With spring finally here you can look forward to many new things happening at Friends of Banff Park Radio. Alpine Authors will have some new interviews airing this spring, including Lynn Schooler, author of Walking Home which won an award for Best Book at the 2010 Banff Mountain Festival Book Competition, Bill Waiser with his book Park Prisoners and Graeme Pole with his latest book Classic Hikes in the Canadian Rockies: An Altitude SuperGuide. You can also listen to a podcast of Allan Buckingham’s interview with artist Robert Sinclair here.

Now here are some events that are happening this spring you might want to check out:

The 12th annual Spring Bird Walk is happening Saturday, April 16^th and every Monday thereafter. The meeting takes place at 7:50am and the walk starts at 8:00am. This is a social opportunity for all locals and migratory visitors too. It’s a great way to know community members who share the same aspirations. For more information you can email banffcommunitybirdwalk@hotmail.com.

John Reilly is reading from his latest book Bad Medicine, at the Banff Public Library next Tuesday, April 19^th. You can pick up a copy of this great book in the Friends of Banff retail store, The Bear and the Butterfly at 214 Banff Avenue.

On Father’s Day, June 19^th, Jeff Gailus will be speaking about wolves and bears at The Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre’s ninth annual Open House. He’ll be joined by his friend and fellow writer (and world-class photographer) Peter Dettling. Northern Lights is just north of Golden, BC, in the Blaeberry Valley, and the event runs from noon until 5 pm (MST). Admission is Free. For more information for more information you can check out northernlightswildlife.com or call 1-877-377-WOLF.

Have a wonderful spring and be sure to keep visiting the Friends of Banff website for more information on what’s new and happening in the Bow Valley. You can also download and enjoy listening to all of Park Radio’s podcasts at parkradio.ca.

En Vino Novellus

On March 20^th, 2011 at the Alpine club of Canada, there was a community event that paired local books by Canmore authors to different kinds of wine. Each author did a reading, spaced throughout the evening while guests sipped the flavour of the words and celebrated the creativity of Canmore's writers. En Vino Novellus was free and open to all. Some of the authors that were featured that evening have previously chatted with Allan Buckingham on the Park Radio show Alpine Authors. You can check out the podcasts for these interviews by following these links: Christine Thorpe with The Fact of Belonging, Rob Alexander with The History of Canmore, Jeremy Kroeker with Motorcycle Therapy, Angie Abdou with The Canterbury Trail, and Stephen Legault with The Darkening Archipelago. You can find all of these amazing books in the Friends of Banff’s retail store The Bear and the Butterfly, on 214 Banff Avenue.

 

Anyone who's ever broken a bone has experienced the magical healing of the human body. While I know it often sucks while you're waiting for that healing to happen, eventually it does, and it's pretty darn cool. It was just over a year ago the I spiral fractured my tib and fib ski touring on observation peak, and finally in the last few weeks the snow and my schedule have combined to let me get out into the backcountry once again. But now I have two problems. 

First, my magical body didn't automatically rebuild all my skiing muscle, and stretch my ligaments in all the same ways I do touring. So now I have to slowly rebuild these muscles, and stretch as appropriate. Plus give my body time to heal. Which leads directly into the second problem I'm having which is that the snow right now is far too good to leave alone, and has quickly reminded me why I love skiing. 

With the weather now warming up and the snow continuing to fall, it will be harder and harder to keep from going out skiing. I'll have to though, because it's important to let my magical body do its thing. I don't want to be out of commission any longer then I have to be. 

Allan

PS I know this would be better with pictures, but I was having too much fun skiing and forgot to take pictures. 

For those of you keeping track, yes, it's true.  My summer internship with the Friends of Banff (and summer itself?) is over... but, I'm not ready to go home, quite yet.  Good thing, too!  As it turns out, I'm needed!

As fate would have it, my stay in Banff will be several months longer.  An opening at Park Radio for October and November was offered to me, keeping me here until early December.  Now I get to experience the mountains for the change of the seasons and the beginning of winter!  No doubt, my exaggerated fear of elk will resurface during the rut and I'll be ingesting hefty, daily doses of ColdFX to ward off mountain strains of the common cold.. but Rocky Mountain autumn?  Ready or not!

