Well the weather has been glorious the past few mornings in Banff National Park and this can easily be noted by the number of people I see walking or running along the pathways, trails and road ways around the townsite of Banff first thing in the morning.

Before 9am the streets in Banff are quiet, you see a few cyclists, runners, dog walkers and locals making their way to work and you also see the popularity of the local coffee and breakfast spots. Banff really is that quaint little mountain town and even more so between 7 and 9 am.

If you are looking for a little moment of solitude before your day of sightseeing or Banff activities, grab a coffee and walk 5 mins off Banff Ave to the Bow River.  Start at the Banff Canoe Docks and walk the trail towards the bridge and either join up at Banff Ave or continue down the river and eventually to Surprise Corner, which provides a lookout across Bow Falls to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

If you like watching wildlife, take a canoe out first thing at 9am and canoe out onto Vermillion Lakes.  Many waterfowl and small song birds breed in the marsh and surrounding forest. Mallards, Green-winged Teal, and Barrow’s Goldeneyes are the most common ducks. Mallards, Green-winged Teal, and Barrow’s Goldeneyes are the most common ducks. Listen for Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Wilson’s Warblers, Song Sparrows and Savannah Sparrows that all contribute to the morning dawn chorus.

With the sun shining over the summit of Rundle Mountain and highlighting the peaks of Cascade Mountain, whether you are a local or a visitor it’s a wonderful start to a day in the Canadian Rockies.

Bike Rentals in Banff

Blue Canoe in Banff has a collection of cruiser bikes for rental, and the collection of colours and styles that you can choose from can make any adult smile. They all have personalized license plates named after musicians. Amongst them their is a red bike named after Dylan and pink one named after Floyd. $10 bucks an hour for Banff bike rental is a pretty sweet deal.

Riding a bike for the simplicity of riding a bike is a gem of thing to do. I think the best way is by riding a ‘cruiser!’ The bigger the handle bars the bigger the seat, the bigger the wheels and the brighter the colour the better.

You have a lot of options for easy Banff bike trails. In less than an hour you can make your way out towards the Vermillion Lakes in Banff to check out the great views of

Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. If you have more time you could also make your way to visit the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the Bow Falls or you could also pack a lunch and make your way out on the paved trail towards the Sundance Canyon, or the new Legacy Trail to the Cascade Ponds picnic area. Then again you could always just bike around Banff in circlesand bring out your inner child.

When was the last time you went for a bike ride purely for the enjoyment of riding a bike?

Parker, Alan and Chuck

Many of you who familiar with Discover Banff Tours will have met Chuck the Beaver.  Since joining the team Chuck has been met many visitors on our Banff Evening Wildlife Safari, Discover Banff Tour and even visited the Icefields Center on the Glacier Trail! Here he is with Parker the Parks Canada mascot and myself celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Parks Canada!

Chuck has most recently been involved with our summer Banff Voyageur Tour – a guided 12 pax canoe tour that operates on the Bow River, just 5 mins walk from Banff Ave.

For me, Chuck is a really important part of the Fur Trade story in Canada and helps people to understand what its all about.

The tour is held in a 29′ Montreal Canoe that can take up to 12 guests. We make our way up the majestical Bow Valley on the Bow River.  On the journey we discuss the beaver as an icon in Canada and think of different places we might find images of the beaver, can you think of any?

It was the desire for beaver felted hats in Europe that drove the almighty fur trade further into the Northwest and resulted in the settlement of many of todays modern cities. Having Chuck along on the tour really helps out, plus he is soft and cuddly making him very popular.

Of course one of the questions you can expect to hear on every tour (other than how deep is the river?!) is Will we see any beaver today? (apart from Chuck). The great news is that yes, you might well see a beaver today! The team at Banff Blue Canoe are always getting feedback from guests as to what they see on the water, we can tell you that there has been plentiful beaver sightings, especially in the evenings for the Twilight Paddle. So much so that a couple of our local Season Pass holders named him Barry (Closely followed in popularity by Justin.. Justin Beaver! get it?).

I present to you Barry the Beaver;

Barry the beaver bites buffaloberry in Banff

Barry the beaver in Banff

Here he is making short work of some Canadian Buffalo Berry. Below he is dragging more shrubbery back to his new lodge.

Come down to the docks some time and we’ll give you the latest local wildlife sightings! Maybe you to will get to meet Barry or Eddie (the Bald Eagle) or another one of the local characters.

