http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , Canada , Alberta , Banff en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:47:41 BST Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:47:41 BST Well now where to begin after being spoilt rotten for the last 6 or 7 weeks or so one the ranch on van island i ventured off into the er i guess known i'd say unknown but i've been both places before so hey... Started off in vancouver with the fabby barbara yey for travel buds She has an awesome place in kitsilano disrtict and is sharing with an erm rather interesting yawn bi http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-328283.html The road tripWe returned from Vancouver Island tired but determined to get going on the road. Although Erica was keen to see all the sights she also had to say good bye to her boyfriend Simmo. They won't be seeing each other for 10 weeks and this trip was the first time they'd spent more than a day apart. We picked up our new rental car a beasty ford which we've affectionately called jerky http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-322143.html Hallo mal wieder Heute gings in die Rocky Mountains genauer gesagt nach Banff. Um etwa 1000 Uhr war Abfahrt mit dem Bus hier in Calgary. Die Fahrt war interessant so konnte man beispielsweise die Skisprungsschanzen und den Beginn der Berge natrlich auch die Rockies an sich gut sehen. Nach etwa 130h erreichten wir unser Ziel Banff. Es ist an sich ein sehr schoener Ort umgeben von Bergen http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-320693.html What do you think about when you imagine Canada For us it is mountains rivers bears maple leaves Well coming to Jasper and Banff National Parks certainly ticked all the boxes on our ideas of what Canada is like. Known as the Rockies they stretch over Alberta and British Columbia. To see them properly we decided to rent a car from Calgary and drive to the nearest mountain resort of Banff http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-305406.html Early this morning we left towards Banff National Park. We got on the highway and we were shocked how well you could see the rockies from Calgary. We never noticed them because the other days were very cloudy. So this is where the excitement began As we drove that direction the mountains got closer and closerr WOW This place is so gorgeous and it is just the entrance to the park The first t http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-303770.html Hey everyoneHope your all ok and having a cool time in the UK. OMG this is the most amazing place on the planet i arrived in Calgary after a very comfy ride i have a chair that i could lie flat on it was awesome then when i pressed the button a lady would come with more food and drink.Once in Calgary there was the stampede this is the biggest rodeo festaval in Canada it was alright but i met some http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-300285.html 13th July 2008The regular readers of this blog may notice that we have only just discovered that we failed to publish the 10th July in sequence but having already prepared it have now published it better late than never.Also we have included in todays blog some pictures from yesterday just to confuse you further.After our very late finish last night we slept in until 930am this morning.We went f http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-299896.html Well it was quite strange to watch Penny drive away in a van and find myself halfway across the world with no one to chat with decide things see things and awe with etc etc.I decided to nip it in the bud and do what anyone should do in that position Climb a mountain.I go inside to slip the hiking boots on and discover that it is raining cats and dogsI go back inside the hostel kick the boo http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-290841.html ..... and we've been hiking through Banff National Park for days on end giving onlookers the impression we're a bunch of loonies escaped from some sort of mental institution. To avoid bear attacks believe us we knew there were definitely a handful of grizzlys roaming our immediate vicinity thanks to ranger warnings and fresh bear droppings we were instructed to talk loudly sing constantly http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-288139.html I've had the most exciting 10 days of my life well ovr 100 hours travelling on planes buses and cable cars. If I could sit still for a few days I''d be over the moon. Made it down to San Francisco. Up to Toronto in a week. Have a look on a map of North America. Don't think there's 2 large cities that are further apart. Ah well 72 hours of Meat Loaf Lord Of The Rings and Sudoku plus occasional http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-284569.html We have had an amazing two days on the Rocky Mountaineer Train. We had a early start 5.15am on Thursday 15 May. We were met by our tour guide John House and taken to our train. Our luggage was sent ahead by truck and was sitting in our room when we arrived at Kamloops and Banff. The first day we travelled to Kamloops the name Kamloops drives from the Shuswap Indian word TKemlups meaning me http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/Sunshine/blog-277115.html An overcast sky today but the clouds were high and we could see the top of every mountainhellip.just beautifulhellip. Snow white snow hellip. On the ground along the riversand covering the mountain tops.We drove along the Trans Canada Highway No 1 to Lake Louise it was only about a 50k drive so we arrived early. Lake Louise is frozen over a site to see We took a walk along the lakes http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-276428.html Hello everyone Just a very quick update on our travel blog. We've said a sad 'goodbye' to Whistler where we'd spent two weeks. It