Ford Edge was behaving to Gear Shifts and handling round the corners. Though still on the number side, this American car has risen beyond expectations to offer a smooth joyous ride.

While conversing on the technical jargon of how this Ford was better than the previous generations, which I believe must have been pretty boring to the listeners, I found a welcome respite - a beauty spot - The Bozeman Trail.

The Bozeman Trail

After a neat pit stop at the Trail, we proceeded with our journey. The mountains began to surface nearer as we approached Bozeman. As much as they did, they also brought the snow closer. Our rules of taking a pit stop asked us to stop by a lake.

Snow Beginning To Appear Nearing Bozeman

I could now make out the difference in terrain. Though avidly still flat, it had begun to offer more bends and all the same opportunity to me to test them with the manual stick. We had a long afternoon break at Bozeman. It served as a good replenishment for the vehicle and for me, the sole driver. Bozeman can be roughly equated to be half way between Great Falls and Jackson Hole, which would be our destination for the night.

Bozeman, MT

Our intention was to enter Yellowstone from the Western Gate, which is about 140 KM from Bozeman (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes). The road is marked by a significant reduction in speed as you approach the park, and also with vividness of flora and fauna that dot the entire geography, reassuring you that you have indeed entered the park. Our plan for the day was to traverse the Western Arm of the Park and find accommodation for the night. The sight of wild animals greeting the eyes in the all so wild environment was beginning to give me the feeling of being in a Safari.

A Bison Spotted In Between

With A Deer In The Background

The speed limit was 40 - 45 MPH at most places inside the park, and we were stopping at many spots to relish the beauty of the place. We entered the park by 4 PM. Somu Da (Soumya) and Anand had taken detailed maps of the place and we knew how to traverse the place. While driving down to the Geyser Basin, we stopped by at The Plateau of Fire. This place was once active with volcanic activity and there was a waterfall there.

Firehole Falls In The Plateau of Fire

The Sign Mark

Yellowstone West is famous in the world for its Hot Springs and Geysers. The area is huge and Geyser activity is spread across many locations. Driving further South we reached the first of the Geyser Spots - The Lower Geyser Basin. This is the starting point of the Geyser Basin. There are a few Hot Springs doting this area and from here you can see the steam rising from the numerous geysers of the Midway Geyser Basin. Upon entering this area, I immediately steered the vehicle to the Hot Spring to our right which had some subdued activity. It also looked like the Wild Bison was on the loose in this entire territory. It could be spotted almost everywhere in the park.

The First Hot Spring In The Lower Geyser Basin

Our Vehicle Parked Along The Curb

The Complete Group Next To The Second Hot Spring

A Close Up Of The Hot Spring Shown Above

A View Of The Geysers Near Fountain Paint Pots

After covering this first sport, we moved further down to The Lower Geyser Basin, which is a densely packed region of Hot Springs and Geysers. A 0.5 mile (0.8 KM) long boardwalk has been beautifully and meticulously placed in this area that threads through each one of the active spots. The area is pretty elaborate and you could spend hours at this spot. It was about quarter to 6 in the evening the the wind had begun to step up on its pace, bringing some skin-whipping chill along with it.

At The Beginning Of The 0.8 KM Boardwalk

A Non Oxygen Dependent Microbial Form Of Life Thriving On Heat And Sulphur

Deep Turquoise Coloured Hot Spring

Fountain Paint Pots - A Series Of Highly Active Low Exploding Geysers

Geyser Eruption In Progress

Another Highly Active Member Of The Paint Pots

You can smell sulphur all along the Boardwalk. Towards the Northern Edge, the region is marked by Geyser Eruptions going up to almost 5 meters. We continued to walk along the Boardwalk, our steps growing into strides, so as to enable us to cover the distance to our vehicle at the double. This was a clear indication of the wind gusts growing chillier.

Map Of Yellowstone - Western Arm Covered On The Second Day

After wrapping up with this place we started our travel further South to the Excelsior Crater. The difference between the geysers here and at other places is that the ones over here are very much larger in surface area than the others. Getting a feeling of being surrounded by Geysers and smoke is commonplace to the entire park, and this region was no different.

Hot Water Stream Near The Crater

Splendid Serenity - The Bridge Connecting Over To The Crater

The Excelsior Geyser Crater

It was 7 PM and had grown quite dark when we finished our tour of the Excelsior Crater and the surrounding geysers. Our target was to find some accommodation now. We wanted to stay within the confines of the park, as that would give a wonderful night time feeling. The nearest and furthest settlement down South was the Grant Village. But the only Hotel there was way too expensive, so much so that the option to travel 125 KM South to Jackson Hole worked out much cheaper. Exiting out of the South Entrance of the Park, we comfortably reached Jackson Hole and were able to get a nice hotel for the night.

9-Oct-2011
Total Distance Covered: ~ 400 KM
Route Map: Jackson Hole, Colter Bay, Yellowstone South Entrance, Jackson Lake Junction, Lewis Lake, Old Faithful, Gibbon Falls, Canyon Village (North Rim of Grand Canyon), Yellowstone East, Cody

Day 3 - Map

We were greeted by a wonderful fog-laden-misty-mountain-top in front of our hotel suite when we got up in the morning. The old wooden structures of the hotel added to the exotic blend of the already picturesque environs. After munching on a light breakfast we got ourselves ready to start our third leg of the tour.

The Hotel At Jackson Hole - Old And Elegant

Anand And Me

The Misty Mountain Top Adding To The Beauty

We were out of Jackson at quarter past 10. The drive North into Yellowstone was scenic and lined with multi-shaded tress exhibiting the colours of fall. 25 KM North of Jackson and an equal distance South of Colter Bay I came across this strange driver in a Mercedes ML-350, who I think, no believe, was purposely irritating me with his antics of completely slowing down and then suddenly increasing his speed when I tried to overtake. I have had a fair hand of my experience behind the wheel and know what some of the drivers can be up to.

The Mercedes ML-350 With A Nutty Driver

I am no hermit and I chose to participate in the fun. I stepped up on the gas and ran over the posted speed limit by a thick margin to overtake the guy. Now, I got the lead and gave the guy a taste of his own recipe. The game carried on until we reached the Southern gates of the Yellowstone Park.

The Southern Part Of The Park Flanked By Icy Mountain Ranges

South Yellowstone Entrance

After entering Yellowstone, we stopped by at a scenic spot to record some good colours on our cameras. The colours were striking, specially Orange and Yellow which were completely saturated in their tones.

Our First Stop Of The Day - Lovely Fall Colours

Nice To Enjoy Weather - Manageable With A Pullover

Amazing Beauty Studded Along The Way

A little further North we stopped again at the Jackson Lake Junction. This time the colours of the falls were blended with the icy mountain caps. It was another marvel of nature that we did not want to miss capturing in our cameras.

Jackson Hole Junction

Mixing Of Colours With White In The Backdrop

Yes, There Are Signs To Warn You Of Horses On The Road!

Our next stop was at the Colter Bay Center. This place is on the Eastern bank of Jackson Lake.

Colter Bay

Jackson Lake, The Stop After Colter Bay

Jackson Lake

We reached Lewis Lake at 1 PM. The area was far chillier than the ones we had visited earlier in the day. Fishing is allowed in the lake with permit.

Lewis Lake Marker

Snow Near The Lake

A Motor Boat

Lewis Lake Ramp

Anand and Somu Da

The major points that we wanted to cover on this day were the Old Faithful Geyser and the North Rim of Grand Canyon. About 30 minutes South of Old Faithful, while driving on the Western arm of the Park, we stopped by at a mini brook, which had been decorated with what I could contemplate as cobbles of packed snow.

30 Minutes South Of The Old Faithful Geyser - Snow Cobbles

Ramp To Old Faithful & Madison, Still Further North

Gotta Wait For The Geyser To Erupt

L-R: Somu Da and Me

I shifted into Neutral at 2:20 PM after having reached Old Faithful. This is one of the most famous Geysers of this Park and lies South of all the other Geyser Basins of the Park, though from this, you can see in the near distance, some of the Geysers and Hot Springs of the Upper Geyser Basin. There are patterns that have been observed, studied and applied to the eruptions of this great Geyser. This place also boasts of a wooden Boardwalk as most of the other spots in this Park. The difference being, that the walkway is placed much further apart from the craters, as the explosive activity of the Geysers here is much more powerful.

Old Faithful's Wooden Boardwalk

The Old Faithful

180 Degrees Opposite To The Above View

The Blue Star Spring

The Chinese Spring

L-R: Monojit And Me

Near The Observation Point

Connecting Bridge To The Observation Point

The tour of this place was over by 3:30 PM and we had become hungry tigers, ready to devour any food that was presented to us. So we set out on a food hunt, that took us to the Visitor's Center and then to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. I savoured the tasty Park Special Burger at the Grill.

Old Faithful Visit Center


Old Faithful Snow Lodge

We spent a considerable amount of time in the Gift Shop, where everybody picked up souvenirs. I picked up a sweatshirt, a colour changing coffee mug and 3 Silver Coins.

In The Freshly Purchased Merchandise

We pushed off from Old Faithful at 4:30 PM and headed North-West on the Western Arm of the Park to Gibbon Falls (Teton, WY). The distance is about 36 KM, and takes approximately 30 minutes if driven without stops. About 20 minutes from the start of our journey, we were stopped by a huge barricade of vehicles - mostly SUVs, a few cars and some RVs (Caravan In The Indian Context). It was was as though a whole convoy had stopped by for some important work, and the important work was not tough to be determined by onlookers like us - there was an entire generation of Wild Bison that had flocked the area, and why not? This is the place they get to boss around, at least they lead their lives peacefully in this secluded area, which we humans have had the courtesy to save from being deforested.

Herd Of Wild Bison - A Few KM South Of Gibbon Falls (Teton)

This Is My Land (Says The Bison) - There Are No Signals, And You Gotta Stop For Me!!!

See That Posted Limit? Now You (Vehicle Owners) Better Slow Down When You See Me

We opened the Sun Roof of our SUV to click some marvelous photos of these beasts. It was fun to watch the animals walk freely without fear with their fellow beings. The older and more masculine males who aptly fitted the Alpha category, had in particular, a certain air of haughtiness around them. They walked with a swagger - slow, yet purposely exhibiting an intent to throw their weight around to show dominance. After a long stop in our vehicle to watch the Bison, we reached Gibbon Falls at 5:20 PM.

Gibbon Falls, Teton, Wyoming

River In The Background

Observation Point For The Falls

The Falls

This was a refreshing place for me as I had been feeling sleepy after the hearty lunch. The cold and damp air was good enough to wear away the sleepiness. The next attraction on our agenda for the day was the "Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone". From Gibbon Falls, it is another 33 KM (30 minutes) to the West. There are two rims which serve as major attraction spots. As it was growing dark, we were able to cover only the North Rim on this day.

Our Guiding Markers

To The View Of The Canyon From The North Rim

At 6:15 PM, our vehicle was firmly parked on the North Rim Drive. The weather pattern here was just like any other Hill Town - warmer in the morning and steadily freezing as the sun went down the horizon.

Trail To The Lower Falls

Brutal Descent Of About 250 Meters To The Lower Falls

Yellowstone River Cutting The Canyon

The Trail Treacherously Continues Down

The Lower Falls - Seen From The North Rim

The Grand Canyon As Seen From Lower Falls

We completed our trek down the trail and came up after seeing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The trail was marked with deep descent and consumed lots of energy. This finished off the day's excursion list and we started from the Canyon at 7 PM. We made a brief fuel stop at a nearby Gas Bunk. There were two elderly ladies driving up from far South who wanted to go to Livingstone and had lost their track. They were looking for help and we pulled out our GPS and wrote down directions for them. This exercise over, we started East, 150 KM to a town called Cody in Wyoming. In between we stopped at a few spots to try out our night photography skills.

