Saturday, September 1st:
We woke up and slowly prepared our things for the day’s hike. Paget Peak was a short but steep ascent that had both of our blood pumping. After two hours of straight uphill, we reached the top and sat for lunch. On our way back down, we passed some fellow hikers who suggested that we take the 1km branching trail to Sherbrooke Lake. Even though 1km felt longer than it sounded; the view was worth the walk and Mogli benefitted from cold laps of lake water. On our way back to camp, we stopped at a travel center to connect with our upcoming visitors. Since we didn’t have service without we-fi, we wanted to nail down plans with both Mike and Cynthia and Brian and Havi. From there, we dragged our tired legs back to camp. The hike had left me smelling less than pleasant but my only option for a bath was in the freezing cold river. After much procrastination, I finally stripped off my sweaty yet protective layers and rinsed off as quickly as I could. Since the air was slightly warmer than the water, I was less uncomfortable that I had anticipated. Once cozied in my fresh clothes and celebrating the feeling of being clean, I began selling Tom on the idea. It wasn’t long before his resistance caved and he followed suit in the exact whimpering fashion as I had. That night, we sat near the edge of the river, sipping wine and taking in all of the amazing experiences that the trip has gifted us. Nothing is more comforting than sharing the soft whispers of nature with your best friend at your side.
We woke up early on Sunday to secure a space in the Lake Louise parking lot. On a standard day, the lot is full by 930, but we figured that Labor Day Weekend would attract more tourist than normal. Once there, we made breakfast and exercised Mogli. Getting him out for a quick walk made us feel less guilty about leaving him in the car. We climbed some really great routes before getting completely shut down by the last one of the day. I attempted it first, but had to come down before finishing because I hadn’t brought up an adequate number of quickdraws. Tom went up next and looked promising until the top section where he fell multiple times. Since we were climbing on a wall that was right off of the walking path, multiple people stopped to spectate. One woman in particular had stayed long enough to watch multiple of his attempts in the same spot. During one, he had climb way out left where there appeared to be better holds. Even with larger rock features, he didn’t have enough strength to hold on. He yelled out as he took a long fall and swung into the face. Once I confirmed that he was okay, I looked back at the woman who had been watching and was surprised to find that her face held a look of disappointment rather than that of terror. Her motherly apparel had me assuming that profanity wasn’t common in her vocabulary and the way the F word came so sweetly out of her mouth, confirmed my suspicion. She met my gaze and said: “F***! He was so close! F***! I suppressed the urge to laugh and instead nodded in agreement.
We woke up at the Canmore Travel Center on Monday to the sound of rain. Knowing that the nearby rock would be wet, we decided to spend the day around town. We made stops at the grocery store and a quilting shop where Tom bought an assortment of yarn to make hats. The afternoon was sunny and gorgeous, so we made lunch at the Nordic Center before heading to Cougar Canyon to climb. The first route was long and the second was difficult, making them enough to feel accomplished. It was dark as we made our way back to the truck, returning to the travel center for the night.
On Tuesday, we made breakfast and filled our water jugs before hitting the road. A long drive through foggy hillsides landed us at Mount Tyrowhitt’s trailhead. We expected that our hike wouldn’t result in much more than a thick cloud based on the unpromising weather predictions, but carried on nonetheless. The first half of the trail was soggy from rain but was mostly flat. Right as we began gaining elevation, we heard rocks being disturbed above us but couldn’t see what was causing it. My heart stopped for a moment as my eyes strained to see through the thick air. As the air moved, we began to make out a line of mountain goats traversing the steep and rocky hillside. Both relieved and intrigued, we sat for a moment to watch them travel before continuing upward. The higher we rose, the lower the temperature became, weaving us through trees crystallized with ice. Soon after, we reached a valley that offered a flat area to rest before starting into the hike’s true test. Surrounded by vertical hillsides, we sat and enjoyed a snack and some water. There were intermittent rock slides, giving both Mogli and us a reason to be on high alert. Although we still couldn’t see with much distinction, the distance between each instance reassured us that the land was moving as opposed to a nearing animal. With our packs re-secured, we followed an obvious trail to the mountain’s saddle. From there we began the final scramble to the top. Some rock sections were more prone to movement than others, but everything was wet due to snow melt. At mid-way, we stopped to take pictures of the hike’s famous archway. On a sunny day it is visible from the road and referred to as “the keyhole”. At this point, we still couldn’t see very far and being only moments from the summit, I asked the universe to move the clouds and gift us with a clear view. As if at the snap of fingers, the clouds began to shift and soon revealed the sun. Both immediately awestruck, we stepped over the peak to find what was the most spectacular lookout that either of us had ever experienced.
