This weekend it got up to 35 degrees in the sun. So what's a better way to spend a day in the heat like going for a hike.
Saturday consisted of hiking up to the Hoodoo's, which are tall eroded stone towers made of sand and stone. When you get to the top you look over the Columbia Valley. You can also test your bravery for heights as you look down through crevassing stone down to the highway below. I went up with newly made friends from Switzerland. They are down for the summer working in the local bakery and like myself, they wanted to get out and explore.
We ventured to the local market and restaurant Hopkins. The retro, barn-chique restaurant, has a wood burning pizza oven right beside an ice cream parlour, (good spatial planning if you ask me). They sell beers brewed locally within the area and within the province. So we treated ourselves to a large pizza and brewskies. But with the sun beating down, the cold beers weren't enough so we bought double scoop ice cream cones which quickly turn into soup if you don't start eating fast enough.
After I dropped the girls off the weather beckoned me to go to the beach. I got on my suit and made my way to Kinsmen Park where locals and tourists flock when the weather is just right. The best part of the beach is the view. Beach bums of all sorts get to look out to the Rockie Mountains that reflect onto the sapphire water. It's also a prime spot to people watch: the beach is packed with young children running around playing in the sand, moms guarding the cooler with snacks, and even some romantic dates with picnic baskets and wine. It's relaxing to just sit under the Poplar trees and watch as everyone putters around enjoying summer.
Day two, I packed up and got my sun-screen-lathered self to Lake Louise. I hiked up to Lake Agnes which lies 400 ft. above the main lake. Perched just off the lake is the tea house where you can grab a drink after a 3.5 km hike up. You get to sit and look at Lake Agnes which lies between two peaks. You can take off your shoes and dip your feet into the frigid cold water and soak in the view.
Or you can keep hiking up to the linking trail to the Little Beehive. I sat tight with my peanut butter lunch and soaked in the sun (more than I would have wanted to, as it is I burned into a tomato). Then a strange occurrence happened, where a fellow inquired if he could trade one of his strawberries for one of my cherries (thank you Hopkins). So naturally, sharing is caring, right? So I offered my cherry then I hear cheering erupt from behind me. And there are a group of this guy's friends celebrating the trade off. So as weird as it was, whether it was a dare, or a weird pick up line, who knows, but it made the afternoon just a bit more interesting.
Then I ventured off a little ways further in order to get a view from the other side of the lake. And through the mountains you can spot the Lake Louise Ski Resort that is normally plastered in snow but is now empty runs of green. As I was taking pictures I made another friend. He was travelling through Western Canada after a week long trip in San Francisco. He was originally from Germany and hasd been travelling for four months. We bonded over topics like student debt, moving to new places and making new friends. So with that we hiked back down together and parted ways at the lake.
After a great day, I drove straight to Lagan's bakery and got one of their decedent brownies paired with a large chocolate milk. I had a two hour drive ahead of me but the snacks were gone within five minutes. So I drove home with the windows down, CBC radio blaring and the mountains ahead of me, I considered it a perfect weekend.
Venture on friends, it keeps you curious!
-Mimi