Jasper, Alberta – The End of the Ski World
If there is a place in Alberta that I would go back to time after time after time, it would be Jasper. Jasper is a special place. Every bit as beautiful as Banff, without the commercialization. It is 4 hours west of Edmonton on the Yellowhead Highway.
Check out this view from the top of the Tramway.
Beautiful. There is nothing like standing on top of a mountain.
Then there is the skiing. Marmot is a good hill and I think it is the farthest north hill in Canada. I do know that the spring skiing is excellent, and goes late into April.
And lots of other attractions, including the power of Moligne Canyon. This canyon winds it way through the face of a mountain and is latticed with walkways that bring you into the heart of the canyon. I loved this walk and look forward to doing it again at some point.
Links
The Wisdom of Donald Trump
The Donald Trump quote of the day is:
“As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big.”
This particular quote goes a long way to explaining what the Donald was thinking with his recent birther attacks on President Obama. The best part is his taking credit for the release of the long form certificate. Hilarious. Is he inside his head or what. Then to say he wants to see Obama’s marks for college. Priceless.
Think about this, if you are starting a run for president at 0% in the polls, and with no one even considering you as a potential candidate, what would you do. The issue of Obama’s birth, played right, would, coupled with personal recognition factor, give an immediate boost to one’s plans, which is exactly what happened. 17% in the polls,, from way out in left field. An impeccable strategy.
Say what you want about him, clown, joke candidate, master manipulator or whatever, he definitely knows how to tweak people. His presidential run, if he makes one, will be a thing of beauty.
My Apologies For a Blase Start
Just a quick note to remind all that I am a rank beginner and need to find my legs. I continue to look at ways to make this a more interesting place, after all, I read it to.
Habs Suck, or Maybe They Don’t
Common sense dictates that the Boston Bruins are the finest hockey team ever in history, period. Common sense further dictates that the Montreal Canadiens are the slime sucking bottom feeders of the NHL and have been since they joined the league. To further back up this statistical certainty, lets take a look at the record. I have listed each and every playoff meeting in history and they show an obvious trend of Bruin dominance.
Year Winning team Losing team Round Score
1929 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Semifinals 3–0
1930 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 2–0
1931 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 3–2
1943 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Semifinals 4–1
1946 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 4–1
1947 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 4–1
1952 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 4–3
1953 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 4–1
1954 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 4–0
1955 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 4–1
1957 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 4–1
1958 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 4–2
1968 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Quarterfinals 4–0
1969 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 4–2
1971 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Quarterfinals 4–3
1977 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 4–0
1978 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Finals 4–2
1979 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Semifinals 4–3
1984 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Division Semifinals 3–0
1985 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Division Semifinals 3–2
1986 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Division Semifinals 3–0
1987 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Division Semifinals 4–0
1988 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Division Finals 4–1
1989 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Division Finals 4–1
1990 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Division Finals 4–1
1991 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Division Finals 4–3
1992 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Division Finals 4–0
1994 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Conf. Quarterfinals 4–3
2002 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Conf Quarterfinals 4–2
2004 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Conf Quarterfinals 4–3
2008 Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Conf Quarterfinals 4–3
2009 Boston Bruins Montreal Canadiens Conf Quarterfinals 4–0
These bitter rivals have met 32 times and the Bruins have won almost all, 8 for sure. EIGHT, EIGHT, what is this a misprint, it can’t be true. We dominated them in the 70’s, beating that Dryden fellow handily on every occasion. Let’s see, no, that can’t be, they beat us 18 straight series and every series in the seventies.
Next thing you’ll tell me is Ken Dryden is a sitting Liberal MP. HE IS, no bloody way. No wonder I hate him so much. A Bruin killer and a Liberal. AAAARRGHHH!!! This is not good, maybe I should jump on the bandwagon and cheer for the Habs. Who is Layton cheering for. One bandwagon jumps on another?
And now we have a game 7, what a rivalry, go Bruins. The best time of year, an election and round 1 of Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Banff Springs Hotel
This stately palace is a jewel. Banff is a favourite spot of ours, being only a bit over an hour from home. I love the way the city turns to prairie, then foothill and suddenly one is in the mountains and all within 45 minutes of driving. Surprisingly, to me anyway, we have never stayed here. We will have to make a point of changing that. Banff, in itself, is very commercialized. If you like to shop, then you will love this place. Having said that, if you like to ski, eat or commune with nature, you will love it here as well. I don’t wish to completely compartmentalize this as a shoppers paradise only. We have eaten at several places, but our favourite is the Grizzly House Restaurant . Food is good, but the atmosphere is wild. Phoning the next table is a fun thing to do, not to mention the 600 degree block of granite put in front of you to cook your supper fondue style. Be careful, it can get pretty drunk out by the end of the meal.
Links
http://www.fairmont.com/banffsprings/
Travel Map
Athabasca Falls, Jasper, Alberta
- The power of water is shown in this photo of Athabasca Falls. We lived in Edmonton in the early 90’s and loved visiting Jasper National Park with our sons. There is much to see and enjoy in a very mature, minimal tourist environment.
Decision
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Lori and I plan on travelling every chance we get, In that vein, I will be concentrating 90% on travel and 10% on things that I find contrary. The first multiple entries will be a transcription of previous trips (this is my record as well), then, once current, I will endeavour to transcribe our preparations for and then the substance and aftermath of each trip. I have given myself lots to do, so must get started. An entry a day? This is day1.
Royal Tyrrell Museum – Drumheller
Everyone loves Dinosaurs
Especially the youngsters. This museum, 90 minutes NE of Calgary in Drumheller Alberta is amazing. The area around Drumheller is a treasure trove of fossils. The Red Deer River has carved out a valley that has exposed multiple sets of bones and fossils and is one of the more active dig sites in the world. The scenery is amazing with hoodoos and layers of time exposed to the elements.
Links
http://www.dinosaurvalley.com/
