Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Monday, August 17, 2015
Jasper Skytram
Today's epic adventure with the Johnsons took us up Whistlers Mountain on the Jasper Skytram and a 1.2 km hike got us to the top of the mountain with amazing views at 7800 feet - off to the Hot Springs this afternoon!!! Traveling with Katie and Nate is so rough:)
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Stealth Dining and Goat Lake Hike
This will be a quick post. We don't have the greatest campsite in Crandell Mountain. The area for tents is just patches of gravel, bear boxes for food and little to no trees to shelter us from the sun. It has turned warm here (not like the heat wave back home) but enough heat so that you want some protection from the full sun. It was 85 degrees at 6PM today. That temperature melts away as the sun goes down, and in the AM it is pretty chilly. We were bundled to the max. Layers peeled as the sun rose and the wind went from howling at dawn to a stiff breeze for breakfast. Going to try to get in under one of the tree shaded sites tomorrow (those are "RV sites").
So, tonight we are stealth dining. We have come into town and with our previous knowledge of the campground facilities and the kitchen shelters, we are parked in the day use picnic area but hanging out in the nearby campground kitchen shelter. We are having a quiet no muss no fuss dinner. We are using the electric out for charging and the town wifi for things like this. One of the campground's shower buildings is about 50 yards away so as long as we don't call attention to ourselves we will also have stealth showers.
And we need those showers. Today we did a hike out to Goat Lake. We actually tried to multi sport. The description of the initial trail was that it was an old logging road and open to biking. Not so much for our touring bikes. Sweetness gave it her all and I have to take the blame for putting er in a position where her long frame was just not nimble enough and my legs not tough enough to pick through what was really a single track mountain bike ride. We gave up after a mile and stashed Sweetness and the Hopeville Flyer in the woods for the return.
At the 3 mile mark the Goat Lake trail turned and went up, really up. we did about 1000 feet of climbing in 1.5 mile. The trail to me had a very White Mountains of NH feel, in that it was all no nonsense. Switchbacks that just went after the grade in tight turns. You want that lake,we are are going to take you there. Of course, when you looked around, it was not NH. We worked uphill across a scree slope that had our knees knocking a bit on the narrow parts. We slabbed over to the outlet of the lake which was running as a waterfall through a thin crack in the mountainside.
The lake was a joy. Clear at the edges sinking to an emerald green as the shoreline gave way. It was a typical mountain tarn, a circle of peaks and a ridgeline contributing their waters to make the lake that then tumbled out as waterfall.
Camping is allowed here and if you willing you to schlep your stuff up the 1000 feet it would be a nice place to camp. We settled in for lunch and then Marsah saw them - two mountain goats way above us in a crack that led to a ridgeline. Very far away, it took the binoculars to confirm it was goats not sheep. They were just hanging out and grazing and moved slowly from green patch to green patch. Quick leaps up or sideways, with grace and what seemed like a minimum amount of effort got them to the next place. It was fun to watch.
The other amazing thing about the lake was that it was full of small trout. I am sure there ,might have been some big guys out there deeper but lots of small feeding fish at the lakeshore. You would here the gulp at the surface and then the rings. A couple of times you would get a flash of underbelly as they came up hard. The amazing things was that the water was so clear that all you had to do was look where the gulp was and you could see the fish underneath. Once you saw what the looked like in the water you could pick them out without the gulps. Couple dozen at least just gliding along near the shoreline. No fly rod or spinning rod in my pack, and certainly no fishing permit (in Glacier the fishing was free without a license) to day but tomorrow we will do another short hike to a lake lower down and with a day fishing permit in hand we will see what we can do.
We think hike/fish in the morning. Stealth shower in town and then afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales. Might have to break out the clean towel.
Pictures are coming, just not today. Sorry it is so hot back there.
So, tonight we are stealth dining. We have come into town and with our previous knowledge of the campground facilities and the kitchen shelters, we are parked in the day use picnic area but hanging out in the nearby campground kitchen shelter. We are having a quiet no muss no fuss dinner. We are using the electric out for charging and the town wifi for things like this. One of the campground's shower buildings is about 50 yards away so as long as we don't call attention to ourselves we will also have stealth showers.
