10 Day Rocky Tour with True North Tours

Day 1:

We got picked up in Calgary and drove to Banff to pick up the rest of the people. As it rained on our first day there was no hiking so we did a drive around Banff and went and checked out Bow Valley Falls.

Our tour consisted of our Canadian Tour Guide, Doug, Luuk - from Holland, Karen and Leena from Holland, Maori a Japanese girl and 5 Taiwanese people ( i am not even going to attempt their names). The tour became interesting on the first day when we went to Bow Valley Falls and we were told to be 10 minutes. The Taiwanese obviously didn't understand and followed a path and kept going. We were starting to get worried, especially the tour guide who had never lost anyone before, so Doug drove the ones that had returned to the van to Banff Springs Hotel and appointed me tour guide of the Banff Springs Hotel as i had been there before so i took a group of us through the Lobby and Mezzanine level shops and stuff. It was nice to get out of the rain and wander around inside a building for a while. In the mean time Doug had to go back and find the missing Taiwanese people who had followed a path way too far. So finally when we get the group back together we head off for our first lunch at a place called Bank Head Trail. We lit a fire and made sandwiches. The clouds had come over the mountains and though you couldn't see much it still looked interesting.




After lunch we head off towards Johnson Canyon to do a short hike and on the way we sore a Male Elk in a paddoch on his own.

Further down the road we sore 2 Grizzly Bears on the side of the road eating Berry bushes. They look so cute and cuddly.

Obviously we didn't get out of the car to look at the bears we took photo's from the windows of the car. We watched them for about 10 mins and then left them alone. So then we get to Johnson Canyon and do the short walk to Canyon. It rained that day so we looked beautiful in the poncho's that we bought for $1.00 to try and keep dry.

We finished off Day 1 at Lake Louise. We just went and had a walk around and looked at the Lake. Due to the weather we didn't go to far, though i had already seen it before.

Day 2:

Instead of doing a hike today i went Whitewater Rafting. I was nervous at first but enjoyed it after as soon as we took the raft into the water. It was ACE. We rafted down Bow Valley River. The water was 4 degrees so we wore wet suits, fleece, rain coats and gloves. We made the boat go up on a rock and spin around and we stopped in a hole and made the raft surf. Then towards the end we jumped out of and went swimming. It's not so bad swimming in 4 degree water when you have a wet suit, 2 fleeces and a rain coat on. Once we got back into the change rooms i was relieved to get out of the wet gear and into dry clothes and start drinking hot chocolate.

After rafting we got dropped off at Lake Louise to meet up with the others that didn't go rafting and as we couldn't be bothered walking around and looking at the Lake again we decided to sit in the lobby and eat our lunch. So now we can say that we had lunch at the Lake Louise Fairmont Hotel. Cool!!! Next it was a drive to Moraine Lake which is a breath taking view. It was one of the most beautiful spots that we sore on the whole tour.

We stopped at Crowfoot Galcier (which is a glacier that used to be called Crowfoot) and then at Peyto Lake which is shaped like a dog.

At the end of the day we arrived at Shunda Hostel. Once you get into the rockies the hostels are interesting as there is no running water and so you have to use stinky pit toilets. There is a special cook house to keep the food in as you are not allowed to have food in the dorm rooms because the smell of food will attract the bears. But the fires at night are great, thankfully i took lots of marshmallows.

Day 3:

On day 3 some of the crew went horse riding and others went for a walk. There is a ghost town in Nordegg so i decided to go and visit that. The tour guide and i went for a drive to see what the town of Nordegg has to offer. Well the ghost town in crap as it consists of 5 buildings in which 2 of them are occupied. On the way back to meeting the ones that went horse riding we stopped at the mining museum. There was alot of newpaper articles on the wall about the great fire that burnt down the mine. But there was also lots of trophy's in a cabinet and i was tickled pink to discover that the women of Nordegg were national champion pillow fighters, needle and thread and wine racers.... Oh boy! I am scared of the women of Nordegg. So for the afternoon we walked up Mount Baldy. Oh my god it was so steep. My legs were sore going up the mountain. I had to stop and stretch part way up. But of course once you get to the top the view is worth every ounce of pain. It felt like you could see every part of Canada. It was a beautiful place to sit and eat lunch. The walk down was seeming easy until my feet went out from under me on some loose gravel and i slid on my ass. Of course right in front of everyone. Luuk who i became friends with sore it and was going to ask me if i was Ok but couldn't stop laughing long enough.

So we head back to the hostel and everyone heads straight for the showers. It was explained to us that there has been some digging going on and they had hit a sulphure line. So we knew that the water looked black in color. I showered in it and it was fine, however what i didn't realise was that sulhpure turns sterling silver a rusty color and completely freaked out when i sore my ring in the shower looking worse for wear. So i got out and went and got dressed and went down stairs and yelled at the tour guide for not telling me. I mean i completely went off tap at him and practically left him speechless as he didn't even know that that could happen. So later on i was talking to a lady in the toilets and she suggested cleaning my ring with toothpaste and believe it or not it worked. Toothpaste got my ring looking as good as new. So then i had to apologise for yelling at him. Ouch!!! So then off to the fire for me to make more marshmallows.

Day 4:

We stayed at Rampart creek hostel which is one of the most beautiful hostels that we stayed at as it is literally at the foot of the mountains. We had one of the best fires there and spent alot of time looking at the scenery in awe. They have a sauna there. So everyone goes in (i went topless) and get all sweaty and then you are supposed to go and jump in the river which is about 0 degrees. I chickened out.


We went Glacier hiking at the Athabasca Ice Walks. Our tour guide was a south african by the name of 'Dani', pronounced "Dunny", so i couldn't help myself i had to ask him how much water the glacier lost each year and how many dunny flushes it equated to.

It was quite a warm day but once you get up to the top it's quite windy and starts to get cold. It's interesting walking up the glacier with spikes on your shoes and looking down the crevases(Giant cracks) to see how far they go. I filled my water bottles up with water and took them with me to drink.

We stopped at Tangle falls on the way to the Jasper hostel that night which was kind a cool.

That night we went out for dinner. That night it was out for dinner at Jasper Pizza and Pasta for some great pizza. On the way home from pizza we were driving out of the cat park and had to stop for some Elk. A mother and a baby just walked right thru the car park like they owned the place. Not scared of cars or humans at all. They come down into the town of Jasper and they're bloody everywhere. Pesky little buggers.

Day 5:

We hiked around Maligne Lake and Moose Lake Loop. We were lucky we sore a moose that day. Out of 7 tours that had been there only 3 of them sore a moose. It was on the other side of the lake but still we sore one. So far 2 Grizzlies, Elk, 1 Moose and later on that day Bighorn sheep.

So after seeing the moose we walked thru the buch to the other side of the lake. I was walking directly behind Doug and typical Shelley walker with her head down and walked head first into a tree that had falled across a path. I was embarrased more than anything. Again Luuk was gonna ask if i was ok but couldn't stop laughing long enough. So we walked through to the other side and then sat down and had lunch overlooking the lake. We walked around and sat and looked for ages. There were deer wandering around and so i got photo's of them as well.

Day 6:

This is the day when sadly the first leg of the trip came to an end. So on our way back to Calgary we stopped at Athabasca Falls.

Sunwapta Falls.

Mistaya Canyon.

So it was time to say goodbye. Everyone was a little sad to see each other go. So i got photo's fo the ones i hung out with the most.

Even Doug and Luuk were sad to see each other go.

Some of us went on for another 4 days but i said goodbye to Karen, Leena, Luuk, Amy and Doug.