really was a great place to snowboard and have fun Whilst we where there it was the World Ski Snowboard Festival which meant there was heaps of fun things going on from 'big air' competitions to lots of live music. One night we stood out in scarfs and hats http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/Sunshine/blog-270276.html So while I was waiting to meet up with a couple of friends from my exchange over skype I figured i'd do an entry for the first time in almost a year Wow how time flies Anyway Erin and I have been working particularly hard lately and with school starting to wind down we decided to take a little trip to the Canadian Rockies for some skiing snowboarding for Erin at Sunshine in Banff. I h http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/Sunshine/blog-269451.html I'm lovin' the terrain here at Lake Louise I say.Yeah me too agrees Tom. These wide open motorway groomers make a nice change from the steep and deep of Fernie.And the views from this side of the mountain are superb exclaims Tim.We all agree Lake Louise's nicknames of Rock Louise and Lake Lousy seem somewhat unfounded and we decide to head higher up the mountain.Where too next I ask http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-267371.html Today was our first completely free day where we could do anything we wanted. We slept in for as long as possible today it was much needed after last night. Jon went to the store to get some things and made us breakfast. We got ready and Jon gave us a lift into town where most of us needed to use the internet. We had a look around some shops then searched for a decent internet caf. When I finall http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-266608.html Shortly after wersquod gone to sleep we woke up again some of us only getting a couple of hours sleep. This morning we were going white water rafting but most of us felt way too hungover for that but we pushed ourselves to do it anyway. Dave woke Jon up out of the trailer so we could get ready and he was furious. Jon was so angry he told me off for waking him up when I passed him on his way t http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-266605.html The wind tugs my hair out from under my hat and whips it with a snap across my face. The wind is arctic condensing my breath into tiny ice crystals which cling to my eyelashes like icicles hanging off the eaves of a cottage also inconveniently making my nose do an instant Rudolf impression lighting up like a light bulb. Welcome to Canada After going through the usual palaver of the airports su http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-253119.html Hey Sorry about the delayWell the weekend before our Level 1 exams we went to seen an NHL game at Calgary which was fantastic albiet that the Calgary Flames lost to the Dallas Stars 21 in the end.After watching the Flames some of the group have gotten into playing Hockey and have bought our own sticks. Thier is a frozen lake near by which has some goals set up on it which is perfect along w http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-247393.html hey hey how is everyone doing back home i hope alot warmer than i am last two days it is back down to 27 degrees but corey and myself still managed to go hiking both days went on a walk to the sulpher hot springs was awsome snow every where and then bubbling hot springs coming up from the ground. Today we hiked up a mountain called tunnel mountain 2 hours up we thought we where stupid hal http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-245004.html Hey all.So the first week of the course is done. Well not a whole week the course started on Tuesday. There are seven of us doing the course all Skiers between the age of 17 to 20. Its a good size group for teaching and means were all going to get to know each other well over the 3 months. After buying equipment on Wednesday we decided to check out one of the local resorts of of the Big 3 this http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-235676.html Well we had to get one last Snow Session in before leaving our beautiful Canada and where else better to do it but in the Alberta Rockies....Fantastic Thanks to the Elk Big Horn Sheep and Snow Gods for joining us on the trip And thanks to my Dad and Brother for making it all happen We had an absolute blast even when my Dad beat us all at VancouverIslandopolya must have for Islanders.. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-234523.html Hello againAs promised here is the blog recounting our recent excursion to the Canadian Rockies. Given that yoursquore not all probably completely recovered from the last mammoth entry I shall try to keep this as short as possible and let the pictures do most of the talking we did take over 400. The Canadian Rockies are in a word spectacular. Amazing stunning beautiful astonishing a http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-222718.html With the conditions so much better from here on in in Alberta the next part of the trip through to Banff went pretty easily and quickly which was lucky as it was now dark. The town of Banff was great there is snow around but it hasnrsquot fallen in a few days. The main street has blocked off parts for pedestrians over winter and the festive lights are out and look pretty cool Our hote http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-222688.html On Thursday the 22nd I was eating my breakfast and I bit into something hard. I felt around and found a gap where my wobbly tooth had been and I nearly swallowed the tooth but got it just in time. I still haven't put it under my pillow mum is saving it next to the passports. We went to the Athabasca Glacier thats where ice moves very slowly downhill. Over the years the glacier has got smaller http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff/blog-222197.html