Canada 07/08 – Banff – Day 2
Canada 07/08 – Banff – Day 2
Day two at Lake Louise started better than day one – visibility-wise for sure. The bus ride to the mountain was a little more adventurous, however, with us witnessing one car overtake the bus, only to then spin off the road (after crossing the highway across oncoming traffic) and then falling well off the road into a ditch. I believe the bus driver later told us that 12 cars had spun off the highway that day (by the end of the day). At the mountain though, the sun was out and we could see well past the top of the mountain from the base. We started the day with a buffet breakfast, on offer at the Lake Louise day lodge – however it was upstairs from where we had had breakfast the day before… too bad we didn’t discover it then!
After a significantly filling breakfast, we hit the slopes for another day skiing. The better weather meant that we were able to tackle the slopes better – being able to see more so where we were going. Pip was feeling a little more adventurous, and we took advantage of that in showing her a few new areas that she had not yet experienced. Although she didn’t (thoroughly) enjoy a few of the runs we took her on, she certainly developed her skill and technique with every one. Pip and I broke off from Tess and Ed for a time and enjoyed the slopes of Pinecone Way and Wiwaxy, while they hit the slopes in the Powder Bowls.
Although originally telling ourselves that we wouldn’t need lunch, we did stop for a break and ended up eating some food while we were there. After lunch the day continued with more successful runs and great views of the surrounding countryside – including Lake Louise itself where Nat had ventured and walked the entire length of the lake. After skiing once again until the end of the day, although we had lost Nat and Tess who had returned to Banff early to do some shopping and also attempt to do some laundry – which we hadn’t done in almost a week, we caught the bus and returned to Banff.
After being unable to catch a cab (due to the long waiting list at the hotel lobby, and the minimum 30 minute wait), Pip, Ed and I decided to walk into town to meet up with Nat and Tess. Although we realised half-way that if we had waited at the hotel we would actually already be in town, it was good exercise and saved us $10. We met up with Nat and Tess at the self-service laundry, and then attempted to decide where to go for dinner.
We decided on Athena Pizza and Pasta House, apparently (according to Taxi Mike) Banff’s best pizza, and made the 5 minute walk to the restaurant to see how long the wait for a table was (typically anywhere up to an hour at most restaurants). The wait here was zero, however, and we were straight in. Ed returned to help Nat carry the laundry, and the rest of us stayed and organised the order.
Following the meal we visited Cows, one of the iconic stores on the Banff main street, for ice cream and excellent souvenirs. It certainly is strange eating ice cream at -5C… makes you wish you were somewhere warmer – like home. No problem though… the Cows store was warm enough to melt the ice creams quicker than they could be eaten, so we didn’t stay long.
We soon returned to the hotel and once again got ready for bed, and the early start tomorrow would bring.
| Next Post: Canada 07/08 – Banff – Day 3 |
About the Author