The Moon Captured In The Darkness

Buffalo Bill Reservoir At Night

Before descending into the plains, the road passes through the narrow, tough and winding bends presented by the Absaroka Mountain Range. The road is so very narrow and so steep, that you have to push into lower gear at all times during the descent. I liked this part of the journey very much. I was on the higher side of the meter, despite the posted speed and enjoyed the drive thoroughly.

We found refuge in the Best Western Hotel at Cody for the night. Monojit was searching for some good deals on electronics items and we also went around seeing some electronic stores.

10-Oct-2011
Distance Covered: ~350 KM
Route Map: Cody, Buffalo Bill Dam, Yellowstone East Entrance, Grand Canyon From South Rim Drive, South Rim Trail, Uncle Tom's Trail, Artists Point, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone North Entrance, Livingstone (Montana)

Day 4 - Map

Best Western Cody

Our Vehicle Parked In Front Of Our Suite

This would be our last day in the Park. After having breakfast in the hotel we left Cody at 11 AM. About 17 KM West of Cody is the Buffalo Bill Dam. It is built on the Shoshone River, construction of which started in 1905 and was completed in 1910.

Buffalo Bill Reservoir

The Winch Used To Pull Cables And Plug Balls

The Road Cuts Through The Tunnel

Ball Plug Documentation

Ball Plug Used To Control Water Flow

Before tackling the mighty Absaroka Mountain Range (which is a part of the US Rockies), we stopped by at a small road side scenic spot. Monojit got injured in an unfortunate incident of slipping from the car top at this place after which he remained subdued and docile in the rest of the trip.

Road Side Scenic Spot

Absaroka Mountain Range

Yellowstone East Entrance

The Sharp Bends Continue

Pit Stop At Sylvan Lake

Next Stop At Yellowstone Lake

Wildfires Consume Lot Of Forests - The Windy Conditions Act As Carriers

Icy Mountains Made The Wind Feel Like A Sharp Knife

After making Pit Stops At Sylvan Lake and Yellowstone Lake, we reached The Canyon Village at about 2 PM. We were going to see some more falls and a different and more holistic view of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim Drive. Anand and me hiked down the entire trail to the bottom of the Canyon using Uncle Tom's Trail. There is a mile long trek to the Artists Point as well, but we did it by car.

Upper Falls As Seen From South Rim Drive

We Did The First Two

Words Of Caution

Steep Descent

Lower Falls & The Lookout On The North Rim Side, Where We Were The Previous Day

Lower Falls

After getting back to the top, we boarded our car to Artists Point. The hike to Artists Point must have been pretty scenic but we did not have the time.

Artist Point

Grand Canyon From The Artist Point

At 4 PM we started for our next destination - The Mammoth Hot Springs. The GPS would have taken us through the North-Western Arm of Yellowknife, but we decided to traverse the much longer North-Eastern arm, which was much more picturesque. There were a few stops we made in between, some at marked scenic spots, and the others at our will. The first one was about 20 minutes from the start of our journey., where the road, after negotiating a few kilometers of bends opened up sight unto the far seeing slope of the hills.

Wood Replaces The Culverts

The Slope Undulates Evenly Into The Valley

Parked The Vehicle Just To The Left (Right If Seen From Here) After Negotiating The Curve

20 minutes further North, we stopped by at quite an attractive place. This was very near to the Tower Fall. The road was very narrow here, the left side of which was being overlooked by a flat high cliff, made of columnar basalt.

Columnar Basalt Near Tower Fall

And only a few minutes North of this place, there is a beautiful lookout from the Speciman Ridge that gives a nice view of the Yellowstone Canyon.

Near Speciman Ridge, Yellowstone Canyon

Yellowstone Canyon

The River Cutting Through The Canyon

Wooden Railings

The Trail Has Been Made Into An Arch Type Structure

After this point, the road reaches the plains yet again and the posted speed limit rises up than in the curvaceous hills. It must have been a perfect moment for us, as the land mass surrounding the road started to grow a bit higher in level than the road itself, and at the same time it seemed to merge into the horizon. At this juncture the clouds seemed to have strayed down into the lowlands and they cast a lovely purple spell on the colour specifications of the sky. I immediately parked the SUV in whatever small space I could find on the no-shoulder road, taking care that there was enough room for passing cars and scurried a few hundred meters back. The snaps below were captured by me on my DSC-H7 at this spot.

Purple Skies Falling Down On The Horizon

Looks As Though The Earth Is Touch The Sky

We reached Mammoth Hot Springs after sunset. It must have easily been 6 in the evening. Apart from Monojit, who was perturbed with his fall the previous day, the rest of us scanned the area pretty neat.

Liberty Cap, Mammoth Hot Springs

Hot Spring Terraces

From Atop The Terrace

At quarter to 7, we were out of Yellowstone, taking the Northern Entrance as the exit. We stopped at Livingstone, Montana which is about 100 KM from Mammoth Hot Springs for the night.

Exiting The Park

11-Oct-2011
Distance Covered: ~800 KM
Route: Livingstone, Coutts (US-Canada Border), Calgary

This was the last day of the trip. It was a long drive with many pits stops.

Random Snap - Last Day

Just Hitting The Pedal To Reach Canada Soon

Back To Wild Rose Country

Home On Wheels - Our First RV Trip (2Sep - 5Sep)

2011-10-01T10:32:00.003-06:00

Yippee! Here came the 5th of Sept, 2011 (A stat holiday in Canada for Labour Day) and along with it rode in a long dream that finally came true for me. I have always dreamt of driving large vehicles and I got to drive a 32 feet RV (caravan) during this trip. The idea of going in an RV for a camping trip had been bearing seed since February 2011, but we had been unable to make it that time. For this trip, we booked our RV from Canadream, an RV renting company in North East Calgary. We were pretty excited about the whole thing as this would be our first camping trip in an RV.

Wood Lake Terrace Campground, Wood Lake, British Columbia

Taking Stock

Two days prior to the trip we had rented a Nissan Sentra to buy goods and commodities for the trip. While an RV lends you loads of fun, in that you have a complete moving motor home, and you can camp at the most exotic sites, it also steals the flexibility of driving in town, parking in narrow streets, stopping by at food joints that do not have spots for RV parking and the like. So for the next four days, we would be on our own and would have to have enough ration to last that long. As this was the first time I would be driving such a mammoth, I had a bubbly feeling running down my thoughts, of which the major share was that of excitement, and the remaining minority was minced with a pinch of contemplation. So we first went to see how our RV would look like and thus drove straight to the RV rental place at 2510 - 27 Street NE.

From Our Apartment In Downtown Calgary To The
RV Rental Location: 2510 - 27 Street NE

That evening, the rush hour traffic in Downtown Calgary was not only lethal but also posed as potential killer to thwart our dreams of making it to the Rental place which closes at 6 in the evening. Slithering past Downtown at a snail's pace, we somehow were able to pull in there just a few minutes before it closed for the day. The garage technician was kind enough to show us around some RVs - different ones of different sizes. There are, in general two categories of RVs -

a. The whole bodied ones - where the driver's chamber and the rear living place is one unit
b. The ones that are towed - where the living room is towed by a truck or SUV

And among the two, there are several types again, depending on the amount of people each one can accommodate. We had taken the largest one - a 32 feet RV that could accommodate 6 people at minimum and 8 at max. We were completely on our toes and were too excited to see how the insides of the different RVs looked like. After the Rental Place closed, we drove further North to purchase the much needed groceries. That day we bought worth 350 dollars of groceries and other necessities for the trip. The boot of the car was completely full when we got back.

Sept 02, The Day We Actually Took The RV -

Sept 02, 2011, we were all set to go. Anand had called up the Rental folks in the morning, and the RV was supposed to be ready by 12 PM. We finished off office work, booked a taxi and reached Canadream at 1 PM. The plan was to get back to our Apartment in Downtown, have the RV loaded, and leave Calgary by 2.30 PM. The formalities took some time at the front desk, where the agent took us through numerous scrolls of papers, explaining to us the rules. After that when we went to the backyard to do a walkover for damage inspection, we were disappointed to see that we were being given a 26 feet RV, which was 5 years old and was not much fun on the interiors. Bargaining for another RV took us a lot more time and it was 5 PM by the time all formalities were closed. This included a session on operating the various mechanisms in the vehicle - propane, generator, sewage, water and others. This RV that we got was a new one - totally fresh from the inside, it felt like a 5 star hotel moving on wheels.

Some Technical Details For The Driving Enthusiasts

There are a lot of differences when you drive a car and a 32 feet truck. The first one is that you have to make wider turns. Being a long bodied vehicle, the rear oversteers in comparison to the front. In laymen terminology, if you want to make a right on a corner, you have to drive a couple of feet further from the curb and then steer right. Another difference comes when changing lanes - the blind spots are much larger in such a massive vehicle than the smaller cars. The two rear view mirrors do help in eliminating some of this problem. So you got to be very careful when changing lanes. Then there is the reversing exercise, which is by far the toughest one I found on these mammoth sized beasts. Also when driving on a freeway, there is a considerable roll that the vehicle has around corners. You feel the weight of the vehicle come onto one of the front wheels and that the vehicle may topple if pushed too hard.

Our vehicle was equipped with a Ford E-450 6.8-liter, V-10 engine. This engine is tuned for higher torque (than power as you will see below) due to the huge load it is meant to tow. The engine develops 305 BHP (break-horsepower) at 4,250 RPM and 440 lb-ft (pound foot) of torque at 1,600 RPM. This converted to the metric world translates to a massive 600 Newton Metres of raw torque available on the wheels. The vehicle would weigh about 6 - 7 tonnes.

There is a Tow Haul selector mode, which most of the ladder on frame SUV drivers would be aware of. The rental guys had advised us to drive the vehicle in this mode. What it internally does is, that it runs the locks the differential in the lower gears, thereby increasing the RPM. This way you have to apply the brakes lesser on the slopes. It is important to have the brakes as less heated as possible to avoid brake shoe burnout, that can eventually lead to brake failure. While I got adjusted to the vehicle for the initial 30 minutes, I drove the vehicle in the Tow Haul mode. But I found this mode too rough and jerky on the transmission. So I chose to drive in the manual mode rather, which allowed for much smoother gear transitions, while achieving the same braking effect on the engine.

The departure from the RV Centre was met with a loud applause and an exclamation of elation. I slowly began the journey towards Downtown. It was a different feeling altogether - a feeling of achievement. We first stopped on 4th Ave at London House to pick up Charan and his and Ashok's luggage. Thereafter we came to the back alley of our apartment on 7th Avenue. While the RV laid there parked, we had a host of visitors who were amused with the vehicle and each one of them came in to see how the vehicle was.

And The Trip Commences

It took some time to get the vehicle completely loaded with all the stuff that we had bought. We left Calgary at 7 PM and headed West on the Trans-Canada Highway. The earlier plan was to go to Golden, British Columbia that same day. But now as we were quite behind schedule, it was decided to drive to Radium Hot Springs and take up a campground there. Radium has been on our radar on our past few trips and it generally takes about 3 and a half hours to get there (which translates to 260 KM). We were expecting more time in the RV, but the RV was doing quite well on the highway. The drive on HWY-1 was almost as fabulous as it is each time. There were patches with rain, which made driving a little tough, but the sight itself, a pleasing one.

