Category: Canada
Rocky Mountain House, AB; What to do in the winter.
March 7, 2020
I have written about events in many towns and cities around the world, but have not written about my home town of Rocky Mountain House, a town of about 7000 people in west-central Alberta, Canada. There is so much to do in the winter. I made a point to attend as many special events in and around the community held between November and February and had a great time!
November
The first part of November was surprisingly snow-free, but that didn’t last. Snow fell for several days and has remained piled up in the yard still now at the end of February. It makes for beautiful pictures and kids (and adults) in Canada know how to make the best of it. You will see lots of evidence of that.
Evergreen Coop Gala
The local grocery store holds an entertaining gala every year in November. Food and drink are available for sampling with an emphasis on how to entertain at home. Some local craft breweries and meaderies also shared samples. The deli manager was so excited to share all he had learned at a recent cheese course about setting up a delicious charcuterie board display.
The grocery store staff dress up for the occasion and they hold the event in the home center part of the store where all the Christmas decorations are on display. The $5 ticket draws in people from throughout the community.
Parade of Lights
The Parade of Lights kicks off the Festival of Trees, which concludes with Santa’s Workshop. The Rocky Kinsmen Club looks after organizing all the events.
The Parade of Lights is a unique parade that makes Rocky Mountain House special. While we also hold a Rodeo Parade in June, this parade occurs at night, near the end of November and occurs no matter what the temperature.
Families begin to park their vehicles along Main Street early in the afternoon. This year, one family set up their propane fire ring in the midst of their lawn chairs on the street. The back of their truck contained a generator to keep their inflatable upright and the lights sparkling. Memorial Presbyterian Church offers free hot chocolate and coffee to those who pass, as well as hosting Advent activities to anyone interested. As they also offer the use of public washrooms, it is a popular spot.
Hot chocolate station Advent activities Parade watching in comfort
The parade itself is about 40 minutes long and consists of vehicles and floats covered in Christmas lights and decorations. The Rocky Cinema handed out bags of popcorn and most businesses shared candy with the kids along the route.
The parade passes by two of the senior homes and has been held up a couple of times by ambulances needing access to these centres. The local Facebook page informs everyone along the route of any delays.
Rodeo theme Quinn Contracting Santa at the end
Festival of Trees
The Lou Soppit Community Centre becomes the hub for this festival. Businesses and individuals donate decorated trees and wreaths, sponsor Father/Daughter dinners, Seniors lunches, Mom/Son Brunch and Skate, teen dances and business mixers. Local choirs entertain at several of these gatherings. The final day is Santa’s Workshop where children can have their pictures taken with Santa, make Christmas crafts and even buy a gift for their parents. An auction of the trees and wreaths benefits community projects.
Wreaths 
Trees for sale Crafts opportunity Local business support
December
Nativity Display
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hosts an annual Nativity Display of the community’s donated Nativity scenes. The church transforms its gym with cloth draped tables and twinkling lights surrounded by Nativity collections from around the world.
The variety is incredible with ceramic sets, wooden ones and even life-size characters made from cloth and paint. Hot drinks and Christmas music add to the festive atmosphere. It feels like walking through a Christmas art gallery. This is another free event to attend.
Handmade with cloth and paint Magical
Fur Trade Christmas
Rocky Mountain House was an active fur trading post from 1799 to 1876, which explains the “house” part of the name. In celebration of this history, a National Historic Site was created at the location of the original trading post and the park opened in 1979. (PDF link)
While Parks Canada manages the park during the summer, the Confluence Heritage Society organizes Fur Trade Christmas each December. This group of volunteers teach Metis finger weaving, and bird feeders with ice cream cones, peanut butter and seed. They create music, as well as feed visitors stew and bannock. Alberta Parks made snowshoes available for those who wanted to imagine being a fur trader from the past.
Bird seed stuck in peanut butter Metis finger weaving A kid and a hill… Live music Snowshoe opportunity
Several sleighs and horses with the requisite jingle bells were available for rides through the fields. Tobogganing hills were fun for kids of all ages. There were even some white camels in attendance, cared for by keepers in Hudson Bay blanket coats. Families bundled up for the cold and spent the afternoon along the North Saskatchewan River imagining what life would have been like around Christmas time in 1799.
