Musings on A Trip to Banff

We spent three days in Banff National Park, hiking and exploring and getting bled by mosquitoes. They were voracious, having bred in the heavy rains of June. There were other oddities: trail restrictions because of bears, trail closures for wildlife corridor work (Cave and Basin), trail closures because of flooding (Fenlands Trail), and more closures because of a bridge washout (Paint Pots, and everything beyond it). The highway itself was closed two days after we got back, because of a mudslide.

The Vermillion River was surging, high from rain and snow melt, and an odd colour, a milky sage green. The milkiness comes from glacial till, finely ground rock dust, and is the cause of the amazing lake colours. Lake Louise is a pale, milky blue, and Moraine Lake is milky, but a brighter blue.

We walked to the waterfall at the head of Moraine Lake (not far but a first for me, in an almost asthma-free trip), and planned to canoe after, but a storm blew in. It came to nothing, but at the time, it looked nasty, and it’s just foolish to sit in the middle of a lake in a wicked wind or a thunderstorm.

Instead, I found a chapter to my current story, inspired by water winding through a bed of moss and rocks. There was something powerful in that place, in that moment …

I don’t think writers are ever not working, perhaps to the annoyance of their families. My husband understands, and was content to sip coffee and watch the storm blow over while I wrote.

Now I’m home, refreshed, and ready to leap back into my story.

Maureen

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park

Lake Louise

We canoed on Lake Louise this morning, the first time for me, on the calmest lake I’ve ever paddled on. It was also the milkiest blue, thick with glacial till, so that we could see nothing in the water beneath us. Then we hiked to the end of the lake, leaving us tired and content.

Maureen

I’m going to be at Wordfest!

It’s finally up on the website, so I can announce – I’ll be one of the authors at Wordfest in Calgary and Banff this October. I’m thrilled!

They asked if I’d also go to Banff and I said, Of course! I love Banff. The Veil Weavers takes place in Calgary and then up into the mountains near Banff, so that’ll make it even more fun. Maybe I’ll see you there…

Here’s the Wordfest link for BookRapport, the section of the festival for children: http://www.bookrapport.com/

Maureen

Castle Mountain, west of Banff