Trans Canada Highway-1 West

Patches Of Rain Making The Sky A Prism

Folks Relaxing At The Back

The Moon - A Peculiar Crescent, Trying To Sneak Up The Majestic Rockies

The drive was turning out to be an amazing one. Once you branch off from HWY-1 to go South on AB-93, you embrace the mighty Rockie in all their grandeur. The curves become narrower and the slopes steeper. It is here that taming the beast turns from being a skill to an art. Crunching miles on the highway, we reached the village of Radium Hot Springs by 10 PM. The entry into Radium is characterized by an extremely narrow path that winds through the Rockies that have been cut to pave the way. We stopped at the first Gas Station (Petrol Bunk) and here I realized how tough it was to maneuver the vehicle in tight spots.


Our RV At The Petro-Canada Gas Bunk In The Village Of Radium Hot Springs, BC

We stopped at the gas bunk for some time, while I got refreshed and shook some tiredness of my knees. It was late and we desperately wanted to get ourselves an RV Spot. While you can still get a campground secured at the last minute without having to make a booking in advance, it is a little difficult to find an RV spot during the peak season. The Canyon RV Ground is where we headed to. It has a total of 108 camping spots. The place is massive. It is carved out into the thickest of the coniferous forests of the Kootenay National Park. If I remember correctly, there are 8 divisions in the park named alphabetically from A-H. Divisions E-H are proper RV spots, in that they provide sewage disposal, water charging and electrical facilities on each one of the sites. Every division roughly has 15 spots each. We ventured from spot to spot in the divisions E-H, but every spot was occupied. We thus were forced to look in the lower divisions: A-D. There were quite a few spots available there and we chose C3 after surveying the complete area. The trails in the jungle are constricted and driving on these, you need to be cautious, especially while reversing.

Food Getting Ready In-House

The feeling which I got when I finally parked the RV in our chosen spot, it was unbelievable.The guys immediately got into cooking mode. Since we did not have an electric source, we had to turn on our RV's generator. There are various mechanisms working in the RV in conjunction and care has to be taken to operate them. It is mandatory to turn off some of the equipment during specific operations viz. refueling, filling the water tanks etc. Likewise, at most RV spots and in most of the campgrounds, there is a cut off time after which you are not supposed to keep your generator running, which we were not aware of, and so the Park Warden pulled up beside us and advised us to shut our generator down. We happily obliged. The RV battery is strong enough to run the AC and the lights the whole night, and with a full propane tank, you have enough juice to satiate your eating desires for up to a week. We had some of the finest cuisines made that night. There was a long round of talks alongside the food and the folks got quite late to hit the bed.


12:13 PM, Sep 03 - We Parked The RV For Emptying The Sewer And Filling Water

Late to bed and late to rise is what people enjoy in such laid back trips. There was no rush to visit different spots, all we wanted to do is camp, and thus everyone took their own time to get ready for the day ahead. Our plan that day was to ride to The Kekuli Bay Provincial Park, Vernon, BC. We had been to this place in April 2010 and knew about the mesmerising environs of the place. We had paid for one day's services at the campground at Canyon and had to vacate by 11 AM lest we got charged for another day. But as history had it, we went well beyond that time.

Adjusting The Vehicle To Properly Align The Water Hose - Canyon Campground

The facility had a neat and elaborate arrangement for the restroom area. There was a minute hint of a little chill in the air that morning and the hot shower was able to mask that very well. As we had done an overnight parking, we had to do the registration process in the morning. Monojit and Anand had gone to do that and by the time they came back I was up and running. We had to clean up the sewer tanks and refill the RV with water for that day. So we left the folks at our campsite to get ready, while Monojit, Anand and myself left for the common area to take care of the filling and emptying routine of the vehicle.

Way To Our Campsite - Slot # 3 in Area # C

While we drove back to our designated spot, we noticed how different the campground looked in the morning. It was a lovely feeling to be marooned in a huge forest surrounded by mountains on all sides. The folks were ready when we got back. It was cooking time again, and an elaborate one. The chefs prepared the ingredients while the rest helped in slicing the vegetables, marinating the food and the like.

The Retractable Portion Jutting Out - Makes For Extra Room For The Foldable Beds Inside

While the meals were getting ready, we were charting out the next leg of our journey. Some of the folks had not been to the village of Radium earlier. So it was decided that we would drive up there, have our lunch, and the folks could visit the Hot Springs. We wanted to make it before sunset to Vernon so we decided not to take a dip in the hot pools. We pushed out of the campground by 1.30 PM and headed to Radium.

Exiting From The Canyon Campground

The Village Of Radium

On The Way To The Hot Springs

Steep Incline Cutting Through The Rocky Mountains

The ride from the village of Radium to the Hot Springs is marked by a characteristic steep incline and a recklessly narrow road that has been cut across the thickets of mountain rock. After parking in designated RV slot near the Hot Springs, Monojit, Anand and myself waited in the RV, and chatted, while the other folks visited the pools and came back. We had a hearty lunch after that.

Radium To Vernon - 400 KM

Our next destination was The Kekuli Bay Provincial Park, which is about 12 KM from the town of Vernon. Vernon itself is 400 KM from Radium. This time, Ashok was also a driver in the team as opposed to the other trips, where I am the sole driver. After lunch I was feeling sleepy and felt good to have my driving load shared by Ashok. I sat on the back sofa, strapped myself with the seat belt and got engaged with my camera. The drive through BC is one of the best I have seen till date and I spent quite some time taking pictures.


L-R: Nilesh,Charan, Monojit (co-driver's seat) And Anand

Some Beautiful Country House

Another Lovely Scene - Serene Mountains With Open Fields

No, Not An Advertisement Of Bottled Water

Taken At Speed, Still Came Nice

A Little Bit Of Flat Ground

The Beauty Just Does Not Stop Coming

Fulfilled The Dream Of Staying in Such A Place

This Is What Makes It Even More Enticing - The Rail Track

Heavy Duty Diesel Doing The Rounds

Snow Studded Rockies

The Drive Gets Even More Beutiful

The Moon Coming Up The Sky

We stopped midway at Canyon Hot Springs which is roughly 220 KM from Radium. The break was meant for the driver to take a little rest. Everyone woke up from a deep slumber at this place.

Canyon Hot Springs. L-R: Anand, Charan And Me

The Mountain Overlooking Canyon Hot Springs

Our RV

The Resort

We left Canyon Hot Springs by quarter to six. Vernon was still about 200 odd KM South West. The scenery was getting wilder and the camera clicks were coming by faster.

Near A Town in British Columbia

This Snap Would Have Come Better Had It Been Taken From Outside Of The RV

Taken From The Bedroom Of The RV

British Columbia Is Full Of Lakes

At 7 PM we stopped by at a rest area near a lake. The guys went in to dip their feet inside it. We strolled along the fine sand beach on the lake for some time. We were still some 60 KM away from Vernon and I took over the wheel for the last few kilometers.

On The Lakefront

The Guys Having Fun In The Lake

We stopped again, shortly after the lake stopover - this time to fill gas. I was not very surprised to see that the vehicle was yielding a paltry 3.4 KM to a liter of gas. It was already dark when we entered Vernon. It was heartbreaking for me, as I wanted to get a campsite by evening at least that day. Kekuli Bay was on our charts. The campground there has a majestic view overlooking The Arrow Lake. We entered the campground to find that it was fully occupied not only for that day but for the next couple of days. Thereafter we embarked on a mission to find a good campground and we checked out each and every spot in and around Vernon, but each one of them was full.

Finally Got A Spot For The Night Besides A Lake

Parked In A Narrow Spot

We were almost about to give up, when near midnight, we found ourselves an RV spot, it was more like a parking lot for RVs, but it had restroom facilities and was on the banks of a grand lake. So we decided to pull over for the night. Though the spot was a small one, it did have all facilities that an RV would need - water, electricity and sewage disposal. Though we were not too excited about this spot, it was definitely a relief to have a spot rather than not having any. Rest of the night was spent cooking and chatting.

The Otherwise Congested Spot Looked Lovely In The Morning

Waking up time was no different this day than the earlier one. The morning highlighted the fine landscape that usually surrounds a water body in British Columbia. But that was not enough to make us stick to the spot. While a few among us wanted to stay there for the remaining journey, the majority was not at all convinced to stay there. After a lot of arguments, it was finally decided that we would move on and find another spot.

Peach Plantation Near Vernon, BC

Almost Ripe Peaches

Bought Two Baskets Of Peaches From The Farmer

We scrambled through the list of nearby RV spots on our mobile devices. It was decided that we would camp at Wood Lake for the rest of our trip. This place is a very small spot near a lake called, well, Wood Lake. It is about 25 KM from the town of Vernon and is adjoining Kekuli Bay Provincial Park, which itself overlooks the Arrow Lake. While on the way we were misled by the GPS to a remote interior place atop a hill. But this gesture of the GPS was a blessing in disguise for us, as we were able to visit a local farmer's peach and apple plantation there.

The Wood Lake Campground Office

We had to call up the Wood Lake office to find the directions to the place as we were not going anywhere with the GPS. The place was just near the highway. Narrow trails led up the mountain to the various camping spots that were neatly placed in the woods like leaves on a tree - ascending structures that give a lovely wide angled view of the lake. This was the place we always wanted to be. This was our fruit. We decided we would stay there for the rest of our trip.

Our RV Finally Anchored Firm

While the RV was still idling and parked atop a dangerously narrow and steep trail, we decided the spot which we would like to camp on. After selection of the spot we had a tough exercise to bring the RV to the parking spot. There were nested trails, and it was very tough indeed to park the RV as you see it in the photograph. We had to drive all the way up come back down the other side, pull up a little further then perform some flaky maneuvers, that tilted the vehicle almost to the point of falling. Anyway, we were all set by 1.30 PM.

View Of The Lake From Our Campsite

A Zoomed In View Of The Lake

Another One

Layout Of The Campground

Next in line was cooking. This meal, like all the past ones on this trip, was indeed hearty. After that I slept off like a log and some folks went to take a stroll down the lake.

Our RV Spot

A Close Up Snap - In The Evening

In the evening, the guys came back from their stroll and woke us up. The evening air was fresh and we could smell the pine in the air. It was amazing. We drove down a few KM North to pick up some beer for the evening.

The Log - To Serve As Firewood Later

The Lake In The Evening

Before Starting The Bonfire

Dusk had started to set in when we came back and twilight cast a conversational spell on each and every mind. The time was just ripe for a campfire. The caretaker of the camp was an old lady. She had come to help us with lighting the fire and was successful very early. We had bought a few pieces of wood from the campground. But figuring out that the same would not be sufficient to sustain the fire for long, we start to toil hard at making fire from the log we had. The piece was wet from within and would not catch fire that easily. One French guy who was camping at a nearby site offered to help with cutting the wood. Finally he gave up. He had some extra wood which he offered. After that we tried many hands at cutting the thick log.

Monojit Working On The Log

Now It Is My Turn To Toil

Kindled The Flame

Night Photography Can Be Real Fun With A Tripod

Caught The Lake On The Lens As It Got Darker

Group Snap - The Moon Over Our Heads

The Uncanny Mystical Moon

Perfect Environs

Do We See People Dancing?

The Flames Go On

Making Use Of My Tripod

Then it was time to use the grill. Monojit and Anand had marinated fish. With a little trial and error we were able to figure out the correct way to cook it. The fish got cooked pretty soon and we tried it out. The spice had caught on unbelievably well onto the delicacy and the recipe was mouth watering. We did quite a few more rounds of fish.

