Kananaskis Country

March 7-12, 2023

As we flew in to Calgary from Abbotsford, our son-in-law Willem's parents flew in from the Netherlands for a very important event: our grandson Scott's 5th birthday!

Then the next day us four Opas & Omas, drove to Kananaskis for 3 days of fun in the great outdoors.

March 7:

Wow! Flying right over the Cheam Range in clear skies, was quite the treat.

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March 8

The view from Jeanette & Willem's kitchen window is so pretty, with its rolling hills and so often deer. But I've never seen so many of them.

Us grandparents avoided the big birthday party with all the little kids, moms + goodies, and had a nice quiet celebration the day of.

This was the first time me & Jeanette drove a vehicle on ice. I felt prickles going up my spine. It took a bit to get used to the feel of only a sheet of ice keeping us from sinking. But once they grinded the holes with the ogres, we realized the ice was 36" thick.

Scott got to go fishing on his birthday. He took it almost as seriously as his Opas. But didn't hang in there near as long.

Willem fixed the 4WD the next morning on his truck. For this day we had to rely on man-power and the neighbour fisherman's grippy mats to get some traction on the ice.

Us women had lunch at a nearby Smitty's in a First Nations reserve. A small museum was attached to the restaurant.

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March 9:

The boys were so happy when daddy returned from a 9-day business trip and helped them with the lego that I bought them. Of course it had motorcycles, ramps and a quad in it.

Happy Hank is doing so well. He can sit on his own now.

On Hwy AB-40 driving south towards the Kananaskis Lakes in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park -- west.

south

east

northwest

The men ice-fishing on Lower Kananaskis Lake -- northeast.

east

Thea & I snowshoed up to Upper Kananaskis Lake: 4.5 km / 88m gain / 1:05 MT / 1690m high point

Upper Kananaskis Lake -- northwest.

Looking back -- east.

Back at the edge of the lower lake.

I don't think the men can read.

Waiting for hand outs.

Time to go.

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Troll Falls in Kananaskis Village: 5 km / 170m gain / 50 minutes MT

We convinced the men to join us on this hike on micro-spikes to Troll Falls.

Lower Troll Falls.

Upper Troll Falls.

Marmot Falls were inbetween the other two falls.

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March 10: Howling Dog Sledding

A few nights before, I dreamt that I was running and I felt so light and free. Little did I know that that would indeed happen this day. Not only did I run, but I was even hitch-hiking. Why? Because I never did get that confirmation email and what I thought was a 3-minute walk from our hotel was actually a 3-minute drive. We got to the office just in time, panting and glad to have not missed the tour.

This was a 2-hour dog sled ride in which we got to help tie up the dogs and steer the sleigh.

The Alaskan huskies knew what was coming and were all too eager to get going. They usually do two runs a day.

The two huskies in the back were more anxious and shy, but had more strength. We had a team of six, the four in the back following the lead of the two in front.

At the halfway point we stopped for hot chocolate.

After 15 minutes at a stand-still, the dogs were going berserk, knowing it was time to go again.

There was such a variety of huskies, some not looking like huskies at all. They're the rejects from the racing huskies in Alaska.

A photographer took this photo.

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March 11: This day was supposed to be cloudy. The evening before, in the Silver Creek Lodge in Canmore, we were trying to decide what to do. When we woke to cobalt blue skies, it was suddenly very easy to fill our day.

We drove a bit through Canmore, now that the skies were clear.

We passed by several groups of elk, who were feeding along the outskirts of the town.

A Rocky Mt. sheep.

Goats.

The Three Sisters in Canmore.

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Grotto Canyon: 6 km / 200m gain

At breakfast we asked the men if they wanted to go ice-fishing again. They promply replied in unison a resounding, "No!" After 3 successive unsuccessful days, having caught only one trout, they'd lost their enthusiasm.

But when we parked in the full parking lot, and they saw a couple guys fishing on the little lake there, they hastily grabbed their gear and headed out on the lake once again.

About halfway through the canyon, the ground was sheer ice. Proceeding without micro-spikes would've been foolish.

At the end of the passageway, a short right got us to these falls. It doesn't look steep but it was. At one point my spikes would barely dig into the rock hard ice. So I backtracked, crossed to the other side and proceeded. I just had to get those photographs.

A solo ice-climber near the top.

Back at the end of the canyon, on flat ground.

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The Banff gonola.

Just one year prior, I saved $70.00 and showshoed up to the gondola with members of our COC club.

These next six photos comprise a 360 degree view, starting with the southwest.

west

north

The town of Banff -- northeast.

Mt. Rundle -- east.

south

The cosmic ray station.

I observed several people slipping on an icy patch just by this rail. So when I saw Egburt coming up with his "klompen" on, I was holding my breath. But he didn't hesitate, doing a few quick kicks for his footing, and confidently carried on.

It was only 1.5 hours drive back to Airdrie.

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March 12 - A change of plans for me this day. Church was on the agenda until I realized my driver's license was missing. No it wasn't in the pant pocket in my suitcase. Think think. O dear. An urgent call to the lodge, "Has it gone through the laundry yet?" I'd taken it along to my massage treatment, thinking they'd want proof that I was who I was. Since I planned to soak in the hot tub afterwards, I wore my bathing suit & housecoat, forgetting later to retrieve the license from the pocket. So Jeanette & I drove back to Canmore and had a lovely one-on-one time together, which is rare and hard to come by with her. She was thrilled to be back in the mountains in such beautiful weather.

Flying over the Rocky Mountains.