..."tale of the Canadian Rockies..."

The Feller's in downtown Banff.
Notice the BayMag hats & frisbees!

We just returned from an amazing adventure in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  We were fortunate enough to be invited to Banff, Alberta, Canada by our friends, the Schmolls.  My hubs does feed ingredient business with Mr. Schmoll.  What a beautiful friendship & mentoring that has grown from their business endeavors.  We spent the week in a gorgeous mountain lodge with views of the surrounding peaks... enjoying the more European Canadian culture.

We drove through and took in four... yes 4 Canadian National Parks.

We hiked Johnson's Canyon in Banff Natl. (in the rain).... and watched as a highway patrol man tried to keep a grizzly off the Trans Canadian Expressway. We canoed across Morraine Lake & lunched next to Lake Louise... the bluest turquoise water I have seen north of the Caribbean.

In Kootney Natl' we watched a mama bear stand guard over her six-month-old frolicking twins... climbing trees, wrestling, playing leap frog & tag ... just feet from the road.

In YoHo Natl. we rafted the Kicking Horse River in a cata-raft (combo catamaran/raft) and observed a flock of big horned sheep and 'kids' grazing along the roadside.

In Jasper Natl' we hiked near glaciers ... the hubs and our oldest son collected glacier melt in a bottle for the little brother & I to feel from Angel Glacier. On the drive home that evening we spotted lots of black bear.  We spotted a male teenager out grubbing... stopping to scratch the mosquitoes off between bites.  A few miles south we encountered a mama black bear and  her set of 2 year-old-cubs looking for a snack.

The highlight of the trip began with a journey down "Settler's Road" in Kootney Natl' were we were given a private tour of a magnesium oxide mine.  The ground was a glow with the sparkling whiteness of magnesium oxide.  The feller's enjoyed the safety gear... orange vests, goggles, & hard hats.

We had a mountain top picnic & were joined by a flock of white mountain goats searching for minerals to lick. The youngest 'kid' being tiny enough to walk right under safety barricades.  The boys learned first hand about geology... collecting rocks fresh out of the mountain.

We spent the week eating like royalty thanks to our hosts and Mrs. Schmoll's knack for getting reservations at amazing places.... feasting on elk fillets and fonduing on 500 degree granite slabs to name a few favorites.  All the ladies were wishing we would have a Will & Kate sighting, as they were in Calgary for the Stampede, & had reportedly flown west in a helicopter... but no such luck. Maybe on another adventure.

Thank you Greg & Kathy for a truly amazing adventure for our entire family.

My kids learned that in Canada, Shirley Temples are made with orange juice and cherries.  That all questions end in, "A." and our new family motto.... "Don't poke the bear."