Sleigh rides White camels
Other Christmas Events
Rocky Mountain House has another unique event at Christmas time. Santa flies over the town at 7 pm on Christmas Eve with lights blazing behind the sleigh. Evening church services are delayed so that children can see this spectacular hint of what is to come. Unfortunately, there were too many clouds this year for Santa (Ken Fowler in his stunt plane from the Rocky Airport) to be seen (or fly without visibility).
Christmas Markets occur almost every weekend in November and December at the Farmer’s Market and throughout the county in Community Halls. There are many talented craftspeople who create items during the year to sell during the Christmas Season.
Riverside Campground hosted a Riverview’s Country Christmas in November and December. Families could take sleigh rides, enjoy the thousands of lights and participate in several Christmas activities.
January and February
Winterfest
January is a quiet month. Musicians perform at local restaurants or in people’s homes. Boardgame nights happen in bars on Saturday nights. Cross country ski trails are groomed and snowshoe hikes on the lake are popular. Methane bubbles on Abraham Lake are visible once the lake freezes completely so tours are popular during January and February. Temperatures can get down to -40C so many people stay home and hibernate.
Family Day is an Alberta holiday on the third Monday in February. Alberta Parks and Pioneer Ranch Camp organize a Winterfest at Crimson Lake Provincial Park, a few km outside of town.
The Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Bear Dip is a highlight. Volunteers remove the surface ice and provide tents and emergency support. This year, twelve brave fundraising individuals jumped in. Local charities received $10 000. Fortunately, the temperature was a balmy -5C.
Alberta Parks made snowshoes available for visitors and a parking lot had been turned into a real skating rink. People tried out curling with painted r rings and stump “rocks”. Pioneer Ranch Camp hosted a sleigh ride and market. Hot dogs purchased hot dogs to munch around the fire. Many families spent their Saturday playing in the snow and ice.
Ice returned to the “dip” hole Hot dogs and a fire Stump curling Snowshoe on the lake Kids and a hill…
Oras Cutter Rally
The final winter event I attended was a Cutter Rally in the Oras Community, about ten minutes from Rocky Mountain House. A cutter is a light sleigh, although it is also a kind of ship. The way they move through snow or water is very similar, I imagine. A local farmer hosts this event in his fields and clears a large parking area for many horse trailers.
The afternoon began with Skijoring, which is a Norwegian sport that involves horses pulling skiers through a set track that included pylon gates and jumps. Children as young as 6 participated in this exciting event. There were 3 horses that did the pulling and about 12 children that raced in different age categories.
Curves Jumps included Straightaways
After the Skijoring races, everyone piled onto the 15 sleighs or onto horseback and headed out. A few children rode on their sleds behind a sleigh on a trail that passed through the trees and fields.
Sleigh drivers Beautiful teams All kinds of sleighs
Over 100 participants who braved the snowy, windy day gathered around the fires to warm up. Horses rested while their passengers roasted hot dogs. People visited with each other and with the horses. These rallies occur throughout Alberta in the winter and people travel long distances to attend.
Lunch by the fire
Other Winter Activities
People that I talk with who live in warmer places in the world find it hard to imagine how we survive in the winter cold. I tell them that winter is long and happens every year so we buy warm clothes, layer and make the best of it. The pictures below represent some of the ways we enjoy winter, both outdoors and in.
Impromptu driving range Indoor golf Night photography Managing snow Skating outside Skating inside Cross country skiing Dressing for the weather Snow soccer Playground Snowshoeing Toganning hill Live music Tea and a movie
I am blessed to live in a community that is beautiful but also enriched with so many activities in the winter and summer. There is no reason to complain about having nothing to do in Rocky Mountain House, AB. I’ll finish with a list of the scheduled events for the year and you will see how true this statement is.
