Rockies Wind-down
Return to Calgary
Sunday, August 10
Sunday - the last day of our 2014 Rockies trip - was a "wind-down" day. We didn't have anything organized on the agenda, other than the need to return the rental car in Calgary and make ourselves available for the red-eye flight to Ottawa shortly before midnight.
Cassándra graciously spent the morning with us, heading down for a bacon-and-eggs breakfast in Lake Louise village, then taking us on a leisurely chairlift ride up the Lake Louise Gondola, where we had a nice view across the Bow Valley back to the peaks of the Bow Range - including our new very favorite peak - Mount Temple, which we had just summited the day before.
Paradise Valley and Lake Louise
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Shortly before noon, we had good-bye to Cassándra, who had an appointment to take outdoor pictures with Parks Canada later in the day. We thank you again, Cassándra, for accompanying us on two successive weekends of outdoor stuff, and for putting us up in your apartment for a couple of nights. We look forward to hanging with you again at some point!
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
After taking a final walking tour around the grounds at Lake Louise, we set out for a leisurely drive back to Calgary. We eschewed the main highway, and instead took the quiet and more intimate Bow Valley parkway, stopping here and there to take in the sights, monuments, and other attractions.
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
Bow Valley Pkwy and Mt Temple
We then attempted to stop for lunch in the Banff townsite itself, but didn't - the town was simply too busy and, after searching in vain for a parking spot, elected to drive on to Canmore, where we had a nice open-air lunch at a local artisanal-type cafe.
From Canmore, we briefly drove along the main trans-canada highway, but again elected to try something a bit more off the beaten path, and took highway 1A through the beginnings of the grasslands and prairies. We stopped at the historic McDougall United Church near Morley - Alberta's oldest surviving Protestant church and part of the oldest pioneer settlement in the region. The churchsite provided sweeping view across grasslands to the shadowy outlines of the rocky mountains.
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
Cochrane, Albert
Continuing along highway 1A, we began to reach the outskirts of Calgary, passing first through the community of Cochrane. Once in Calgary, we met up once again with Jenn's aunt Sharon, uncle Ralph, and cousin Kelly. We had a pleasant evening dinner, and afterwards they - once again - graciously brought us back to the car rental agency, where we returned our rental car, then proceeded to drop us off at the airport. First-class service!
And so, after eleven pretty solid days of doing stuff (which I calculate at roughly 121 kilometres of hiking and climbing), we arrive at the end of this trip. Many thanks once again to all who we met and interacted with, and especially to those who helped us out in one way or another.
