So I know it’s been a while, we’ve been busy. Our stay at Stoey’s Farm for a couple of days was sensational. We wandered with the chooks, chatted with the Alpacas and loved up the 3 big pups! Jen, Dylan and the gorgeous Ella, were wonderful hosts. We vowed to return to this niche little part of the world – Salmon Arms, when we next visit!

23 May was a day that we captured the first of many bear sightings. A black bear was literally snacking on berries on the side of the road. We screeched the brakes and u-turned over double lines so we could get a better vantage point. We were like kids in a candy store, we couldn’t believe we’d actually seen a bear!

We were on our way to Blue River to do a safari specifically so we could hopefully see bears. With much excitement we boarded a speed boat, in the rain, hopefully to see either bear or moose! To say it was cold is an absolute understatement, layer up they said, layer we did! They then added a life jacket and rain poncho accompanied by heated blankets, we could hardly sit down, think an image of two marshmallow men attempting to ward off the cold whilst looking for wildlife! We opted for a slower, warmer ride back in a catamaran!

Next destination was Jasper in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As we entered the National Park and bought our pass, we chatted to the young ranger who shared the best places to visit. Keep an eye for wildlife, they’re definitely out and about. We had no idea what was in store for us. As we neared to the town of Jasper, we came upon a small herd of white-tailed elk or deer (I’m still having difficulty as to which is which). I think we settled on deer. Literally two minutes further along towards town a herd of Bighorn sheep were again grazing by the side of the road. We couldn’t believe our luck!

Jasper is a small village surrounded by snow capped mountains. At every turn, there’s another picture postcard view. We discovered a store run by local artisans, a showcase of amazing local talent. I made a conscious decision a few years ago to only buy pieces that came direct from the artist, so for me, this was an absolute treasure trove. I may have secured a small piece or two!

I can only imagine how this village would come alive during the winter season. With so many beautiful mountain trails to hike, it was bustling now at the end of May! As we’ve only been booking our accommodation a few days before, we did struggle somewhat to secure accommodation (within our budget) in the rockies. We stayed at Forest Park Hotel at one end of town with a Starbucks within walking distance!

When we were planning this trip, we had entertained taking the Rocky Mountaineer to the towns of Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. A journey which meanders its way around the mountains from the comfort of a luxury carriage with food and drinks, a guide to narrate your travels. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the train however a 9 hour delay on the tracks made this impossible. Unfortunately or fortunately for us, the cost was prohibitive although now, after speaking to a variety of people, I definitely think we made the right decision to self drive and take in this beautiful part of the world. I’ve no doubt, we’ve had far greater interaction with wildlife, met and chatted to more people and experienced these rocky mountains in a more intimate way that we would have done, had we taken the train. If you’re considering a journey, I would definitely recommend, looking at reviews before committing the $$ for this experience.

We headed towards Maligne Canyon which has 6 bridges along its mountain trail, which allows you to follow the flow of the glacial ice down the mountain. We had seen so much wildlife on the 10km drive from Jasper, it had taken us nearly an hour. Upon arrival into the carpark, the crowds were gathering, a bear with its cub had made an appearance. We gingerly joined the crowd to capture this unbelievable moment, the hushed crowd was respectful to keep their distance. As the mother and cub wandered alongside the carpark entry, they ducked out of view. There’s always one in the crowd, that needs to get just one more shot. A fellow decided to cross the road and come within about 10m of the mother bear, several members of the crowd, in a sheeplike manner, followed. Cecilia and I were aghast at people’s stupidity and knew had the bear attacked, she would seal her deadly fate. Think Princess Diana and the paparazzi, it was shocking to see the lack of respect. We departed the crowd and took to our bush walk.

We headed for the Columbia Icefields to walk on a glacier. The photos do not do justice to the beauty of these mountain ranges. The tree line is a pallet of green, the rivers and lakes, every shade of blue and aqua and the mountains with their glaring white snowcaps cascading down the grey granite. At every turn, it’s breathtaking.

Layer they said, layer we did! We boarded our all-terrain Ice Explorer to the Athabasca Glacier, which is a 10,000-year-old sheet of ice which continually moves. This Glacier feeds three oceans, I wouldn’t dare begin to explain how this works, although for those keen to know more, take a look at fellow blogger – Anton Thomas Art, he gives a great explanation. Our day on the ice, was one of learning, ticking bucket lists and generally just having a blast. The temperature at the Glacier with wind chill factor had us at -4°c.

With the current changes to the Earth’s climate, this glacier will melt and disappear within the next 50 years. This will be devastating to the wildlife, the flora and humans who rely on glaciers for survival! Nasa scientists regularly visit the Athabasca Glacier to study the movement. Do some research and look at comparative photos of now and then! What will the next 50 years bring…

Incorporated into the Glacier tour, we take a walk on the Skywalk, a glass walkway that allows the participant to walk over the canyon! I can assure you, for these two travellers, it was a very quick, cautious, white knuckle walk to say we did it!

Back on the road headed for Lake Louise, we encountered more and more wildlife. Whilst we expected to see wildlife, I think our count on bears is currently at 10! Deer, Elk, Bighorn sheep, Long horned goats and small wildlife are abundant.

We arrived late to the inn at Lake Louise and to then find out we had two levels of stairs to tackle to get to our room. We were tired as we dragged our sorry buts up the stairs! Lake Louise was an interesting place, very different to what I had imagined, it’s really the Fairmont Chateau which has the most amazing views of the Lake. We were having an indulgent day, Cecilia secured high tea at the Chateau, as my birthday gift! We sat by the window overlooking Lake Louise which still harboured a layer of ice and enjoyed another bucket list moment and a glass or two of my favourite, Veuve!

We’ve come across many Australians whilst we’ve been travelling, young ones here on their working visas and Gen Xs and Boomers spending their kids’ inheritances. The high tea at the Fairmont was no different, we chatted to a couple from Sydney, who were celebrating their first holiday away from their now grown children. They were doing the reverse of our way through Banff/Jasper National Park, so we swapped stories and wished each other safe travels. They told us they’d stayed in Banff at the Fox Hotel and Suites. We took their advice and wow, what a stay we had! The hotel is home to a heated pool (40°) inspired by the Cave and Basin Historic site which is the original site of the Banff thermal springs. I couldn’t get Cecilia into the original cave but the pool at the Fox, with its open roof and spa, allowed us the experience just the same.

To extend our experiences, we jumped on the free local transport and headed to the Banff Gondola to take us to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. As you board the Gondola, the unmistakable Aussie accent guides you every step of the way. Once on the ridge, you stroll along the boardwalk for a km or so, taking in so many steps we lost count, to reach the peak of this mountain. There are no words for the beauty that surrounds you. At an elevation of 2,451m we folk that live at sea level, realised how thin the air is although how clean the air is. We took our time and both of us made it!

To finish off our Banff experience, we enjoyed a Wagon Trail BBQ Cookout which was basically being run by Aussies! We met some wonderful young Australians who were an absolute credit to themselves, they entertained, informed and shared their journeys with us! If you’re in Banff, it’s a great experience for all the family, you can actually do the horse ride, although we opted for the wagon ride due to the cold and impending rain…

Banff was absolutely the pick for places to stay whilst in the Rocky Mountains. It was humming with life and I can only imagine what it must be like when snow covers the streets at the peak of ski season!

We start heading for the big smoke of Calgary and Edmonton, more to come next week!