Lake Louise Snowshoeing: Snow Glazed Mountains, Ice Castles and Bison Reuben Sandwiches

Like every mountain snow-starved urbanite, we head to our choice mountain area for some snowshoeing.  This time after an overnight stay in Banff, Alberta, we went to Lake Louise to explore both some familiar and other new trails.

Snowshoeing on the Tramline trail between village of Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise. Alberta 2012. Photo by J.Chong

I last visited Lake Louise twelve years ago in the fall, when we were travelling across Canada from Toronto in a small moving van when Jack first relocated to Vancouver.  On earlier trips, I had seen Lake Louise, dazzling in her turquoise bejewelled summer waters when 2 years prior to my move, we cycled on the Continental Divide route to the town of Field.

Area becomes a mecca for hiking, mountaineering and winter sports --as promised by vintage poster. Archival display at Lake Louise Visitors' Centre 2012. Photo by J. Chong

Along the way, we spied a baby bear playing by a stream.  That meant mama bear was near by. We scrambled onto our bikes and spun as fast as we could up a hill along with an overly ripe banana inside my pannier.  Another time, when we cross-country skied the Continental Divide for 18 km., I recalled a nagging fear as the wind blew slanted with snow falling steadily:  we saw no one for over an hour while we crossed the snowy foothills under towering mountain shadows.  I wondered if I would finish the route before nightfall.  I was not a good cross-country skier.

Cradled Among Snow-Draped Evergreen Forests
Between the village of Lake Louise and the world-famous iconic hotel, Chateau Lake Louise by the lake, it was a perfect 11 km. snowshoeing round trip with some gradual hills, groomed trails flanked by snow-draped thick evergreen forests and rising mountains ahead at each bend.  Every winter, I always forget how much snowshoeing energy is burned up, especially when I suck in dry, fresh and pure air.

On High Line snowshoe trail. Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta 2012. Photo by HJEH Becker

  While traversing through these soaring forests topped with snowy creaminess, you are cradled along Nature’s protective snow forest canals, away from harsh winds.

To avoid the avalanche of tourists and higher accommodation prices, we were there a week after New Year’s Day.  Perfect, since we had the trails to ourselves, and attentive restaurant servers.
  
This time the Chateau Lake Louise had its first  ice castle sculpture of the year, planted at the lake edge where skaters swirled around it.  In a few weeks, there will be more ice sculptures to draw more visitors until the icy creations melt down.

Lovely lady figurine chandeliers in different areas of Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park. Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Chong

  Though I had been in the famous hotel, Chateau Lake Louise, I had not seen it since its last major retrofit.   The hotel is a historic evocation of Canadian Pacific Rail’s few deluxe, luxury  hotels along its main railroad across Canada. It was first built in 1890.
 
To keep visitors entertained and satisfy their adventurous spirit, both Lake Louise and Banff  became a mecca for hikers and mountain climbers.  In the late 19th century, Canadian Pacific Railway hired Swiss guides to develop its network of trails. In the Chateau, at Parks Canada visitors’ centre and at the Whyte Museum in Banff, the mountaineering , backcountry skiing and hiking legacy is highlighted.

Bison reuben sandwiches with red cabbage slaw and handmade aioli -- elegant fireside culinary grubb at the Chateau. Lake Louise, Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Chong

 Evocation of Refined Adventure Travel And Grub
Chateau Lake Louise has some lovely figurehead chandeliers, wild animal taxidermy pieces (or simulations) and occasional curious wall tapestries to emulate baronial furnishings. By the third floor entrance stairway landing, is a wall hanging that is a tongue-in-cheek Canadian  parody of the renaissance pastoral vision:  a caribou or deer  seems to be swimming through the lake.

Curious tapestry with mock renaissance pastoral visions with deer (or elk) swimming in lake. Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Chong

  In the Lakeview Lounge, we munched happily through the restaurant’s signature bison reuben sandwiches with delicately grated red cabbage and their house aioli. Surely, the  

Mountain ice climber spotted while snowshoeing around Lake Louise. 2012. Photo by J. Becker

  finest interpretation of the local fireside grub.  A memorable lunch with a lakeside view of Temple Mountain, its glacier, ice castle and horse drawn sleigh before we hit the downhill Tramline snowshoe trail back to the village.