Bye for now..

Alan

Spending time at the canoe and kayak docks in Banff you really do see all sorts of paddlers getting ready to conquer the Bow River in a Blue Canoe. From Seniors who are clearly skilled with the wonders of the J stroke to honeymoon couples testing their camaraderie skills, to the every energetic local tourism workers who can’t seem to get enough of getting away from the town of Banff for the twilight canoeing special, one of the best activities in Banff.

You will hear voices, accents and languages of all sorts, canoeing in Banff.  Visitors to the National Park from around the globe, all seem to connect with the relaxation hues and colours of the glacier fed waters.

Blue Canoe in it’s own way really brings visitors of Banff together.  I wonder whom I will meet next?  What a Banff adventure!

Did you know that many of the canoes that fur traders used were capable of carrying a crew of up to 12 people and a cargo weighing around 2400 kilograms? This certainly was not a light paddle down the river.  Many of the Voyageurs would canoe up to 10 hours a day and their work season lasted from ice out to ice in. I am sure many of these young men cursed the wilds of Canada as they paddled on and towards the conquering Rocky Mountains. I am sure they also appreciated the raw beauty.

David Thompson, one of Canada’s most recognized fur traders first saw the Canadian Rockies while canoeing up the Bow River in 1787. He wrote “they came in sight like shining white clouds on the horizon. As we proceeded, they rose in height; their immense masses of snow appeared above the clouds forming an impassable barrier, even to an eagle.”

Today, when you go canoeing in Banff on the Bow River, and you paddle away from the hustle and bustle of the town-site it is easy to respect and appreciate Thompson’s quote.

To truly appreciate the life of a Voyageur and to step back in time if only for an hour I encourage you to take a Voyageur tour or rent a canoe or kayak and get out onto the Bow River or Vermillion Lakes.  It’s one of the best Banff activities to do in the Summer.  Visit the Blue Canoe and Kayak docks in Banff, on the Bow River, just 5 mins walks from Banff Ave.   This Banff adventure will not only help you pay homage to the Bow River, but will also give you insight into the history and heritage of the fur trade and the development of the Canadian Nation.

This week is the first week back at school for Alberta kids and I think the wildlife know it! It’s almost as if they have been waiting patiently for school to start and Banff to quieten down so they can roam the edges of the townsite without worrying about herds of people snapping photos of them. Every day this week we have spotted elk and deer down by the Bow River – and not just just 1 or 2, but groups of them! As I write this I am watching a group of at least 8 elk feeding and splashing in the shallow waters of the Bow River. It looks like they’ve been eating well this summer, some of them are HUGE!

September is definitely my favorite month of the year. We get all 4 seasons throughout the month making each day different to the last. But we also get some amazing sunny days and the landscape is as green and lush as it will get all year! The Bow River in September blows my mind, even after 4 years of living here. The current has dropped back a lot and the beautiful blue water is mesmerizing – making a paddle on the Bow River something you will never forget. And not to mention the town is a little quieter meaning less traffic on the water!

Spending some time in the sun in a canoe is definitely one of the most rewarding things to do in Banff. Here is a list of the top 10 things to do down at Blue Canoe:

1. 1. Relax and let your husband do all the work
   2. Enjoy the scenery of the Bow River and the Vermilion Lakes
   3. Salute the Voyageur Canoe
   4. Enjoy the adventure and hopefully see some wildlife
   5. Get some exercise…or not
   6. Stay very cool by tipping over in the glacial water
   7. Try to figure out how to not go round in circles!
   8. Paddle in one of our corporate race events and beat other local staff
   9. Challenge the Bow Falls! (maybe not…)
   10. And most of all have fun!

Submitted by Zac Howard

When visitors come to Banff it is always the Bear, Moose and Elk that they are eager to see. I always just let them know to keep on the lookout out for the smaller animals that are just as magnificent to encounter.

For me they are the birds of the park, namely the Bald Eagle and the Osprey. Every spring as I drive home daily from Sunshine Village I look across to the Vermillion Lakes in anticipation. Then one day it will be there, a little white head that can be seen from across the highway. This white head belongs to the Bald Eagle and signals for me the beginning of a new season, with new landscapes, new wildlife and definitely warmer weather.

