Grizzly Country, Graduation Gowns, and the Glorious Canadian Rockies

Fernweh Chronicles

05 Oct 2025 — 4 min read

Calgary turned out to be less of an adventure and more of a strategic stopping point—specifically, a launching pad for me to fly to SoCal and join the 50th anniversary celebration of my alma mater, Sofia University. I got to participate in graduation as faculty which was a wonderful shot of scholarly love. Reconnecting with old friends like my good friend and study buddy Beth and catching up with colleagues reminded me why I still love this work, even from a camper dinette somewhere in the Canadian wilderness.

Chris and I decided that the PhD cap should be called a pompous ass hat...though I try not to be an ass hat when it is donned. — Chris and I decided the PhD cap is really a pompous ass hat, but I tried not to live up to that!

My dear friend and former study buddy/classmate, Beth. I loved sharing a room and space with her and so many friends/colleagues from the program.

Meanwhile, Chris and Lieba held down the fort at a Walmart parking lot—not exactly glamorous, but cheap and convenient for waiting out my return and tackling some camper maintenance. Sometimes the journey includes prosaic pit stops between the postcard moments.

Welcome to Nature Documentary Territory

But then... Banff. Oh, Banff. What sounds like an onomatopoeia is actually an absolutely stunning part of the journey through the Canadian Rockies. There's really no other scenery like it—everywhere you turn feels like you've stepped into a nature documentary, except you're actually IN it instead of watching from your couch.

On the road to Johnston Canyon Hiking Trail - Part of the Banff trail system

Lake Louise continued to spoil us with scenery like nobody's business, proving that sometimes the hype is completely justified.

Lake Louise is like a movie set. The blue color comes from "glacial flour"- fine rock particles suspended in the glacial melt water from surrounding mountains.

We're staying mostly in national parks, and Canada really knows how to do it right. They treat their outdoor spaces with genuine respect, honoring the natural environment the plants, trees, and animals call home.

This is one of the many freeway walk-overs for animals to cross safely over the Trans-Canada highway, much of which is protected by fencing. We've seen no road kill on this whole trip...not that it never happens, but likely much reduced by care and protection.

We're highly aware of our place in this ecosystem—we don't go anywhere without bear spray, and Lieba sports a bear bell on all our walks, jingling her way through grizzly country like a tiny four-legged warning system.

This hiking beast walked 10 miles with us on those little legs, and she loves every minute. Though she's used to walking untethered in her own woods, she must always be leashed here as the potential to encounter wild animals is too great, and she's not as ferocious as she thinks she is.

We're doing a crazy amount of hiking and absolutely loving every minute of taking in this gorgeous terrain.

It's at our lower limit of temperature for hiking at 40 degrees (weather weenies), but the sun is shining, new winter coats, and we're here, so we go!

Earthly protuberances just show up everywhere...spectacular!

He always looks at the maps and I just want to charge down the trail. We have our own way of being out here, but we always find our way back to each other.

The town of Banff itself was fun too, though we can now confirm what you may have heard: Canada is not exactly known for its cuisine. Bar food reigns supreme here—wings, burgers, steaks... basically, meat in various forms, which they might actually call Canadian cuisine. It's not always easy for a couple of pescatarians, but we always find something, and honestly, we eat most of our meals in the camper anyway.

Thank goodness for the freezer stash of meals I prepped before we left (still working through those!), plus the reliable comfort of soup and grilled cheese. Between the home cooking and the jaw-dropping scenery, we're having the time of our lives.

Next up: More mountains, more trails, and hopefully more pescatarian-friendly menu options...

Stay tuned for more tales from the road...

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