Anand And Monojit Marinating The Fish

Time To Grill

We had put some lovely Hindi music inside the vehicle. The speakers were loud enough to summon even our neighbours. So we had to smoothen the volume a bit, just as much as could reach our ears. After dinner, some of the guys went for a short walk, while we got oursleves busy with the wet wooden log. We found a way to burn it. It was kept in the fire and periodically rotated to bring the blackened side up. This was then struck repeatedly to remove the burnt cover, revealing the inside, which was then able to glaze itself. We passed time by doing this activity for some time. I spent some more time taking still photos in the night. A little after midnight, everyone was fast asleep.

8:10 AM (7:10 BC Time) - 5th Sept 2011

Wood Lake - Beautiful Memory To Last Forever

Land Of Rising Sun - He He

The next morning we all got up pretty early, may be because we had slept earlier by our standards. The sight that met our eyes was something very pleasing. A thin blanket of mist had built up over the lake's surface. It stayed there suspended, as if it had been hung from up above with an invisible thread. There was a little amount of coldness in the air, and I coming out of my RV, parked on the hill, gazed in awe. In 5 minutes I rushed back in and came running out with my camera to capture the beautiful moment.

Preparation For Breakfast

Other folks started to wake up soon after me. Breakfast was the next stop, and the chefs got to it in their own style. It was laid out on the camping table in an elaborate fashion and we had it outdoor style, the sunny way. And then it was argument time again. The bone of contention - whether to head back to Calgary or to visit a winery. While most of us unanimously voted to head back, Nilesh wanted to visit a winery. And what more, it turned out that he had woken up earlier than anyone of us and had called and booked a tour with the "Gray Monk Estate Winery".

A: Wood Lake & B: Lake Country (Gray Monk Estate Winery)

On The Way To Lake Country

RV Parking At The Gray Monk Winery

Gray Monk Winery - Main Block

The 4th Largest Winery in Canada

Okanagon Lake

The Gray Monk Winery is located in Lake Country, British Columbia which is about 9 KM from Wood Lake. There was a scheduled tour of the winery at 12 PM Pacific Time. We bid adieu to our home for one day - Wood Lake and started towards Lake Country. It took us about 20 minutes to reach our destination. Gray Monk is the 4th largest winery in Canada, the first one being Mission Hill Estate Winery, which is located further South in the town of Kelowna, British Columbia. We had been to Mission Hill in April 2010. Gray Monk is located in a picturesque spot overlooking the Okanagon Lake. The estate itself is spread over 100 acres and was founded in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss. Story has it that their parents had come from Europe and bought some land near the place on which the Winery stands today. George and Trudy fell in love in their youth and decided to marry. At one point after they started making wine, they even went bankrupt, but came back resurgent, to shape the winery in the form as it is today.

The Vineyards As Seen From The Balcony Of The Gray Monk Winery

Okanagon Lake

Nice And Sunny Is What The Flowers And Humans Adore Alike


The Complete Group. L-R: Nilesh, Ashok, Me, Charan, Monojit And Anand

Stairs Leading To The Oak Storage Cellar

The main building consists of various floors dedicated to specific purposes. The one on the ground floor has wine exhibits and offers wines on sale. Just outside of this is a large balcony from where you can see all grape plantations, popularly called vineyards. We moved around, carefully studying the wine exhibits. Some of the finest wine was also on the rounds for sampling. At 12 PM sharp, the tour lady called us to the balcony. So we gathered there, a group of about 25 people from all over the world - Belgium, Holland, Eastern Europe, Japan, Australia and us, from India. The tour lady began by introducing herself and then went around the circle that had formed around her. Each one of us gave a short introduction and then she she started with the winery's history.

Oak Casks In The Cellar - Wine Storage For Aging The Wine

Always Have Wanted To Take This Snap

Charan. In The Background Wine Making Equipment

Tappets

One Barrel Has So Much Wine That Can Last A Person Drinking One Bottle Everyday For 3 Lives

Bottling Machinery

We were then ushered into the cellar where the wine was stored in Oak casks. She explained to us how they age the wine by continuously shifting the wine from cask to cask over the years. She took us around in the basement into various rooms that contained different equipment used to make wine. It should be noted that each category of wine is made from a different variety of grape. And the kind of grape that grows in a region is very specific to that region. Grapes, like crocodiles, are highly territorial.

After Completion Of The Tour Of The Winery

Charn and Me

Grapes Are Highly Territorial Like Crocodiles

The Drive To The Winery - Okanagon Lake In The Far

The tour lasted about 45 minutes, after which we came outside. While we came back to our vehicle to commence our trip to Calgary, the rest of the crowd went back to the building, probably to buy wine. The tour surely had sparked off the buying instincts of the visitors.

Map: Lake Country To Calgary

Pine Forests

The Narrow Winding Road

We started our journey to Calgary at 1 PM Pacific Time. There were 586 KM to be covered in all. Ashok was on the wheels. On our way back, at about 4.30 PM Mountain Time, we halted at the historic spot, South of the town of Revelstoke, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. This spot, as it is said, welded the rail line link between the East and the West. There is a historical Western movie called the Canadian Pacific, produced in the year 1949 which beautifully narrates the story of how the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through the mighty Rocky Mountains. It is also worth thinking how the Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in shaping the history of Canada.

A Painting Depicting The Driving Of The Last Spike

British Columbia Would Have Been A Separate Country Had The Last Spike Not Been Driven

Monojit Enacting 'Driving The Last Spike'

On A Wooden Bridge

They've Got 100s Of These Coaches Placed On Display All Over Canada

I took over the wheels a little before the town of Golden, BC. There was a heavy traffic jam on the highway that time and it took almost 1.5 hours for it to clear off. There was a coffee and fuel stop made enroute and then it was a long drive back home.

1.5 Hours Of Traffic Jam. All Traffic Going North Was Brought To A Complete Standstill

Some Lovely Colours Saturating The Horizon

Coffee And Fuel Stop - 8:30 PM, 5-Sept-2011

By the time we found a dumping ground to clear the tanks of the RV and got back home it was 2 AM (6th of Sept), and by the time we dropped the RV and got back to bed it was 4. The verdict? What more can I say - This trip was another feather in the cap for us. When it comes to exploring and doing the wildest of things, we do it the best.

Sylvan Lake - 18-Jun-2011

2011-07-24T15:19:00.005-06:00


The Light House At Sylvan Lake, Alberta

After going on a shopping spree yet another time, this time again at the Crossiron Mills Mall, Rocky View, on the 17th of Jun, our vehicle was idle on the 18th. We pulled out our search results on the internet and decided to go to Sylvan Lake, Alberta. This place is 170 KM North of Calgary on The Deerfoot Trail. It is near the town of Red Deer. However, instead of taking the exit to Red Deer, you take the exit to Stettler/Rocky Mountain House. You then keep going West on AB-11 instead of going East to Stettler.

The Tour Map - Calgary (A) and Sylvan Lake (B)

The drive was a very rewarding one for me, kind courtesy the vehicle we had rented. It was a Chevy Traverse, a bull, which I had tamed an year ago during our Vancouver Trip. The weather was partly cloudy when we started but later on, on the highway, it started to drizzle. There is a word of caution which I would like to give to people who take the Deerfoot Trail North, which is, if you have to have coffee, better have it at Airdrie. Because after that, though markers on the exits prompt you to take the ramp, you will hardly find a coffee shop nearby, and would have to take longer detours to offshoot places. I have learnt it the hard way and now I ask the group, for their coffee needs, well before we reach Airdrie, and if anyone demands a stop after Airdrie, I do not oblige until we reach Red Deer.

One such moral learning lesson occurred during this trip as well, and I swore to myself, that I would stick to my plan of either Airdrie or Red Deer as coffee exits, on all of my future trips that would use HWY-2N. And while I was still taking my last lesson on one of those bluff exits during this trip, we passed by some lovely looking fields, where we stopped. It was worth stopping because I liked the photos that we took there.

Stopped By For Some Snaps At This Place Enroute

Rahul and Soumya - Green Fields In The Background

Me (L) and Soumya (R)

Rahul (Squared) - I Am On The Right

Our Rented Vehicle - A Chevrolet Traverse

Though the weather was not exactly what we had wanted it to be, nevertheless, it complimented the landscape and added a blend of exoticism to the overall picture. The next stop was somewhere in Red Deer, and it had to be a coffee stop. Many among us try to cut down our calorie intake each day, but all that effort is thwarted when you get into a coffee shop. What was being ordered - big cups of French Vanilla, Calorie-Laden Ice Coffee, Tim Bits among others. But it was a much refreshing stop.

Tim Horton's Coffee Shop In Red Deer, Alberta

When we came out of Tim Horton's, it started to rain cats and dogs. The rain splashing on the windshield was so thick that visibility was a major issue. We reached Sylvan Lake in about 30 minutes. What a beautiful town it is. Majority of the buildings in this town are based on the waterfront. The little coffee houses, the lovely restaurants and the houses, all line up cozily along the narrow road that snakes through the small town, and this makes for a perfect view.

We drove on the road all along the lakeside for some time. It would have been an even better experience, had the rain not played spoil sport. The lighthouse on the far end of the town looked very cute amid the various boats that were anchored inside the pier. We parked the vehicle in the parking lot that enclosed the pier. And though it was pouring from the skies like anything, we managed to sneak out of the car. I hate that feeling of rain trying to blot inside my clothes, it is pathetic, and that's what I was feeling at that time. And to top it all, I had to specially train my hands on the camera lens, lest I wanted it to be spoiled. There were quite a few snaps taken on the boardwalk and then some near the lighthouse.

On The Boardwalk

Monojit, Rahul and Soumya

Monojit, Rahul, Avneesh and Me

With The Boats

Anand

Me And The Lighthouse

It Was Tough To click Photos While Shielding The Lens From The Rain

Soumya

Probably A Speed Boat

Monojit (dada)

Rahul

Shot This On Our Way Back

We wanted to hunt down a coffee shop on the lakefront and spend some time there. In our group, Avneesh and myself, we both are staunch fans of the different culture that is associated with the different types of coffee shops. We have visited some very old shops in British Columbia during one of our trips there in November, 2010. What could have been a better experience than to have coffee on a wooden sitout on the lake. But the shops seemed to be closed at the moment for one, and for the other, we would have easily missed any open shop due to poor visibility. So the only option with us was to take coffee from a gas station when we stopped to fuel up. The streaks of disappointment could easily be seen on our faces

Though this trip was a little too short, chances are, that we shall be visiting this place again, soon, and it might as well be a night halt.

TheTommy Hilfiger Trip - Bassano Dam and Blackfoot Crossing - 04-Jun-2011

2011-07-23T01:09:00.001-06:00

I have been finally able to devote some time to my writeups, and my blog can now manage to catch pace with my travels. This post is based on the trip we made to Bassano Dam and Blackfoot Crossing, both in the province of Alberta. It was a one day trip which was made on the 4th of Jun, 2011. This time we had a new addition to our crew - Rahul. He had visited us for a short duration and it was good to have him on our tours. The reason this time, for renting a car was the same - weekend purchases to last for the week and also to take Rahul around for making purchases before he left. But as trend has it now, it is customary for us to take the car out on the next day of the rental.