Further Reading and More Adventures:
History of Chateau Lake Louise.

Chong, Jean.  Canadian Reindeer Look-alikes:  Caribou, Elk and Mule Deer.  In Cycle Write Blog. Dec. 26, 2011.

Chong, Jean. More Snowshoeing for Snow Mountain Addicts and the Vertigo Inclined. In Cycle Write Blog. Feb. 12, 2011.

Ice castle at edge of Lake Louise in front of the Chateau. Lake Louise, Banff National Park 2012. Photo by J. Chong

   Chong, Jean.  Rocky Mountain Cycling Interlude:  Bighorn Sheep, Ragged Peaks and Turquoise Waters.  In Cycle Write Blog.  Aug. 4, 2011.

Chong, Jean.  Roaming Around for Bison:  Distinctly North American, Lean and Maybe Gourmet. In Cycle Write Blog. Dec. 17, 2010.

Zen Proverb on Bicycling

Scene while cycling on edge of town, Lahaini. Island of Maui, Hawaii 2009. Photo by J. Chong

 A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, “Why are you riding your bicycles?”

The first student replied, “The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!” The teacher praised the first student. “You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do.”

The second student replied, “I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!” The teacher commended the second student, “Your eyes are open, and you see the world.”

The third student replied, “When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo.” The teacher gave his praise to the third student, “Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel.”

Toronto, ON 2008. Accompanying Jack to train station for one of his solo trips in Quebec.

 The fourth student replied, “Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings.” The teacher was pleased and said to the fourth student, “You are riding on the golden path of non-harming.”

The fifth student replied, “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.” The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, “I am your student.”

Cycling on new CP rail converted bike path by Edwards Gardens. Toronto, ON 2011.

  N.B.: My thanks to Barb, another cycling ethusiast in Washington state, where I first saw this proverb. Her blog offers a wonderful list of blogs written by women cyclists worldwide.

Canadian Reindeer Look-Alikes: Elk, Caribou and Mule Deer

A few weeks ago, Ava, a Filipino blog reader wondered what elk was after I mentioned we were going to have elk for our Christmas meal.

So after plumbing into our well of digital photo archives, I resurfaced with some wonderful photos:  I just could not write a blog post that featured a dish of meat against these magnificent animals. 

Male mule deer as distinguished by its rack of antlers which they shed every February. Banff National Park, by Vermillion Lake. Alberta 2002. Photo by HJEH Becker

It is not a contradiction for me since I do eat meat several times per month – very lean meat and seafood. We buy directly from farmers who raise elk and deer for meat.  They are there at the Calgary Farmers’ Market, along with the bison ranchers.  We only have this meat several times annually since it is not cheap but in Alberta, the quality is excellent and it is locally raised.

These blog photos were taken in the Canadian national parks where these animals are protected wildlife. Our  photos were taken in the national parks of Banff and Jasper.  Hunting is illegal and for a good reason.  As more tourists pile into the parks, roads and trails built for human travel, the wildlife are increasingly pushed  further away from their natural feeding and grazing areas.  Several million visitors visit these parks annually year round.  These parks are rock-stars that give Canada the world-wide fame for its many million hectares of remote, awe-inspiring mountain wilderness and wildlife.

Woodland Caribou Herds –Recovery of  Endangered Species
Most recently the Canadian federal government authority, Parks Canada that is responsible for federal, protected wildlife and national park areas across Canada, have  

Male elk, probaby a teenager. Along Bow Valley Parkway, Banff National Park. Alberta March 2001. Photo by HJEH Becker. Elk are also wapiti in the Shawnee First Nations language.

 raised the numbers of the endangered species, the woodland caribou in the Albertan Rocky Mountains.  Some caribou will be returned to their natural habitat starting this year.  (Sorry, we don’t have any personal photos.)

Secondly, starting in 2013, Parks Canada will shut down the Bow Valley Parkway highway annually  from Banff to Lake Louise,  at night during March to July to prevent car traffic. This quieter highway is parallel to the busy Trans-Canada Highway.   This effort will be enforced and allow the wildlife to move down from the mountains to graze freely  in their natural feeding areas and migrate about undistributed.  

