After leaving the excitement of Drumheller and the land of Dinosaurs, we headed up to Cochrane, Alberta. We planned to stay with Ben’s good friend from highschool in Caledon, Dave and his partner Cathy. Ben hadn’t seen Dave and Cathy in 20 odd years, with a country between them and adventures taking them in separate directions. The first evening in Cochrane was spent reminiscing and getting caught up, amazed at how the years apart can seem insignificant to old friends.
When we arrived into Cochrane the temperature dropped and several inches of snow fell, plunging us into a winter wonderland. This turn of weather took everyone by surprise, and we scrambled to get snow pants, coats and gear for the four of us. Dave and Cathy took us on several adventures into the mountains, including an epic snowshoe hike at Ptarmigan Cirque. Cathy was able to find snowshoes for us all, even borrowing kids ones from the local library! The drive into Kananaskis was beautiful enough, but where we hiked was like nothing any of us had ever done. The snow had fallen heavier in the mountains, and there was close to a foot of snow on the trail. Hiking up was a challenge, and Kai (with the smallest legs) did amazing with minimal complaining.
The thick spruce forest gave way to an alpine meadow, where we settled in to have lunch and watch people ski and snowboard down the mountain. It seemed all very surreal, and we constantly needed to shake our heads to remind ourselves this was real. It was amazing to think that just days ago we were driving across the barren prairies and now were among some of the highest peaks in Canada.
The hike down was far easier, and faster and we found ourselves at the parking lot, our minds spinning with the experience of the day. What a way to introduce the boys to the mountains!
Over the next few days we slipped into life with Dave and Cathy, enjoying family dinners, cuddles with their dog Nyima, and movie nights. Another highlight hike was to Troll Falls, again in Kananaskis, where beautiful forests and mountain vistas filled our senses.
After being in Cochrane for 5 days, we sadly had to say our goodbyes. We are eternally grateful to Dave and Cathy for their hospitality, friendship, and giving us an adventure that we will never forget!
We’re grateful to have been part of your first family mountain adventure. No doubt you’ll have many more to come. We are reminded of your visit often when Spotify throws Gordon Lightfoot into the daily mix. Hopefully we’ll see you back this way sometime in 2021!