I then begin my shifts at the Canoe Docks and everyday I eagerly await the return of the Osprey. I will look across the glistening Bow River to eventually see an unsteady looking nest balancing atop a sloping tree. As I rush into a canoe I keep a watchful eye for the Osprey hoping he is out for his morning fish. Out of nowhere he will swoop above your head and dive for the water. Once he knows he has an audience he engages you with opening his large span of wings and diving and gliding across the water, displaying his acrobatics. He moves with such speed and yet so much grace as he glides through the clouds.

On a recent twice-yearly mundane visa trip to the US Border a friend and I shared a magical moment with an Osprey that captured our hearts and made us fans of the bird forever. It was 6:30am and we were the only vehicle on the highway, suddenly a large Osprey swooped down and hovered by the passenger window, and then flew along side us as we drove along. The bird was so close that we could see the fine bones within his wings and the detailing on his head.  Too captivated we could not bear to look away to grab our cameras. Eventually the Osprey flew across the front of the car and stared straight at us through the windscreen before flying off high above us. I felt like something had just looked straight into my soul.

We did not speak for at least a minute too flabbergasted by what we had just experienced. We then began cheering like children at the excitement of what we had witnessed. For me the Osprey signals power, grace and wisdom and each encounter for me is a treasured memory.

If there is one thing you do whilst visiting or living in Banff it should be to go canoeing on the Bow River and out to the Vermillion Lakes. It is almost guaranteed that if you look hard enough for that little white head it will be clear through the trees. Early mornings are the best for the Osprey, buy your ticket, strap yourself in and watch the best acrobatics show you will ever see!

Submitted by Katie Mee

This Thursday, July 15th, Blue Canoe will host it’s first Corporate Pass Challenge of 2010!! These events are designed to get local staff down to Blue Canoe to represent their company and compete for the status of Canoeing Legends!

But there’s a twist… it’s not all about the canoeing. The event this week will see 8 teams of 3 people on a scavenger hunt. Each team will be given a list of items to collect/achieve with each item worth a different time bonus. At the end, the time bonuses will be deducted and the team with the lowest time will be crowned the champions!

This event was a great success last year and absolutely hilarious to watch. And to add to the fun, all Blue Canoe staff will be dressed up as pirates for the entire day! YEEEEAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

The fun is happening all day, but the event will kick off around 6pm. There will be a campfire for spectators and prizes given out after the event.

So come on down this Thursday, July 15th at 6pm to see local staff compete against each other for the status of Canoeing Legends!!

Over the years, we have had the pleasure of witnessing some funny capsizes on the river. The Bow River sits around 4 degrees Celsius over summer so falling in is definitely not something people aim to do! Thankfully though, every guest that capsized has walked away with a smile on their face.

Here are some of the most memorable ‘Epic Fails’:

1. Two guys out in kayaks one day were lining each other up and charging at each other using their paddles as jousting sticks. They flipped twice in the space of an hour but they were literally loving life at the time, not even remotely bothered about the chill factor.

2. A Russian couple that spoke no English tipped and somehow managed to get the canoe caught under a fallen tree. Parks Canada had to interfere to remove the tree. It ended up being a hilarious 2 hour rescue mission but the guests were laughing about it the whole time.

3. Blue Canoe staff member Kate Mee was marshalling the canoe docks when she had to go rescue two guys who were drifting towards the Bow Falls, as she engaged in communication with them the wind overpowered her and she was struggling to get back. Heroic Nick Palko ran down the side of the river to save her. He then jumped into the canoe, which had been occupied by the two guys and immediately lost his paddle in the river. So we had two staff members struggling to overcome the wind pressure and get back to land. Embarrassing epic fail by two “experienced” Blue Canoers.

4. Washing lifejackets whilst standing up, Harry Shuttleworth lost concentration, lost his balance and fell emphatically headfirst in slow motion into the freezing cold river. There was not a staff member upset at seeing Harry fall in fully clothed.

5. The father of Blue Canoe owner, Jonathan Welsh, was visiting Banff on holiday and decided to go for a paddle. Unfortunately, whilst getting out of the canoe he stood up, lost balance and fell out… on the river side. Thankfully, Jonathan saw the funny side to his father going for a dip in the Bow River.

Don’t worry though, capsizes are extremely rare and all Blue Canoe staff are trained Waterfront Canoe Instructors. But a dip in the Bow River glacial water is a story you won’t forget!

Submitted by Harry Shuttleworth