Hungry After Every Snowy Mountain Winter
In March 2001, we saw a lot of deer and some elk when we drove along the Parkway. The snow along the road had melted off and the naked mountain sides had not fully bloomed with their tender spring green tree buds.  Many of these animals looked thin after long, snowy mountain winter and were scrounging around for food near the roadside in the forested areas.

Small crowd of hungry elk feeding by Bow Valley Parkway. Banff National Park, Alberta March 2001. Photo by HJEH Becker. That is an elk with 1 antler. Stags (male elk) have antlers.

  This is Nature’s typical cycle of animals either re-emerging after winter hibernation or subsisting on their fat during long cold winters in the northern hemispheres when temperatures drop well below freezing and there is less plant life for food.

These animals might be deemed as reindeer by romantics, but they are not. The First Nations people in this part of Canada, didn’t domesticate them for pulling loads.  They are wildlife and if encountered as a cyclist or hiker, is to learn not to startle them and distance yourself quickly.  In the 1990′s, wild elk ventured often into Banff town site which caused problems in some attacks on humans, feeding on gardens and damaging trees.  Regular elk visitors were referred by locals as “townies”.  Now the elk tend to stay away from the urban areas which is a good thing for both the animals and humans.  They are never to be fed by humans.

Pair of young wild mule deer checking out a local Swiss-Italian restaurant. Banff, Alberta Jan. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

  I have some more photos which have not been digitized.  There is another personal photo treasure: another magnificent brown elk munching on a pink flower bud in its mouth.  One day later and soon!

More Reading:
Parks Canada.  Elk in Banff National Park.

Parks Canada. Species At Risk: Woodland Caribou.  Nov. 2011. Photos of caribou for you to see the differences from elk and mule deer.

Christmas Song Parodies: Cycling and Blogging

Sample Christmas "card" photo. Photo taken by Momentum Magazine for any cyclist riding by. Part of Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition's Fall Bike to Work Week 2009

 I’m pretty certain we will get snowflakes drifting down in our part of Canada –again. Already we’ve had over four different snowfalls and temperatures plunging to -20 degrees C.  So far, the snow has melted off each time.

I did brave the frigid cold on bike several weekends ago, only because the pavement was dry, weekend car traffic was light and drivers were relaxed. I needed to get groceries.  Over half of the bike ride was on a bike-pedestrian path. Thank goodness.

In the festive spirit of Christmas and holiday good cheer, I bring you some trumped up parodies of old Christmas song favourites laced with favourite things and images associated with some of my obsessions:  cycling and blogging.

These Christmas song parodies were started off by yours truly (yes, it was me) through some Internet forums.

From Team Estrogen forums, an international Internet forum where women cyclists hang out to chat up about anything remotely related to cycling or not. Here we go for the singing ride! 

 12 Days of Cycling
(Based 12 Days of Christmas)
 

A town decked out in German regalia year round. Leavenworth, Washington state 2010. Photo by J. Chong

 On the first day of cycling, my true love said to me:
12 shiny new bikes,
11 more big hills,
10 suitcases of courage,
9 espresso hammer gels,
8 epic elevations!
7 hardcore commuters,
6 dancing roadies,
5 mountain bikers!
4 drafting cyclists,
3 broken spokes,
2 tandem riders and
“I’m just about to pass out“
                                  

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Nutcracker Museum. Leavenworth, Washington 2010. Closed at the time we were there in early January

Jingle all the way,
Oh what fun, it is to ride
On a racing green Raleigh – hey!

Dashing through the snow,
On Nokian Extremes,
O’er the curb I go…

Shrieking all the way,
Lights on helmet sway,
Making bike lanes bright,
What fun it is to slide,
A cycling song tonight!

Santa Claus cycles with his goodies. Vancouver, BC 2009. Photo by J. Chong

 A day or two ago,
I thought I’d take a ride,
But much to my surprise,
I nearly took a slide.
The roads were slick and wet,
My hands were getting numb,
But n’ver would you hear me fret,
With mud covering my bum!