We woke up on Wednesday at the Stoney Nakoda Casino where we had stretched, ate dinner and slept the night before. Mike was arriving that day, but had work meetings until later in the afternoon. Tom and I took advantage of the warm, sunny day by climbing at Barrier Bluffs before our hours drive to meet him in Calgary. It had been 2 full weeks since either of us had taken a shower, making us eager to arrive at the hotel provided by Mike’s employer. Driving through the city was more stressful than I had known to expect. The high density of pedestrians and vehicles made navigating our wide load through lanes and one-ways a tumultuous task. After a few missed turns, we finally passed in front of the hotel to find a sign that informed us that guest parking was $28 a night. With that, we continued on, agreeing that we’d rather park for free and bike back than pay that outrageous amount. We were fortunate to find a nearby neighborhood where we could leave our car until 1030 the next morning. We biked the half mile back and locked our bikes before being greeted by Mike in the hotel lobby. After hugs and a quick catch up, Tom and I raced into the shower. We hung out in the room for a while before walking to a nearby dive bar called Poco Loco. While drinking beer and eating pizza, we listened to the band that was playing for “Jam Night”. On of the regular performers came around and asked if any of us cared to get up on stage and play with the band. Tom and Mike immediately volunteered me and I figured it would be a fun opportunity to take advantage of. Although the bar was nearly empty, there’s something freeing about singing into a microphone completely unabated.
My physical state on Thursday morning was a testament to the fun that was had the night before. My head and stomach were both lecturing me on the repercussions of overindulgence. Since Mogli had been in his kennel since the night before, I forced myself out of bed and onto my bike, hazily pedaling back to the truck. The fresh air and glorious weather had an immediate healing effect that continued to medicate as Mogli and I set out on a run. Afterwards, I picked Tom up from the hotel and the two of us ran errands. That evening, Mike, Tom and I picked Cynthia up from the Calgary Airport where she had flown in. The four of us ate dinner at a local Thai restaurant before heading back to the room to hang out. They each honored us by asking to have us as part of their wedding next year. Tom as the officiator and myself as a bridesmaid. Congratulations Mike and Cynthia!
On Friday, we woke up and headed for Canmore where we climbed at Cougar Canyon. Mike and Cynthia both impressed us with their strength and fearlessness. While climbing, we met a couple named Martin and Lupkah who informed us of a nearby free campsite that neither Tom or I were aware of. It wasn’t until after we had returned to our cars and driven away, that Tom realized that he left his water bottle at the wall. Slightly annoyed due to creeping hunger, I turned around to head back, biking as far on the gravel path as I could before ditching the bike and finishing on foot (running in my chacos). My hopes were quickly crushed when each of the places we had been, showed no sign of Tom’s bottle. There was a couple on the climb that we had done before leaving and they hadn’t seen it. Completely discouraged and dreading returning to the group empty handed, I passed a large group assuming that they wouldn’t know of its whereabouts either. At the last second I turned on my heals, figuring that it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask. In an effort to get it over with, I interjected into their conversation to ask if any of them had seen a blue water bottle. One of the guys’ eyes lit up and asked if it had stickers all over it. Elated to have found it, I confirmed that it did and waited patiently as he drew it from his bag. After thanking them, I ran back to where I had left my bike and hurriedly peddled to where everyone was waiting. Upon my return, we celebrated the fortuitous retrieval before heading out to set up camp at the newfound site.
