Life is sweet and mellow in holiday land, Banff Alberta. The weather started out cool with the warm sun on your back, perfect for my Cascade 220 Estelle sweater. But the rains came in the afternoon and the weather got cooler from there. We stayed at the Rim Rock, a local favourite, high above the Banff Springs Hotel and the townsite, but at the foot of the Sulfur Mountain Gondola, at the Upper Hot Springs. What a beautiful, grand, old hotel perched on the edge of the sheer rock face.
We took the trail down to the Banff Springs Hotel, about 25 minutes. Not marked. Not a soul around.
The Bow River flows beside the townsite and the falls are pretty spectacular. They are not tall, but they go on for quite a distance and they're very forceful. This is a path to the village from the Banff Springs. We felt is was well cared for and easily accessed if you didn't have mobility issues. The cool mountain air and the active sky were mesmerizing.
Today we rented bikes and followed the 16 km (10 mile) loop around Lake Minnewanka. It turned out to be a 1,000 foot climb as well. But worth the beautiful view and the feeling of being among the Rocky Mountains.There is an abandoned mining town at the bottom of the lake and it is a favourite spot for divers. My best friend from nursing school in nearby Calgary got her ice diving ticket on this lake.
The bikes were fun and we did about 20 kms all around. There was a bit of rain, but the snow held off until we were back up at the hotel via the local bus (free to our hotel guests).
I also bought some quiviuk (mixed with merino and silk) in a beautiful green, and a cowboy hat for the roundup in October. The town has become very shiny with big expensive chain stores and countless souvenir shops. But we found some nice prints and gifts and the charm that is part of our first National Park.
I managed to finish the back of the Dahlia sweater and started the upper back, but it's confusing. I think I'll just knit what it says and show it to the others. The second sock bloomed into a toe and now I'm on the plain foot. I am entirely converted to plain feet, princess socks. I wore my hand knit socks and my noro shawl and even my nutkin fingerless mitts. I lost one for a few minutes, but D saw someone hanging it on a little spruce tree and it came back to me. Thank you lady who was so generous and thoughtful. One less thing to worry about.
Tomorrow we fly home to our real lives.
3 comments:
What a lovely description of a marvelous holiday. Wish I could have seen all the knitted items you wore; glad you enjoyed them in the cool weather. I have been to Banff (once only) and think it is a splendid place.
Sounds like an absolutely lovely weekend.
Sounds like a lovely time of your alternative self who needs a break once in a while! I remember losing my daughter's shoe on a bike hike:I had to go all the way over the route cause it was her only pair, and there it was, hanging from a bough also!
I have g mail now!
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