Oh, riding bikes, riding bikes
Riding all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride
On a racing green Raleigh – hey!

Blogging theme below, was hammered out amongst bloggers internationally in WordPress Internet forums.  For blogger geeks, this language is really ours to hold and to keep like cryptic cuneiform. Slightly modified from original thread, just preserve the geekiness.

12 Days of Blogging

Decked out in lights 2010. Photo by J.Chong

 On my first day of blogging, my true love gave to me:
Twelve trolls a trolling, 
Eleven links uh Linking,
Ten likes a-Liking,
Nine bloggers drinking,
Eight Widgets flashing,
Seven Word Press themes,
Six Brand New Threadssss,
FIVE FRESHLY PRESSED,
Four browsers crashing,
Three Frantic Tweeters,
Two tacky Tumblrs,
And a bloated blogospherrrrre!

900 Years of Architectural Legacy: Why Prague is a Royal Empress

Some art work on building facades. New Town, Prague 2010. Photo by J. Chong

I had heard of Prague’s splendid old World charm.  But I was unprepared for the city’s dizzying variety and historical compression of architectural centuries at each street corner and with each turn of my head.  Good thing we could explore its astonishing richness of Romanesque, medieval, baroque, renaissance, gothic and art nouveau building wonders, by bike and on foot.   Of course, we could not miss out on some of its stunning cathedrals and museum collections.

During Peak Tourist Season and IFA Soccer Craze
We were there last year for 4 days with an interlude of another 2 days at the UNESCO Heritage site, the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov.  Not only were we in Prague during peak tourist season in June, but also in the midst of IFA soccer fan crowds glued to  jumbo tv screens mounted in old public square, to watch championship playoffs.

St. Wenceslas Square with some manicured gardens in its central boulevard. Prague, 2010. Photo by J. Chong

  Though we stayed in staid sounding Best Western Pave, the hotel was also plunked in a historic neighbourhood. Just next door was a pub with gold filigreed sign, where we heard at night, the raucous cheering and conversation. There must have been also an IFA tv screen tucked somewhere at the bar.  Clean and modern with a curving iron wrought and wood rail and pseudo-marble steps, this chain hotel suggested a previous independent hotel of some vintage.

Panoramic view of Old Town Prague, from Prague Castle 2010. Photo by J. Chong

Lost in Wonder –Literally
It’s amusing to see Prague’s official tourism web site which emblazons one of its information sections:  “How Not to Get Lost”.  Obviously we weren’t the only ones.  Normally, Jack has good wayfinding  geo-spatial sense in strange cities and places where we’ve travelled far and wide.  However in parts of Prague’s Old Town and New Town, we did get slightly lost since neither of us could even guess at Czech letter script to  memorize old street names properly.  But getting occasionally lost for fifteen minutes or so nearly daily, was negligible time lost for seeing along our cobblestoned way, fantastic decorated building facia, gargoyles, stained glass, mounted sculptures, murals –it’s an architect’s, art lover’s and historian’s dream.  If not that, 

Abbey section of St. George's Basilica. Old Town, Prague 2010. Photo by J. Chong. Romanesque paintings. Rare to see paintings depicting abbesses, nuns or any female church order in many well-known European churches that I visited during my trip. However a greater likelihood sometimes in very early medieval liturgical art.

 Prague is a beguiling teacher on over 900 years of European architectural history, just by wandering around slack –jawed in area of less than 10  square kilometers.

How could any ex-Prague citizen find any of our North American cities as artfully intriguing?  There was the Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Square Tower where upon the strike of clock tower bell, the painted and gold figurines of 12 apostles moved.  The Tower dates back to 1338.  We would pass by it  several times, to walk from one pedestrianized street,  old square to another.  Cycling in an enjoyable way, was abit useless among these crowds. Besides, you would miss out on seeing the city’s building splendor up  close. 

