Banff National Park

winter hiking

Growing up in a tropical country makes me extra curious about winter activities. My first-hand experience in snowboarding and skating got me pumped up to try winter hiking in Johnston Canyon (Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada).

Powered up with a hearty breakfast, we set out on our hike. We hadn’t made it ten feet out of the parking lot when we realized how slippery the trail was. Jellybean, my husband, had to help me navigate the path and kept me from slipping.

I was still on high spirits as we walk passed the sign, but my excitement was quickly overshadowed by my clumsiness and fear of heights. 😱 There were icy patches all over the trail and the treacherous cliff made my knees weak.

To avoid the scary path, I decided to walk in the deep snow which was “conveniently” located up the “hill” from the trail… Lucky me, I made things worse because I had trouble going back to the trail when I reached a dead end. Jellybean had to rescue me and get me back on track. 😅

With all the struggles that I went through on our way up, Jellybean, Mike and Shara encouraged and supported me even though I felt like I was being a nuisance.. 🙁 While I was looking like an idiot, Shara was gingerly walking on the slippery path like it was a fashion runway. 😲

should I go back?

Surprisingly, my fear disappeared on our way back and I managed to enjoy the walk… errr… slide. Learning how to traverse the icy path made a world of difference.

Watcha up to Mike?

The amazing view, the breathtaking winter water falls and the awesome company made the winter hiking a memorable experience.

See you again, Johnston Canyon!

Banff in Winter

With the weather hitting minus 40 degrees Celsius last week, it inspired me to write about our winter adventure in Banff a few years ago.

Around February 2016, my husband and I met up and spent time with friends in Banff National Park, Alberta. The magnificent Rocky Mountain view, beautiful slopes covered with fluffy snow and serene atmosphere made the trip very relaxing and provided an avenue for us to decompress and catch up.

Here are some of the stunning snapshots courtesy of Mike and Shara:

Gondola ride on the way to Sunshine Village

The highlight of the trip? Winter hiking in Johnston Canyon…more details on the next post. 😀

Lake Louise

On our way to Lake Louise, I saw some sceneries that reminded me of the Drielandepunt in Netherlands. Drielandepunt is where the boundaries of Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands meet.

In Lake Louise, the view is absolutely breathtaking! Glaciers on the mountain make the panorama picturesque. A truly sight to behold!

nice background ey? LOL — nice background 🙂

After an hour or so, we headed back to downtown and searched for the Devounian Garden. Unfortunately, it was already closed. Chinatown was the other option, however, the shops are also closed.

We all decided to go to the mall to grab a bite and walk around a bit. When we are about to go home, we bumped into James classmate and best friend, Jedd. The two six-year-old kids run towards each other with open arms then stopped abruptly. 😀 That surely elicited laughter from all of us.

We all thought they’re going to hug like they haven’t seen each other for a million years. The truth is, they just saw each other few days ago.

It’s a good way to end the day… Gotta snooze now. Another exciting day tomorrow. Mwwwwwwa!

Banff

A jump start to a new, bright and sunny day! It was raining yesterday so we just roamed around the mall. I did not do much shopping because my pocket is still bleeding from all the money I spent in that US Visa application (see related article -> denied).

Nevertheless, I did indulge myself with food as well as bought bedding, duvet and comforter for my new place. I’ll be moving to my new cave in a few weeks time. Wohoo!

Today’s itinerary includes a visit to Banff National Park and Lake Louise. We are kinda lost at the moment and I have no idea on which direction we are going. I’ve let RJ use his iPhone to check the road that we need to take. I kinda suck with geography thingy, so, I just sat back, enjoy the scenery and start writing.

By the time that we’ve found the Banff National Park, there’s already a long queue for the Gondola (Cable Car) Ride. Thus, we opted to look around for a bit and look for souvenir items.

Next stop… Lake Louise! 🙂