Holy Moly I think I’ve been to Heaven.

I finally arrived in Calgary after spending the last five days in Jasper and Banff National Parks in Canada. All I can really say is “WOW”. Absolutely one of the most beautiful, amazing, and exceptionally gigantic places I think I’ve ever been. It’s funny ever since I left San Francisco each stop just keeps getting better than the last. After leaving Banff I don’t know how the rest of my trip is going to hold up. Even though I met several people while in the park who assure me that the best is yet to come.

The last five days I’ve hiked an average of 7 miles a day, to the peaks of near by mountains, over the Athabasca Glacier, through the path of past Glaciers, and to tiny tea houses built in the mountains at the turn of the century. The whole time being surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve been in, breathe taking.

While I didn’t see any bears, thankfully. I did receive a warning of bears in the area when I checked into whistlers campground, nice. Unlike Lake Louise where I camped the next night whistlers does not have an electric fence surrounding the campground to keep out the bears. Even with the warning I think I slept the best at whistlers campground. One warning for anyone who might be planning on camping in the Banff National Park, there are trains that seem to run by all the campgrounds and to top it off they only pass by at night, whistles blowing all night. Oh yeah and Lake Louise has the best bathrooms.

Well it was an amazing visit and I met some really great people. I really started to realize how adventurous people are. I met a man from South Africa who is riding his bike around the world. I also meet a father and daughter from Pittsburg who leaves the rest of the family at home and goes on multi day backpacking trips. Hamish our guide on the Ice Walk was from New Zealand, and was in Jasper for the season working on the glacier. He did the same thing on Glacier in New Zealand and when the season ends is traveling to India for six months. He said he would figure out what to do once he gets there. Everyone I met really has chosen to work to live rather than live to work.

There are so many pictures so I broke them up into multiple albums, plus it will take time to post them all.

-stephen