Tall trees and complete quiet (more or less)

Muffled by snow, helped by being a good distance from the main highway and train line, Emerald Lake is a bowl of quiet, tree lined and surrounded by mountains.

Quiet

Until last week, we hadn’t visited in almost ten years, but little has changed, and it still delights. Ten years is a considerable chunk of a human span, but nothing in mountain measured time. I like mountain terrain, because it keeps you small, and encourages perspective.

Speaking only for myself, lately it’s been a challenge sometimes to go about my business – the business of enjoying almost retirement and having a pleasant time living in western Canada – when it’s the case that there are utter morons (invariably but not exclusively of the right wing nut bar brigade) doing their level best to make bad situations far, far worse. I won’t go into details, you read the news. I generally (and genuinely) do try to keep things chipper on here, but, bloody hell, it’s a mess out there, isn’t it? Ok, stopping there, more or less.

Bemused mountain?

Fanciful I know, but maybe the mountains shake their heads in bemusement, and perhaps even disappointment, at the grasping antics of certain tiny humans. Do mountains concern themselves with small people, particularly those fuelled by ego or narcissism? Probably not. Ok, time to stop.

Genuinely grand

Petty people, deluded by their own “grandeur” – grandeur, ha! – as if! Oh, come on, the word isn’t grandeur – let’s try greed! I have to laugh at their smallness, their lack of awareness, of what they really signify in the grand scheme. Ok, stopping here, for sure, more or less.

Looking up

Thank goodness for vast landscapes and quiet places, locations that might remind us nothing lasts forever, and of exactly how big or small we really are…

A hint of brightness

Thanks for reading – what passes for normal service will resume next week – and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

“Bling, bling, baby!”

“And the same to you, sir!”

We decided to take a wander along the Bow the other day, encouraged by the bright blue skies and warm – for February – temperatures. It certainly felt more like spring than winter, to the point we were in woolly sweaters instead of the more usual coats.

By the Bow

Birds were singing, perhaps as confused as us about the warmth, and squirrels scampered left, right and centre, and who could blame them?

There were far more than the normal number of walkers enjoying the pathways, as well as cyclists and even a scooter or two. As we approached one underpass, a colourful chap emerged from the shadows, and he was clearly having a fine day. Dressed in a leopard print jacket and orange and black trousers, he was absolutely beaming. And gleaming. He had several bright gold chains around his neck, and lots of shiny rings on his fingers.

There’s a colourful character under the next bridge…

I nodded and smiled, not being the chatty sort – you’ll sometimes get a “good morning” or perhaps a “hi, how’s it going?” from me, but I like to keep moving, and a smile and nod does the trick. Anyway, instead of a smile and nod, this dazzling character waved his hands about, did a little dance as he passed and said – you’ve already guessed it – “bling, bling, baby!” then continued on his merry way.

Not quite spring

Almost impossible to disagree, so I didn’t – it really was a bling bling sort of a day, not that I’d thought of it that way before…

It might not be proper winter or anywhere close, but if we encounter more sunny natured people along the river banks, then all will be well.

“Come on in, the water’s lovely!”

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Bling, bling, baby!

Adult day care!

Day care? Yes, somewhere to go when the weather doesn’t cooperate and there’s no xc skiing in the nearby parks to be had. So, what to do? Visit the “day care” of course! A new to us – it’s been there years – coffee shop that roasts on site, and they have a wide range of dark beans. Just the thing!

Adult day care – Mrs. PC likes the cappuccino here!

Most of January we’ve enjoyed (endured?!) a series of chinooks, keeping temperatures way above seasonal and eating all the snow in the city. This morning, we were able to have our coffee (beans from the place above) outside, shirtsleeves and sunglasses. Is it really February?!

Strangely warm…(the weather, not the coffee – that was just right!)

Here’s hoping winter returns soon. In the meantime, espresso it is.

I’m with this guy:

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

“Where’s winter? Not under here…”

Striding out…

…and staggering back? Maybe…

Striding out

Blue skies with a few gathering white clouds – it did snow later in the day – combined with cold, but not too cold temperatures, made for great snowshoe conditions the other day. It had been more than a year since we last found ourselves in properly deep snow, so this was a great chance to see how our legs would hold up!

Being in a river valley, we opted to stay low and follow the river rather than go for steep slopes and sore muscles. I got those later anyway, but not snowshoeing. More on that another time.

Keep moving!

Helpfully, there was a trail to assist us, and we followed whoever had been out the days before, their tracks leading over the tracks and down to the river.

To the river

We could see a single set of footprints that occasionally stepped out of the tracks, leaving deep holes on the side. Fair play to the person – we said hi when we met them retracing their steps a little later, the only person we saw all morning – but it must have been hard going without snowshoes.

Easy going, as always!

As I mentioned last week, it was so quiet – we weren’t huffing and puffing too much after the first few minutes – and when we eventually stopped to sit and take it all in (and enjoy an all important caffeine and chocolate boost, ‘cos how else would we have made it back?) the silence was wonderful.

Rest stop

By the time we returned to the cabin, we’d probably been actually walking for a couple of hours, and I’ll admit it felt quite the workout. Still, I was ready for more, and, later that day, I set off to find a nearby trailhead, convinced I had enough left in me to tackle an “easy” there and back again ski trail. I wonder how that went?

Bow river beauty

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Foggy

We thought we’d head out for a brisk walk in the park, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the start of the year, continuing a week of walks enjoyed in bright, if a tad chilly, conditions. Oh:

A lovely view of downtown – it is there, honest!

The view from where we live looks out over the downtown, and at night we can enjoy the lit up Calgary skyline, even if the waste of electricity makes us wince a bit. Yesterday, it was as if Calgary had disappeared!