At An Indian Reserve, Some 40 Kilometres East Of Bassano Village L-R: Rahul, Monojit, Me And Avneesh

I do not exactly recollect how we stumbled upon this place, but we did, and I am glad that we did. The rental car this time was a 2011 Chrysler 300C and it had been picked up on the 3rd, which is the previous day from our favourite renter - National. One thing which we did on the 3rd and which is conspicuously visible in the snaps is posing as brand ambassadors for a range of Tommy Hilfiger apparel. The snap just before the start of this paragraph is one which features all of us, even the photographer - Anand, is in a Tommy outfit. These purchases were made at the Crossiron Mills, which is located in Rocky View, about 30 kilometres North of Calgary on the Deerfoot Trail (Queen Elizabeth Highway). And just for the record, this was not the only trip to this place - we went there thrice after the initial visit and each time everyone bought loads of apparel.

The Tour Map - Calgary(A), Bassano(B) and Siksika(C)

The best part of this trip was the weather and the landscape that complimented it. It was partly overcast, thereby lending that smooth relaxed tinge to the experience. The drive to Eastern Alberta, which is Prairie land, during this time of the year welcomed us with lush green fields and patches of yellow canola all along the way. Bassano is about 142 kilometres East of Calgary on the Trans Canada Highway- HWY1. It takes about two hours to get there. Some 46 kilometers west of Bassano, we took a turn on 842S and headed South towards Siksika. The area is an Indian Reserve and further ahead of the settlement the landscape was quite interesting. We drove for about 15-20 kilometres before we found an old wooden bridge. It was old and narrow, and allowed only one vehicle to pass through at any given time. The bridge was painted blue, which was quite contrasting to the environs around, but we were nevertheless amused to stop by.

The Detour We Took To Siksika

We parked our car ahead of the bridge, on one side and spent an ample amount of time taking an ample amount of snaps.

The Old Bridge Near Siksika

L-R: Monojit, Myself, Rahul, Avneesh

Our Rented Chrysler 300C and My Tripod

Taken In Sepia

HWY 842 On The South Side of The Bridge

One strange thing which happened to everyone while taking snaps on the bridge is that we noticed many vehicles with native Indians pass by us and the same vehicle came back yet again from the same side of the bridge, while to our best knowledge there is no road that would allow the vehicles to loop back to come back again from the same side. Spooky? Maybe. We went further South for a few more kilometres and then turned back North to head towards HWY-1. We had not realised that Blackfoot Crossing was just nearby when we first ventured down 842-S, otherwise we could have visited it first before heading to Bassano.

A Small Lake On The Way To Bassano

The Restaurant In Bassano Where We Stopped For Coffee

Sipping On Some Coffee At A Restaurant In Bassano

Me And My Coffee

The stop at Bassano was elaborate and we used it to fuel up and then have coffee.I was feeling a little sleepy and the coffee helped to freshen up a lot. There were also two tourist buses that had come here and plenty of people were in the cafe when we went in. We inquired about the local attractions with the hostess at the restaurant. She did not have much information, so she turned to the old couple who was sitting just behind us and they promptly gave us the information on how to reach Bassano Dam and Blackfoot Crossing to the minutest detail.

In Front Of The Restaurant, Before Leaving For Bassano Dam

Location Of Bassano Dam On The Map

The dam is about 8 kilometres south-west of Bassano and is connected by gravel road. The drive, though bumpy is doted with beautiful land. There are some very nice houses and barns on the way as well. We kept stopping enroute at various spots to take some memories back in our cameras.

The Village Of Bassano

The Golf Course At Bassano

Taken Enroute The Dam

I Have A Liking For Such Small Structures

These Large Tanks Probably Are Used To Store Canola Oil, Found All Over The Prairies

Old Farm Equipment

Contrasting Colors

This Structure Caught Our Attention On The Way

The Township Road To The Dam

Some More Houses

Just before you reach the dam, the road becomes too narrow and steep and then it takes a bend along the side of the precipice of the dam from where the water falls off. And when we had started to see this place, we saw a small farm type of enclosure where there were many horses.


The Parking Lot Can Be Seen From Here Not Sure Why They Paint Everything Blue In This Part Of The Country

Lovely, Ain't It

And One More

After shooting the horses with our cameras we went down the road and parked the car. Then we wandered into the grass that covered the hill, so green and we could hear the water from the dam roaring from a distance. It felt nice being there. Slowly we walked towards the edge of the hill and could see the dam from there.

Some Writeup On The Dam On That Board

Avneesh


Anand Sastry. The River Can Be Seen In The Distance

Took This Snap Of Rahul With The Dam

Foundation

We walked down the hill to the base of the dam where the water regained its course after falling from a short height. We spent a considerable amount of time below the hill.

Walking Down The Hill

On The River Bank

From Near The Dam

Photo of Rahul Taken By Rahul

Photo of The Other Rahul Taken By Rahul

The Gang

Both Rahuls Together

L-R: Rahul, Anand And Me

Relaxing?

Before Leaving Bassano

Ramshackle

Town Of Bassano

Took Many Such Snaps On The Way

Someone Caught This On The Camera

This Is Before Reaching Siksika

We headed to Blackfoot after having toured the dam site. The weather had started to open up by then. It was bright and sunny by the time we reached Blackfoot. Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is built on an Indian Reserve in the community of Siksika. Siksika is actually the name of an Indian tribe. There is a historic museum at this place. Though our intention was to visit the museum, and we did go inside it, but we did actually pay money to see what was in. We just had lunch and came out. One thing to mention here, is the sizeable population of gophers. Two or three of them came up to us and were literally begging us for food. I was not aware of this species, and mistook them to be squirrels in the beginning. But they were too scary and aroused my suspicion when Rahul told me about these creatures. Even when we came inside from the lookout, the gophers were trying to get into the door.

Siksika Nation, The Place Where The Museum is Located

The Historical Park

Blackfoot Crossing Museum

Museum Entrance

Behind The Museum, From The Sitout

Waiting For our Lunch

These Gophers Troubled Us A Lot

Lunch For The Day

Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park - 09-Apr-2011

2011-07-22T14:48:00.000-06:00

This was a very short half day trip that we made. It was not at all on the cards. We did not have the rest of our group with us, many of them were touring Edmonton that day. We had rented a car on the 8th of April for our regular weekend purchases - groceries, household items and stuff. We and the car, both were free on the 9th, so we decided to sneak out of town. Doing some search on the net, I found out this Provincial Park - The Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park , which is located in Elnora, Alberta.

Tour Map

The park is located 178 kilometers North-East of the City of Calgary and features a typical badlands topography. It consists of a plateau, about 200 metres high in the middle of the park, which itself is along the Red Deer River. The site was used by the native tribes in earlier days for driving herds of Bison down the cliff to provide for food, and hence the name. The site has also had excavations done in the past and dinosaur fossils have been found here, which can be now found in the Royal Tyrrell Museum near Drumheller, Alberta.

The Park Entrance

To reach this place we drove about 90 kilometers on HWY-2N (Deerfoot) through the towns of Balzac and Airdrie, and passed by Helmsdale and Crossfield till we reached HWY-27. We took a right there towards the East and drove through Torrington to reach Equity. Then we headed North to Trochu and then Huxley on HWY-21 before making a right to enter the Provincial Park.The tour was not planned, so we were taking it easy on exploring the place at our own pace.

Rahul (L) and Avneesh (R)

Anand (L) and Avneesh

Rahul (myself - left) and Avneesh

During summers, you can come to this place for camping. There are two campgrounds in this park - Tolman East and Tolman West, which were closed for the season as it was still snow. People also come here for bird watching as there are many local species found here. And then there is kayaking in the river water. We got to do only sightseeing, as other activities had not yet started. The sight actually is good and you get a wide view of the river valley that snakes beneath the plateau. The road to the camps below were closed due to snow. But we could watch it from above and it looked quite good.

From atop the plateau

Badlands In The Backdrop

Our Rented Car - Nissan Altima

Campground Usage Instructions

After taking a good walk, we went further ahead to the other side of the plateau from where some more scenic spots could be noticed.

Further On Into The Park

Snow Still Sticks Around In April

Pictorial Depiction Of The Area

A Little Bit On The Park

Red Deer River Frozen

The Track That Goes Below

Another one Showing The Track

Standing Against The Breeze

How The Natives Collected Food

One More - This One On The Bench

Another Part Of The Park

Going Back

After this we wanted to visit Mudspring Lake. We drove to it which is about 25 kilometres South West of the park. Township road 585, which is mostly gravel, was taken to reach there. To our disappointment, the lake was still frozen and not distinguishable from the snow around it. We did not spend much time there and drove back to Calgary.

Farewell To Ganesh - Golden and Kicking Horse - 26 Mar 2011

2011-07-16T15:18:00.000-06:00


At The Golden Eagle Gondola, The Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

This year we were about to lose the company of one of our pals - Ganesh Sarag. He was packing his bags for India. I still remember my first trip with Ganesh, which was to Vancouver in Jul 2010. Ever since, we have been thick buddies and have done may trips together.

It was time to bid farewell to Ganesh and it had to be in a grand way. And this idea of a trip to Golden came to my mind. Though Golden is just 266 kms from Calgary, which is about 3 and 1/2 hours by road, we decided that a night halt there would be much fun, rather than making a day trip. We picked up our Yukon, a full sized SUV from the National Rental Agency on the evening of 25th Mar. We were a group of six - Ganesh, Monojit, Anand, Ram, Anup, Rahul, which is me.

It was dusk when we started and the bitter yet sweet chill of the still cold Calgary weather was prevalent over the thick fur coats that shielded our bodies. The road East of Calgary as well as the West, the South and the North alike, have by now been hard wired to the gray cells of each and every member of our group by virtue of the number of trips that we have done in the past year, so much so that each one of us can be considered to be virtually a moving GPS station. And with that confidence I pressed my foot on the pedal and off we set out West on the Trans-Canadian Highway (HWY-1). One of the non living objects that does the rounds with us, and that can boast of being the best friend to each one of us, is my IPod, and its companion the AUX Cable. I have the most diverse collection I have ever seen on any pod so far, that is all well organised into genres and what not. The Hindi songs in my pod from the 80s and 90s did their job in setting up the evening tempo among the crowd. "Gazab ka hai din", "Papa kehte hain", "Pehla nasha" among others were the trend setters.

A brief stop was made at the Petro-Canada Gas Station just as we got onto the Highway from Calgary. The purpose was to take coffee and some beer for the night. The highway was ripe with fresh rain and snow. Driving on the highway at top speed felt like playing a video game. The Yukon is a heavy bull and does not fumble at all, given any kind of conditions. Though I was a bit cautious not to roll over too much on to the side, I had my foot firmly pressed on the metal and the vehicle was doing a healthy 118 KMPH. I was speeding past past other vehicles on this day, which is reverse of the what happens on other days when there is no snow. I believe the snow is a good traffic cop, in that, it does what it has to, without the hassle of pulling someone over the shoulder, unlike how a real cop would.

We reached Golden at night and took two suites at the Travelodge. We had stayed in the very same hotel, the first time we had been to Golden in April 2010. That was also the time when we had made our first maiden Trans-Canadian journey into British Columbia. Dinner formalities had already been completed at a local joint. It was a good get-together with all friends happy to have made it to bid adieu to Ganesh. We gossiped for a long long time before finally rolling off into the sleeping mode. Everything, starting with politics, work and ending with life was discussed. People were more than glad to share their opinions and the talks became heated at points before returning to normal. But it was fun.

