This weekend, for no reason in particular, it was off to Banff! As the snow flew during the week I eagerly watched the weather forecast and it looked like things may clear up and pave the way for a beautiful weekend. Luck was on our side as we drove toward the sunny mountains on Friday afternoon.
I woke up on Saturday morning to this amazing view from the top of Tunnel Mountain:
It was a bit chilly out, but the sun felt great. Time to run! The joy of staying on Tunnel Mountain is that you get to start running downhill, but there will be a big uphill waiting for you on the way back. Oh well, we’ll deal with that later. I ran down Tunnel Mountain to the Bow River. I crossed over to the other side of the river and made my way down to Bow Falls.
Bow Falls is a popular spot for the tourist busses to go, but this early in the morning it was so quiet and peaceful. I took a moment to stop and appreciate the views, then move on. I ran up a narrow road between the Banff Springs Golf Course and the Banff Springs Fairmont Hotel. Out on one of the fairways were elk grazing. I kicked myself for not having my camera with me so I just stopped and watched them for a bit. Luckily when I was back later in the day there were a few elk out in the same spot.
From there it was back towards town. I had forgotten to pack a brush so I ran up Banff Avenue towards Safeway to pick on up. Then it was time to run back to the hotel – the Hidden Ridge Resort. I’m not sure what people thought of me as they drove past – running and carrying a brush, but at least I was able to combine running with an errand! Running up Tunnel Mountain was a bit tough, but definitely rewarding. Long run of just over an hour, complete.
The afternoon was spent walking in and around Banff, just exploring a lot of different pathways and seeing the sights. It was a beautiful day out…and of course you know I wore the Garmin to track how much walking we did. Over 6 miles! Here are a few more pictures from the explorations around Banff…
Prairie dog.
A young buck.
A bear, guarding the fudge…
Incoming storm!
Outside the Fairmont, the statue of Sir William Cornelius Van Horne. "Since we can’t import the scenery, we shall have to import the tourists."
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
What a great trip – lucky you!
What a fun trip and a gorgeous place to run!
Wow looks beautiful! Glad you had good weather!
Beautiful! I so want to go there!!
Beautiful photos!!!
Looks pretty. I just went to the Banff Film Fest in Eugene, OR and it was awesome. Made me want to visit the pretty town where the festival started.
You’re so lucky to live close enough to just head off to Banff for the weekend. Beautiful!
Wow – awesome pictures!! I sure do have to visit you sometime… 😉
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Wow! Beautiful photos! Sounds like it’s been a great trip!
I want more details about the cheese fondue…seriously, I have always wanted to go to that restaurant and eat that fondue!!
Nice trip and gorgeous photos — Banff is so awesome. You can tell how relaxed you are from the vibe of your post. 🙂 :):)
I could find worse places to workout. That’s very pretty 🙂
Ahh, nice pics! We’re off to Banff next month (and Jasper & Edmonton). I can’t wait. It’s been 15 years.
Looks awesome! It’s on my list of places I someday want to go and check out, incredible scenery!
That is absolutely gorgeous! My hubby and I would be in heaven. I’m glad you had a chance to recharge! Now, back to training! 😉
I really need to go out west, it looks so amazing!
Gorgeous photos! You’re so lucky to have gone for a run there! I sometimes run with books or DVD’s to return to the library and think people must think I am strange. A brush is definitely odder!