Camping in the Rockies
For the past five days the Timber Wolves have been out camping in the Rocky Mountains. It was an action packed adventure that involved many new activities and experiences.
August 16
We woke up at SAIT and had our last meal for the next week in the comfort of SAIT campus. Then we cleaned and packed a little. After lunch we got on the bus filled with anticipation for what the upcoming adventure would bring. As we approached out campsite the mountains came into the view. What a sight!
We set up our tents and prepared our first camping meal. With a little teamwork, dinner was done in no time. To wrap up the night we gathered around the campfire and roasted marshmallows, and chatted the night away. Here’s to the next 5 days!
August 17th
The first camping night was surprisingly warm and we all woke up feeling refreshed to the sight of the mountains. There is something magical about waking up in a tent in the middle of the Rockies.
Following an amazing breakfast we packed out and got on the bus for an adventurous afternoon on mountain bikes. We all got a chance to ride on a fun trail to the famous High Rockies Suspension Bridge while the mountain views rolled past us.
August 18th
Banff is must see destination in the Rockies. We spent the afternoon relaxing walking through the streets of this historic town buying souvenirs for ourselves and our loved ones. Of course, a day in Banff is never complete without a trip to the Banff hot springs to relax and refresh our bodies in the middle of a week long camping trip.
August 19th
Today was an early start for the Horses! After eating a breakfast of yogurt and croissants, we headed out on the bus to either go horseback riding at Lake Louise or go visit the Columbia Ice fields. Those of us who chose horseback riding took off for an adventure up the mountain and back down into the waters of the famous Lake Louise. It was absolutely magical and for some of us, our first time riding a horse! After riding, we had a yummy BBQ, passed around a soccer ball & a frisbee, and enjoyed some time lying down in the sun. Those of us who went to the ice fields went up to the Alpines, (the highest mountains in the Rockies!) and took a specialized ice bus to the Athabasca Glacier where we stood on top of ice that is over 800ft deep! We learned a lot about how a lot of the World’s drinking water come from melting glaciers and were able to drink the water running down the ice! It was so fresh! On the glacier there were many flags, so we were able to take pictures with Canada’s flag and the flags from our respective countries! For some of us, this was our first time ever touching ice! Afterwards we have a yummy BBQ and headed back to Lake Louise to meet up with our other friends. We stopped on the way to visit a few other bright and beautiful lakes! We learned that the blue that reflects from the lakes in the mountains is a reflection of rocks and ice, so cool! We ended our day by eating yummy pizza in Canmore and heading back for another fun campfire.
August 20th
Waking up to the smell of French Toast kick-started our hiking day. We filled our tummies and our water bottles and headed off to Pickle Jar Lakes to hike in the Canadian Rockies. Once we arrived at the trail head we packed our bags with everything we needed to have a picnic at the lake near the top of the mountain and then headed off up the trail! We saw a few wild animals, local flowers and beautiful views of the neighbouring mountains on the way up. Once we reached halfway the trail opened up to a beautiful green lake with amazing views of the surrounding mountains and we found the perfect spot for a picnic. Those of us who dared to venture further went on to reach the peak of the mountain while those of us who wanted to enjoy the lake were able to go swimming, lounge around and explore the perimeter of the lake. At the top of the mountain we found Giant boulders nd were ablt to have a dance party on top of them! The views from the top were incredible! We danced our way back down the mountain and boarded the bus back to our campsite where we cooked a delicious supper. There is no better place to explore and get closer to nature than the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains!
August 21st
We woke up after a much needed sleep-in to begin packing to head back to campus. We took down our tents, gathered our sleeping bags, and packed up the truck with all of our leftover food and sports equipment before having a massive brunch. We ate French toast, fruit, chicken, pasta, etc. No one was left hungry! Shortly afterwards, we cleaned up the campsite and headed off back to Calgary. Our camping trip was now complete! We were happy to get settled into our hotel rooms to get clean! We had gone a whole week without having a true official shower and were happy to feel fresh and have flushing toilets once more! We enjoyed a delicious Vietnamese dinner at Y2K before returning to the hotel for a relaxing evening hanging out with one another!