The Morning Of 26th Mar - In Front Of Our Suites - The Travelodge, Golden, BC

The next morning we were to go to the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. This place is about 14 kilometers from Downtown Golden. It is a haven for skiers. There are skiing tracks of varying grades and difficulty. We did not go to the skiing facility at the very beginning itself, instead, we drove amid the lovely narrow snow filled pathways that were doted with holiday chalets and lodges. After doing a few rounds in the pathways, I parked the vehicle. We then roamed around the facility and could see skiers come down one of the trails that was on our side of the mountain, which was adjacent to the side where the Skiing Resort was. We did a fair bit of walking around the campus. From one point we could easily see the Gondola Cars (cable cars) that originate at the Ski Resort. Then there was a piece of open snowy land, which opened out into one of the ski trails that came down this side of the mountain. It was such a beautiful place for taking portrait photographs but the sun was coming at such angles that the camera had to be specially trained to take snaps in such extreme conditions.


Group Snap In the Parking Lot

A Gondola Car Going Up

Few Of The Many Tourist Lodges Doting The Landscape

It Was Tough To Take This Picture Due To The Sun

A Snow Capped 'I Do Not Know What'

Strolling along the way, the boys found crystalline drippings of water that had formulated into sharp pointed substances. Some among us were pretty amused with these and there were small games played on the street where the guys enacted pointing the things into the other.

Snow Knife

Folks Playing With The New Found Tool

After finishing this leg of the tour, we headed to where the Ski Resort was. There was a good amount of crowd gathered there for skiing.We immediately took passes for the tour up the mountain in the Gondola. It was a pleasant experience to go up in the cable car though I have been in such cars before in India and Canada. The weather below at the base, though cold, was sunny, but as we progressed up, it became cloudier. While on the way up, we crossed many ski trails beneath us. I marveled in awe at how steep some of those really were. There was a bit of rain on the way, which splashed on the glass of the Gondola, making photography, and viewing in general, less pleasant.

Ganesh (In The Background - The Ski Resort)

The Cable Cars Going Up To Golden Eagle

The Base Terminal For Gondola

It must be a good 20 minute journey all the way up to the top of the mountain. It is conversational and worth a thought, to think how such a massive line must have been put in place in such non pardoning weather and on such difficult terrain. Every few metres, there is a supporting stilt that houses pulleys and equipment necessary to propel the Gondola and keep it in action. Whenever the car passes over one of these, it makes a rocking thud to begin with, followed by a metallic hum, indicative of deeply tunneled heavy wire moving between entrenched studded metal cogs.

Ram and Monojit, Snap Taken From Inside The Cable Car

At The Far End - Cable Cars Going Up

Me Again

Ram

It was a relief for me when we reached the top. I was low on sleep (we all were) and being a driver, who can't afford to sleep in the car, I had developed an excruciating feeling of nausea, and in the confined environs of the Gondola, I was feeling claustrophobic. There was a bone whipping cold wind atop the mountain which warmly greeted us when we got down at The Golden Eagle - yes the station at the top is known by that name.

Another Few Metres To The Top

The Golden Eagle Garrison At The Top

There are a dozen of trails that emanate from this point. And there are other mountain tops that are connected by cable cars from this place. People generally want to take snaps at such places, which is understandable. But sometimes you are asked to take retakes, which can upset your nerves when you are clicking in such extreme cold. It quite often does not take long for these signals to reach your brain from your hands, and that's when it starts to get irritating.

Some Of The Trails That Go Down From Golden Eagle

L-R: Me, Anup, Ganesh, Ram, Monojit

Good Nomenclature For The Trails

I Believe The Snow Never Melts At These Heights

The Golden Eagle Entrance

Tough To Keep The Eyes Open In Light That Strikes Off The Snow

After spending some time atop, we rode back down, taking a car down from the same Golden Eagle Station. Then it was a lovely drive back to Calgary. And here, it is customary for us, sometimes, when we have rented a car, to go atop the lookout, North of Downtown. You can see a mind blowing view of the city from here.

The Downtown Of Calgary At Night

Memorial Drive

To sum it all - it was a fantastic short trip that we shall remember as 'The Farewell To Ganesh'.

Fairmont Revelstoke Getaway 19 Feb 2011

2011-06-30T22:42:00.003-06:00

February was quite a busy month in our travel calendar in 2011. We seemed to be relentlessly hell bent on making more and more trips. And to honour our tastes came the 21st day of Feb, Family Day - a statutory holiday in Alberta. Having 21st on a Monday meant we had a long weekend. Our group had started dwindling in numbers starting this year with lesser members being present and for this occasion there were only four of us - Anand, Ganesh, Ram and me. We wanted to use all three days for the trip but Ram had work on Monday as his clients were working. It had already been tough to buy in Ram to agree to the trip, and we did not want to lay any more pressure on him by extending the trip by a day. So we planned for a 'short and sweet' trip. We planned for the below three places as part of our self tour package -

The Village of Fairmont Hot Springs
The Village of Canyon Hot Springs
The Historic Rail Town of Revelstoke

An Old Rail Engine From The Yester Years In British Columbia

As usual, we booked our car with the Nation Car Rental Agency on 10th Ave. We picked up the car on the evening of 18th, which was a Friday. The deadly blades of the killer freezing chopper a.k.a. temperature were hovering somewhere around the -30s (-30 °C). We had booked for a premium car but were upgaded to a small sized SUV - a Jeep Liberty. The vehicle was visually very attractive but as we got on the highway we started feeling the rickety nature of its drivetrain, in particular, and the body on the whole. The vehicle had too many miles on the odometer (about 48,000 KM), which is a bad number for a Rental Car, and these miles had started to show up on the virility of the car.

Another issue which was perturbing my driving instincts was the feather weight body of the vehicle. Though I am an ardent fan of all vehicles coming out of the Jeep stable owing to the Trail Rated Badge that they have earned, and though I have been once a big rider of the Jeep Liberty, but after having driven many more sophisticated SUVs and Trucks, that are much heavier and larger than the Liberty, I was somehow not liking the way this vehicle was handling on the highway. Highspeeds tend to uproot the vehicle from the ground and small undulations in the ground make the vehicle sway, thereby making the SUV unable to realise the much higher potential of its engine. This combined with the poor functioning of the windscreen wipers, which was leading to ice formation on the windscreen, prompted us to exchange this car in lieu of a better one. We drove to the Calgary International Airport to do this, but the woman at the National Agency at the Airport did not want to understand the problem. And she promptly and rudely denied us an exchange. So we had to use the same car. And after finishing our weekly groceries that evening we went to eat out.

The Morning Of 20th Feb

Tour Map - Calgary (A), Fairmont (B),
Canyon Hot Springs (C) And Revelstoke (D)

We were to steer our way to Fairmont HotSprings, which is about 300 KMS from Calgary and takes about 4 hours. The journey started at 9 AM and it took us on the splendid Trans Canada Highway 1 which was lined with ice and snow on both sides that offered spectacular views. We drove for 154 KMS on HWY-1 to the West before taking the Alberta 93S. We crossed three National Parks on this way - The Banff National Park, The Yoho National Park and then finally The Kootenay National Park. While the first one is in Alberta, the other two are in British Columbia.

Lovely Snow Covered Mountain Seen In The Rear View Mirror

Thick Snow Doting The Road

Some More Snaps Taken On The Way

93-S offers a very scenic drive in all seasons. We drove on it for about 104 kilometers through the Canadian Rockies. The road has a fair amount of gradient at places which makes it even more beautiful. Speed inside a National Park or a reserve is limited to 90 KMPH. It feels nice navigating the beautiful mountainous confines. Before reaching the village of Radium Hot Springs, the gradient becomes too steep, and the road too narrow, and it winds through mountain rock that has been cut to make way for the road. This continues until your pass the village and then you have to turn into the Kootenay HWY (BC-93/BC95-S). You continue the drive for another 37 kilometers until you reach Fairmont.

The Village Of Fairmont - Entrance

The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Entrance

Upon arrival in Fairmont, we had to hunt down the location of the Hot Springs Resort which we reached by 2:40 PM. While driving our car on the path we found that the ice had hardened in a peculiar way, crackling under the weight of the SUV at places and making a distinctive sound, while at other spots it was too slippery and we had to engage the vehicle's differential in 4X4 mode. We parked our car in the lot and walked towareds the facility. It was warmer in British Columbia than it had been in Alberta. The temperature was somewhere around -20 °C.

The Parking Lot

Towards The Entrance Of The Hot Pools

The parking lot is at a higher elevation than the actual pools. From the parking lot, one can go further atop the hill which leads to the Skiing area. The area is small but well laid out. We walked around the facility a bit to explore the area before we entered the pools. There are small buildings housing the local cafeteria and the gift shop. The trails were full of snow that time.

The Gift Shop

The Trail Leading To The Parking Lot

Residential Premises

The Cafeteria

From about a 100 metres of approach, you begin to see the pool. The mist arising from the hot waters adds a mystical touch to the environs. By 3 PM we had taken a shower and entered the pool. The facility here is much more expensive than all of the others that I have been to in Canada. And at the cost which the facilities are offered, it is not impressive at all. There are three pools here - a huge cold water pool which may have an area of 50 X 50 square metres, a small hot water pool which would be 10 X 7 squeare metres and a deep water pool for swimming. In other facilities I have seen big warm water pools surrounded by two or three super hot and super cold pools. The hot water pool was too crowded and it was getting more and more difficult to find your personal space and a spot to relax.

Steam Emanating From The Pools

We had to spend quite some time in the cold water pool before we could get into the hot one. We lay down in the pool enjoying the wamrth of the pool and the deceptive sun rays which were bright but cold. After squatting for some time in the shallow part of the pool, we finally managed to secure ourselves a deeper and much relaxing spot. We enjoyed till 4.30 PM and then decided to get out. This is by far the toughest part of the exercise in winters. The pool water is maintained at 37 - 40 °C and the outside temperature was freezing at -20. The onslaught of the rough cold is harsh and intense on the body. Relief is only obtained once under the heated showers in the closed confines of the washrooms.

Taken On The Way To Revelstoke

Our next task was to eat something, devour rather. Lunch had been skipped. We found a local Pizza Cabin just a few hundred metres from the Hot Pools in the woods. Here Ganesh took over the wheels and I went back for a good rest.

Next on the cards was Canyon Hot Springs. This place is 256 KMS North West of Fairmont. You have to drive the same way up to the village of Radium Hot Springs on BC-93N and then continue further on BC-95N until the town of Golden (British Columbia). But as there is not much to do at Canyon at night, apart from the hot springs, we decided to stay in Revelstoke. After Golden, you come back on the Trans-Canada Highway (HWY-1) and then do about 34 kilometers to reach Revelstoke. We reached there at night and took a hotel for our stay. Dinner was had at a local McDonalds.

20th Jun - 9:42 AM In Our Hotel Suit

Taken Near The Hotel Where We Stayed

L-R: Ganesh Sarag, Ram Yaganti, Rahul Rane (myself)

Can't Help It - The Snow Is Everywhere

The next day the plan was to spend some time at Revelstoke and then to go to Canyon; spend some time there and head back to Calgary. Our dreams were shattered when we found that the Hot Springs at Canyon were closed for the season. We then decided to rather spend the day in Revelstoke. On our earlier visit here the famous Rail Museum had been closed. So we hoped to make it there this time and we were lucky. After having a heavy breakfast (almost brunch), we headed for the museum. The entry fee was 10 CAD and we started our self guided tour at about 11.30 AM.

