Mark yelped in fear from the passenger seat as I swerved onto the shoulder of interstate 69. There was a narrow gap closing quickly between the edge of the highway and the deer that decided to bolt across 2 lanes of high speed traffic to see what was on the other side. Things seemed to happen in slow motion as it became apparent we were going to make contact unless I took the Jeep into the ditch. With a thud, it was all over, and now the car was making some strange noises. We stopped at the next gas station to inspect the damage. The Jeep wheel well was loose and dragging on the tire, I ripped it off and tossed it in the garbage before doing a once over and seeing if any other critical damage was done.
We were about 3 hours in to a 3 day drive from London, Ontario to Alberta for a highly anticipated weekend at the Calgary Stampede and subsequent week in Banff. Unfortunately, we were now down half a bumper and it looked like the journey might be cut VERY short. The Muskegon ferry across Lake Michigan we had booked was leaving in a few hours and there was no time to dilly dally. “Why don’t we drive to the next exit slowly, and see if it holds together.” was the verdict. So, off we went, and by some miracle, 3,500km and 3 days later, that Jeep was still intact as we pulled into Calgary for the first time. Little did I know this would certainly not be the last.
Our weekend consisted of concerts, rodeos, Bud Light Oranges, and some very slow mornings. Then, it was time to head to Banff.
45 minutes outside of the city, the towering mountains of the Rockies came into view. I still see this in anyone that comes here to visit. But there is no feeling quite like turning the corner on Highway 1 and staring down the bow valley for the first time. Pine forest stretches as far as the eye can see rolling up toward the summits of 1000ft tall rock giants on all sides of you. For many, it is something only seen in pictures until that moment, and the scale is unbelievable.
We spent the week golfing, hiking, and admiring the sights in Banff and Lake Louise. Our base camp for the week was the Fairmont Banff Springs. Pretty unforgettable first impression being that it is arguably the nicest hotel in the country. Now, we were two broke young university students at the time, so how did we possibly swing such luxury without becoming beyond broke. Enter our good friend Aidan, living and working at the hotel in staff accommodation, and so kind as to offer us a spot on the floor for a week. I am forever grateful for that.
When it was time to go home, I had a long hard look in the rearview mirror as we made our way back into the flat prairies. Staring at the mountains shrinking in the distance, it was abundantly clear I would be coming back real soon…
Go West 