Anticipated Adventures

Dog Sledding

How often is it that you get to explore the wilderness escorted on a dog pulled sled? We have chosen Snowy Owl Tours because of their high ratings and their commitment to humane and exceptional treatment of their four legged employees. When we arrive we will take an informational class so that we know how to drive the sleds and get a safety rundown. Not only will we get to see some of the most scenic views, we will stop and have a snack with the dogs before making our way back down the mountain. We cannot wait to meet our new furry friends!

Ice Climbing

Why would you not want to try something that you could not try anywhere else? That includes climbing up frozen waterfalls! On Tuesday, some of us will be testing our ability to not fall off ice, fun right?! We chose to go through Yamnuska Mountain Adventures due to their proximity to Banff and their abundant climbing routes for all different skill levels. The adventure will start at 7:30 AM and will involve a quick hike to some prime ice climbing territory. We will get a taste for this extreme sport that many have described as their highlight of visiting Banff National Park. Everyone get excited for a day of crampons, ice picks, and a once in a lifetime experience!

Ice Skating on Lake Louise

Located at the stunning Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is the World’s Best Skating Rink -- according to Huffington Post and CNN, anyways! Surrounded by the massive Victoria Glacier and snow covered Rocky Mountains, frozen Lake Louise is the perfect ice skating setting. Make sure to take a second and look up, if we’re there after the sun sets, you’ll be able to see an awe-inspiring star-filled sky. If the night air is a bit much, there is always a campfire by the Guide’s Cabin. Be sure to check out this video to see some ice skaters in action! https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qtjorh1a6eE

Caving

The Canmore Cave Explorer Tour, which some of us will be taking on Tuesday, consists of a 30-40 minute hike and 2.5 hours underground in Rat’s Nest Cave. We’ll get to see prehistoric bones, ancient cave formations, and possibly the Bushy-tailed Wood Rat (much cuter than they sound!) that the cave is named after. Although there are some squeezes, they are optional! The company will provide all necessary equipment, a backpack, and even a snack and reuseable water bottle for you to keep. The only items you should provide are good footwear, warm clothing, and a camera! For this tour, hiking boots, sturdy running shoes, or winter boots will work perfectly. The caves themselves are about 5 degrees celsius so be sure to layer up. Please do not bring a personal bag as they are not allowed in the cave. It should make for an exciting excursion!  

Snowmobile Excursion

As if dog sledding wasn’t enough adventure for us, we will also be taking an all day snowmobiling excursion with Toby Creek Adventures. Zooming through the Canadian Rockies, we will get a truly once in a experience. With a BBQ lunch and snacks along the way, Toby Creek Adventures will make sure our day is unforgettable.

Snowshoeing

What better way to explore the beautiful Banff, Canada then by snowshoeing! Take a break from those dangerous, silly skinny skis on a steep mountain, and relax by hiking through dreadfully flat but similarly beautiful scenery. Truly enjoy the quiet bliss of snowfall of the outdoors by exploring via snowshoe. The air is fresh and crisp and the snow-blanketed landscape is so beautiful and quiet. Snowshoeing is the perfect winter activity because it’s easy to learn, inexpensive, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages, fitness levels, and experience.

GoPro Tutorials

GoPro's have become quite the tool for everyone these days. Whether it be the amateur photographer, the seasoned filmmaker, or the expert adventurer, GoPro's have become a necessity for getting tough action footage using a rugged camera.

We are fortunate enough to bring a couple of these nifty camera's along with us on our adventure to Banff National Park in order to document the fun we have over the next week. Two in particular are GoPro's newest models: The Hero 5 Black and the Hero 5 Session. However getting to know the technology that goes into these machines can be both daunting and frustrating at times. To help educate the team on the different functions and features of these two camera's, we've included extremely helpful tutorial videos below.

Hero 5 Session

Hero 5 Black

Stay tuned for future updates on the different video equipment we will bring and how we hope to use them to create the best adventure video's possible!

The Culinary Scene in Banff

There's just one week until we leave for Banff, and if there's one thing we can all agree that we're excited for, its the food! Canadian cuisine is all about fondue, poutine, rich meats, and hearty vegetables, (and did I mention cheese?) and as a team, we're excited to try out some of the best restaurants Banff has to offer. Here's a sneak peak into some of the places we'll be dining at next week:

The Chimney Corner Fireside Dining is located in the Sunshine Mountain Lodge, it’s a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch, and dinner which makes a great place to come anytime. The name comes from having an abundance of cozy wood-burning fireplaces plus a sports bar to catch up on the sporting events. They mostly serve typical American cuisine like burgers, sandwiches, chicken wings, but they also have a Swiss-inspired fondue one their menu. The Chimney also offers several gluten free and/or vegetarian dining options. With large bay windows and wood-burning fireplaces, its the perfect location to sit back, relax, enjoy food, fun, and indulge in the mountain scenery.

Known for it's in-house handcrafted brews and cozy comfort food, Park Distillery is a great place to start our culinary experience on one of our first nights in Banff! Described as serving "family-style campfire food", this will be the perfect way to end a long day on the slopes.

While in Banff, we hope to explore a few local brunch options that are unique to the town. So on Sunday morning, we're headed to Melissa's Misteak! Melissa’s is known as being Banff’s best steakhouse and family restaurant, but they also offer wide variety of breakfast items ranging from simple items like fresh fruit and granola to more filling options like pancakes, french toast and eggs Benedict. Melissa’s is locally owned and operated and has been voted “Favorite Banff Restaurant” for seven consecutive years.

Here's some suggestions for when its time to warm up with a big cup of coffee and a pastry- Wild Flour Bakery and Evelyn's Coffee Bar both have many different menu options that will please everyone on the trip. Check these coffee shops out for that extra boost of espresso to get back to the slopes, or a steaming cup of hot chocolate to warm back up. And when in Banff- order coffee with a bear on top. 

For Thursday night's dinner we chose Bear Street Tavern for its relaxed atmosphere and its ridiculously good pizza. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, the Bear Street Tavern is a rustic hangout spot for the locals that offers thin crust pizza and craft beers on tap. The entrees range from pub grub like ribs, nachos, and wings to an assortment if pizzas that vary from hearty to healthy. With the simple cuisine and reasonable prices, the Bear Street Tavern seemed like the best fit for our early dinner on Thursday night.

Now lets get into the serious dinners- our last two nights in Banff will be filled with some of the best cuisine around, at The Maple Leaf Grill and Lounge and The Bison Restaurant and Terrace. Both are top ranked steak houses, with a traditional Canadian twist. Both have spectacular mountain views, and both will leave us needing an extra day on the slopes just to work off dinner. Enjoy some Canadian coastal seafood offerings at Maple Leaf, or a hearty steak at Bison. Whatever your preference, these final dinners are sure to be delicious.