I am a huge admirer of such old museums and historic sites. Revelstoke was the place where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was driven. There is lot of history that exists behind the railway lines. The map of modern day Canada was very much defined by the railway. Infact the joining of British Columbia into the Dominion of Canada in 1871 was based on the promise that it would be connected by rail to the rest of the Dominion. It was a very tough terrain to build a railway on. There is a lovely movie which I saw on my flight to the Yukon, which is based on the making of the CPR. More information can be gathered here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Pacific_%28film%29

The Railway Museum At Revelstoke

The Story Of The Last Spike

Anand Sastry

A Model Of One Of The Older Bridges

The museum looks to be small from outside but inside it is well laid out. There is a railway bogie and an engine located in the central part. The attractions are well laid out in rooms and space has been judiciously utilised.

The Rail Coach

The Dining Room Inside The Rail Coach

L-R: Rahul Rane, Ganesh Sarag

(L-R): Ganesh, Ram, Rahul

In The Projector Room

We went around every nook and corner of the museum with utmost interest and liked every bit of it. A lot of time was also spent on the top floor taking snaps of the various old photos of olden day trains.

Some Old Memoirs

From The Top Floor

A Sand Model

Another Sand Model

Some Lovely Trains From Olden Days

This Is What I Like The Most - Train Lines Built Along Scenic Sites

Somewhere In The Rockies

One Of The Most Beautiful Hotels Built For Tourism By The CPR
On Lake Louise

On The Stairs To The Upper Floor

The last part of our visit was to the backside of the museum which has some old day bogies of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It would have been all the more fabulous in summer but even the snow time was not bad out there.

Looks Like This Shack Has Been Planted Into The Snow

An Old Bogie

The Sun Rays Were Too Pinching

The Union Jack On The Coat

Some Logos From Previous Years

After finishing with the museum we headed back to Calgary - 412 KMS, a drive that takes about 5 and half hours, which was on the Trans-Canadian Highway - HWY1.

Monojit's Birthday - Waterton Parks Getaway - 12 Feb 2011

2011-06-30T22:41:00.000-06:00

Who does not know Monojit and who does Monojit not know - that is a tough call to make, not only in the ambit of Calgary but also wider geographies. I have had the privilege of being Monojit Dhara's friend from the year 2010. Monojit had first approached me for a trip to Seattle in early 2010, but I had not been able to make it. My first trip with him was to Jasper National Park in Jul 2010 and that was a huge succeess. Details of that trip can be found here - http://rahulranecool2.blogspot.com/2010/07/jasper-2010.html

On The Waterton Lake - The Boys Singing For Monojit's Birthday
L-R: Ram, Ganesh, Monojit, Anup, Avneesh
Photographer - Rahul (Self)

12 Feb was something special - it was Dada's birthday (Dada is how we popularly call Monojit). So we had decided to celebrate the occasion in our own special way. And what would special mean to a group of travel-hungry-nerds? Yes it would have to be a long trip outside of Calgary. Dice were rolled by the group to decide the location and Waterton was locked in. Monojit liked the idea and his thoughts became engaged in cutting the cake on the bonnet of our vehicle near the frozen Waterton Lake in -30 °C.

At A Gas Station On Queen Elizabeth Highway
With The 5.7 Litre Jeep Commander - Trail Rated

The Trail Rated Badge On The Commander

We were supposed to pick up our rental vehicle on the evening of 11th from the National Rental Agency, 10th Ave, Calgary. Monojit and I generally go together in the evening after office to pick up rentals. That week however had been nastily busy and demanding. I sat crouched against my chair in my office and Monojit was at the client's. I somehow managed to get a few minutes off and sped off to the Rental Agency (which is about 10 minutes from my office by walk) to get the vehicle. The Agency was just about to close at 6 PM when I dashed into their office. This time I got a Jeep Commander, a 5.7 Litre Trail Rated, butch looking SUV. I immediately fell in love with this vehicle.

I got the vehicle back and parked it on 12th Avenue, behind my office building. I paid for the meter and got back to my desk. There were plans to go out to the North East for shopping and I was thinking if I would be able to make it with the guys that night. By 7 PM, Monojit, Avneesh and Ganesh came to the office to pick up the vehicle. By then I had totally been drained out, so I thought I too would go out with the guys. That would freshen me up for work and I could sit for some hours at night.

Rest of the evening was spent at Costco, the Sunridge Mall, Best But, Future Shop and the Grocery Stores in the North-East. We had dinner outside at an Indianised Chinese restaurant near Marlborough Mall and came back home by 11.30. I then sat late until 4 AM in the morning to finish my work. I took a short nap of about 3 hours and got up again at 7 to get ready for the trip.

The weather on the 12th was not awe inspiring. The skies were packed and it was snowing. By now Ganesh had also started driving and it was decided that he would take the wheel for the onward journey and I would drive on the way back. Near the land of windmills before reaching Waterton we had noticed that the wind gusts had become too strong. When we came out of our vehicle for snaps we were hardly able to stand. Even the heavier ones among us could not keep their feet rooted to the ground. We had taken some pictures there with great difficulty. Standing was impossible and we had to hold hands together to keep from flying away. Ram's spectacles blew away as soon as he got out of the car. We sent search parties and spent about 1/2 an hour to search the spectacles but never got them. I could sense the crosswinds trying to uproot the vehicile while I sat at the back and Ganesh confirmed that it was too tough to drive.

Bad Weather Conditions At The Bison Paddock Sanctuary
The SUV had to be engaged in 4 X 4 H

Driving through the rough weather we finally reached Waterton. Before entering the main town, we forayed into the Bison Paddock Wildlife Sanctuary. The drive into the sanctuary is by means of an uncobbled road, which is by all means narrow and constricted by barbed fencing. As fascinating it may get in summer, equally dangerous can it be in winters. The complete path was dabbed with solid ice and to make matters worse the ice was hidden by fresh layers of thick snow. We had to read the SUV's operator's manual to switch the vehicle into 4X4 High mode. Unlike other SUVs I have driven wherein shifting differential modes is easy, the changing mechanism in this SUV was by far too complex.

I took over the wheels at this point from Ganesh. We drove for sometime before stopping at a point to do some photo shoots. Extreme weather conditions with snow and high velocity winds made it annoyingly treacherous to stay out of the vehicle for longer periods. I reversed the vehicle within the constriction with care lest we got stuck. And what happened on our way back was even worse. Monojit went out to take a snap. He was standing aside the open passenger door when suddenly a hurricanish gust of wind came over and it took Monojit off his feet. In an attempt to prevernt getting blown over he caught the door of the SUV. But the ground was icy and he along with the door were blown off resulting in the door to get unhinged at its bottom hinge. We carefully patched the door so it would not come off. That was scary, and we did not stay at that spot any longer.

Waterton Parking Lot Full Of Snow

Our Vehicle In Waterton

Coming out of the ice and snow was a good driving exercise and the SUV lived up to its reputation. It had indeed earned its badge of being Trail Rated. Inch by inch, metre by metre the vehicle pulled us out of the snow and once on firm ground we gained good momentum. We reached Waterton town in a little time and parked our car aside the lake. It was unbelievably chilly and it felt horrible to have your skin exposed to the subarctic wind gusts.

The Boys Ready To Cut The Cake

Avneesh Taking A Group Snap

The Birthday Boy's Delicacy And A Big Candle

It did not take much time for the celebration mood to kick in and people started dancing over the whole place first to choose a spot to cut the cake and then to take loads of snaps. There is a ramp on the lakeside which is used to get into the boats. This was where we chose to cut the cake. The entire lake was frozen and we could easily walk on it, albeit with caution.

Standing On The Frozen Waterton Lake

The Wooden Ramp On The Frozen Lake

Snow Covered Mountains Behind

Prince Of Wales Hotel - Snap Taken From The Lakeside

Village Information Center

Next on our list was The Cameron Lake. This lake is about 17 kilometers from Waterton on highway AB-5E. It is a very beautiful drive up 5E as the road is quite narrow and curvy. This time of the year it was completely beefed with snow. I was feeling as if I had come to Switzerland.

Beautiful Drive Up AB-5E - Towards Cameron Lake

Another Snap On The Way To Cameron Lake

The road is open to traffic until a certain point in winters after which you have to go a considerable distance by foot (which is impossible without skiis) or using skiis (which most of the people do). We parked our car at this spot. As we had no equipment to traverse any further we decided to just look around the place. Quite a few number of people had come there and all of them were geared up for skiing till the lake, which must be about 4-6 kilometers from the spot.

L-R: Anup, Anand And Myself

Near Cameron Lake

Monojit And Anand Enjoying In The Snow

Myself - This Jacket Has Helped Me Brave The Coldest Of The Cold

There were many photo-helping people around, in that they themselves would come to you and offer a group picture. And they did not limit themselves to just one picture, but also insisted on taking photos from different angles and retaking if the photo was not up to our satisfaction.

People Skiing - Coming From Cameron Lake

There were some snaps the boys took by climbing on the roof of the vehicle. They must be in Monojit's camera and I have to get them from him. By then my feet had already begun to sense the onset of hypothermia so I did not venture out of the warm confines of the SUV once I got into it.

Took The SUV Through This Narrow Road,
Which Was Blocked At The End

Next we drove to the Prince Of Wales Hotel. Though the road to it was marked closed due to heavy snowfall, we drove past the marker and through the very narrow road full of snow and ice. As the road was blocked further ahead, we could not drive the vehicle till the hotel. So we parked midway and went on foot. While the other folks roamed around the hotel, Ram and me concentrated on taking some pictures.

Prince Of Wales Hotel

Waterton - Surrounded By Ice Capped Mountains

Ram - In The Background The Waterton Lake

It Was A Challenging Job To Reverse The SUV Here

On our way back what we saw scared the hell out of us - numerous trucks blown away by the wind - these were not only small vehicles but large 60 feet lorries. We counted at least 20 vehicles either turned upside down or blown away by a considerable distance. We were very cautious and on the road that allows 110 KMPH, we drove at 60. We made an elaborate stop for dinner at a place enroute before driving back home.

The trip did not end for us there - we had loads of memories to carry forward and Dada had another Birthday party to attend.

One Day Trip To Drumheller - 06 Feb 2011

2011-06-30T22:32:00.001-06:00

Coining the adjective 'Good' would be an insult to us, so I say 'Excellent', 'Meticulous' rather - we have become meticulous in the art of motivating people.......Members of this trip - Monojit, Ganesh, Avneesh, Anand and me. Each one of us brings in a separate colour to a trip's experience.......Together we make an explosive group full of energy and fun.......

Read on.......

Me With The Rented Truck - Dodge Dakota On HWY-2 North

Now that I am home in India, I am getting good amount of time in my vacation to write my blogs and organise the electronic material that I have accumulated during my travels. February 2011 was a hectic month not only at work but also on the travelling front. We had rented a truck, a Dodge Dakota to be specific, on the 5th of Feb for making our weekend grocery purchases.

It has so happened on many occasions in the past, that trip plans have been made impromptu. And the same happened this time. Anand, my roommate and me are always party to planning some good getaways when it comes to such occasions. The tingling feeling of taking the truck out on a long drive on the second day of the rental had been already making our chests burn with uneasiness, so after finishing off our grocery errands, we called in on our other pals to decide on something for the coming day.

Coining the adjective 'Good' would be an insult to us, so I say 'Excellent', 'Meticulous' rather - we have become meticulous in the art of motivating people to make trips with us. And true to our skills, we talked in people to make a getaway on the coming day i.e. the 6th of Feb. It was decided that we would drive down HWY-2 South (Deerfoot Trail) for about 150-200 kms and stop by at numerous beautiful country-side locations for sightseeing.

