Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park was our first stop on our journey East. We packed up the van, said goodbye to our Vancouver friends and started out for our approximate 5,500km trip to Montreal. Yellowstone is an amazing park. It was the first ever National Park in the world and the size of the park is massive (bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined). As a result, we spent 4 nights camping in the wilderness at 3 different camp sites throughout the park. Although we hiked and saw lots of things, most of our time in the park consisted of driving.

There are many different 'faces' of Yellowstone. Our first night we stayed at Madison Campground which is super close to the western entrance. It gave us easy accessibility to Mammoth Hot Springs which we explored our first day. I don't really understand how these hot springs work, but basically they are a very large and complex rock system that involves heat, water, limestone and allows hot water to reach the earth's surface. If you're interested in this and my explanation doesn't quite cut it then just check our what Yellowstone has to say about it here.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs

Our next two nights were at Grant Canyon Campsite, which was great. It was halfway between Old Faithful and all the other Geysers and Basins in that area, such as Grand Prismatic Spring the Fishing Bridge/Yellowstone Lake area. We explored these areas pretty well. We saw Old Faithful erupt, and also the Beehive Geyser which in my opinion was better than Old Faithful. The Beehive only erupts once, maybe twice a day but it lasts for 4-5 minutes and I think was stronger and more powerful than the Old Faithful eruption we saw. We also did a hike from the biscuit basin and we saw Old Faithful erupt again, which was pretty cool considering we were quite a few km's away. Again, I have no idea how Geyers work, so if you want to read about it, just click on this.

Biscuit Basin

Grand Prismatic Spring - It was quite the hike to this view! A non-trailed mountain climb!

View of Yellowstone & Old Faithful from the Mystic Falls Hike

Mystic Falls Trail

After that, we packed up our stuff again and headed for the Canyon area via Mt Washburn. It was a beautiful hike that took us to our highest hiked elevation of 10,243 ft. It was an elevation gain of 1,491 ft and was about 10km return. It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I sure did feel it the next day! We then hopped back in our car, and headed for the Canyon area which was beautiful. I didn't actually realise Yellowstone has its own Grand Canyon but it was beautiful. The colours and the waterfalls were just not what I was expecting.

Us on the top of Mt Washburn

Grand Canyon - Upper Falls

View of the Canyon

On our way out of the park we went through Lamar Valley which is where the animals run free. Between Lamar Valley and our trip between Mt Washburn and the Grand Canyon I think we saw all 4000 Bison within the Park. It was crazy just how many there were on and near the roads.

Some of the many Bison

Our last stop was just outside of Yellowstone, and it was on our way to Chicago. It is this little scenic stretch called Beartooth Pass and it's stunning. It was beautiful in the summer, but would be stunning with a little more snow on the mountains. A great way to finish a wonderful trip.

Beartooth Pass

Beartooth Pass

I've never been so high!

Stay tuned: Next stop Chicago via Mt Rushmore & Badlands National Park

Alaska - The Last Frontier

In late June, Michael and I, along with Jim and Ruth (Michaels parents) boarded a Princess Cruise Ship from Vancouver, and headed for Alaska. I had never cruised before, but it was a really fun experience. We had a 7 day cruise, with 3 days in towns along the Inside Passage and then 1 day in Glacier Bay, and then another day in College Fjord (which were only accessible by boat).

View from the boat over some Islands of Vancouver

Our first day was at sea. There was not much to see except for the Pacific Ocean and occasional Islands off the coast of BC. It was still a really fun day though, there is so much going on on the boat, that your day flies by. I did Zumba, line dancing, went to an art auction and won a piece of art, relaxed by the pool (rugged up under a blanket) and ate lots of delicious food which was available whenever I wanted.

Day two we docked at Ketchikan. It was only a short visit but it was the perfect amount of time to go wildlife spotting. We saw heaps of Bald Eagles and various other fish and sea animals. It was pretty cool to see so many eagles in the one spot. The tour then took us to some totem poles and we heard all about the history of these poles.

Me at Ketchikan

Creek Street, Ketchikan

Next stop was Juneau, the Capital of Alaska. We left Michaels parents behind and hiked up the Mount Roberts trail to the top of the Gondola overlooking Juneau, which  provided some pretty amazing views of the city. We were then hoping to rent bikes and ride to Mendenhall Glacier which is just out of town, but there were none left so we caught a bus instead. 

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau

Our last land stop was Skagway, which is home the White Pass & Yukon Rail route. It was an amazing train ride, one of the most scenic I have been on. We caught a bus through the mountains which took us to the British Columbia Provincial line and caught the train back down to the city. We saw our first Caribou, which was super exciting, but the scenery was beautiful.

British Columbia, Canada (the part that joins onto Alaska)

White Pass Train, Skagway

White Pass Train, Skagway

The next two days we spent at sea. The first day was at Glacier Bay. It was a pretty rainy and cold day which didn't make it ideal situations for being outside, viewing the Glaciers but it was still pretty amazing to see. we even got to see the Glacier carve, which was loud and pretty exciting to see. The next day was College Fjord which were some more Glaciers, in a different part of Alaska. It was a beautiful day, which was great, and although it was still windy and cold, we were able to rug up and head for the decks!