And we need those showers. Today we did a hike out to Goat Lake. We actually tried to multi sport. The description of the initial trail was that it was an old logging road and open to biking. Not so much for our touring bikes. Sweetness gave it her all and I have to take the blame for putting er in a position where her long frame was just not nimble enough and my legs not tough enough to pick through what was really a single track mountain bike ride. We gave up after a mile and stashed Sweetness and the Hopeville Flyer in the woods for the return.
At the 3 mile mark the Goat Lake trail turned and went up, really up. we did about 1000 feet of climbing in 1.5 mile. The trail to me had a very White Mountains of NH feel, in that it was all no nonsense. Switchbacks that just went after the grade in tight turns. You want that lake,we are are going to take you there. Of course, when you looked around, it was not NH. We worked uphill across a scree slope that had our knees knocking a bit on the narrow parts. We slabbed over to the outlet of the lake which was running as a waterfall through a thin crack in the mountainside.
The lake was a joy. Clear at the edges sinking to an emerald green as the shoreline gave way. It was a typical mountain tarn, a circle of peaks and a ridgeline contributing their waters to make the lake that then tumbled out as waterfall.
Camping is allowed here and if you willing you to schlep your stuff up the 1000 feet it would be a nice place to camp. We settled in for lunch and then Marsah saw them - two mountain goats way above us in a crack that led to a ridgeline. Very far away, it took the binoculars to confirm it was goats not sheep. They were just hanging out and grazing and moved slowly from green patch to green patch. Quick leaps up or sideways, with grace and what seemed like a minimum amount of effort got them to the next place. It was fun to watch.
The other amazing thing about the lake was that it was full of small trout. I am sure there ,might have been some big guys out there deeper but lots of small feeding fish at the lakeshore. You would here the gulp at the surface and then the rings. A couple of times you would get a flash of underbelly as they came up hard. The amazing things was that the water was so clear that all you had to do was look where the gulp was and you could see the fish underneath. Once you saw what the looked like in the water you could pick them out without the gulps. Couple dozen at least just gliding along near the shoreline. No fly rod or spinning rod in my pack, and certainly no fishing permit (in Glacier the fishing was free without a license) to day but tomorrow we will do another short hike to a lake lower down and with a day fishing permit in hand we will see what we can do.
We think hike/fish in the morning. Stealth shower in town and then afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales. Might have to break out the clean towel.
Pictures are coming, just not today. Sorry it is so hot back there.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Why I Love Camping In Canada
I dont know if I have written about this here in the blog but this is my 40th anniversary of my first trip to the Canadian Rockies. Yes, Douglas Hammerstrom you can take a deep bow this morning in Colorado for arranging a two week excursion in a VW Microbus for 5 guys with a lot of excess testosterone to visit the pictures of Banff you saw in National Geographic. So, wrong in your choices in politics, yet so right in your choices in recreation. Such a life changing inspirational trip that this is my fifth and Marsha's 4th trip back to the area. I could go on here for a while but this post would have to be tagged with the label back-in-the-day and that is really not the point of this.
There is in my mind a difference in how Canada approaches outdoor recreation, especially camping. Here at the Townsite in Waterton Lakes there is a European-International vibe. Some of it is the origin of the park from the railroad days a hundred years ago where you built places like the Prince of Wales Hotel and bent the railroads to bring folks to the resort. The townsite has a little village of shops and small restaurants. Not a lot, but just enough to take a stroll or a bike ride from the campground to have a bite to eat and spend some tourist dollar. It is quaint, baskets of flowers hanging along the streets, lots of benches to stop and sit, bike racks if you rode in.
The campground itself has hot showers (and not quarter showers, just push the button and out it comes). There are kitchen shelters near each of the loops. These are enclosed buildings with long picnic tables, wood stoves and lights. It is like they are saying, " Yeah, sometimes it is going to be bad weather. It can be rainy, windy and cold. You are going to want to be able to hang out in a dry space to cook or eat or just play cards or read a book. You don't have to huddle in your tent."
This morning I was up early so, I grabbed my Kindle and the rest of our electronic resources, and headed for the kitchen shelter with a bag chair. I plugged in the devices for a good charge while I read for and hour (note to family members glued to iDevices. Cold weather, and it was real cold last night , zaps battery life, sleep with you iPhone). Nothing fancy but the shelter got me a charge up a quiet hour or so in a comfortable spot.
