Banff National Park
Upon the collection of our rented mobile home (Roadtrek RS) and stocking up on groceries from the supermarket, we headed towards Banff National Park which is 1.5 hours drive from Calgary. Banff National Park contains some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world and we were just excited to see it with our own eyes.
Mount Rundle dominates the skyline from the campsites at Tunnel Mountain. This mountain with its rock layers looks most dramatic in the evenings when it gives a warm glow in the sunset and the sun's rays cast long shadows over the mountain, accentuating the rock layers like waves. I could never fail to admire this beautiful mountain everytime it comes into sight while hiking or biking in the area.
The Hoodoos, standing guard over the Bow River with Mt Rundle in the background makes a really picturesque sight. The hoodles are actually pillars of limestones eroded into strange shapes by the winds and rains.
One of the most memorable trek in this area was the hike up to Cascade Amphitheatre. The trail to Cascade Amphitheatre is approx. 7.7km one way with an elevation gain of 650 meters and starts right the ski resort right into the forest. The walk through the forest was quite a nightmare with the mosquitoes flying out from all directions and swarming around us. We had to move constantly to avoid the mosquitoes from resting on us and biting us. So it was a little tough when we could not stop even for a moment to catch our breath while on the ascent.
Another memorable trek in this area was the hike in Sunshine Meadows situated at around 2220m and known by many as the most stunning alpine setting in the Canadian Rockies. Indeed, we feasted our eyes on the unobstructed views of some of Rockies' highest peaks. There were plenty of Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels running in and out of the the ground blossoming with the alpine flowers. Even though it was July, there were still some snow patches along the trails. The access to Sunshine Meadows in the summer is via a shuttle bus that runs from Sunshine Village up a private road. The shuttle bus is the distinctive "Yellow School Bus", quite an experience to be on such an old bus.
We were told that there is a particular bear that makes its den somewhere near Sunshine Village and is usually spotted in the carpark in the early hours of the morning. We went there especially early in the morning hoping to catch a glimpse of the bear lumbering across the carpark but unfortunately it did not appear on that morning.
