Tag Archives: Canada

British Columbia, Canada, Hiking Trails, Monroe Lake

Scenes From A Hike – September 4, 2021

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Went for a nice hike on a forestry road that led us to the shore of Monroe Lake in the East Kootenays of British Columbia. The trek was 3.21 miles, or 5.2 KM. A screenshot of the route is below and it is an in and out via the same route.

The scene below is indicative of the scenery along the road.

Once we reached the lake, there is a foot bridge and an old dam, now in various stages of deterioration.

It is also the mouth of a creek, pretty much dried up as we are at the end of the season. Most creeks and rivers out here are snow and rain fed, meaning they tend to dry up, or they are spring fed, which this one is not. We have seen this creek higher up in the mountain in the past, but it was late October and there was runoff.

We did continue on to the right on the map and discovered some well worn elk trails that we will explore at a later date. We turned back and took the left spur which took us to some amazing scenery. We have done this path prior to this and knew what we were in for. We have also kayaked through the meadow, a post I will put up once I finish playing with video.

We also know about how to relax. A conveniently placed bench to look at the landscape.

And of course, it is not all about the scenery, lets not forget the foliage and critters. In this case an interesting mushroom and some pretty butterflies.

Canada, Canadian Music, Music Trails

Happy Birthday Jim Kale

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Guess Who bassist Jim Kale turned 78 on August 11. He is an original member of the Guess Who, going way back to 1962 when they were known as Chad Allan and the Reflections. He was with the band until 1972 and even co-wrote American Woman. During a reunion tour he discovered that the band name had never been trademarked. He registered the name and began touring as the Guess Who with a string of new members, and occasionally with Gary Peterson on drums, also an original. Yes, they still exist and record, just not with the Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman. Jim is now retired from the band.

The video is from 1970, and of course, American Woman.

British Columbia, Bucket list, Canada, Dusty Trails, Hiking Trails, Kootenays

Top 10 Bucket List Items – Number 10 – Update

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I was browsing for hiking books online and came across this gem. We now have a comprehensive guide to a wide range of falls, complete with how to get there. We are considering a loop in September and will keep you updated.

As a plug, we do not purchase books from chains, preferring local bookstores. When in Cranbrook, please patronize Huckleberry Books or use their website at https://huckleberrybooks.ca/

Beer Reviews, British Columbia, Canada, Entertaining Trails, Moyie River, Retirement

The Big Day

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July 15, a big day for us, the day when everything changed, and we are positive it will be for the better. I feel slightly overwhelmed at being unemployed for the first time in 50 years or so, but also relieved that we can now move down the path to a more fulfilling future.

In all honesty, work, as much as I enjoyed it, was getting in the way of a multitude of projects that are in planning, in progress or are almost completed. More on those in later posts. This is about the “Big Day”.

For us, the CoVid pandemic did a few things. We both worked from home, which allowed us to move about and work on our retirement nest. For this, we are grateful to have understanding and progressive employers. It also allowed us to winter in our spot and test out those waters. We were successful on multiple fronts. Come spring, the decision was made that I would retire on July 15 and moved forward to attain that goal.

Moyie River
Lot 25 With Nothing On It

We purchased our lot in 2017 on the Moyie River in British Columbia, with mountain views on all sides. The intent was to retire here and spend a chunk of each winter in various locations, while basking in their warmth.

On the the 15th of July, I spent the day with all my work friends, doing minimal work of course. We went for lunch with all who could make it, as only 25% of employees were on site due to health restrictions. Prior to lunch, I was presented with my good bye gift, an ample supply of beer, each attached with a note from the person who contributed it. A wonderful gift on so many levels. I’m going to miss these people.

Now that I have more time (apparently, I’ve been retired 6 days and this is the first post I’ve done) I am planning on regular posts. There will definitely be a series of beer reviews added to the mix, to go along with all the regular cadre of photos, reviews and recipes. I am so looking forward to the R&R, and the more casual lifestyle.

British Columbia, Bucket list, Dusty Trails, Hiking Trails, Kootenays

Top 10 Bucket List Items – Number 10

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Number 10 on my personal bucket list is simply, finding waterfalls. The ingredients for this are quite handy at the moment.

  1. Be in a place where there is easy access to waterfalls. Check. We live in British Columbia where there appears to be an endless supply. This leads to…
  2. Having limited ability to travel elsewhere. Check. There’s a pandemic limiting most travel. This leads to…
  3. Spending time away from other people. Check. Hiking into these places invariably means that it is just you and the bears. Which leads to….
  4. Knowing where to go. Check. There are plenty of guide books out there. We are presently using “Mountain Footsteps” by Janice Strong. An excellent source for hiking trails in the Kootenay Range of British Columbia. Which leads to…
  5. Having the equipment to pursue this goal. Check. Our winter adventures loaded us up with good footwear, walking sticks, clothing, backpacks, water bottles and, last, but most important, bear spray and insect repellent (not so needed in the winter).

There’s nothing quite like a hike in the mountains, leading to an inevitably beautiful spot, be it a lake, a river. a waterfall or simply a breathtaking view.

Let us give you some photos of a few of the falls we have visited over the past few years, and we will add many more as we go into the future. Also some related music for you as well, Hank Williams and “Singing Waterfall”.

Fletcher Falls Near Kaslo, BC
Lumberton Falls, BC
Alberta, Canada, Dusty Trails, Moraine Lake

Just A Picture – March 12, 2021

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Moraine Lake, Alberta is the “other” lake. It is accessed off the same road as Lake Louise and is every bit as beautiful, if no more so. It’s biggest redeeming factor is that people drive right by the road to Moraine and continue on to Lake Louise. Their loss.

It is also higher in the mountain range as you can see by the snow line. I find it hard to believe, but I took this shot 10 years ago, time for a return trip.

Canadian Music, Music Trails, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Travel, Travel Trails

Travel Thursday – Saskatoon – From July 2011

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As I struggle to collate and create several years of photo and video files, I once again add a post from the past. This is a note about our old home town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and dates from their annual Jazz Festival, this one in 2011 and features an outstanding Saskatoon player, Jordan Cook.

This week is the week for The Saskatchewan Jazz Festival in Saskatoon.  Not only does it bring in the name acts, it also showcases Saskatchewan talent.  One of these talents is Jordan Cook.  For some reason, the province has been blessed with many talented musicians who continue to impress.  The list is long, but some of these are, Northern Pikes, Colin James, Jack Semple, Deep Dark Woods, Kyle Riabko the list is endless.  There was a show last night in Saskatoon that I would have loved to have been at.  It featured Jordan Cook and The Sheepdogs.   The video attached is Jordan Cook playing live.