So, with the Jeep still out of action at the mechanics (and while it’s away we’re secretly looking at every Subaru we see for sale), we ended up cycling to the ice. First we tried to have a look at the Pigeon Mountain Falls near Dead Mans Flats, but the guys at the quarry in front of it weren’t having any of that. So we cycled onward to Heart Creek.

Nothing was looking particularly inspiring – and Heart Falls definitely didn’t sound very frozen, I couldn’t be bothered with the scramble round to confirm one way or the other.

So we ended up playing on the left smear near Bunny Wall (WI2ish) – which was thick enough to take screws if you chose your spot carefully.

Of course by the time we left it was already 4.30pm. And there was a headwind. And we were hungry. And it was uphill. And the only way home is along the freeway. And it was 25km of cycling in the dark to get home. Just sometimes, I think a functioning car could be a handy thing.

The things you do when you don’t have a functioning vehicle.

(Yes those are nordic skis and poles strapped to the bikes – it worked quite well)

So apparently it’s largely uphill along the highway from Canmore to Banff. Only 700 metres gain over 25km or so. Gradual enough to make you think it’s flat, and that you’re just really unfit – until you turn around and go the other way.

Despite the cool temperatures on Thursday (it was around minus 13oC at 11am, I don’t know that it got much warmer), we went Banff-wards by bike – largely to go and see the new Warren Miller movie (Children of Winter, much better than other Warren Miller movies I’ve seen in recent years).

Friday morning brought fresh snow to telemark in, and then the homeward-bound cycle (with the added bonus of a brand new balaclava, which led to much more warmness).

I suppose including cheese in your meat slice makes sense on a certain level, as it will save you having to put to put two separate slices of stuff in your sandwich. Not entirely sure about the macaroni though.

After prolonged warm weather, it finally snowed in town the other day – and there was actually some snow on the ground for opening day at work (which has been kind of hectic). Oh, and the flag really is a Canadian flag, it’s just being all insipid and limp.

Step One

Park in the Goat Creek carpark, up above Canmore along the Spray Lakes Road. Walk up the hill opposite the carpark, over the bridge, past the trail up to Ha Ling, then along the road next to the canal for twenty minutes. Walk past rock cuts. See inukshuk and flagging in trees and follow faint path with more flagging up into the forest.

Step Two

Reach drainage, do not cross it (unless you wish to try failing to hike up South Lawrence Grassi). Follow along it for a hundred metres of so then head back up left into the trees, steeply. And more steeply. Hit a few snow patches.

Step Three

Reach the tree line. Start scrambling up the scree slope. Notice increasing presence of snow.

Step Four

Keep going up the ridge as it narrows, and narrows and narrows. Scramble over some dragon’s back ridge formations. Slide around on the snow a bit. Spot the summit cairn off in the distance.

Step Five

Get scared when the ridge starts getting steeper and narrower, and the cliff-type drop-offs get closer and closer, and amounts of scree and snow surface underfoot remain consistently high, and the weather is closing in and looking cloudy, and it starts to snow on you a bit, and you realise you didn’t tell anyone where you were going because it was just an afternoon hike.

Step Six

Turn around and go back down. Justify your decision as thoroughly sensible all the way down. Glare at the sky that turns nice and blue and sunny.

We were supposed to go skiing on the Rae Glacier, but the snow looked thoroughly uninspiring. Also we realised once we were on our way that none of us actually knew where the Rae Glacier was. So after driving around in K-Country for a while, we decided we’d just park where all these other cars were, and go for a walk and see what was there.

First we found a frozen lake, which was good for throwing rocks onto.

And then we managed to find the Rae Glacier, and weren’t too distressed about the fact we didn’t haul our skis up with us.

Maybe next weekend there’ll be snow?

This little beastie was one of a few that’s been trapped around work recently, living in the nice warm buildings. It’s really an American Marten, rather than a Pine Marten, and it was surprisingly placid compared to some of the others that are trapped. Rather than snarling and biting, he just sat there licking the cage.

They’re little omnivores, and according to wikipedia, they catch and eat squirrels (I stand by my belief that Canadian wildlife is much more alarming than Australian wildlife). As well as frogs and fish and fruit and whatever else they can find laying about.

And the random fact I always think of when I see one [SPOILER WARNING]: if you’ve read Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, a pine marten is what Lyra’s daemon ends up becoming as his final form.