The Cold Plunge: Banff Day Two

We started our second day in Banff National Park with a coffee from Starbucks, which I proceeded to spill over myself (evident in the photo below). We jumped on the gondola for a ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we felt our stomachs churn with excitement and a little nervousness as we looked down over the treetops.

At the summit, we stepped out of the carriage, and amongst the unloading staff I heard the first Australian accents since leaving home the previous week. Canada is a popular destination amongst young Aussies for working holidays. In the discovery centre, we braved the crisp mountain air, and stood in awe looking out over the sweeping scenes of six mountain ranges, the Bow Valley and of Banff. We then took a walk along the boardwalk to the Cosmic Ray Station and Sanson’s Peak. I had been seeing these incredible views for days now, but it was still hard to believe the landscape was real, and not some kind of cardboard cut-out put there just for us.

We then headed down to Cave and Basin, a historical hot springs site which has been a special place for Indigenous Peoples for over ten thousand years, and continues to be so to this day. In 1883, three railway workers happened upon the thermal springs, sparking a series of events that led to the creation of the first national park in Canada. Today, the site is a gathering place for sharing stories about conservation and the connection between people and the land.

Our next stop was a surprise for Maddie, a twenty minute trail ride on a pony at Banff Trail Riders. She was a natural as she rode proudly in her saddle as she was led around the trail. Meanwhile, I made a friend.

It was a late lunch in Canmore and the back to our accommodation. Janine and Maddie went to the pool while I booked a return bus ticket back into Banff to catch the evening safari tour I had booked for that night. I ventured back into town on my own and joined up the the tour. As the driver skilfully navigated the backroads of Banff behind the township and through the golf course, we kept a keen eye out for bear, moose, elk and wild sheep. The latter two were the only offerings we had that evening- as our guide said, it was not a zoo, and the wildlife did not operate on an appearance schedule. But the views were amazing.

After the tour, I waited in town for the bus back to Canmore, watching the township illuminate as the sun went down. And I finally saw a moose!

I arrived home at 11pm, again wired and tired. We had a huge drive ahead of us the next day.