I also get 4 hours of free wifi a day in the campground and the downtown village (I could pay for higher or faster usage). There is a laundromat in the village
This in contrast to our recent experience in the US at what arguably is the premier campground in one of the top US National Parks. At Apgar Campground there were no showers, there were no electrical hookups for RV's (meaning that when it was not quiet hours, generators were humming to charge RV batteries or run AC/Heaters). The only wifi was outside the visitors center (and no posted notice of it in the campground). It took two tries before Marsha discovered that the little snack shop in Apgar Village did have hot dogs and buns. There was no restuarant, and West Glacier was a drive out of the park. And let me add we LOVED our time there.
I guess I am trying draw the distinction about the feel of the experience. I know that I will have the same options in Banff and Jasper around the campground services. I have experienced the same in style of campground accommodations at Prince Edward Island. I don't want to get out on a philosophical limb here but it is almost like the US is the stance of the rugged individual. You can pit yourself against the environment, and go CAMPING (as long as you haul your RV/House) with you for comfort. The Canadian experience for me has been, hey, this place is great and beautiful, come and enjoy it it. We love being the outdoors, lets make it easy and relaxing.
I do not know if I am reading too much into it but we do greatly prefer camping in Canada and would choose it over the US anyday. It is looking like pizza downtown for supper, and tomorrow we are going for afternoon tea (after some morning activity and a shower) at the Prince of Wales.
There is in my mind a difference in how Canada approaches outdoor recreation, especially camping. Here at the Townsite in Waterton Lakes there is a European-International vibe. Some of it is the origin of the park from the railroad days a hundred years ago where you built places like the Prince of Wales Hotel and bent the railroads to bring folks to the resort. The townsite has a little village of shops and small restaurants. Not a lot, but just enough to take a stroll or a bike ride from the campground to have a bite to eat and spend some tourist dollar. It is quaint, baskets of flowers hanging along the streets, lots of benches to stop and sit, bike racks if you rode in.
The campground itself has hot showers (and not quarter showers, just push the button and out it comes). There are kitchen shelters near each of the loops. These are enclosed buildings with long picnic tables, wood stoves and lights. It is like they are saying, " Yeah, sometimes it is going to be bad weather. It can be rainy, windy and cold. You are going to want to be able to hang out in a dry space to cook or eat or just play cards or read a book. You don't have to huddle in your tent."
This morning I was up early so, I grabbed my Kindle and the rest of our electronic resources, and headed for the kitchen shelter with a bag chair. I plugged in the devices for a good charge while I read for and hour (note to family members glued to iDevices. Cold weather, and it was real cold last night , zaps battery life, sleep with you iPhone). Nothing fancy but the shelter got me a charge up a quiet hour or so in a comfortable spot.
I also get 4 hours of free wifi a day in the campground and the downtown village (I could pay for higher or faster usage). There is a laundromat in the village
This in contrast to our recent experience in the US at what arguably is the premier campground in one of the top US National Parks. At Apgar Campground there were no showers, there were no electrical hookups for RV's (meaning that when it was not quiet hours, generators were humming to charge RV batteries or run AC/Heaters). The only wifi was outside the visitors center (and no posted notice of it in the campground). It took two tries before Marsha discovered that the little snack shop in Apgar Village did have hot dogs and buns. There was no restuarant, and West Glacier was a drive out of the park. And let me add we LOVED our time there.
I guess I am trying draw the distinction about the feel of the experience. I know that I will have the same options in Banff and Jasper around the campground services. I have experienced the same in style of campground accommodations at Prince Edward Island. I don't want to get out on a philosophical limb here but it is almost like the US is the stance of the rugged individual. You can pit yourself against the environment, and go CAMPING (as long as you haul your RV/House) with you for comfort. The Canadian experience for me has been, hey, this place is great and beautiful, come and enjoy it it. We love being the outdoors, lets make it easy and relaxing.
I do not know if I am reading too much into it but we do greatly prefer camping in Canada and would choose it over the US anyday. It is looking like pizza downtown for supper, and tomorrow we are going for afternoon tea (after some morning activity and a shower) at the Prince of Wales.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Trial Run #2 - No Fish for Breakfast
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