Abraham Lake-Frozen bubbles “update 2021”
January 29, 2019
Abraham Lake is well known for its frozen bubbles. Here is a guide to visit the area to see them for yourself.
Abraham Lake-Location
Abraham Lake is a reservoir in Alberta, along Highway 11 between Rocky Mountain House and Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Fortunately for me, it is only about 1.5 hours from home. There are some accommodations available in the Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House area if you want to make it a weekend getaway.
There are no outhouses at the lake itself. Get some gas or snacks in Nordegg and use the washrooms there. There are outhouses open in the winter, however, at Siffleur Falls parking lot which is located just a little past Preacher’s Point at the south end of the lake. Allstones Lake staging area and Coral Creek staging areas also have outhouses. Take your own paper and sanitizer, just in case. New facilities are planned for the lake area in the spring of 2021.
The North Saskatchewan River was dammed in 1974 to generate electricity, prevent flooding and hold spring run off from the glaciers. In the summer it is a spectacular teal colour due to the glacial “flour” that reflects the light. Organic material decomposes on the bottom and the methane gas that is a by product of this process rises. In the winter, layers of bubbles from the methane are caught in the ice.
Summer view Abraham Lake 
Abraham Lake in September
This lake is located in such a way that the wind blows between the mountains almost constantly. It clears the ice in the winter and polishes it smooth. The location is also notable for its lack of snowfall in the winter. The moisture primarily falls around the perimeter of the Kootenay Plains Montane ecosystem. The lack of snow, wind-scoured ice and methane bubbles make this area a great day trip in the winter!
Travel warnings
If you do not have experience with ice and snow, then book a trip with an expert. Pursuit Adventures is a company in Nordegg that offers a guide, transportation, lunch and all necessary equipment to make your visit to this area safe and enjoyable. I am not affiliated with this company but have heard good reviews from people who have booked with them.
This can be a dangerous area. There is limited cel service. The nearest hospital is 150 km away and the closest tow truck/gas station is about 50 km. Weather conditions can change very quickly. The wind can howl and cameras and tripods can blow across the lake. A dam controls the water level which can rise and fall below the ice, especially near the shore. There are places where springs and streams run into the lake and disrupt the formation of ice.
Trip essentials
Take ice cleats. These are essential for walking on the lake, but also for walking along the shore. Sheets of ice form as the water level changes. A hiking pole for extra balance may be helpful.
Dress in more layers than you think you will need. The wind blows here, even when it is calm everywhere else. I find that rain pants and a Goretex jacket over my winter coat and fleece pants work well. The rain layer really blocks the wind. Be sure your hat fits snugly so it won’t blow off. As a photographer, I choose mittens where the top flips back to reveal glove fingers so I can manipulate my camera and tripod, then quickly cover up again. Hand warmer packets are always a good idea in the winter.
Water and snacks are always important. On the day that we went, the afternoon temperature was about -2C and we had a wonderful picnic along the river, below the dam. There was no wind, or snow that day.
Perfect picnic spot. River below the Bighorn Dam on Lake Abraham
Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back. Be aware of where others are on the lake in case you need some help. Don’t count on your phone, although service is improving in the area. Keep a couple of emergency blankets in your vehicle or camera bag, just in case.
Where to find frozen bubbles in Abraham Lake
When driving from the east, go past the viewpoint pull off and continue along the lake. Continue around the curve known as “Windy Point”. There is a new gravel area for parking just south of Windy Point on the lakeside of the highway. Resist the urge to drive down to the lake. Many drivers get stuck each year or are unable to get back up the hill.
I like to view the bubbles near the new parking area. Others like to view near Cline Landing. Preacher’s Point, at the far end of the lake, has easier access and is a popular spot for viewing although it is less windy so more snow stays on the ice. There can also be open water there due to the river entering the lake at this location.
My most recent visit was north of the new parking area, towards Windy point. Walk along the shore looking for the smoothest access to the lake. There was a point of land that had more snow than ice and was easier to access the lake than climbing over the sheets of ice along the shore. It takes time to trust the ice cleats, especially when walking on a downward slope.
