After a full day of hiking, kicking Caitlins butt in UNO, and a surprisingly restful night of sleep, we woke with minimal pressure on our second day in Banff. We knew there was going to be rain in the morning, and while we are from the rainy state of Washington we didn’t want to spend the day feeling like cereal sitting in milk.

We chose instead to go into the town of Banff (about 40 min drive from Lake Louise campground) to look at the touristy stuff, wait out the rain, and go for a smaller hike in the afternoon.

We drove along the Bow Valley Parkway to get into town instead of driving on the freeway. This took slightly longer, but the views were more dense and the possibility for wildlife sightings were higher. We didn’t see any animals, but we did see Morant’s Curve – a beautiful viewpoint where trains pass through multiple times a day.

We had no plans while in town, other that to wander and possibly find a sweatshirt for Caitlin. Shortly after we arrived we decided it would be nice to find a hot meal. After three days of car snacks, and random foods thrown together it was nice to have a real meal. I’m more hesitant than most to go out to eat, but thankfully we found a farm to table restaurant that had just what we each needed.

I may not like to go out for meals, but traveling with me helps keep your wallet full.

After licking my plate clean I ventured next door for a cup of coffee. When researching the town for good coffee, one website recommended Good Earth Coffeehouse. This was attached to a hotel, which was attached to the restaurant we ate. The interior looked like a Panera Bread or any other comparable big chain cafe with mediocre coffee.

I didn’t have high hopes.

I was in dire need of a good cup after multiple days without, and thankfully my initial judgement did not translate to the coffee. This coffee was delicious (I got the dark roast), and just what I needed to settle my stomach after my breakfast. This java fueled me for a walk along the river, and into the forest to see the Art in Nature pieces.

There were over 65 pieces of art from local artists on all types of mediums.

We wandered the town of Banff for around 3 hours, ending with a walk around the Cascade of Time Gardens. This was an unexpected treat, and the building on the grounds looks straight out of Europe. No sweatshirts were found for Caitlin, but I did get a Banff National Park pin to add to my collection.

The plan after town was to hike to Sherbrooke Lake in the neighboring National Park of YOHO. This was a very mild 6 mile hike with minimal elevation to another beautiful Canadian lake. No pressure, no snacks needed, and I almost didn’t bring my backpack. I decided last minute to bring it because I was too lazy to carry my water, and it was a good thing I did.

First things first, we had to walk through a Jurassic Park like bear gate and if this doesn’t make the hairs on your neck stand I don’t know what would. I was immediately on edge, as I often was when starting any of our hikes in Canada. We started around 1500 which is much later than we’ve ever started a hike. It wasn’t early in the day, but I knew people would still be on the trail and this calmed my nerves a bit.

We eventually saw a guy who was running down the trail and I flat out said to him: “WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!?” He replied: “oh you know, because it just feels like a good idea.” I then told him I was worried he had seen a bear, we shared a laugh, and he continued on his way. Honestly it’s a good thing I have no shame.

As we were heading towards the lake we passed an offshoot that climbed to Paget Lookout. It just so happened we had previously looked into possible hiking Paget Peak, but decided against it after reading there was scrambling involved. I don’t scramble my eggs and I sure as hell don’t scramble my legs up sketchy terrain. Paget Peak was not an option, but the lookout before the peak suddenly was.

We did what we do and told ourselves we would get to Sherbrooke, and decide how we felt about the side quest to the lookout.

Here’s the thing, we were not planning on hiking an extra mile that was nearly vertical, Caitlin had nothing with her other than a heavy water bottle, and it was close to 1700. Evening hours mean bears come out, which means death and regret. At the same time, we both had the “we’re here we should absolutely do this” mindset.

So we did it.

I shoved Caitlin’s bottle in my pack along with one of her layers and we began the ascent at a pace much quicker than either of us would have liked. Unfortunately for both of us my anxiety was high due to the time of day and the lack of other people around. This caused me to push the pedal to the metal and I was booking it. After about 45 mins we both started to get unsure of how close we were, and unsure if we wanted to continue.

The trail was narrow, the turns were winding and all I could think about was coming face to face with my nightmare.

Then, just as I was sure we would turn around I heard the clanking of trekking poles. Two American angels were coming down and I asked them if it was a worthy trek. They assured us we were close, and that the views were superb. This was the second time I stopped to ask a set of strangers if we should continue or not, and both times I was thankful for the push.

Seeing these trail angels quelled my anxiety and we kept going. Turns out we were about 5 minutes from the lookout. Thank you fellow Americans, you gave me confidence that the bears would get to you before us. I’m kidding, you just let me know I wasn’t alone out there. (I knew they were Americans because they both had REI jackets on, my suspicions were confirmed upon seeing their UTAH license plate when we finished.)

The hike up to this lookout climbs around 1100 ft in 1.3 miles. After two full days of hiking before this we were tired, but the push was worth it. This was the second time we planned for one thing and decided to “send it” adding on another side quest to the journey. I couldn’t be more thankful for Caitlin’s willingness to change things up last minute.

Also, shoutout to our breakfast keeping us full. We brought zero snacks on this 6.7 mile hike, and we didn’t need any. Don’t follow our lead.

As I mentioned earlier, I noticed the Utah plates on the car of the couple we saw coming down. They were sitting in the parking lot when we finished and they were the last car there. I decided to go up to them and tell them the through process I had, and how I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep going. I told them they had given us the confidence to keep climbing and it was so worth it.

They were a lovely couple who looked to be in their 60’s, and we shared a laugh. I will always remember this interaction. Another wonderful day in Canada. I boiled some potatoes for dinner to pair with a can of sardines and Kalamata olives before climbing into the tent for another night of listening to the trains carrying cargo. By this point the train sounds no longer bothered me.

Our last full day in Banff was spent at the most popular trail of the trip. More on that next.

Bear sightings: 0

Next Up: Lake Louise loop.

Q: Tell me I’m not alone with my incessant fear of the bears? It just never quit…