Bright on other days, low winter sun and all

We’ll be disappearing ourselves for a little while, as we head out into the mountains for a short stay. Looking at lots of snow, quiet trails, and a warm cabin at the end of the day! New year, same old us…

Essential cabin supplies. Dry January? Nope.

Thanks for reading, happy new year, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Looking upstream

Lights

More daylight hours are coming as we pass the solstice, and no complaints about that here. That said, winter is probably my favourite season when there’s snow on the ground and nostrils freeze when you breathe in. I know, enjoying that is slightly odd…

Hadn’t even had a beer… maybe try again?
Really liked the lights on this house

Anyway, here are a few photographs to share, mostly of lights and sights we’ve enjoyed in the neighbourhood the past little while.

It might be minus a gazillion degrees, but here’s a warm glow!

Keeping it brief, so I’ll end by wishing you all the very best for the coming year!

“We’re light on our feet!” (photo: Mrs. PC)
Happy New Year, everyone!

Dizzy new heights

As we wait, and wait, and wait some more for real winter, I’ll be up a ladder, trying not to fall and doing some redecorating around our apartment. Since this will take far longer for me than properly competent decorators, I’ll be taking a short blogging break to get things done and be back in December. By then, the paint will have washed out of my hair and be scrubbed off the floor, and there’ll be more snow than I can imagine to go play in. Dizzy new heights up a ladder, and dizzy new heights on xc skis…

Brewed nearby, and very, very good!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend and rest of the month. Yeah, I know – what hair?

Creaking…

Creaking? Like old bones? Is this an early Hallowe’en piece? Or an excuse for a poor pun later in the post? Hmm, I wonder…

We were camping in a southern section of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park a week or two ago, having set off from Calgary on a spectacular fall day. Goodness, that day – the light was so bright the aspens were shimmering gold and it felt as if you could reach out and run your hand along the mountain top horizon, they appeared so close. Razor sharp!

Gold

We stopped in the foothills for a lunchtime picnic, in shirtsleeves and sunglasses. Clearly, the forecasters had got it wrong – snow?! What snow? What a day, bright fall in the mountains:

Sun, sun, sun!

Oh:

Erm…

Yes, I was cold and creaking, at least until the sun cleared the treetops and most of the snow melted away. A short, sharp shock for sure, but in a good way, it being a reminder that fall is brief out this way, and the brilliance of winter is almost here!

Clearing and warming up!

Extra layers on (meaning I wore all the clothes I’d brought, being poorly prepared compared to Mrs. PC) we did a short loop hike, not much more than a few kilometres, up one side and back down the other of nearby Boulton Creek. Creeking, hehehe. Very quiet, with just a couple of other hikers encountered on the trail, bear tracks and scat everywhere, but no bears spotted. Perfect!

Boulton Creeking

We thoroughly enjoyed our last camping trip of this season, sunshine, snow and all, and look forward to the spring – but not until we’ve enjoyed winter!

“Winter, you say? I think it is just ahead – I can almost see it from here!”

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Takes the edge off those creaks

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here this coming Monday, and, once again, amongst all the ever increasing madness in the wider world, we’re very aware we’ve so much to be thankful for.

Kananaskis, last weekend

As I’ve written before, thanksgiving weekend more or less marks the anniversary of when we moved to Canada, a move we’ve never once regretted (well, maybe some regret related to my first and probably last slice of pumpkin pie all those years ago, shudder… the horrors of pumpkin pie – apologies to outraged traditionalists – but no, no, never again, I can’t, I just can’t…)

For carving? Yes! For pie? No!

Pumpkin pie aside, each passing year we love where we live more and more. So if you choose to celebrate the coming holiday, happy thanksgiving!

Full foothills fall

Ok, let’s keep it brief this week – there’s an apple pie that needs our attention! The next photograph was also taken last weekend and I think it signals the end of the brief Alberta mountain fall and our current camping season?! More to follow…

No more camping this year?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Different, but I liked it!

Colour/fall

Fall-ty memory? Forget-fall? (This is bad – apologies…) Yes, quite aw-fall. I’d promised to share some more colourful and less misty images from our recent trip to the coast. The main attraction for us was the foggy atmosphere and early hint of autumn, especially as summer here in the city has held on and on, heat wise, even if leaves are finally turning and falling at last. C’mon, summer, you’ve had your go; step aside and let autumn have a turn!

Cool coastal green

Mrs.PC ordered fall in a glass when we visited the Ucluelet brewery. A lovely Berliner Weisse style pepped up with a dash of fruity colouring – it was delicious, tart and refreshing, and a can or two might have made it into the back of the truck and all the way back home for enjoying this coming weekend…

Yum – is it the weekend yet?

We spent many a happy hour at our harbour side campground sitting and staring at the boats and birds, the occasional light breeze prompting some early leaf fall. It was almost autumnal.

Autumnal? Almost

The log provided a great foot (or beer/coffee) rest, and once or twice a day a gang of feathered friends came a-pecking and strutting for tasty insect morsels hiding in the wood. Entertaining companions.

Colourful characters

We caught up with many old friends this trip, and it was hard to tear ourselves away, but we did eventually find ourselves back on the ferry, crossing the Salish Sea and heading to and through the mountains. We stopped a couple of days in Revelstoke, just to soak up the mountain atmosphere and get wet – finally – in a rainstorm or two, rain that had eluded us the entire island trip.

Moments before a mountain deluge

Now we’re back in the hot city, we’re lining up a nearby mountain trip or two to cool off in the next couple of weeks, and perhaps catch the high fall colour there if the leaves have held on…

Back here next year? Why not?!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Old friends!
Still hot in the city