Nose Hill Winter in Autumn September 29, 2019

I was secretly excited about the big dump of white gold that the forecasters were boosting about.  The road conditions never ever get me excited, it's the scenery and being "out & about" in it that do.  I took baby steps with the driving and opted to go only as far as Nose Hill Park.  I was surprised when I arrived there, how much snow actually did fall so far.  This is the trail that enters the Park from my car.  The trail is there, some where! 

The views were exactly as I hoped they would be today.  I knew there would be no blue skies nor nice open vistas, so today I focused up close on the colors and the crystals.  The new snow makes the autumn golds that much brighter.

crystals of snow

At first I stuck to the main trails.

That's where the benches and maps are.

autumn shades donned in winter white

One of the main trails leads to the medicine wheel.  

It is ever changing and today this was the view at the center of rock formation.  

From here you can see far and wide (not today though).

The Indigenous people would watch for game from here.

The boulder seems to be showing off autumn shades too!

red & white, so Canadiana

I made my way to The Lake only to see it already has a layer of ice on it.  In my many visits there I have noticed the outhouses but this is the first time I noticed the cleansing station beside it.   Also, while hiking down in the valley, I saw that someone had improved the shelter capacity of the log fort.   There is always something new or different at Nose Hill Park every time I go.

The morning was getting on and the snowfall was becoming heavier.  It was time to find out where I was and then begin the trek back to my car.  I am where the star is on the bottom which means I have a way to go to get back.  

I worked my way to the valley to follow that trail which would protect me from the wind and the cold.  It was not the smartest move but I remained there.  The snow was deep and made for a slow go.    This was today's route.

My treat as soon as I got home! 

High School Friends We Are! Wednesday September 25, 2019

No time for the weary, we packed up and we were mountain bound again today.  Once there we could then be lazy if we were weary.  We have been taking a bag of chopped wood along with us the past few days, it was now time to enjoy it.  Forget-Me-Not Pond has perfect picnic spots with fire pits right by the pond with mountain views as the backdrop.  

We took Route 66 to get there which was lined with golden hues that shone brightly when hit by rays of sunshine.  The Visitor Centre sign said it was closed until  September 30th.  I did not think to check the notifications sight for that area.  We wanted to enjoy a drive so aimed for that direction anyway just to see some sights.  We did have one cow to contend with.  It walked the centre line down the road, it would not stray either way. We safely maneuvered around it.

We checked out  Bill Allen in case we needed to picnic there.  It would do, but it is not what it use to be years ago.  We stopped in at Elbow Falls and walked the path to the Falls.  I remember years ago when this use to be a lovely place to picnic.  The location is still pretty but it is not for picnicking.

We motored on down Route 66 and took the turn for Forget-Me-Not Pond and it was open and busy.  My table was available so we snatched it up.  We set up, got the fire going, sat down and settled in.  The fire burned and time passed as we continued to have so much to talk about.  Then came lunch time followed by tea time followed by stroll time.  

After making a few memories at Forget-Me-Not we hit the road home, this time the dirt Powderface Trail to make a great big loop.  The scenery was pretty more often than not, with autumn shades that are Alberta's style.  We did encounter the logging trucks and one specifically that was right behind us,  We could only see its lights through the cloud of dust.  My friend said it made her think of the show "Trucks" by Stephen King.  

We stopped in to see Sibbald Lake then carried on now reaching the paved country road that leads to the highway and then home.  Of course, once back through my front door we paired wine with laughter and continued on with our friendship just like it was in high school! 

High School Friends We Are! Tuesday September 24, 2019

We woke up off the Icefield Parkway this morning to beautiful views as the sun began to rise.  There was a weather window of very nice conditions that would be open for a few hours for our drive east.  We hit the highway and had it to ourselves pretty much.  I was so thankful my friend could see these views that I rave about.  They were nonexistent yesterday. We dubbed today our re-do day.  

It was a much more user-friendly day with very little traffic along The Parkway heading east.  Once again the autumn colours were vibrant and burst with beauty.  What to our wondering eyes did appear!  Snow!  Thank you to my friend for appeasing me when trying to capture pretty pictures.  We liked how her red coat stands out with the white surroundings.  

I was excited for what Bow Lake might look like this morning and was tickled pink when we arrived.  We joined only a handful of others who were also embracing the views. There was no wind, it was cold, and we were fine with that pairing.  While I was in the midst of playing photographer, I heard my friend yell "avalanche!"  There it was!  Right before our eyes!  An avalanche!  This was a first for her.  Never will she say never again!  We invested a significant amount of time taking everything in at Bow Lake today.  

I had high hopes for a few seconds then reality set in. We would not be able to see Lake Louise.  The sign stated the Lot was full again with cars being turned away. I am glad there are tourists seeing the Lake but I wish my tourist could. I know I was being unrealistic when I thought we could admire it with not too much hassle at a decent time of day that would fit our schedule.  Our Lake Louise experience was looking in the stores in the Village, I shopped, then we relaxed in Laggan's with a hot beverage and a sweet treat.  

We created many mountain memories these past three days while on our road trip.  When we got back home, our feet were up pretty quickly, the wine was poured shortly thereafter and we lounged in the sunshine on my deck.  We laughed and reminisced and carried on enjoying our friendship just like we did in high school!