I took a four-day trip to Canmore earlier this month, accompanied by my two friends, Marj and Marlene, and what a wonderful time it was!
This is the third time I've visited Canmore in September and it's different every time. I kept telling myself it could be chilly in the mountains at this time of year, so I made sure to pack long sleeved tops, a warm jacket and gloves. But instead we had the most incredible sunny, hot weather (up to 25 degrees one day!) and I was sorry I hadn't packed shorts and sandals!
The QE2 highway between Edmonton and Calgary is definitely not my favourite way of getting to the mountains. It always seems to be crazy busy, plus it's just a boring drive. So I convinced my friends to take a more scenic route on our way out, turning west off the QE2 at Leduc and winding our way through Calmar, Thorsby, Rocky Mountain House, Caroline, Sundre, Cremona and Cochrane. What a gorgeous drive, especially at this time of year with crops being harvested or ripening in the fields. I couldn't help thinking of my mom and dad, who loved taking country drives and checking out the crops.
We stopped for ice cream at the famous Mackay's Ice Cream in Cochrane and were surprised to find the streets full of people enjoying a Classic Car Show & Shine. Needless to say, Mackay's was doing a booming business.
Marj and Marlene checking out a classic convertible
As we got closer to Canmore, we were surprised to see a fair bit of snow along the sides of the road. They had obviously gotten the big dump of snow that Calgary got the previous weekend and it was still lingering. The next door neighbour said her kids had even built a huge snowman. After such an early snowfall, the locals were obviously very happy to see the return of warm, sunny weather.
On our second day, we drove out to Lake Louise, just a little under an hour's drive from Canmore. Although the fall colours hadn't fully come out yet, the mountains were stunning as usual.
Parks Canada has done a great job of constructing attractive-looking wildlife crossings
across the main highway
It couldn't have been a more perfect day, sunny and hot with not a cloud in the sky. The beautiful blue-green waters of the lake surrounded by towering mountain glaciers was truly a balm to the soul.
Soaking it all in!
On day 3, we took a walk along Cougar Creek, which is just a short walk from the duplex. I'm always amazed when I see this tiny stream trickling through the creek bed and remember what a raging torrent it turned into during the flood of June 2013.
A lot of work has been done to repair the damage since the flood,
including reinforcing the banks of the creek bed with these concrete blocks.
Marlene soaking up the sun on the back deck
We headed out to Banff later in the afternoon, but made a stop first at Lake Minnewanka. In year's past, we've always seen lots of mountain sheep along the Minnewanka Loop, but this year there were none to be found. The only wildlife was a curious chipmunk looking for handouts.
Checking out the window display at The Fudgery in Banff
Decisions, decisions!
In the evening, we headed up to Sulphur Mountain and enjoyed a relaxing soak in the Banff Hot Springs.
The view from Sulphur Mountain
What a perfect ending to a wonderful trip. I only wish we could have stayed at least a week longer!
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