6th of Feb fell on a Sunday. Sundays mean free parking in Downtown Calgary, so we had no worries of parking the vehicle on 8th Avenue behind our apartment. And with that ease in mind we woke up at leisure and started our journey at around 11 AM. Members of this trip - Monojit, Ganesh, Avneesh, Anand and me. Each one of us brings in a separate colour to a trip's experience. Monojit is good at making deals and overall organization, Avneesh and Ganesh add fun, I am the driver and along with Anand a prime planner. Together we make an explosive group full of energy and fun.

We started off on HWY-2 South after everyone was ready. We drove for quite some time when we thought that the trip was not getting any fun. So a decision was made and we reversed the direction immediately and started towards Drumheller, which is exactly opposite and towards the North. By the time we reached Airdrie, the folks were yelling for a coffee stop. Monojit is well versed with the entire area, so he directed me to pull over at a Tim Horton's and I readily obliged.

Coffee At Tim Horton's - Airdrie

After Airdie we took (always take) a right towards Drumheller, although the GPS instructs you to take a right much before Airdrie. This part of the road is undergoing construction and after the unpaved part is over it puts you on HWY-9 to Irricana and Beiseker. We had stopped at this junction even in our first trip to Drumheller in 2010. That time the place was enveloped in a soothing carpet of green with patches of yellow Canola and this time it was completely white. I recognized the only tiny house in the fields, set in the distance, whose picture I had taken that time and set as my Computer's Wallpaper.

The Magical Stop For Photos In All Seasons

The Crew on The Dakota

L-R: Ganesh, Anand, Avneesh, Rahul

After having some fun with the camera and the snow as well, we started off for Drumheller. It is a neat road and one enjoys driving on it. The crew was on empty stomachs. Apart from the little snack taken alongside coffee at Airdrie, no one had had breakfast. And as is said - 'An Army cannot march on an empty stomach', the immediate task was to break for lunch. We stopped by at a Subway in Drumheller.

Taken At The Subway

Snow Is Everywhere

Monojit And Ganesh

After lunch we wanted to go to the badlands. So I pulled out my phone and checked the route on my previous blog. It is difficult to remember the roads here as everything looks exactly the same. The snow added to the confusion. We stopped by at numerous places just to take some good snaps.

Solid Ice Covering The Canola Fields

There is a ferry called the 'Bleriot Ferry' which we had taken the previous year to cross over to the other side of the river. We went down the hill and found that the service was closed due to icing up of the river water. The badlands as they are called are near this place and you can see them while driving on the road.

Road Downhill to Cross The River

Towards The Bleriot Ferry

Completely Frozen River

Some History On The Bleriot Ferry

Near The Ferry

Then we went to the The Royal Tyrell Museum. This is a famous museum with dinosaur fossils. And on the way, photo clicking went on.

Machinery In Canola Fields

Royal Tyrell Museum

Midland Coal Company

We then stopped by to peek at the Badlands, and yes like all the other destinations, this as well was covered by us in the previous trip made in summer 2010. This is the only area which I have seen till now which did not appeal to me that much in summer as much it did in winter. In the distance you can see the River winding its way through the mountains and slithering through the valley. And this time it looked even more beautiful with snow all around.

Frozen River Slithering Through The Badlands

Group Snap

Anand - Snap Taken By Me

On our way back we stopped at Beiseker to pick up coffee.

Stopped By At Beiseker For Coffee

Another Snap At The Coffee Shop

It was a nice evening and a good chat with friends over the table. Dinner was picked up at Al Muneer restaurant in North East Calgary. One incident that I will always remember is what happened after picking up dinner. Avneesh had ordered Roti for himself and the rest had ordered Pulao. When we came and sat in the vehicle, Monojit opened Avneesh's parcel and took out the Roti and started eating it. He did not stop at that and distributed the Roti amongst everyone present there before Avneesh could even realise. This threw off Avneesh into a fit of desperation and anger. Things became worse when Monojit started teasing Avneesh. We mediated and cooled off the situation by ordering a new Roti for Avneesh. Things became normal later and Avneesh just laughed the incident off. Such small incidents are fun sometimes if kept within limits.

Al Muneer Restaurant

The trip was a good one but everyone was pulling their sleeves up to get ready for Monday office which was only a few hours away.

Lake Louise And Radium Hot Springs - 23 Jan 2011

2011-06-30T01:27:00.012-06:00

Hello folks! It has been long since I picked up my virtual pen and started scribbling down to narrate the sequence of events that I cherished during my travels made in Canada. I have by now, barring a few, completed the posting of all events that occured in 2010. These events can be found as a series of posts in another blog of mine http://rahulranecool2.blogspot.com/

Beautiful Ice Covered Chalet - Lake Louise

Though we (me and my group of close friends) keep making small travels on most of the weekends, I prefer writing about the ones which encompass larger distances. And on those lines, the first big trip of 2011 was the one made to Lake Louise and Radium Hot Springs on January, the 23rd.

This time it was a big group, consisting of the following people -

a. Bachelors - comprising of Monojit, Anand and myself

b. Families - comprising of Subhahis (with wife and 2 children), Debshis (with wife) and Ramesh (with wife and one kid)

To accomodate such a big group we had taken two vehicles -

a. GMC Yukon - a full sized SUV with a seating capacity of 8

b. A Full Sized Car.

While I was behind the driver's wheel in the Yukon, the car was being driven by Ramesh Takale. I had Anand, Debshis and his wife, and Subhsis and his family in my SUV. Monojit was in the other car with Ramesh and his family. Arrangements for snacks had been made by Monojit the previous day and food was brought by the families in ample quantities.

The northern skies are magnanimous in the amount of daylight they bestow on us mortals in summers, but are equally tyrannic and impounding in winters. And here on the 51st Parallel (51° 4' 60 N) in Calgary, it was pitch dark when we started at 08:00 AM in the morning. Mercury was plumetting 20° below freezing point, yet the people lighted up the environment with the joy in their hearts.

Anand Before In Front Of The SUV Before The Trip Began

The Village of Lake Louise is about 180 kilometers North-West of the city of Calgary. This probably was my fourth time there. The roads were completely ice-strewn and fresh cakes of snow had engulfed almost everything. Driving at a steady speed we reached Lake Louise at 10.15 AM. We had to wait for some time for Ramesh to arrive in his car. Some of the famous attractions of Lake Louise are - the village itself, the emerald coloured lake, the Fairmont hotel and the trek to the lakes and the coffee house which are located higher up in altitude above Lake Louise.

Full Of Snow, The Parking Lot At Lake Louise

Every winter there is an International Ice Festival held in Lake Louise. Artists come from all over the world from different countries to show their skills in ice sculpting. I had been to the ice festival in 2010 as well, but that time the competition was already over and the ice sculptures were on display. But this time we got to see it live. After Ramesh arrived, we walked through the parking lot towards the Lake and the Hotel where the competition was being held.

The effects of this festival could be seen from the very beginning of the promenade, where placards were posted upright in full vigour. If Canada were to take a human figure, it would have topped the charts as an actor. Just like a good actor can maquerade and present totally different personalities of himself, Canada showcases totally different panoramas which are equally striking and vivid in different seasons. One has to see a place in all different seasons to be able to comprehend what I mean - the cool breeze of spring bringing in facets of green, the striking yet welcome brightness of summer, the blissful shades of the colours of fall and last but not the least, the white streaks of snow in winter. I have been to Lake Louise to see all its shades in different seasons.

Lake Louise Promenade

The environs of the Lake were resplendant with numerous people doting the landscape. Children and parents alike, on their snow skiis, waded across through the pathways and then onto the thick ice that covered the entire Lake. The festival is organised right at the entrance of the all famous legendary Fairmont hotel.

Ice Sculptors At Work

Work Of Art By A Canadian Team

The environment was simply breathtaking, sculptors were chipping away at humongous blocks of ice to carve their objects of imagination under partly clear and partly foggy skies with the Canadian Rockies just a few meters away. We strolled within the premises, along the narrow gulleys of ice and snow, stopping by at each artist to watch and admire their creations-in-progress, occasionally sliding our shoulders to avoid nudging fellow tourists.

After sometime our group split up in two, with me and Anand opting to go inside the hotel to soak in some warmth and sip on some coffee, while the rest of the group stuck outside to the snow.

Anand Having Coffee

Anand and me walked around in the hotel for quite some time before settling for some coffee. Then we decided to go out and join the rest of the group. On going outside we were amused to see lot of people flocking around a spot, but we could not make out what the fuss was all about. On closer examination we learnt that they had built a bar completely out of snow and a fire place was also being lit there. It was difficult indeed to get a snap there amid so many contenders already queued up.

The Ice Bar

Slippery and Narrow - Walkways Leading To Quiter Confines

The Chateau

We then embarked on finding rest of the group. There was fresh snow all over which made walking difficult. Walkways lead to numerous other quiter confines which can be trekked to. We had been to all of these the previous year, so we went to the centre of the lake, where a skating ring has been made and an ice castle has been constructed. We found the rest of our group there and joined them for an elaborate photo shoot.

Skating Ring Made On The Lake Along With The Ice Castle
The Fairmont Hotel In The Backdrop

Fairmont Dining Room

A Gazebo

It had been quite some time on the icy lake in the bitter cold and everyone wanted to get themselves some warmth and so we wandered into the Faitmont Hotel yet again. I have never stayed in this hotel but it is in my list of to-dos in the near future. A good amount of time was spent in doing honours to coffee. By this time there was a huge rush in the restaurant, as tourists who had spent a major part of their time outdoors wanted to now relax and break for a meal.

Radium Hot Springs

Our next stop was Radium Hot Springs - a small village nestled in the heights of the Canadian Rockies in South Eastern British Columbia. We left Lake Louise by 1.30 PM and the arrangement of people in the cars remained exactly the same as before during this leg of the journey. Radium is approximately 134 kms from Lake Louise and we took an hour and a half to reach there.

The Hot Pools Facility At Radium

This village is known for its Natural Hot Water Springs. A facility has been constructed nearby the village for bathing in the water. The "Pools" as they are called contain a very small amount of Radium in addition to Sulphur, which is responsible for heating up the water. This Radium is known to have medicinal value.

Everyone was very enthusiastic to get into the pools. We have to cross the road from underneath to go to the facility. Deba and myself had to come back to the parking lot to grab some stuff from our car and that time we changed the lot and parked our car in the lot on the other side of the road adjacent to the facility. We then purchased the tickets and got into the pools. The feeling was marvellous - air temperature was around -25 Degree Centigrade and the pool water was 37 Degrees. Due to the huge temperature gradient fog was being formed over the pool giving it a distinctive mystical feeling. We lazed around in the pool occasionally changing positions. There is another much smaller pool there which has water at 42 Degrees. It feels nice to switch pools with different temperatures.

A Painting Of Native Indians Bathing In The Pool In Olden Days

The Cold Water Pools On The Other Side Of The Facility

Vapour Emanating From The Pools

Monojit had bought a brand new underwater camera, so much time was spent on taking snaps underwater and also videos of us performing underwater acrobatics. It was great. We came out of the pool by 5.30 PM and it was pitch dark then.

Monojit

The Facility At 5:56 PM

Walkway To The Parking Lot - Snowy Snowy, Yes Papa

Entrance To The Hot Spring Facility

We rolled our gears and headed downhill to the village of Radium Hot Springs wherein we fuelled up and then started our journey back to Calgary. We stopped in between for our dinner on Trans Canada HWY1. Overall it was a sweet one day getaway.