Glacier Bay, Alaska

College Fjord, Alaska

College Fjord, Alaska

That was pretty much our Alaskian cruise experience. I would highly recommend the trip. It's beautiful scenery, the boat is a lot of fun, and if you're lucky you get to see killer whales from the boat (I think we saw about 4) and amazing sunsets.

Sunset, out of Glacier Bay

The next 4 days we spent in Denali National Park. Denali (or Mt McKinley) is seen only by 33% of visitors, but we were lucky enough to see if 3 days out of 4. The National Park is huge, we went on a bus which took us 66 miles into the Park, as you are not able to drive past a certain point. It's a cool park because you can hike anywhere you like. You don't have to stick to trails, which to me, makes the park pretty unique. We saw Bears, Caribou, Moose, Muskrat...just see below for some of my favourite picks. 

A Marmot!

Jim and Ruth hiking in Denali

Denali National Park

Caribou, Denali Natinoal Park

Rocky Mountains - Frozen & Thawed

The Strelan blog is finally back! We have done so much over the last few months that I haven't had a chance to write about what we have been doing. We have been lucky enough that both my parents and Michael's parents have been able to come to Canada and share some really special adventures with us. Although my parents came a few weeks before the Strelans, we were able to drive to the Rockies with both of them and each time was an unbelievable experience. I'm going to combine both trips into the one blog, so don't get confused...

The first time we went was around mid-May. If you're ever planning a trip to the Rocky mountains around that time, the lakes will be frozen! Although they were frozen, they were still unbelievable. The second time we went with the Strelans (mid-late June) and between that time, all the lakes thawed completely.

Our main destination was the Icefield Parkway. It's about a 250km road that stretches from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper throughout the Canadian Rockies. Every corner produces another breathtaking view, whether it's a glacier, an incredible lake, waterfall or animal - it's almost impossible to get bored on this road.

Here are a few pictures of my favourite spots on and around the Parkway, frozen & thawed.

Hiked up Sulphur Mountain in Banff, didn't realise it would be so snowy.

The hike was tough, but the views are spectacular!

Caught the Gondola down :)

Peyto Lake in May - Frozen

Peyto Lake in June - Thawed

Bow Lake - May

Bow Lake - June

Jumping on Lake Louise - May

Lake Louise - June

Athabasca Glacier

Takakkaw Falls - Yoho National Park

Beaver!

There is so much to between Jasper and Banff, I could upload a million photos. We saw Elk, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears and cubs, Pikas, Chipmunks, Squirrels, Coyotes - We did quite a few hikes the first time we went, as we had more time. If you enjoy hiking, this is a wonderful place. If you enjoy small strolls to see lakes and viewpoints, it's also a wonderful place. I always thought I would love the Rocky Mountains, and I did!! Canada, you're pretty incredible! I'll leave you with my favourite Lake, only available to do after the ice has melted around June.

Lake Morraine

Stay tuned for the next blog: Alaska!!

Our Whistler Ski Trip.

We have finally ventured further than an hour of out Vancouver, and I never want to leave. It's official, Canada has stolen my heart. Michael and I, along with Justin (aka. our chauffeur & friend from back home who is now living in Vancouver), headed to Whistler over the weekend and the drive alone is breathtaking. The snow covered mountains surround by the beautiful lakes line the highway and makes the 1 and a half hour drive fly by.

The drive to Whistler

It was a perfect weekend for a ski trip. The mountain opened its Gondolas 2 weeks early, the price was cheaper because of the limited opened slopes, there weren't as many people around and best of all the forecast was sunny! We drove up Saturday morning, hired our gear, rode the Gondola up the mountain for half an hour and by the time we hit the slopes it was about 11am.

Whistler, view from the top of the Gondola.

For those of you who don't know, I'm not much of a skier or boarder. I tried my luck back in 2007 in Switzerland, in the most amazing town ever and failed horribly. So, needless to say I was extremely nervous about giving it another go. I ended up doing 3 runs. I was keen for the family zone, which was explained to us as a nice, green run, perfect for beginners.

What they didn't tell us is that to get to the family zone, you have to go down what felt like a section of a black run due to it's vertical cliff. In reality, it was a pretty steep hill, but for a nervous beginner, not being able to see the space between the top and bottom of the hill wasn't at all appealing. This is where my memories of my previous skiing experience came flooding back. I remember trying to go down hills and loosing control. Falling over, and not being able to get back up, or get my shoe clipped back in mid slope. I remember taking my ski's off and walking down the hill and thinking that I would be stuck on the mountain forever, because there is no way I could ski down to the Gondola.

Michael, geared up and ready to go!

