Canmore Caber Capers

Canmore was our last but one stop in Canada, and we'd booked 4 nights in a motel right on the main street with wonderful views of the mountain peaks surrounding this small town on the edge of the Banff National Park. 

The view from our motel.

Even better - we were next door to a brew pub - the Grizzly Paw - which is a Canmore brewery and this was (for me) an obvious choice for our evening meal. Before heading to the pub we walked around the town to explore. Canmore claims some Scottish connection, taking its name from the Gaelic 'Ceann Mór' (or big head) having been named after Malcolm III of Scotland by a Director of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A piece of public art celebrates this.

Big Head....(the one on the left)

The Scottish connection also meant Canmore was hosting a Highland Games over the coming weekend, advertised extensively around town, so kilts, bagpipes and caber tossing were anticipated!

We liked Canmore straight away. It had attractive buildings, a relaxed atmosphere and a sense of community. Originally a mining town it was now geared to outdoor pursuits having a ski centre, miles of hiking and mountain bike trails with a backdrop of mountain peaks. Opposite our motel was the second oldest building in Canmore, the old Mounted Police HQ - a small wooden building dating back to 1893 - and it seemed the town had tried to preserve some of its heritage.

After a good meal and a sampling of the Grizzly Paw brewery beers we went to an evening walk along a boardwalk by the side of a small stream, 'Policeman's Creek'. After half a mile we came to a footbridge where half a dozen people or so were gathered. As we got closer we saw why. I'd read that Canadian wildlife might wander into town but assumed this was something most visitors wouldn't see. To my delight (and surprise) a male elk was grazing on the side of the creek, no more than 15-20 meters away, clearly aware that it was being observed but not phased by the attention. We stayed in rapt silence for at least half an hour watching this beautiful creature at ease in its surroundings. 

As the light started to fade we reluctantly headed back, quietly marveling at our good fortune at having been being able to spend a few minutes in the company of a magnificent animal. Such moments are rare in life and to be treasured. 

Before returning to our room I bought a vanilla, chocolate fudge, salted peanut ice cream combo from the 'School Bus' an ice cream van across the street from our hotel. We sat in the evening sun, listened to a musician who was playing guitar on the street and singing 'Can't Find My Way Home'. We chatted to the woman sharing our bench who turned out to be the musician's wife. We swapped travel stories and learnt that both were Canmore residents and they had travelled to Europe - their daughter had gone to university in London. Later their 11 year old son joined his father having recently taken up the guitar as well. Both played for the love of music, and it was a fine way to conclude our first day in the delightful town.

The School Bus Ice Cream Van

The next morning we returned to the Bow Valley Parkway for one of the more popular hikes: Johnston Canyon. This short hike climbs through a narrow series of gorges, with two sets of waterfalls. The climb to the Upper Falls involves a few hundred feet of ascent - but is worth the effort. The path hugs the side of the canyon walls and we headed to the top and then viewed the Lower Falls on the way back down. These are viewed at very close quarters through a rock tunnel that you have to duck your head to get through.

The Upper Falls, Johnston Canyon Trail

The Lower Falls

After Johnston Canyon we travelled to Johnson Lake, a small

lake, about a mile long, surrounded by pine forest. After a picnic we circumnavigated the lake of a trail that gave lovely views of Cascade Peak and the mountains surrounding Banff. 

Johnson Lake

A slight mistake meant we lost the path, which became evident as we scrambled down a steep bank to find a wide creek with no bridge. Scrambling back up we retraced our steps and finally returned to the car park. From there we carried on along the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive, stopping to take photos of the blue waters of Two Jack Lake and then Minnewanka itself. This was a beautiful blue colour and provided more opportunities for photos - although in trying to get a better angle I managed to fall over a log, grazing my leg so the afternoon ended with both a bang and a whimper. I still have the scars!

Lake Minnewanka

A less strenuous day was in order the next day. We had decided to travel to Banff, a larger town about 12 miles away, and had pre-booked a ride on the Banff Gondola - a cable car ride that rises almost to the summit of Sulphur Mountain at an altitude of over 7,200 feet, in just over 7 minutes. Before getting a shuttle bus to the gondola ride we walked around Banff town - and this gave Mrs B a chance to visit the multitude of gift shops catering for tourist - all selling the more or less the same overpriced 'tat'. I am not a fan of gift shops....Mrs B however needs to be dragged away.

I managed to distract Mrs B so we got away in time to get the shuttle bus and we were driven to the gondola station where we had a minimal wait before getting into the gondola - which we didn't have to share. The ride climbs steeply and quickly giving views back to Banff town and the mountains that surround the town.

The altitude difference was noticeable at the top, but the views were spectacular. We walked slowly along a wooden boardwalk that climbs for about a mile and ascends another 300 feet to Sanson's Peak, (7402 feet) named after Norman Sanson who visited a now defunct meteorological observatory building, built in 1903, for 30 years to take weather recordings.

Sulphur Mountain Panorama

Along the way we spotted a chipmunk in a pine tree and close to the summit an opportunistic ground squirrel hoping for picnic crumbs.

After taking many photographs we returned to the gondola station for a rapid descent.

Once on solid ground we had a choice - either to return direct to Banff or be taken to the Banff Fairmont Hotel - another luxury hotel - from where we could access a trail alongside the Bow River and Bow Falls. We chose the latter option and had a relaxing hike back into town, saw the waterfalls and then, quite close to the town, a female elk with her two calves in the shallows of the river. I presume they were cooling down as it was a hot day.

When we got back to Canmore the smoke had blown in from the British Columbia wild fires - the worst we had experienced. Al fresco dining was out of the question, so we ate indoors at the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company who served excellent pizzas. Fortunately the next morning the smoke had completely cleared and the Highland Games was about to get into full swing. We decided to skip the games and instead left the car at the motel and walked out of town, crossing the Bow River via an old railway bridge.

A climb uphill took us to Grassi Lake, which was a beautiful spot - high above the town with panoramic views of Mount Rundle.

Grassi Lake and Mount Rundle

A few other Sunday morning walkers were there too - though most had driven there. Our plans to carry on along one of the trails were thwarted by bears. Parks Canada had closed off the trail I intended to take, as indicated by hazard tape as the trail entered a forested area. My second choice was also cordoned off. A lot of bear sightings had been reported in the area as it was berry feeding season - hence the warnings. Consulting the map I found an alternative (bear free) route back to town which by now was awash with men in kilts. The sound of bagpipes floated through the air from the nearby park together with an excited PA announcer who was presumably exhorting the caber tossers to greater efforts. We spent the afternoon strolling around the town before eating at a great little pub and then packing up once again in preparation for our final destination, Calgary. It was, sadly, time to leave the mountains and head towards the bright lights of a big city. Canmore had however been a great place to spend our last few days in the Rockies - relaxed, friendly, with history and beautiful mountain scenery.