When to visit
The best time to see the bubbles is generally January and February when the ice is frozen solid, clear and without snow cover. This year, people started sharing pictures in late December. My most recent visit was on January 18. It was -1, sunny and without a breath of wind.
This is not an exact science, so the best place to see these marvels of nature can change from day to day. There were many bubble layers visible right along the edge on this visit. Other years we have travelled farther out onto the ice. The lake froze this year during a snowstorm so has more cloudy areas.
Will you see frozen bubbles at Abraham Lake?
The bubbles rise and freeze into the ice in layers. Some are very large and others are tiny. They are so interesting, especially with the dark teal water. If you’re lucky, you can see the gas rising and forming into bubbles.
The ice layer has cracks and was over 30 cm thick when we visited . The sound of water moving under the ice, though, is eerie with a big “whoomp”. There were also pops and snaps that made me worry a little.
Ice bubbles just below the surface. Bubbles in the ice
There are big views of the lake with the mountains in the background. The ice often reflects the mountains . Sunrise and sunset are especially nice when the weather cooperates.
Sunrise at Abraham Lake 
Sunset at Abraham Lake
In the winter, the days are short so you can arrive early for sunrise, take a few bubble pictures, then take a hike at Siffleur Falls. Pursuit Adventures also do guided hikes into this area. Have a hot lunch at the Nordegg Lodge then come back for a few more bubbles and sunset pictures before calling it a day. The full moon rising and reflected in the ice can be impressive too.
Photography Tips for shooting frozen bubbles in Abraham Lake
The aperture setting is best for close-ups of the bubbles themselves. It is a bit of a challenge for the camera to get the focus accurate when viewing through the ice so be patient and keep trying. There was a sprinkling of dust on the ice that I wiped away for close-ups. The sun was shining on the ice which makes it easier for the camera to focus on bubbles below the surface. A tripod is essential.
I used my tripod on its lowest level and kneeled down to view the shot. An extra pair of gloves under my knees kept them warm. Staying low helped me keep a better hold of my equipment so the wind wouldn’t take it away. Setting the camera right on the surface of the ice creates some interesting photos. I also used a polarizing filter, when appropriate, to maximize the colours and reduce reflection on the surface.
A few photos with people or the mountain background in them helps to give a good sense of perspective and context to the location. I have seen some images with people laying on the ice or views of other photographers taking pictures. Some like to take pictures of the sheets of ice pushed up against the shore. These can be used to frame the mountains or sections of the lake. Others use lights to highlight the bubbles at night.
Keep a hand on the tripod. What a view!
View back towards Windy Point
If you are able to visit on a weekday with blue skies and little wind, you will feel like you’ve won the lottery. This area is very busy on the weekends with out of town visitors and even a few tour buses coming to see this natural phenomena. The lake is big, though and it is well worth a visit.
Banff National Park…travel in our own backyard
July 7, 2017
Travel Close to Home
After writing about our travels in Southeast Asia and my trip to North Carolina, it excited me to share some stories and photos from a recent visit to the Canadian Rockies. This is probably old news for the locals who read my blog, but I hope it may entice some of our “away” friends to come for a visit.
This exquisite area is about 2 hours away from our home. We know how lucky we are when we can drive to the mountains for the day, and hear comments like, “ I’ve waited my whole life to come here”, and “This is just so beautiful, I have to just sit here. I can’t even take a picture yet.”
Camping Plans
We are currently tent campers, but we are ridiculously good at camping, as our daughter points out. Although she turned 30 this year, she still enjoys a road trip with her parents, and in fact, booked this trip for the 3 of us in April of this year. It was necessary to book almost 3 months ahead as it is Canada’s 150th birthday on July 1 and the federal government decided to make all the national park entrances free for the entire year. We also wanted to stay in the village of Lake Louise in Banff National Park.
