(yep…still a week behind).
woke up early
and got ready for
a long hike with
grandpa tom g.
grandma candee and awesome auntie deb
chose not to join us, which
really meant that
they wanted to spend the
day with madeline.
as much as i wanted to take
her on the hike,
i figured it was a
better idea to let her
stay warm while
hanging out with the ladies.
packed up all of our camera
equipment and headed toward
i had heard of this place
but had never been there.
my dad insists that
it’s one of the most
beautiful places he
has ever seen.
he’s a bit prone to hyperbole,
so we’ll have to see
about that claim.
after a short drive,
we walked up the path to
the lake.
this is what my wide-angle lens saw:
and this is what my
zoom lens saw:
my dad was right.
there are not enough superlatives
to describe the beauty.
i’m gonna just let
the photos,
and a few words
attempt to convey
the total awesomeness
of this place.
walked counter-clockwise
around the lake,
stopping every 5 feet
to take another shot.
i tested my balance
and somehow managed
to stay dry.
kept walking, hoping
to have enough stamina
to make it as
far as the trail
would allow.
made it to the end
of the lake,
at which point we
saw the glacial
river that feeds it.
walked through some trees
and past some flowers
until we got to a spot
that allowed us to
reflect on how
far we’d come.
according to grandpa tom g’s
gps, we hadn’t made it
that far.
damn, we’re getting old.
we kept walking,
getting closer
to the cold wind
of the glaciers,
until we came across
a tea house.
stopped for some tea
and lunch,
giving us a lot of time
to rest our tired legs.
wondered how maddy
was doing,
what she was up to
with the ladies.
figured she was asleep.
we continued up the trail,
getting as close to
the glaciers as possible.
made it to the end
and had to do my
best unabomber impersonation
to keep from losing my hat
and glasses.
admired the landscape
until we got too cold
then headed back
on the same
trail that brought us here,
past the flowers
and the trees,
back to where the river
meets the lake.
headed clockwise
until we reached the beginning.
nice to be with another
photography buff,
someone who doesn’t get
annoyed at all the stopping.
that used to drive
liz
nuts.
she always told me to
put down the damn camera
and enjoy the scenery.
of all the beautiful
places we traveled, i
saw most of them
through the
eye piece of my camera.
funny though…
my response to
liz,
quite literally,
on every
trip we ever took was…
“someday our children are going to want to see photos of their mother. how am i going to explain to them that you didn’t want to take the time to pose for a photo in front of the taj mahal?” (or the parthenon, the coliseum, machu picchu, the himalayas, the swine barn at the mn state fair or countless other places around the world i forced her to pose and smile in front of?).
holy shit.
just thinking of that
sentence made me feel like shit.
i obviously had no idea
just how important
these photos would become.
as i looked at the clouds,
the mountains,
the lake,
and thought of how much
liz
would have loved this
place, i realized how
great it was that i
spent so much time
staring through that
eye piece, taking so
many incredible photos of
her
and the places we visited
together.
photos that madeline will
someday love.
really wish maddy could
have seen this place with me.
realized that she will.
tomorrow.
when we return here
to have dinner at the
to celebrate my anniversary.
after hiking 8+ miles,
our legs were barely
able to get us back in
the car for the ride
back to the banff.
called grandma candee
along the way and learned
that the ladies
were in town, doing
some shopping.
tracked them down,
stole my baby back and
took her to get some
tea while the others
got cleaned up for dinner.
we’re heading to the
at the fairmont banff springs hotel.
the g. family tracked us down
and we headed to our destination.
arrived to find a fancy
hotel with lots
of dead animals on the walls.
can’t believe they let
me walk into a place
like this,
but i guess i met
the dress code
(my “denim was in good repair (no rips or tears)” and i took off my hat so i fullfilled the “no sports wear” requirement, well, except for of course my tennis shoes).
shared a drink with madeline
(no i didn’t)
then we got seated.
in a private dining room.
not sure if this
was out of kindness
for us,
or the other patrons
who would have to
contend with what the wait staff
must have guessed would be a
very loud baby.
i’ll take it either way.
this is where
i have to pause to thank
some people.
there’s a group of ladies
who regularly read my blog.
they call themselves the creeps.
before the g. grandparents
left the mn for the banff,
a creep arrived at their
door to present them
with a “creeptificate” and a
shitload of money
to be spent on a fancy dinner
(or two)
for all of us while on our trip.
so, so awesome.
thank you all.
seriously.
enjoyed an awesome meal
while madeline passed out.
we left the hotel
and encountered some
wildlife in the courtyard
talked to a french dude who
cornered the beast.
he asked,
“do you think i can pet him”
i told him that it may
not be the best idea.
i walked away,
hoping he took my advice.
didn’t want to see him
get gored.
caught up with the fam
and we all headed back
to the condo.
madeline remained passed out
and i joined her within
minutes of walking in,
exhausted by my life.
a great day and night
with one 4 foot 11 inch
piece missing.
tomorrow may be awful.
maddy in my arms,
i’ll try my best to
make sure it’s not.
