Canadian Rockies Winter Wonderland

Photos, photos, photos:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=131427&id=510568119&l=f682d2acdf

Other than a couple of brief snow flurries at Pretty River we'd had a fairly mild time of it weather wise, so it was a bit of a shock to the system when, having arrived at our next stop late at night, we woke up to find ourselves surrounded by huge snow capped mountains and a thick blanket of the white stuff. We'd come to stay with Rich's friend Mac at Lake Louise, the beautiful and tres swanky ski resort in the Canadian Rockies where he currently lives and works, and by the looks of things the season was already underway.

We spent an excellent few days relaxing at Mac's apartment, hanging out with him and his friends (an alarming number of whom already had an assortment of broken wrists, collarbones and shoulders from snowboarding), sipping cocktails at the impressive Chateaux Lake Louise hotel overlooking the frozen lake and glacier and generally taking things very easy. We also visited the nearby town of Banff where I had my first taste of the local delicacy, the Caesar. If you imagine a drink made from tomato and clam juice (called "clamato" if you're keen to track some down), vodka, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, served in a glass rimmed with celery salt and garnished with a gherkin and a sausage, you'd probably think it was the highlight of a particularly vindictive stag party, but apparently people in Canada just drink them for fun.

Fortunately I recovered from my ill-judged sip of a Caesar in time to see some of the amazing winter scenery. We went for a hike through Johnston's Canyon where we saw (and I profusely photographed) frozen waterfalls, snow covered forest and enormous icicles. It was here that I found my new best friend - a contraption called Yak Trax (http://www.yaktrax.com/) which when slipped over the soles of your shoes imbues you with the magical ability to walk on icy surfaces without falling over. Never before has a girl been so happy as I skipped merrily downhill while all around me slid on their hindquarters. The next day we had a go at snow shoeing, which is a lot of fun but much more tiring than you'd think. (I also discovered that it's quite hard to return to a standing position if you crouch down to take a picture, overbalance and slowly keel over onto your side). All in all though, it was an excellent few days. Next stop, Vancouver.