To prepare for my move over to Park Radio, I've been spending progressively more time there.  Production and performance are far cries from my active skill set, but I've dusted off my learning cap and am in the process of throwing my inhibitions to the wind.  During the course of my education, I've been lucky enough to be present for a number of interesting and informative interviews.  My favourite was last week's from Alpine Authors where Allan Buckingham interviewed Kathryn Manry about her new book, West on One.  Kathryn is primarily an artist by trade, but upon discovering a number of interesting local stories that were deserving of a larger audience, she decided to write a book.  She had completed a photo essay by the same name when she'd been in school, but as she says herself, it was clear the pictures needed a story to go with them.. and vice versa.  Her book focuses on the TransCanada Highway and the scenery along the highway between Calgary and Lake Louise.  You wouldn't believe some of the stories she uncovered.. stories that even a Bow Valley local might not know!  I've just begun her book, and am up to my eyeballs in TransCanada highway history... and loving it!        

So here's a little bit about what's going on with me.. I suppose it's an understatement to say that I've got a bit of catching up to do.  When last I wrote, I'd just gone on my first paddling adventure... and even though that was weeks ago, I'm still itching for another chance to be out on the water.

Thankfully, last Wednesday, the Friends of Banff and Park Radio team got together for a bbq on the shores of Lake Minnewanka.  This was my first trip to the 'Lake of Evil Spirits' (in Nakota) -- how exhilarating to shoot out across the water, and travel down the centre of this 28km lake in a little motor boat!  I'll tell you that, still very much the Ontario girl I was a few months ago, I can't think of much that compares to a sunny day on the lake, surrounded by mountains.  Add to that the good company, the good sangria and the great food, and you have yourself a winning combination!  We set ourselves up about 3km down the lake, on a little, rocky beach, riddled with alpine driftwood.  The Friends of Banff canine, Nike, embodied the mood as he bounded up and down the beach, bouncing between greeting new boatloads of people and attempting to scavenge bison burger bits from the makeshift driftwood picnic table.  Our stomachs full, and our eyelids heavy, we eventually began the trip back to the dock, our cars and eventually, home.  I've never been to one before, but I doubt a team bbq could have gone any better.

On to the weekend!  I woke up early on Saturday morning, with not really a clue as to what I'd be doing that day.  I knew I wasn't much in the mood for hiking, but I definitely wanted to do something new-- an adventure.  I was nothing short of delighted when my roommate invited me on a trip to Calgs and the Calgary Farmer's Market.  The closest thing to a farmer's market that I've ever been to is a roadside blueberry stand in Northern Ontario, so this was a pleasantly new experience.  A packed parking lot accurately foreshadowed the high energy within the walls of the market.  Walking in was an overwhelming experience of being bombarded with the smells of fresh berries, lavender, sharp cheeses and fragrant veggies.. not to mention the sounds of vendors chatting with the the hundreds of customers, browsers and pedestrians.  I could very easily see myself justifying a weekly jaunt, either by bus or by hired car, to this market-- I wouldn't even need to buy anything!  No doubt, I'd be content to wonder the pathways holding a Phil and Sebastian javski.. or maybe some Dolce de Leche gelato..  That being said, this last weekend had me purchasing some local rhubarb, cilantro, roma tomatoes and purple onions.  I can't tell you how amazing the pesto I made, that night, was!  I mean, I could, but it's one of those things that just doesn't translate the way I wish it would.

Calgs consisted of a few more stops that had me appreciating stores like The Great Canadian Superstore and Winners, far more than I ever have before.  Nothing on Banff, but when the average price of a t-shirt from town to city differs by more than $20, how can't I be a little giddy?  Another question-- is it a little blasphemous to say that visiting Calgs made me realize I sort of miss the city?  A little?  :)     

Sorry I haven't been around much.  I feel sort of ashamed to admit that I've taken the past two weekends at an incredibly lackadaisical pace, not doing much other than planting myself in front of the Food Network for hours at a time with the occasional glance at my computer or the Oprah's Bookclub volume I started 1.5 months ago.  I attempted to justify said behaviour with nightly runs, but not even I'm buyin' it anymore.