The four of us ate breakfast on Saturday while waiting out a short rain shower. Mike and Cynthia had agreed to hike a summit with us, so Tom found one that he hoped would be less strenuous. As we readied our things in the trailhead parking lot, four guys (Anhil, Wassel, Shebab, and ?) asked where we were going and if they could join us. They explained that they had driven from Edmonton with plans of hiking Ha Ling Peak, which was unfortunately closed. None of them had ever been hiking before, but didn’t want to have driven all that way for nothing. Unsure of what to expect but happy to help, we agreed lead the way. As we started into the trail, the 8 of us traveled in a pack, moving at a leisurely pace. It wasn't long after that 2 had already broken off, both complaining of their physical incompetence. Although we wanted to stay together, it was also important to us to reach the summit at a reasonable hour. After keeping a steady pace with routine stops to rest and eat, the 6 of us were able to make it to the top as a team. You don't realize until after the fact, how much you rely on each person to complete such an undertaking. It requires everyone to hold a good attitude and trust that their bodies possess the strength to push forward, because if you allow yourself to crumble, it effects the entire group. We spent some time at the top to enjoy our hard-earned view and take some pictures to prove it. Right as we were about to turn around, one of the two who had fallen back, stepped over the top. Determined to finish, he had asked another hiker to show him the way. We cheered loudly, honoring his struggle to achieve. After he had some time to rest his legs, we all made our way down together. At the bottom, we shook hands, thanked each of them and said our goodbyes. They were awesome company, and we were so happy to have had the opportunity to get to know them. That night, Mike, Cynthia, Tom and I soaked our feeble bodies in the Upper Banff Hot Springs. It was such a relaxing way to enjoy our final night together.
It was hard saying goodbye to Mike and Cynthia, but we had to let them get on the road to catch their Sunday afternoon flight. After there car drove away and we offered our last wave, Tom and I took some much needed time to reconnect. We have found that it's easy to get lost in our desire to accommodate, and in the process, dismiss one another. Havila, Brian and the kids were on their way into town and we wanted to make amends and address our individual perceptions before they arrived. We ended our conversation, not only relieved to have shed our futile emotional weight, but also ecstatic about having our family in town. We drove to the Canmore Visitor's Center, our designated meeting spot, where we awaited their arrival. In the meantime, Veronica and I chatted over Facetime, catching up on lost time. We took a breather from our story telling and laughter to greet Lisa, a friend that was over at Veronica's. Lisa had gotten married this last summer, so I asked about how her wedding was. She gave a quick recap before bringing up the fact that my sister was getting married next summer. I confirmed that she was, and as if a lightbulb had turned on, realized that both my sister and Mike and Cynthia's wedding were over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. As the thought settled in, I was completely dumbfounded at how this hadn't occurred to me before. We had spent the entire weekend discussing plans for Mike and Cynthia's wedding and somehow I completely overlooked the significance of their date. Feeling as if time had frozen, I reentered reality and started to explain my dilemma to Veronica and Lisa. Just as their faces began to express my same shock, Tom walked through the doors of the visitor's center to inform me that someone had just hit our camper. We held each other's gaze for a moment before cracking smiles which developed into laughter. Although I had no idea what kind of damage had occurred, his reaction reassured me that it was nothing serious. A woman driving a large RV had ran into the side of it, causing little to no harm to our camper, but severely disfiguring her awning. After sufficiently inspecting her own vehicle, she drove away without so much as addressing her fault with us. We were surprised by her recklessness, but weren't at all concerned about the situation. Veronica patiently waited while I shared my overlapping, wedding discovery with Tom, putting him in the same state of bewilderment that I was currently facing. He sat next to me, debating when and how he should break the news to Mike, as I wrapped up my conversation with Veronica. Once off the phone, we decided that we would find a better time, perhaps when they weren't in a busy airport, to have a conversation with them. The dust of the eventful afternoon began to settle just as a big blue bus, holding our family, pulled into the parking lot. We were both overjoyed to see Brian, Havi, the kids and Bayla and relieved that their long drive and landed them safely. After welcoming them to Canada and giving the kids some time to burn off energy, we went grocery shopping, then out to dinner.
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