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When we had one of our first dinners outside in a public square, St. Nicholas Cathedral  loomed above us, less than 10 feet away. Unfortunately it was closed and somehow I forgot to revisit the place when it was open since I got distracted by the magnificence of St. Vitus’s Cathedral (which I described earlier in another blog post with photos of  its  dazzling stained glass art).  Or another nearby  church-convent, St. George’s Basilica where to the one side was St. George’s abbey dating from 972 with preserved Romanesque mural paintings of several abbesses, a rare thing to see a female church order painted on a large scale inside churches.

Cubistic contemporary building complex amongst heritage buildings. New Town, Prague 2010. Photo by J. Chong

Another time, as we strolled yet another narrow, clean street, we passed by suddenly some Cubistic-like buildings.  Prague was like that:  frequent, unexpected delight of structures from different eras intermixed along the same street, as well as sculptures, carvings and fanciful metalwork adorning building entrances, windows or roof eaves.

I wondered how on earth the city secured the funds to restore its national heritage buildings. It must be an ongoing process of grant applications and lobbying funding bodies and philanthropists.

Silver liturgical art work. St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague 2010. Photo by J. Chong

 Evening with Baroque Music
To lure tourists with its cultural arts, nearly every day there were a few classical music concerts. How could we as baroque music fans, resist?  So we treated ourselves with tickets, to a live chamber concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Pachabel’s Canon at Municipal Hall.  The Hall was a stodgy shaped building but was wonderfully embellished with art nouveau art pieces both inside and outside its walls. That evening  less than 100 people attended the concert in a cavernous musical hall that could seat well over 800 people.  But no matter, the soaring music lifted us along with also distractions of the building’s interior.

Fierce protectors guarding at Prague Castle's gates. 2010. Photo by J. Chong

 In tune with the spirit of cultural arts, we winded through the Museum of Musical Instruments, Prague’s City Museum, National Museum and a building near St. Wenceslas Square which I cannot remember its name, that featured soaring ceiling and wall art nouveau murals in expansive public meeting rooms.

We did the slow typical stroll across Charles Bridge, first built in the 14th century with over 12 statutes which are now replaced with copies. After drinking in the panoramic sight of terra cotta roofed buildings and winding narrow cobblestone streets, we spent time at the Prague Castle, Sternberg Palace and the cathedrals mentioned earlier.

Stroll along in Prague 2010. Photo by J.Chong. Notice on halfway on right, a deer sculpture ready to leap out of a window.

Cuisine More Heartiness than Gastronomic
No doubt we were in heavy tourist areas which most likely obscured whatever better Czech cuisine we could have had beyond dumplings, meat, strudel and  heavier cakes than what we had in southern Germany.  Or just mediocre Italian or even Asian cuisine. Only pure pragmatism of cycling with double pannier weight, prevented me from buying tempting Czech wine since we still had over a week in Copenhagen ahead of us.  After all, Czech wines are not often found in Canada.

Stained glass art. St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague 2010. Photo by J. Chong

 Jewel that Survived War and Revolution
It’s even more astounding that Prague’s architectural and artistic magnificence has survived several waves of political revolution. Most  recently after World War II, the Czech Republic was part the Soviet Communist bloc before its final dissolution in the early 1980’s.   Not surprisingly, in 1992 the whole historic city core of over 800 hectares, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Contemporary sun dial art installation in the midst of medieval and Rennaissance era buildiings. Old Town, Prague 2010. Photo by J. Chong

 Prague overwhelms you with her magnitude of visual history, time layers of artistic inspiration and craftsmanship, all  jammed side by side, along its narrow cobblestone twisting streets.  Even after 5 days there, we knew we had not seen all of this wonderful empress of European cities.

Further Reading (and Photos):
Becker, Jack. Cycling in Prague.  In Third Wave Cycling Blog, Jun. 26, 2010.

Chong, Jean. Come and Get Your Dumplings: Some West-East Comparisons.  In Cycle Write Blog, Jul. 25, 2010

Chong, Jean.  Stained Glass Art: A European Sampler of Refracted Light and Colour. In Cycle Write Blog, Jul. 17, 2010.  More photos of this artwork in St. Vitus Cathedral and in Municipal Hall.

Official Prague Tourism site.

Cycling For Favourite Foods To Devour at Farmers’ Markets

Peameal bacon sandwich slathered with Dijon mustard. St. Lawrence Market, Toronto 2011. Photo by I. Yee. No comparable sandwich at markets in Vancouver nor Calgary --yet.

