Magnus Opus

Alas, the folks have departed, but a great time was had when Mum and Ken were over - although this blog got seriously neglected. A bit of blogging TLC needed for the coming week, before bro and Luce arrive for more holiday fun!
The past week has also seen the departure of Portland Ken back south of the line to his homeland of Oregon, although we hope to see the big hairy oaf back up here for winter visits (and for reciprical trips down stateside).
The piccie shows us taking in a refreshing pint (courtesy of Nana) on Canada day at a pub below the Banff Springs - and that's not a boil festering on Brina's arm, just her patriotic maple leaf tattoo (temporary of course) - a game which mother also became embroiled in, and it was like walking along Banff Ave with a couple of chicks from Hell's Angels.
We managed a day heading in the Easterly direction (the magnetic pull of the Rockies overpowered for once) and spent a sticky day at Drumheller, gawping at the size of the dinosaur monsters that have been pulled out of the rocks around the area, with a visit to the rather good Royal Tyrell Museum (a place to really realise the insignificance of being).
A stint up to Jasper via the Icefields was the staple for last Sunday. With all of our great outdoor expertise, we rushed out of the car at the icefields equipped with nothing but sandles, shorts and t-shirts ("but it was sunny in Cochrane" was as good an excuse as complaining about being stuck in a snow storm in Caringorm because it was "rather fine in Manchester").

Here you can see Mum and Brina really feel the "bite" whipping down from the Athabasca glacier. Despite the short stroll up to the ice, we were all in agreement that seeing it from the road and the visitor centre was enough and lets get on to Japser...

Bears galore were spotted on the road to Jasper (well, one bear). We spotted the black bear plodding along parallel to the road, with the lovely dopey critter not giving a toss about the cars - and the mega dopey dicks driving cars jumping out of their cars on the bear side of the road with children clutching their hands to walk up close to the bear for photos (honestly, these folks were unbelievable). The highway was only single lane, and the bear was on the other side, we did slow down for a quick photo (O.K. we triggered a bear jam! oops) and just as Brina was about to click the camera shutter, a crazy assed tourist (who am I to speak!?!) skidded his car onto the opposite side of the road so that Brina got the photo of his car - how lovely. More humoursly though was mother's fury at this other incondsiderate driver, and she let loose with a tantrum of what can only be termed "bear rage"; "you fu#$*ng stupid p!!$ why the f$#* can't you go and *!#*!*! etc...." she screamed - well you get the picture, don't piss off mother when there are bears to be seen.

This piccie is hardly going to win the wildlife photo of the year award, but you can just see dumb ass's car honing into view as big ol' bear is thinking about looking up to give us a smile.







Fortunately for mum and Ken they'd spotted another Ursus americanus on their trip down to Yellowstone - and fortunately for the population of Montana, nobody had driven into their field of view when mum had seen it!

With much sunshine and good weather, mum was eager to finish her stint here this year with a good hike - "relatively flat" she said, "this is the Rockies" I replied; "somewhere with not too steep drops" she'd asked, "this is still the Rockies" I reminded her; "something not too tricky" was her request, "No problem" my response, but then this sign scuppered me at the trailhead of the chosen hike;

Slightly disconcerted and reminding me of her vertigo, Mum scaled the heights of Heart Mountain to the glorious vistas at the top. From the summit, when viewing the ridge walk which I had suggested was a rather easy descent, mum's voice quaivered as she asked "we don't have to do that do we?" (I've edited the expletives) - "of course not, we kind of skirt around the back" - oops... But mum took to the scrambling like a scouser takes to thieving, and within no time was scaling this;
I just hope that I'm giddy enough to try a seven hour hike with all this nonsense when I'm 59!
All in all, it's been a super time having Mum and Ken over here (and it's been a good excuse to overindulge in coffee, beer and natchos).
Best get ready for the arrival of bro and sis in law now (who knows what adventures await for the rest of the month? - a quick camping trip out to the hills tomorrow with Brad and Julie should occupy us enough for now).
Here comes the sun,
Big Smiles,
S&S.