Thursday, August 24, 2006

Sunny with a 95% chance of grizzlies



We got up early this morning and jumped in the lake for a cold bath. The hot springs were a little too stinky. We needed to get an early start this morning in order to make our rafting appointment, so we scarfed down some waffles and granola and drove on. The weather was pretty crazy, sometimes sunny, but there were also some pretty intense thunderings going on. We made it for the vege bbq and after slithering into our wetsuits we headed down to the river, white with silt. Laura was pretty nervous, sure that a river with a name like this one would offer some pretty serious shots of adrenaline. The guides were real outdoorsy types - with noticeable french accents - and they began with a pretty serious safety lecture (turned out to be a bit overkill, but had Laura going!). Turns out she needed a little more excitement, so the guide had her sit at the bow of the raft and then caught a nice trough giving her a face full of cold water! Our guide had lots of fun with us, always warning of the upcoming 25 ft. waterfall or super-dooper class 4 rapids. But the river was at almost its lowest level, so it was more forgiving than earlier in the season. Since it was so low, they let us "economy raft", on our bottoms, in the water for the last 300 feet. We loved that 36 hours before, that water we were swimming in had been a glacier!




Perfect.  We drove a couple more hours, watching the mountains begin to appear and get larger and larger. We finally found the campsite we wanted and reserved it before heading into town. Numerous signs saying "Warning, Bears" greeted us and added to Laura's concern after seeing a billboard on the highway that read "Sunny with a 95% chance of grizzlies!" Now, being Canadian, Laura shouldn't be concerned about meeting some of her furry friends, but as we set up the tent in the dark I think she was more scared than when we were rafting down the river! We spent some time in town browsing down the main street - Tim really wanted to find a touque, but we were disappointed. Although it feels like the right season, touques must not be popular in August! After a long hard hour of shopping, we hit a hot springs to relax. It had been chlorinated and de-stinkified since Laura had last been there. This particular variety wasn't on the edge of a river, but had a very nice COLD shower beside it.

9 comments:

  1. Yer younger Canadian "Grampair"October 24, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    We're sure enjoying your honeymoon, and after the whitewater excursion - I'm green with envy! I hope you guys are well equiped and well trained in griz capturing, I've always wanted one for a house pet.
    If you have some trouble with the actual capture, at least try to get a good pic without any toothy marks around the edges, ok?

    Gramps

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  2. Ha ha - what fun! Yep, there are bears in Banff! Looks like you enjoyed Toby Creek whitewater rafting and warmed yourselves in the Upper Banff Hot Springs! So sorry Banff couldn't provide you a toque, Tim. Hope you see some wildlife while you're in the park. Enjoy Mt. Assiniboine tomorrow and capture a picture of yourselves there for us! We're enjoying this with you!

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  3. Sorry, not Toby Creek. Our river is located elsewhere, with a more exciting name.

    We get a "kick" out of hearing from you guys. It's also fun driving around town looking for free internet.

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  4. Greetings Pals,

    Sounds like your getting your feet wet in just about every cold and hot body of water the deep north has to offer. Excellent!

    Love the pictures, especially of Tim taking a wave on the kisser. Speaking of pictures, check out the shots from your weddddding! I worked ferociously on them before moving tuesday as I didn't know when I would be able to upload after that.

    Say, that icecream sounds delish. Sugar free? *grin* Speaking of delish, the tomatoes are officially "over the bar" and the pumpkin is taking up the majority of the neighbors yard.

    Stay awesome!
    Seth
    www.wallygoots.com

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  5. Yoho there Tim and Laura. Sounds like you spent the night near Radium or Fairmont Hot Springs and enjoyed the veggie BBQ put on by Hydra River Guides. See any Kicking Horses on the river?

    No glacier water here!

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  6. Correction:

    You probably stayed at Alces Lake and dipped in Lussier Hot Springs before heading out for the BBQ and rafting.

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  7. hmm, was I closer the first time? Could you have been "charging" down the Bull River?

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  8. Good job, flyrs!!! Except, not Hydra River Guides, they were just down the road from our launching point.

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  9. Wow, I'm glad you didn't wrestle any grizly types :)

    So they're still recommending that you tell the griz just where to find dinner? (remember the mace and bells?)
    hehe

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