Thankfully, this past saturday, I was invited to "go paddling" with a group of local enthusiasts.  Saturday morning, I was up in a flourish (slight exaggeration..) and without checking the weather, dressed in shorts, flip-flops and no sleeves, I was out the door.  The keen of you will have picked up on the problem, immediately.  In my defense, my Muskoka mind groups canoes and paddle trips with sun and leisure-- you would think that by now I would have realized where I am... and that where I am is Banff.. and Banff is not Muskoka.  And river paddling is not lake cruising.  And the Bow River is not Bay Lake.  But, no.  I arrived at the meeting place to find 5 other bodies dressed in neoprene and fleece, staring at me like I was the biggest loon they'd ever seen.  Luckily, they took pity on my innocence (read: ignorance) and drove me back to my house so I could change into something capable of withstanding the 5'C water (guaranteed to splash over the side of the boat).. not to mention the pseudo- katabatic winds (look it up, Onterrible) over the water.

Upon arriving at Castle Junction, where we'd be putting in, I couldn't help but notice how fast the water was moving..  I knew I was with experienced paddlers, but being somewhat inexperienced myself (in this area, at least), I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.  The first few moments on the river felt similar to the first, wobbly skating strides I take at the beginning of each season.. a little unsure but gradually more stable.  Before I knew it, I'd mastered 'the pry', 'the draw' and perfected my forward and backward strokes.  

Something I learned: river paddling is all about the steering.  For most of the trip, it would have been easy to get by without any forward propulsion, at all.  The river current is so quick that it does a lot of the work for you-- thus river paddling's designation as the lazy Alberta sport.  Still, I'd pick it over climbing, any day!  

And then we came to the whitewater.. we'd gone about 3/4 of the trip without encountering much turbulence, but enough that I was [again] silly enough to think we were on whitewater.  As it happens.. we weren't.  We came out of an eddy, around a bend and all of a sudden there are waves up to there, rocks sticking out of the middle of the channel and huge, curling torrents!  My heart was racing!  There wasn't much to fear as we made it over the rapids (second largest in the area, only to Lake Louise) with little more than soaked shins... but it was SO exhilarating!  There's something to be said for being in control of the boat you're guiding over the waves... unlike certain other whitewater excursions..  I even joked at the end of the day about owing my party $80 plus $10 for transportation.  

All in all, it was a fantastic day and a wonderful feeling to be out on the water again.  Now, anybody up for some wakeboarding?  :)

Note:  On account of the fact that I didn't want my camera to plunge into the icy depths of the Bow, I opted for leaving it in the car-- therefore, it should be said, that the pictures in this post are not of the actual stretch of river we canoed, or on the same day.  But they're of the Bow!    

So, it's been a while, eh?  Last week I played host to a friend from back home.  For the first time since my first week in Banff, I had entire days free to do whatever I wished.. well, not whatever I wished.. another person got to weigh in, too.

I had been fretting for a while over what we should do.  Obviously when I have a day off here, all I want to do is hit the trails, but I had another person to consider.  Should we hike what I'd already hiked, or try something new?  Daring, even?  I've been itching to tackle Rundle for the past month, but how fair would it be for me to ask her to do it with me?  Especially after my 2 months of altitude and fitness acclimation?  Not fair, at all.

What we ended up doing was a mishmash of the Disneyland BNP experience, and some good ol' fashioned hiking and exploring.  Sulphur Gondola, Icefields Parkway and Whitewater Rafting (so not impressed) balanced by some hiking of Tunnel Mountain, Sundance Canyon, Sanson's Peak, Peyto Lake Lookout, the Athabasca Glacier, Lake Agnes, Plain of Six Glaciers and Healy Pass.  Not too shabby?

I still feel like I did a terrible job of showing off everything that the Bow Valley has to offer, however my friend assures me she had a blast.. and that's even after the car fandango (which I won't get into), the party scenario (I'm a terrible host), the bakery fail (muffins should not equal breathing problems) and a bunch of other little snags.  

My favourite part of the entire week was hiking Healy Pass.  It was my first time, as well as hers, and the second we reached the meadow at the end of the hike, it was like I became Maria from The Sound of Music.  It was such a beautiful, beautiful scene.. I'm not even ashamed that I ran up the hill with open arms and threw in a few twirls at the end.  This scenery does the weirdest things to people.. it can't be just me..