The first run started well. I was slow, Michael and Justin were very patient, and apart from having to side step down 1 section of the run, it was good. I fell over once or twice, got back up and kept on going, slowly. Towards the end I was getting faster and a little more comfortable with the ski's.

Our second run was the exact same run as the first but we kept on going, further down the mountain to the second Gondola stop. Apart from the terrifying hill at the top, this run was great. I was getting really comfortable going down the slopes. I felt comfortable turning, slowing down, when I lost control I didn't stress out, it was great. We got to the bottom of the slope and the boys said I was doing great, I felt great and thought, I should leave it here. I've had a great experience, lets not ruin that, but the boys were like, you're doing great, lets do 1 more run.

View from the top.

Top of the Whistler Gondola, looking to Blackcomb

Lesson of the weekend: Listen to your gut! A new trail opened that afternoon, the Pony run. It was described as one of the easiest green runs on the mountain. It was awful. There were quite a few moguls on the downhill sections.The boys were loving them on their boards, but for me, it was tough to ski on. As I tried to turn, one ski's would go half way up a mogul, my other ski was further down, and all of a sudden I was on the ground. This happened numerous times, and to make things worse I was having real issues getting my foot back in the skis. It was so frustrating. By the end of the run I felt like I had been used as a punching bag. I had stacked it repeatedly. I had fallen on my side, on my butt, on my belly face down the mountain, pretty much every way. My legs were aching because at times my feet weren't releasing from the ski's as I fell which, can get them pretty twisted and sore. All my confidence that I gained by the end of the second run was gone and my memories of disliking skiing were back, more prominent than ever.

More amazing views of Whistler.

Although I had a bad experience on that third run, I still had fun. The second run was great and I really did enjoy giving it another go. The views also made up for every bad moment. It was amazing, being out there in the mountains, it was just so beautiful!

The mountains close around 4 so we headed back to our hotel, got warm and went out for some well deserved beers. The town of Whistler is a really cute ski village. There is a main section that is pedestrian only, and it's a pretty good vibe.

Overall, an amazing trip. I'm glad I skied, I would most likely do it again but other recreational activities such as saunas and outdoor heat tubs and heated pools sound just as amazing!

View from Whistler Village

Small lake, frozen over in the village.

Bottom of the slopes, in Whistler Village.

Our first 2 weeks in Vancouver, BC

I know it's been a while since the last blog but we have been pretty busy. We arrived in Vancouver 2 weeks ago and we have already played a Frisbee game, played a Frisbee tournament, found an apartment till June, I've found a job, I've quit a job, we've become more 'Canadian' by getting social insurance numbers (which is basically a tax file number), bank accounts & cell phones. Between all this we have traveled near (and sometimes what feels like far) to find a decent coffee. We are currently in a rental vacation which has served it's purpose well but we are excited to move closer to the city in just over a week.

View from our rental apartment. You can see the mountains, they are beautiful!

The first two days we did a few touristy things and went to downtown Vancouver. It was rainy so after 6 weeks of travel, aimlessly walking through the city wasn't so much fun, so we just went home and relaxed in an apartment instead of a tiny hotel room. The next day, and every day since has been amazing weather. It's been sunny, cool yet slightly warm. Temperatures have been sitting around 12-15 degrees, so cold when you first go outside but since we are walking a lot to get places it gets pretty warm quickly. The second day was beautiful so we headed 16 blocks north for English Bay. There is a 'beach' there, but it's no Aussie Beach. It's in the English Bay area but in the Summer apparently it's packed! You can see the mountains in the background and go on a nice, leisurely walk, jog or ride around the headland.

 

English Bay and Kitsilano Beach. In the background is the main Western part of the downtown Vancouver.

English Bay and Kitsilano Beach.

If you go far enough you'll hit Granville Island which is now a small market area. It has it's own brewery and is known mainly for its fresh produce markets 7 days a week. We have only been there once but we aim to go there on a regular basis for our produce once we move.  

View from Granville Island. The river here if False Creek. Our new apartment is probably 2 blocks to the right if it were in this picture. It's got nice views! Directly across the river, at the end of the bridge is the downtown Vancouver.

Yesterday was the first day that we got out and explored greater Vancouver area. There are quite a few mountains and hikes that are easily accessible via public transport within less than an hours commute away. It would be faster if we had a car, but we are working with what we got. We went to Lynn Valley yesterday which was fun. We did an 8km hike and although it wasn't the most interesting hike we have been on, the scenery definitely made up for it. We are hoping to explore a lot of the hiking areas around the city in the upcoming months, so stay tuned for some nature blogs. 

Lynn Valley, Vancouver

Lynn Valley, Vancouver

That's it for now. I'm sorry to say that I have not yet tried Canadian pancakes. We will go out for breakfast sometime soon and get our maple syrup hit. To buy it in the supermarkets is just expensive at home, maybe even a little more expensive. I'm also sorry to report that I have not yet found milk in a bag, which I am slightly sad about but as soon as I do, there will be information posted!