Our first stop on the bus, sorry, motorcoach today was Natural Bridge, a rock formation over the Kicking Horse River caused by erosion. This had once been a waterfall.
We got there at 3pm and before we got out we were specifically advised by our bus, sorry, motorcoach driver to stay on the designated paths. He said every day he comes here he sees people climbing on the rocks for photos, and that about 4 people a year fall in. He said if the fall didn't kill you, shock from the glacially cold "wrench water" combined with the swift current would finish you off. It's called wrench water he said, because it'll tighten your nuts.
We got off the bus, fuck it, BUS and the first thing we saw were a couple posing for pictures on the edge of the rock formation.
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| Morons |
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| Looking downstream (for a bobbing puffy red coat) |
Luckily we didn't have to watch someone plummet to their demise that day. We just had to have our view ruined by a team of vapid Instagram poseurs. I was at least satisfied to see that they were not part of our, or any other, tour group. As we got back on the bus they were standing outside their car in the parking lot eating sandwiches.
Our next stop at 3:30 was Emerald Lake. Pretty.
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| The water was clear and shallow near the bridge and the bottom of the lake was covered in vegetation. |
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| Beautiful island lodge |
Next up was
Spiral Tunnels, a rail section where tracks circle inside the mountain and cross over themselves. This was done in order to conquer a steep grade problem.
We had passed by the viewpoint on the way to Emerald Lake, but as no train was currently on the track he decided to come back after the lake to try our luck then. As we approached he excitedly said it looked like there was a long train currently going through the tunnels. He whipped the bus off the highway and drove straight through the parking lot at speed calling out to us to get ready to get out but to be careful as "We're coming in hot!" He pulled the bus over to the curb next to the viewing area and we all quickly emptied out for a look.
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| This potash train was the longest train I've ever seen. Here it is traveling over itself through one of the tunnels. |
Our last stop before Banff was on the side of the road when our driver slammed on the brakes in a chain off area and then reversed back up the highway. The reason: earlier in the day he was driving a different group when they spotted 2 grizzly bears, one of them an albino. Our driver had shared this story with us and we had been on the lookout all afternoon when a woman in the back shouted "Bear!". Sure enough, it was the same 2 bears.
A row of trees paralleled the road and behind those was a train track. There was a small gap in the trees and shortly the 2 bears could be seen walking along the tracks. One was white and the other was white/gray with brown at the feet and they were definitely grizzlies. We watched as they climbed a slope that rose behind the train track and our driver slowly moved the bus forward to make sure everyone had a view through the gap. He was almost more excited than we were as he said a) it's much, much more common to see black bears than grizzly bears, and b) he'd never seen a albino grizzly.
He guessed due to their size and the fact that they were traveling together that they were siblings who were probably spending their last season together. More than likely they would hibernate together and then go separate ways in the spring. Whether this was true or not, I have no idea. I also don't have any pictures as everyone on the bus was pressed up against the windows and our seats were on the other side. People were gracious to let us in to look, but I couldn't get a decent picture. Oh well.
We reached Banff at 5:30. Our bus driver took us on a brief tour through downtown then dropped off guests at the first hotel. Afterwards he drove the rest of us to our hotel, the
Fairmont Banff Springs which, like Lake Louise, was incredible.
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| Photo from booking.com |
We arrived at 5:50 and a hotel staff member came onboard and gave us our room keys and some brief directions. He said we will have mastered the hotel when we can make it from one side all the way to the other without having to step outside and he wasn't lying - the hotel was expansive, chateau-like, castle-like, and maze-like.
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| We were dropped off on the south end of the hotel near this traffic circle surrounded by shops which were attached to the hotel via a walkway. Banff Pride week ended the day before. |
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| Our room was not as large as the prior one at Lake Louise, but was very nice and had a great view |
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| The view from our room |
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| Remember this view |
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| Lobby stairs |
After a series of texts and calls confirming the women in our group had made it to their hotel it was decided they would take a taxi over to the Banff Springs to join us for dinner. I called guest services and made a 7:45pm dinner reservation for us at the hotel's Italian restaurant,
Castello.
We met them in the lobby and then found our way to
Rundle Bar for drinks before dinner.
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| Rundle Bar |
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| If I were staying at the hotel for any length of time I think I'd be spending a lot of time just hanging out here |
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| We managed to work out the path through the hotel to get from Rundle Bar to Castello, but we had to pass through Mount Stephen Hall and it was blocked off for a private event. So we had to change floors and find an alternate route. We arrived right at 7:45 but weren't seated until 8 o'clock. |
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| This was taken after dinner, but gives and idea of the size of the restaurant. This was half of it. |
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| Todd, Mom and I shared potato rosemary bread with whole roasted garlic cloves (garlic, yum!) and olive tapenade (olives, yuck!) We also each ordered spaghetti with meatballs and shared broccolini. The food was good, but the kitchen was slow. Entrees arrived at 9:00pm. |
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| Enjoying a glass of Kettle Valley Pinot Noir with Todd |
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| Lobby right |
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| Lobby left |
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| I've seen this film and I don't think I like it |
After dinner we accompanied the ladies back to the lobby and waited until their cab arrived, then it was upstairs and to bed.
It would be a new world in the morning.
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