So Parks Day was celebrated by Park Radio in a truly and authentically Canadian fashion-- we escaped the hustle and bustle of town and spent 3 days hiking and camping/cabining in the backcountry of Kananaskis and Banff National Park.  Remember my apprehension?  It was apparently unfounded.. the only truly shocking thing was the difference in scenery.  WOW, but the mountains sure do pack a punch!  (Or, if you're like my uncle, viewing my pictures from back in Ontario, you might be saying "Why does every picture have a mountain in it?  It's getting kinda old."... are you? )  

We all met in Canmore, early Friday morning.  Our group had decided to take two cars so we could leave one at the Mt. Shark parking lot for when we hiked out.  One of the cars I'm actually purchasing in the not too distant future.. a manual transmission Saturn wagon from last decade.  The joke is that I have no idea how to drive stick.. or rather, I didn't.  As I was about to get into the other car for a nice, cushy passenger seat ride to the trailhead, I was handed keys to my [soon to be] wagon.  Oh. No.  A little terrified, I buckled myself into place and turned the key... no explosions.  Phew.  I ended up making it to the far side of town before I stalled out for the first time.. but not without a few 'hucka-huckas'.. the second stall was on the steep part of Spray Lake Road..  Let me tell you, there are some very definite pros and cons to getting your first lesson in stick-shift on a narrow, gravel, mountain road...  but please don't let this humble account fool you-- I was told I'm 'a natural'.. despite all.

The hike itself was gorgeous.  We followed an old logging road for a bit.  By five kilometres in, we'd already ascended through a dense forest and were emerging on a meadow full of levies from the melting glacier, not too far in the distance.  Navigating these levies was hilarious.  Myself and another had come without poles-- a hiking must for those who find the idea of debilitating muscle and joint pain in your 40s less than appealing.  Hopping whole channels, tiptoeing from rock to silt bar and even trusting rickety logs as support... we did it all.  Only one person from our group had much trouble.. and that is more than forgivable for two reasons:  1.  She made us laugh hysterically with every shriek and protest  and 2.  She's 4'11'.  

We proceeded to hike over the pass, through the still plentiful snow, and back down into the Upper Spray Valley.  I have to admit, during this time, I had fallen into a bit of a silence.. a determined silence.  The mosquitoes were worse than I could have ever imagined!  Their swarming was wearing on my nerves...  it was all I could do not to run stark, raving mad into the river!  Finally, there was a merciful breeze and I remembered that there would be a cabin and relief, soon.  

(To be continued..)     

Just so you know, my 'Sorta Camping' turned out to be a massive success.  There are tales to tell, but due to the hectic state of the office today, I haven't had time to begin writing them all down.  Soon.  Soon.  In the meantime, please enjoy a little selection of vistas from the first day-- a bit of a photoessay.  There are tons more where this came from, and I solemnly swear to do everything within my power to share them with you before midweek.  

Enjoy!

(I was being Ansel Adams..)

(Finally, "Cabin Ho!")

(Just the view from the dinner table.. no big deal.)

So here is an exciting development for this self-proclaimed 'local'!  In direct contrast to my leisurely World Cup weekend from a few days ago, I'm now looking ahead to a weekend of backcountry camping!  Well, sorta camping..  The truth of it is that the group of us that are partaking of this epic trek (through the wildest of the Canadian West) will not be staying within walls of canvas and piping.  No, we'll trade that specific brand of 'comfort' for a ranger cabin, thank you, very much.

The thing of it is, I'm a few years out of practice when it comes to camping.. and alpine camping (or cabining..)?  Never have I ever.  Don't get me wrong-- I'm not intimidated.  ...but if I'm being honest, I might be a little apprehensive.  What do I bring?  How do I pack?  Any camping I've done in the past has been with a canoe, and a pack that only has to be carried for 20min at a time.. usually 50lbs, or so.  With a hike upwards of 15km and no boat, what does that add up to?  Not to mention the bipolar weather.  We could be hiking into anything from the warmest sun (note: bring sunscreen) to a summer blizzard (no really.  It snowed last night.  No joke).  How am I supposed to prepare for that range?!  I'm thinking I'll end up at Monod's at some point tomorrow.. looking for some miracle fabric..

I have also been informed that myself and another gal are responsible for a breakfast.  I can't decide if they asked the right person, or the wrong person.  Breakfast is my love-- there is no better way to start the day than with a delicious, big breakfast.  French toast with strawberries and mascarpone cheese?  Belgian waffles with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh peaches?  Silver dollar pancakes with butter and maple syrup?  Le sigh.  Unfortunately, none of these options are fit for a trip such as this.  And so I pose this question:  How do I make a culinary compromise?!  I don't know that I'm actually capable.. there's very little I'll settle for, but food is paramount!  I'll take any suggestion!  Otherwise, muffins it is.  

Please don't let it be muffins.  What kind of people are you, anyway?