Trains and Boats and Plains

You know that all-excited feeling that you get when you arrive somewhere for the first time, and you feel the heat on your back or the cold on your face, you smell the different air and you lie awake in bed as your body and mind adjust and you listen to the strange sounds such as the sea, the wind, the birds, or the traffic, or the gun shots. Well... on our first night in Canada all I heard all bloody night long were train hooters. It was so exciting at first hearing that whistle blow but after several hours of it combined with our jet-lag, it became a little tiresome :-) I loved it really and I'd give anything right now to hear those horns as I sit here in Burscough, in the rain, again.

All throughout our journey up through the Rockies we encountered these wonderful freight trains again and again. We could drive along side them for an hour until they disappeared into a mountain and then we'd see him again as he emerged some miles later. They are so long! I've tried to find out just how long but facts out there are few and far between. I know that they can take up tp 15 mins to pass you by at a level crossing as we sat or stood and watched many. I believe that they can be as much as 2km long and when you consider that they are mostly double stacked, that's a very big train indeed. This one above was just leaving Jasper station and the driver gave us a wave as we stood and filmed him go by.

Our first boat adventure took place right behind Janet and Eamonn's house in Okotoks. This is the community lake and beach, yes... beach! Complete with a beach house which all of the residents can share. One can help oneself to pedalos and kayaks, so we did just that.

It was such hard work! Great fun though :-) Katie and I were pedalling like mad while Linda sat with her toes in the water and soaked up the sun. These pictures are taken with a disposable, waterproof camera and then scanned so the quality is not that good, but enough to enjoy the moments on the water.

We took this shot of the house from the lake and I've painted in a bright yellow sun so you can spot which one is theirs.

The houses surrounding the lake all have their own signature, be it a pier, a boat, an inflatable or even a private beach. It's a lovely facility and this would be the first of a couple of visits during our stay.

Another boat trip was on the beautiful Lake Minnewanka (pronounced Minner Wonker). The name means Water Of The Spirits and all along our tour the guide explained the legends that gave it that name. The lake is 17 miles long and has been made wider and deeper on several occasions with dams being added. There are even abandoned villages beneath the waves and divers come from all over the world to sit on the infamous toilet and cistern which still stands many meters below.

This was a lovely trip which took around 2 hours. The scenery is magnificent with everything from bare rocks to luscious pine trees. Wildlife can be spotted all along and we were lucky enough to see this chap sitting up in a lakeside tree.

Did you know that Canada actually has more Bald Eagles than America? and that America has more Canada Geese than Canada! Is it me?

After the cruise we drove back along part of the Minnewanka loop and we saw some Bighorn Sheep. We encountered these cheeky little beasts many times during our holiday but this was by far the closest.

The sheep graze on grasses and browse shrubs all over the mountains and plains and they lick salt and minerals from the rocks, at what are called Salt Licks.

I say cheeky because they just stand in front of your car and refuse to move and if it's been raining or snowing they'll surround the car and lick from it too! The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is the provincial mammal of Alberta.

Our next boating adventure was one of the most exhilarating and beautiful experiences I've ever had. Our Athabasca River rafting trip!

We'd booked this before we left the UK and I'm so glad we did. It was a gloriously hot and sunny day and we were picked up at the Jasper Park Lodge hotel in an old school bus. During the trip to the starting point we saw Coyote, Gopher and Elk.

The mountains and the river look stunning from the road of course but from the water, they take on a whole new perspective and seem to have more symmetry about them, you can see the shapes of the mountains and the trees as they have been carved out by the ice and water and winds.


The raft holds 24 people and the guides were complete nuts! Taking every possible opportunity to scare us, and to soak us.

This water is 4 degrees and under the hot sun, when you get a bucket full in your lap or over your head or down your shorts you know about it!

The guy behind Linda got soaked within the first 2 mins as a wave came aboard and went in the back of his shorts, as he put it, "Oh my Goard!! Straight down the freakin shoot!"

The ride was filled with every possible emotion. It was thrilling as it bounced along the river, it was scary as it spun around in the rapids,
it was peaceful as it bobbed along in the sunshine,
it was tiring as it took around 2 hours and we had to keep hold of the ropes and bend inwards over the really choppy bits and as we screamed and winced,
it was very funny with our guides trying to out-do each other and raconteuring all the way about bears, big cats, big birds, dumb tourists, dumber tour operators, and more...
it was educational as they explained rock formations and tree patterns, it was absolutely fantastic!! Somehow... and I'm not quite sure how.... it was also very relaxing :-)

We saw Osprey along the way too and then right at the very end as we arrived at the destination site they took this super photograph as a memento of the day.