Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Fall in the Rockies (in the Ski-Tracks of Eddie the Eagle)
Quick forecast from Weather Station no. 48 here in Calgary... Indian (sorry, First Nation) summer on hold for 2-3 days... temp down to 3 tonight ... frost in the mornings... might get up to +9 tomorrow... was +23 on Monday... high winds forecast for Thursday night, expect falling trees... should get better for the weekend, and for a few days next week... current bets on the first real Snow Day are around October 28...
Having got the weather out of the way then (who says we're obsessed?), it's on with a quick update on activities here since the visitors' arrival and (mostly) some nice photos. Melissa and Stephen (aka 'Whiters and Stevie') are currently in parts west of here, are at the moment should be enjoying their second night in Banff before doing The Big Drive to Jasper via the Columbia Icefield Parkway and Athabasca Glacier tomorrow. They'll hopefully be back with us later on Friday, and we're taking them out for ribs on Saturday night.
On Friday night we had a barbecue:
Elvis Loves You
while on Saturday we were invited to a Dim Sum lunch at a Chinese restaurant downtown by the Breitmeyer clan (10 of us in all, including Hannah and baby Benjamin). Melissa decided that rather than Brunch, we were having Chunch! (Chinese-lunch)
Baby Ben and Mum Emma
Green Jelly with Chopsticks! (going in or coming out?)
We then headed off into Kananaskis Country for the rest of Saturday, stopping at Canoe Meadows, Barrier Lake, Kovach Pond, Ribbon Creek and failing to find an abandoned mining village. And the four of us saw our very first black bear across the Ribbon Creek! Stephen spotted it on the opposite bank to us, about 50 yards away. Almost as soon as we saw it, it saw us and bolted for cover. For such a big beast, it moved extremely fast! Lucky for us it was moving away from us, rather than towards! As soon as the camera was ready, it was gone - that's how fast it happened!
Bear Sighting Zone
Also, the water level at Kovach Pond seemed to have dropped a wee bit between our visits in August and September. Maybe we can go back in the winter and skate on it!
August
September (look at the trees too!)
Us at Barrier Lake
Them at Barrier Lake
Who's the Popstar?
Man With a Stick
Is it this way? (Back to the car)
Autumn has happened all of a sudden here, the trees going from green to deep orange inside a week, and the leaves are starting to fall at the moment. It's especially impressive in the Rockies:
Trembling Aspen
Autumn in Kananaskis
Fall in the Rockies
Canoe Meadows
Big Rock
Watched Kill Bill 2 in the evening, good but not as excellent as part 1.
Sunday was spent at the penultimate Bearspaw Farmer's Market of the season, and then at Canada Olympic Park. It was OK, but we were disappointed not to be offered a go on the Public Bobsleigh Run (they put wheels on it, apparently) or on the Public Luge (in the Ice House). To be honest, there weren't many staff around on a Sunday afternoon and they weren't exactly tripping over themselves to offer us a go on the facilities. We had a nice afternoon anyway, as the photos below attest.
We took the ski-lift up to the top of the hill, which took about 10 minutes in an open two-person seat - it was nice to sit swinging high in the air, quite peaceful and unhurried. The lift even stopped in mid-air a few times, but we didn't worry too much as the view was great!
Up on the Ski-Lift (Higher than it looks!)
Up at the Top
The High Jump (Eddie the Eagle wos 'ere)
Anyone for a quick Ski-Jump?
It's a Long Way Down
I can see my house from here!
Anyone for a hotdog?
In the bobsleigh run
Boys in the Bobsleigh
So that's all for now, will be in the 'OR' tomorrow all day and then we have all weekend with the young visitors!
See y'all real soon
J
Having got the weather out of the way then (who says we're obsessed?), it's on with a quick update on activities here since the visitors' arrival and (mostly) some nice photos. Melissa and Stephen (aka 'Whiters and Stevie') are currently in parts west of here, are at the moment should be enjoying their second night in Banff before doing The Big Drive to Jasper via the Columbia Icefield Parkway and Athabasca Glacier tomorrow. They'll hopefully be back with us later on Friday, and we're taking them out for ribs on Saturday night.
On Friday night we had a barbecue:
Elvis Loves You
while on Saturday we were invited to a Dim Sum lunch at a Chinese restaurant downtown by the Breitmeyer clan (10 of us in all, including Hannah and baby Benjamin). Melissa decided that rather than Brunch, we were having Chunch! (Chinese-lunch)
Baby Ben and Mum Emma
Green Jelly with Chopsticks! (going in or coming out?)
We then headed off into Kananaskis Country for the rest of Saturday, stopping at Canoe Meadows, Barrier Lake, Kovach Pond, Ribbon Creek and failing to find an abandoned mining village. And the four of us saw our very first black bear across the Ribbon Creek! Stephen spotted it on the opposite bank to us, about 50 yards away. Almost as soon as we saw it, it saw us and bolted for cover. For such a big beast, it moved extremely fast! Lucky for us it was moving away from us, rather than towards! As soon as the camera was ready, it was gone - that's how fast it happened!
Bear Sighting Zone
Also, the water level at Kovach Pond seemed to have dropped a wee bit between our visits in August and September. Maybe we can go back in the winter and skate on it!
August
September (look at the trees too!)
Us at Barrier Lake
Them at Barrier Lake
Who's the Popstar?
Man With a Stick
Is it this way? (Back to the car)
Autumn has happened all of a sudden here, the trees going from green to deep orange inside a week, and the leaves are starting to fall at the moment. It's especially impressive in the Rockies:
Trembling Aspen
Autumn in Kananaskis
Fall in the Rockies
Canoe Meadows
Big Rock
Watched Kill Bill 2 in the evening, good but not as excellent as part 1.
Sunday was spent at the penultimate Bearspaw Farmer's Market of the season, and then at Canada Olympic Park. It was OK, but we were disappointed not to be offered a go on the Public Bobsleigh Run (they put wheels on it, apparently) or on the Public Luge (in the Ice House). To be honest, there weren't many staff around on a Sunday afternoon and they weren't exactly tripping over themselves to offer us a go on the facilities. We had a nice afternoon anyway, as the photos below attest.
We took the ski-lift up to the top of the hill, which took about 10 minutes in an open two-person seat - it was nice to sit swinging high in the air, quite peaceful and unhurried. The lift even stopped in mid-air a few times, but we didn't worry too much as the view was great!
Up on the Ski-Lift (Higher than it looks!)
Up at the Top
The High Jump (Eddie the Eagle wos 'ere)
Anyone for a quick Ski-Jump?
It's a Long Way Down
I can see my house from here!
Anyone for a hotdog?
In the bobsleigh run
Boys in the Bobsleigh
So that's all for now, will be in the 'OR' tomorrow all day and then we have all weekend with the young visitors!
See y'all real soon
J
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