Hike and Bike

Terry's brother, Kim, and his wife Jackie spent the last four days visiting.  We packed a lot into the four days that they were here and yet also had some down time to just enjoy one another's company. The day after the arrived we got up and drove to Lake Louise to hike to the Tea House.  It was a sunny and hot day with temperatures close to +30.  Before beginning our hike, we had a bite to eat right down by the lake.  Once we were fueled up we were on our way.  It had been years (before kids) since we had done the hike and one forgets over the years how steep the hike actually is.  I recall when we did the hike years ago with friends Mark and Shea, the weather was also hot but we were a little younger and perhaps in better shape.  Add in doing it with kids and Terry putting Kirra on his shoulders a bit during the hike and no wonder it seemed a bit harder.  However, we made it and the kids did really well.  We made it to the Tea House where Kirra immediately changed into her bathing suit so she could get into the Lake Agnus which is a glacier lake.  I enjoyed sitting on the bench dipping my feet in the water.  During this time, Kim, Jackie, Terry, and Jaret decided to hike to the Beehive.  Kim and Jackie made it to the top but Terry and Jaret turned back at the far side of Lake Agnus and decided to enjoy the cool of the glacier lake with Kirra while waiting for Kim and Jackie to join us for the descent down again.  It was a busy day on the path being a weekend and with such nice weather but it was amazing to do such a beautiful hike.  We then introduced Kim and Jackie to SmashBurger.  It was very much enjoyed after a long detour back into the city - from construction to a road closure due to a serious accident.  SmashBurger tasted really delicious.

Sunday we had opted to take it easy.  We attended church which was a little out of the ordinary since we usually attend on Saturday nights.  But we were grateful for the opportunity to worship with Kim and Jackie and have them visit our church.  And to make the morning even more special, Jaret had his first communion.  I feel so blessed that Jaret asks questions for better understanding and that he is going deeper into his faith walk as he makes choices for himself such as wanting to partake in communion.  After lunch we hung out in our deck and enjoyed our yard (pics still to come as it isn't totally complete).  In fact, it was so relaxing under the umbrella with the cool breeze and warm temperatures that I even had a little, Sunday afternoon nap.  After some R & R we went to Elbow Falls to just walk around and enjoy the scenery.  We hadn't been out there since before the flood and were quite surprised at the state of the park.  The banks that were once much closer to the river had been washed away and the bed had changed drastically.  We enjoyed hanging out there and the kids (including the big kids, aka - Terry and Kim) liked throwing rocks into the water.  After spending as much time as we did, we had worked up an appetite and so did SmashBurger take out.  I promise you, I did have plans to cook while our company was here.

This photo is courtesy of Jaret who likes to take pictures.

Monday we hiked again.  After a lazy morning, we got a late start but then headed to Canmore to hike Grassi Lakes.  If you have not done this hike before, I recommend doing it as it is beautiful.  It is only 4 kms or so round trip.  There is an easy ascent to the lakes and you can go the same way down or opt for the more difficult path that takes you past the waterfall.  We took it easy on the way up and then took the moderate pathway on the way down.  Jaret and Kirra loved this.  It took a while for Kirra to warm up to being a little more independent on the paths but once she saw a family with some young girls who were even climbing the rock faces, she decided she was up for the challenge.  It was such a beautiful hike and much less busy then Lake Louise.  We got home late due to our late start and went to SmashBurger - just kidding.  I finally made a meal of steak, sautéed mushrooms and cabbage salad.  We skipped the baked potatoes as we had snacked during our hike.  It was such a beautiful night so we ate on the deck in front of the fire table.

Tuesday was the day we had been waiting for, our bike on the Legacy Trail.  We biked from Canmore to Banff.  This part of the trail is more of an uphill climb than it is from Canmore to Banff. The 26 km bike one way, is beautiful and scenic with the majestic mountains surrounding you on the trail. Jaret did awesome biking all the way to Banff.  Kirra is just learning to bike comfortably on her two-wheeler so we opted for her to be in the trailer.  Once we got to Banff we locked up the bikes and enjoyed lunch.  We definitely needed to refuel and gain more energy for the bike back.  We also walked around Banff townsite and found dessert - some opted for BeaverTails while others opted for candy or chocolate.  We then knew we needed to finish the ride.  It was beautiful and we couldn't ask for a better day with sunshine, some cloud, slight breeze, and +26 temperatures.  Along the path was a forested area where we could smell the pine and an area where the wild rose bushes were so thick that you could smell the flowers fragrance as you rode.  Finishing felt like a wonderful accomplishment and I was especially proud of Jaret.  Kirra was disappointed that she didn't get to ride and looks forward to when she is old enough to bike the path with us.  And no, there was no SmashBurger after our day, we came back and enjoyed supper at the house.

We had a wonderful visit with Kim and Jackie and look forward to our next visit!  We may even have to make this an annual visit of hiking and biking.  Thanks for visiting, Kim and Jackie.