Alberta, What a place

[baggins]

Hi guys,
just got back from sunny Alberta. Been doing a spot of touring around, cold weather camping and sight seeing. It really is the most beautiful country, especially around the rockies. We're planning to move there anyway but now are stuck with the problem of where, it's all too lovely (in the west anyway, further east is rather flat and, well, flat)
Thought i'd share a few of the 250 photos we took.
This is spray lake in Kananaskis, near canmore (only 40mins drive from Calgary)

It was really chilly, our first nights camp, 4pm and it's already -5

Heading north on old forstry roads, every time you turned a corner you got another view like this (i do mean every corner).

Give you an idea how cold it is, evern in October, this was Ram falls at 3pm after a really sunny day (those icicles are about 6 to 7 foot long by the way)

And what trip to Canada would be complete without at least one bear sighting. I don't know who was more shocked as we came round the corner, the grizzly or us.

This is but a small selection of what we saw as you can imagine, but camping out there this time of year is certainly worth it as long as you're prepared for the cold. Laying there at night listening to the howls of coyotes or the mating calls of rutting elk is an experience not to be missed.
Thanks for looking

 

[OldJimbo]

Quite something isn't it? I believe that it was the sheer vastness of it all that got me the first time through. I kept on going west, but Alberta is tempting country. My kids and grand-kids are all there now, because the western half of Alberta is sure booming.
The eastern section takes a bit of getting used to but has its own charm. Or as one old farmer put it, "Those mountains in the west can be sort of pretty - but they sure do block the view!"

 

[baggins]

I have to say though, i do prefer BC. What with the mad boom going on in Alberta at the mo, all the really nice places to live are way out of our budget. Whereas round Quesnal we could get a really nice little acreage with little mortgage and still see the rockies. Still, all depends on where we can find work. Everywhere in AB seemed to be short staffed. but not so sure about BC.
All we want to do now is get out there now though, it's always the worst when you've just returned and your pouring over the photos. Please send me back!!!
Baggins

 

[torjusg]

Extremely beautiful!

Seems like I have to have a trip over before Canada destroys the place with their tar-sands operations.

 

[leon-b]

very nice, great pictures
i really want to go to canada when i am older
leon

 

[Snufkin]

Beautiful pics. I do want to visit Canada but I would have to hibernate through winter if I lived there.

 

[BorderReiver]

Beautiful pics. I do want to visit Canada but I would have to hibernate through winter if I lived there.

Don't worry about the cold Snufkin,they are all set up for it.

Because it is so cold there is very little humidity,so the cold doesn't feel as cold...if you see what I mean.

 

[leon-1]

Don't worry about the cold Snufkin,they are all set up for it.

Because it is so cold there is very little humidity,so the cold doesn't feel as cold...if you see what I mean.

You mean it's dry cold over there most of the time.

I liked Alberta when I had a chance to go there, Banff was lovely as well. Brings back memories, campsites with dedicated areas for fires, trucks turning up with firewood for sale, bear bins and of course bears

 

[BorderReiver]

You mean it's dry cold over there most of the time.

I liked Alberta when I had a chance to go there, Banff was lovely as well. Brings back memories, campsites with dedicated areas for fires, trucks turning up with firewood for sale, bear bins and of course bears

Never saw a bear,or a moose come to that.

The rest made up for it though.

 

[Snufkin]

Don't worry about the cold Snufkin,they are all set up for it.

Because it is so cold there is very little humidity,so the cold doesn't feel as cold...if you see what I mean.

They might be, but I'm not! Kind of why I chose my username, as Snufkin would pack up his tent and head south for the winter, then head back to Moomin Valley in the springtime. I wish I could do the same.
And I don't like snow either.

 

[baggins]

You could try going in the summer, gets over 30c in june and still not humid (lovely).
Defiatly worth a visit if you love being away from everybody.

 

[Biddlesby]

Looks great, would love to see some more photos. I'm sure my connection can handle another 245 photos or so...

 

[BorderReiver]

Looks great, would love to see some more photos. I'm sure my connection can handle another 245 photos or so...

Mine too.

 

[rik_uk3]

Baggins, what fantastic photo's mate. Have you thought about creating an album on photobucket and post a link here, it would be great to see more :You_Rock_

 

[JonnyP]

Don't worry about the cold Snufkin,they are all set up for it.

Because it is so cold there is very little humidity,so the cold doesn't feel as cold...if you see what I mean.

Fully agree.....My parents live in montana, just south of calgary. I went to visit them in november time and went outside the house while it was -15 and I was comfortable for quite some time with just my norweigan army shirt on. You couldn't even make a snowball, because of so little moisture in the snow and the ball would not hold itself together. Also, on the roads, although they were covered in compacted snow and looked real slippery, they were not that bad and you could drive on them with little problems (apart from when we piled into a snowdrift and got stuck in the middle of nowhere ). Mum and Dad come over here in the winter and moan about the cold here, even though it was minus 30 something over there.....
Baggins....Lovely photo's mate, of a lovely place...Well done on seeing a grizzly...

 

[Marts]

Nice shots Baggins. Hope to hear a bit more about your trip.

 

[morch]

Yea great photos of a beautiful lookin place Baggins

 

[Voivode]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've spent a large amount of time in the areas you visited, baggins. It's good country close to Calgary, but that is its flaw; In the summer, it's crawling with urbanites out for the day or weekend. You picked a good time to visit as long as you're ready for the chill.

I'm native of a bit further north, where the terrain is just as lovely but only gets a tenth of the visitors. My parents take horses into areas near the source of the Clearwater River as well as north of Jasper park, in the Willmore. Some times, they're out there for a week and don't see another soul. Truly peaceful.

Anyways, I ramble. As has been mentioned, it's a dry cold in the winter, so it's not really that bad, once you get used to it. Although my wife has been here for 15 years or so and still despises winter.

 

[baggins]

Hi guys, glad to know that few photos get such a great response. Will download a few more this weekend (have a rather old, slow machine, so takes a bit of time).
Hi Voivode, welcome to the best place on bthe web.We did visit Red Deer, only briefly, on our way to Drumheller. Nice place, not as scarey as Edmonton and Calgary.
Thanks again Guys
Baggins

 

[pibbleb]

Gutted, can't get the pictures to work