Here is Mary, our driver. She is so much fun, a French speaking Canadian from Montreal. Good room for our 2 nights in Banff, this time at a different hostel (Samesun). The room is huge with en suite and balcony. Five of our Moose group are in here together along with 2 other guys on the first night, one of whom snored and the other sleep spoke in German… but no worries all good!
Natalie, Carol and I had chosen to go on a Trail Ride this morning. They were both from Switzerland. Natalie couldn’t speak any English when she arrived in Canada for her adventure in April. She had just been to a few classes. But her English was improving daily while she was with us. We had some great laughs together. She had 2 grown up sons in Switzerland so was only about 10 years younger than me. Carol kept and worked with horses and more especially with disadvantaged children.
When we arrived at Spray River Corral it was clear that Natalie, who had never been on a horse before, was very nervous and almost bottled out, especially when the usual risks were mentioned. The guide offered to lead her and all was well. We were to ride Western style – something I’d never done before and I felt a bit like a cowboy! 
It was a beautiful ride through densely wooded areas where we were treated to a rare sight of a full sized male Elk. He looked magnificent looking straight at us with huge antlers before quietly moving away between the trees. We then went through a shallow fast flowing river then back up the side of a mountain on the other side where we could see the amazing Banff Hotel building set against a clear blue sky. We crossed another river before returning to the corral.
On the way back to the hostel we noticed a little creature sitting on its haunches watching us like a Meercat. On closer inspection (as it was very friendly and came right up to us looking for food) we saw that it was a cross between a chipmunk and a squirrel. I was later to find out that it was a British Columbian Ground Squirrel and many more came out of their burrows to see us.
Anyway Natalie and I had to hurry back as we were due to be taken to Kicking Horse River for a barbecue lunch followed by white water rafting no less. Now this was a first for me and I was pretty nervous! I needn’t have been as once we’d been well kitted up in all the necessary gear and had been given some serious training, I was ready for the bubbling 3 degree temperatures of Kicking Horse River! And what an adrenalin rush as we rocked and splashed our way through Terminator, the biggest rapid on that part of the river. Here is a pic of the cd as Natalie and I shared the cost of this and she is going to send me the pics later…. and also a pic of a quieter part of the same river….
We chatted happily of our achievements that day with the others that evening over a beef rib dinner in a very good and highly recommended restaurant in Banff. One or two of the others had been on the gondola – a walk in the park by comparison!
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