{quilt} while you're ahead

*75** postcards from Canada

Day 15 -  Moraine Lake.

I think No 3 took pity of me because he decided to accompany me on a little hike (5.8Km return from Moraine Lake, piffles) to Consolation Lakes.

A gently climbing path through the forests leads to this gorgeous clear lake.

'Refreshing'.

We dipped our feet (yes No 3 has very big feet) in the glacial waters because let's face it, you don't get the chance to do that very often, right? (also... just as well... your feet feel like they're being squeezed into a vice)

Can you see the tiny boat on the lake?  A group of scientist were taking their yearly measurement... keeping an eye on lake transparency and water level and so on.  Not a bad day at the office I say!

 

*74** postcards from Canada

Day 14 - Moraine Lake

This place is incredible.

Just when you think you've seen all the lake variation in the world... you arrive here.

Moraine Lake is bluer than blue.

(it gets also incredibly crowded and by 10.00 people have parked a mile down the road and the road itself is shut until later)

Pinch-yourself blue.

Can't-stop-looking-at-it blue.

Mr M was not well (at all) and the weather was a bit meh, so we chilled and relaxed.  After the shenanigans of the previous two weeks we deserved a day off.

We stayed at the Lodge right on the lake and it was the perfect spot.

*73** postcards from Canada

Day 13 - Icefield Parkway.

What a drive.

Seriously but this road on your bucket list.  Now.

We left Jasper under a beautiful blue sky and I promised myself I'd be back.  We stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge and I can totally recommend it.  The location is beautiful, the accommodation is spacious and it has an old charm that makes you feel immediately at home.  The boys loved the heated pool and the games room.

As I said before, we didn't stay long enough.

But the road.... oh the road to Banff is a sight to behold.

Mountains and glaciers and river beds, incredible views around every corner...

We bumped into an 'elk jam' just out of Jasper (blurry photo taken from the moving car).

First stop: Edith Calvell Glacier.  Stunning.  Short hike to the milky blue glacier fed lake.

Yes the water was cold.  

That's an understatement.

Can you see the little people on the lake shore?  Everything here is bigger than you think...

Next stop: Athabasca Falls

A bit crowded, but it's high season and a lot of the places are.

We then looked for a place to picnic and found Buck Lake by chance.  What an idyllic spot... sigh...

here's my tribe chilling and eating (which let's be honest are their two favourite activities... sloths...)

After lunch it was more miles of stunning scenery.

I can't get enough of this place.  The immense space.  The mountains.

(That's called Endless Ridge)

and this is the Athabasca river... at least I think it is... given that we then bumped into the Athabsca glacier... huge thing...

You can see my three 'scale props' (aka my children) in the foreground building towers with rocks.  Maybe next Christmas I'll buy them all a huge lorry full of rocks... they seem to have a compulsion to pile them up wherever they go.

Weird.

AND THEN... WE FINALLY SAW A BEAR!!

A real life Yoghi bear eating berries by the side of the road.

Incredible.

I felt almost moved by it.

 

What a day.

Seriously. 

Wonderful.

 

I feel so lucky.

 

*72** postcards from Canada

Day 12 - Jasper.

So here's the thing.  I love Jasper.  I'm totally bummed that I hadn't realised how gorgeous the place is and we only have one day here.

So many things and no time at all.

Also, I want a big dog and I want to call him Jasper.

One day.  Sigh.

In the morning we dragged (virtually) the boys for a walk (we did the Five Lakes loop)

As the name suggests we climbed and snaked around five very green lakes

Really green.

There were lots of mosquitoes too.  Really annoying.

In the afternoon we went white water rafting.  

It was cold.  We wore wetsuits and spray jackets and I think it was only the adrenaline that kept us warm(wish).  Exhilarating.  I strongly recommend it.

No 3 jumped in the 4C degree waters.  Just because he could.

Crazy, sweet, child of mine. 

 

 

 

*71** postcards from Canada

Day 11 - On the road/Jasper/

Or more accurately... on the overnight train to Jasper.  

Last night we returned the car and took a cab to the station.  (The taxi driver told me his brother lives in England... an hour from where we live.  Hashtag small world.)

'The Canadian' took us all the way to Jasper and it was great fun.  Sleeping  on the train was great - the rocking is perfect and you have your little cocoon of a space full of pockets and nooks and crannies for your things, loved it -, the food was great too

(this was breakfast) and whilst the train itself could have done perhaps with a refurb... the staff were great and it was wonderful to sit back and watch the world roll by.