It has a camping area specifically for tents and soft sided trailers that is contained by an electric fence. This is due to a bear attack in the past. It didn’t help us sleep through the trains, but it did give us wild animal peace of mind. The permit for firewood was extra, as was the fee for booking on-line. The hot showers were free. There were fresh water spigots, covered cook shelters in case of rain, a sink area with hot water for washing dishes (our favorite luxury) and daily programs offered by the park on topics ranging from the value of bats in the park to demonstrations on how to camp. The views were also free.
Love a campfire
Road trip to the Rockies
The drive along the David Thompson Highway, (a fur trader and mapmaker extraordinaire) takes us west from Rocky Mountain House towards the Rockies. We travel past campgrounds and through the forests of the foothills bombarded with wonderful views as the mountains begin to appear in more detail around every turn.
The only town halfway along the 2 hour drive to the park is the old mining town of Nordegg. It was a booming community 100 years ago, but now provides tours of the old mine area, a small golf course, a gas station, hotel and delicious pie at the Miner’s Cafe. Gas, snacks, camping and music festivals are also available at David Thompson Resort on the banks of Abraham Lake about 30 minutes further west.
Abraham Lake
Abraham Lake is actually a reservoir built to control flooding of the North Saskatchewan River. It also generates some electricity as it passes through small turbines, and methane gas bubbles in the ice during the winter as plant matter decays below the surface. It’s most noticeable characteristic, however, is its spectacular teal blue color. Mountain lakes that form from melted glaciers contain “glacial flour” which is rock ground up to powder by the force of moving ice. This powder, or silt, reflects and scatters the colors of light to send an almost indescribable color to the eye. Unless you have seen it yourself, in photographs it looks fake. It is especially impressive in the fall when the golden leaves contrast with the blue water.
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- Abraham Lake in the fall
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- Cline River flowing into the lake
Lake Louise
In order to manage all the visitors to Lake Louise itself, Parks Canada has a free shuttle bus from an overflow parking area a few km east of town. School buses leave every 15 minutes and drop passengers at the visitor center in the village of Lake Louise as well as at the lake itself. It sure beats driving around the parking lot hoping someone will leave.
I love going to this lake. I’ve X-Country skied and snowshoed on it in the winter, walked along it in the spring when the snow is still a meter deep, and hiked above it in the summer. The visitors who come are reverent as they stand in awe at the mountains and glaciers surrounding the lake. The majority of people have travelled great distances to come to this “bucket list” place.
The Fairmont Lake Louise stands at one end and a company nearby rents red canoes to tourists to paddle quietly through the water. In the winter, there is a skating rink cleared near the hotel with an ice castle sculpture. An ice bar with ice tables and stools is also outside. Horse-drawn sleighs take people along the lake trail where they can see ice climbers ascending the waterfall at the end. There is also a world class ski hill behind the hotel, overlooking the lake.
Tea House Hike
There are 2 tea houses on the mountain above the lake that were built as lodges in 1905 and 1924. My daughter and I have been to the Lake Agnus Teahouse a couple of times already so this time we chose to hike to the Plain of the Six Glaciers. It is 10.6 km return and 365 m elevation change. The trail starts at the hotel and the first couple of km are a paved path. It climbs up through the forest with lots of views of the lake along the way. This was a high snow winter and there were several avalanche path still in place along the way. We had hiking boots, hiking poles and snow experience so we had no concerns. Those people walking in runners had more trouble. I heard one man comment as he turned back, “I wish I had my soccer shoes.” The hike was in fact not recommended by the visitor center because of the snow.
The teahouse is a beautiful log building. The staff hike in and stay for a week. Supplies are carried up on horseback or helicopter. They serve tea, of course, and fresh baking. Soup and chili were also available. We joined a family from Pennsylvania at a picnic table and savored Banff Tea Company tea and cinnamon scones, along with good conversation. It seems so decadent to enjoy such treats in a remote place.
Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House
Moraine Lake
After a quiet night in our campsite, we headed out at 7:30 am to Moraine Lake. It is another iconic view place that used to be the main picture on the Canadian $20 bill for many years. The area is also known as the Valley of the 10 Peaks because you can see 10 peaks along the side of the lake from the Rockpile viewpoint.
