Nick Byng Blog
Old Times, New Times, The Big Time!

Calgary

As the coach apprached Calgary, we passed through intriguing places such as Maple Creek and Medicine Hat, the approach to the city limits was one of the most stunning.

Calgary

Staying in hostels could throw up some interesting characters, and having to sleep in the same room could be a bit uncomfortable at times.

Trans Canadian Highway

We attended a reggae bash one hot and dusty evening in an old part of town. At one point a bottle fight broke out between two rival gangs, the staff were cowering under the bar, as bottles flew from side to side.

We often explored places like this, off the beaten track, to gain a true perspective of Canada, you don’t get the same ‘tourist’ treatment when you cross the tracks.

Banff

The road to the Rockies was impressive, as expected. I seem to remember

Sulphur Mountain gondolas

the mountains looming like an immense wall of darkness, which cast huge shadows over the ever nearing foothills.

We ascended by Greyhound into the heart of the Rocky Mountains, to Banff, our first destination in British Columbia.

Banff hostel was an impressive log cabin perched on the outskirts of town. We had our first encounter with an Elk – an extremely large and grumpy one was plonked, grazing, by the entrance to the hostel. Elk are responsible for more injuries to humans than bears in Canada, and frustratingly for me, this one was stood guard over the entrance.

Once settled in, we were advised to take a trip up to Sulphur Mountain with the hot springs so, the next day we took the long trek up the hillside.

There had been a few bear attacks around that time, being ignorant to the danger we took a route through the lower forests and emerged out by a bus stop. An elderly lady complained about how we shouldn’t have chosen that route, with a black bear warning in force at the time.

Banff National Park

We took the cable car up as far as we could go, it felt like being on top of the world.

The visitors centre offered views down over the wooded valleys with Banff carved out of the middle. Banff, as a town, was very touristic and there were lots of late night bars serving Coors and Kokanee beer.

One night we ended up in a lively bar with a band playing, they band were all naked much to the womens entertainment.

Lake Louise

Lake Louise was by far the most stunning place we had visited in the Rockies,

Lake Louise

we took a grand day trip up to the ice flows.

There were several routes up to the Lake from the hostel and I think we took the longest one, it was a quiet and secluded track which followed a pearlescent blue creek – bear territory and no bear-bells again.

The journey up to the ice flow skirted around the valley of the lake and we rested at a log cabin settlement which served tea and muffins.

By the time we reached the ice flows, the last of the tourists had passed us on their way back down. It was quiet and eerie up there, the only company was from the odd chipmunk and a cool and gentle wind in the trees.

On the way back down it was getting dark fast, I was winding up my partner by making bear calls across the wooded valley, until what sounded like a bear cry came back in the far off distance. I shut up rather quickly, I had to remind myself that we were not in Symonds Yat anymore.