Well, some of us looked out of the window ...

... not all...

We arrived in Jasper early afternoon and got settled quickly so that the husband and I could fit a refreshing walk before dinner

I'm still waiting to see a bear... in the meantime this little squirrel is kind of cute...

 

 

 

 

*69** postcards from Canada

Day 9 - Whistler.

Another new activity... canoeing.  Another notch in our adventure belt.  Another big YES!

The weather was glorious... unexpectedly (don't you love it when the forecast is wrong this way round?)

My camera was safely tucked away in a dry bag so you'll have to be happy with that wonky picture and trust me when I say it was glorious.  

In the afternoon Mr M took No 3 zip-lining whilst me and the other two non-adrenaline junkies went looking for the famous Whistler train wreck.

(disused train line... I think)

This place is not on the official trail maps but everybody knows about it.  We struggled a bit to find it... but it was totally worth it.  Suddenly you stumble in 4 or 5 derailed train carriages in the middle of the forest that have been covered in cool graffiti and it's totally bonkers.

You can read about its story here.

I totally recommend it if you're in the area.

*66** postcards from Canada

Day 6 - Tofino.

A cloudy start to the day but that didn't stop us in our first ever kayaking adventure.

This awesome fellow kept an eye on us as we sailed quietly around Ucluelet bay

(side note: sharing a kayak with a ten yr old who thinks 'paddling' is for wimps... is really hard work)

We all loved kayaking, and nobody fell in the water.  Success!

After a quick lunch in the village and a visit to the 'catch and release' aquarium...

... we headed back to base camp in Cox Bay.  Mr M and No 3 went off with a bucket on a crab hunting mission, No 1 and No 2 vegetate for a few hours and I took a long walk from one end to the bay to the next.  

And a spot of crochet.

Cocktails and frisbee at sunset to end a most amazing stay.

Tofino... thank you.

 

*65** postcards from Canada

Day 5 - Tofino.

Morning on the water on a wildlife spotting trip.

The views weren't half bad either...

When we got to the docks it was misty and grey, wolves howled in the distance.

Amazing to hear, such a wild sound.  Mesmerising.

 we travelled in the water surrounding Tofino, Browning Passage, Clayquot sound, Meares Island.

Incidentally: did you know that the rainforest on Meares Island has been growing untouched/unlogged since the last Ice Age?  Yup, 10,000 years.

Enough to make you feel pretty damn small, I'd say.

We saw bald eagles, seals, and a grey whale.  And big lion mane jelly fish.

And let the cool salty air blew away the last vestige of 'real' world left in us.

After lunch (salmon tacos, yum, at the Wildside Grill in Tofino) we dragged the boys (kicking and screaming, literally, in one case...) on a walk down to Ucluelet - coolest name) Sound.

The Lighthouse loop is awesome (Canadians like to say 'awesome' a lot, I'm trying to fit in), even if you have a moaning 10yr old in tow who thinks that walking is boring 'because the only thing you do is walk'.  Whatever, don't listen to him.

It's a circular walk of only 2.6Km with spectacular views of the ocean.

Apparently it's even more 'awesome' during a storm when the huge ocean waves smash against the rocks below.

 Still, who's complaining, eh?

*63** postcards from Canada

Day 3.  On the road.

And on the sea...

We took the ferry to Vancouver Island for the second location of our tour..

We were on our way to Tofino where'd spend a few days on the beach.

Vancouver Island is truly magical.

We stopped for a short walk through Cathedral Grove, surrounded my ancient trees and ferns and mosses 

(never ones to walk the trodden path... my boys...)

isn't moss just lovely?

We also stopped to quickly check out this awesome river bed...

(tip of the day: use your children as scale reference point.  But don't tell them... they'll want paying for their services)

And then we hit the Western coast of the island...

and found the sun welcoming us!

We arrived in Cox Bay after a long travelling day... and you know what?

I think we're going to like it here.

 

 

*62** postcards from Canada

Day 2 Vancouver.

Not so sunny today... but who cares, right?

No bikes today, instead we walked and wee walked (and walked) (and walked some more)...

first stop Art Gallery of Vancouver

where we saw a fabulous Picasso exhibition and some great Canadian art

which not everyone took very seriously...

(and where we also bumped into people from our hometown... in fact from the road up from ours... small world)

We then carried on walking to Grenville Island, where for some reason I didn't take any photos but managed to eat my weight in cajun salmon burger and fries.... oh my!)