Moraine Lake is glacial blue and is named after the crushed rock that gets pushed to the side by a moving glacier. This rock remains in place after the glacier recedes. We hiked above this lake last summer so we just wanted to take some pictures. The water was ruffled by wind so there were no reflections but the changing skies and snow-capped peaks made it a spectacular place. Listening to the visitors who were there for the first time also made it special. There were lots of selfies being taken, but many offers were made to take group photos for others as a wonderful memory.
Banff
The forecast was for showers and I was a bit creaky after our hike so we decided to spend the day around Banff, which is about 55 km away. Our plan was to check out some places that we had driven past and never stopped. We travelled down the Bow Valley Parkway, which is the original road between Banff and Lake Louise. It is quiet and scenic, although we didn’t see any wildlife.
Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake
Our first destination was the Lake Minnewanka loop. It is near Banff townsite. The entrance to the day use and boating area looked busy, so we continued to Two Jack Lake and stopped when we saw the National Parks red chairs. Parks staff have set out a double set of red Muskoka chairs at various parks throughout Canada. You can take a photo and share it with #redchairs as a way to promote places in the parks. I had never been to an area where they were located before so this was exciting for me. It was a lovely by the lake so we stayed for a picnic after the obligatory photographs. As it was just a few days before Canada’s 150th Birthday, it was extra special to share our red chair photos.
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- Canada 150
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
While the railway was being built across Canada, a couple of workers stumbled upon a hot springs, which was later named Cave and Basin. The Canadian Government saw the economic advantages of bringing tourists to this area and in 1887 Banff National Park was created in first national park in Canada.
Cave and Basin is now a National Historic Site. It has been recently renovated and is open to visitors. We saw the original cave as well as an outdoor pool. Swimming is no longer allowed at this location, but it is at the Upper Hot Springs pool. The courtyard at the historic site had replicas of railway worker tents set up, along with staff portraying the workers from the 1880’s.
No visit to Banff is complete without a drive down Banff Ave. and a little people watching. We wandered through the local farmer’s market then stopped for a cold drink next to the pub window. We saw people from all parts of the world strolling past, admiring the views and the atmosphere of this old mountain town.
Mt. Norquay
As we returned to our campground we spotted a couple more red chairs on the hill. They were next to the road that leads up to Mt. Norquay ski hill. I didn’t remember being there either so we drove up to take a look. There were 2 chairs on a hillside with a fantastic view of the entire town of Banff, including the Banff Springs Hotel and Vermillion Lake. There was even a herd of Bighorn Sheep wandering past. We were so lucky to find 2 chair locations in one day.
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- Bighorn Sheep
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- Red Chairs over Banff
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- Banff Townsite
Emerald Lake
For our last day, we decided that many of the day hikes would still have too much snow on the trails so we headed further west instead. Emerald Lake is about 40 km from Lake Louise in Yoho National Park. It is a small lake, but emerald perfectly describes the colour of the water. There is a lodge at one end that is comprised of cabins and a regular hotel.
There is a 5 km path around the lake. The first half was quite smooth and level and had fantastic lake views. The second half of the trail was more up and down but surrounded by temperate wetland plants like Devil’s Club and lady slippers.
On the drive back to the highway, we stopped at a natural bridge. The Kicking Horse River has worn through the rock so instead of being a waterfall coming over the top of the rock, it now comes underneath the rock, forming a bridge.
Natural Bridge, Kicking Horse River
Bow Lake
Our final stop on this quick road trip was at Bow Lake on the Icefields Parkway. It is located at Bow Summit which is the high point between our access to the park from Highway 11 and Lake Louise. The Lake is fed by glacial water and is the start of the Bow River that flows through Calgary. There is an old Swiss Mountaineer Lodge there that has accomodations and a wonderful restaurant called Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. We had another picnic overlooking the lake and a fresh coffee from the trading post. It was interesting to watch all the visitors see for the first time an area that we are very familiar with.
If this doesn’t excite you about visiting Banff National Park, then I have not done my job well enough. Please comment any questions you have, or share your favourite place to hike or gawk in the mountains.