I tend to be a goal-oriented cyclist –I have a destination in mind. Sometimes that turnaround point involves food.
 
Now any diet-conscious cyclist would admonish my attitude:  to maintain a healthy weight, do not reward yourself by eating calorie laden food.  True.  The reality is at least a snack at the market, is a fabulous carrot stick motivator for me.  I food shop at markets and often slug along back home with my 10-20 lbs. of food in my bulging bike panniers.

So here are my favourite local ”snacks”  for 3 Canadian cities where I have lived:  Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

Toronto: Peameal Bacon Sandwich
When I lived in Toronto, at least once a week I had my peameal bacon sandwich fix with a 

Peak hour morning line-up for Toronto's famed peameal bacon sandwich. St. Lawrence Market, Toronto 2011. Photo by J.Chong. A favourite with some firefighters and cops (see handcuffs).

coffee, from Carousel Bakery at the St. Lawrence Market. This sandwich has put them on the map for local food fare as witnessed by the newspaper and magazine testimonials that are plastered on their signage. Notably, sometimes there are firefighters and cops who also line up for this hearty sandwich (instead of doughnuts).  At least one can justify, it’s low-fat pork.

I have introduced friends and visitors to this food gem, which by the way, is difficult to find in an accessible way, in  Vancouver and Calgary where I lived later on.  For Calgary, a veritable carnivore capital and producer for quality beef, bison and pork, it’s hard to understand this omission.

Granville Island Market, Vancouver BC 2011. Photo by J. Chong.

 Now I have to settle for having this peameal bacon sandwich only whenever I visit Toronto, which is rare now. 

Vancouver, BC:  Apple Focaccia or for Thrifty Foodie, Almond Anise Biscotti
My first exposure to Terra Breads. was at  Vancouver’s Granville Market before I increasingly switched to their bakery outlet on 5th St.—only a 15 min. bike ride away. My favourite item is their apple focaccia.  A mini round focaccia embedded with slices of apple  baked with a very thin caramel-like glaze. Or their red grape bread with pine nuts, which both desserts have inspired me enough to make my own plain dough for a homespun dessert focaccia with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or grapes.

Apple focaccia. Granville Island Market, Vancouver BC 2011. Photo by J. Chong

 However if I wanted to save money, then it was their handmade almond anise biscotti or chocolate almond biscotti.  Artisanal baking at its best, with no use of shortening and a much lighter hand with sugar.

Calgary: Chocolate Sourdough Bun
At Calgary’s Farmers’ Market on Heritage Drive, I gravitate towards at YUM’s Bakery for their chocolate sourdough bun.  Again, maybe it’s a bit delusional, but the bun genuinely tastes not sweet, very little fat if any and no use of eggs.  This delusion can morph quickly into an addiction for the 

Chocolate sourdough bun --addictive delusion of eating healthier dessert / snack. Calgary Farmers' Market on Heritage Dr. 2011. Photo by J. Chong

next two days if we buy half a dozen or if there are no buns left, we buy a loaf.  Good thing the Market is a good 15 km. bike ride away.

Ah, what would a good bike ride to the market be without a favourite local food delight.

What’s your one favourite food in the city where you live or have lived? 

More Delicious Reading:

Violin-player buskers at St. Lawrence Market, Toronto 2011. Photo by J. Chong

 Chong, J. Growing Up and Cycling Through the Years to Farmers’ Markets.  In Third Wave Cycling Blog.  Dec. 3, 2010. Covers also farmers’ markets in Kitchener-Waterloo, Hawaii, France, Germany and Saltspring Island, BC.

Chong, J.  Kicking up Foccacia (Fruit Focaccia): My Way with Ginger Root and Spices.  In Cycle Write Blog.  Jun. 20, 2011.

Lotus Flower- From Root to Flower to Seed, It Feeds Our Senses

Freshly cut and peeled lotus root should be used within the hr. Otherwise it will discolour. Photo by J. Chong

 To me, eating lotus root, is akin to eating water chestnuts.  Either cooked or raw, they add a slight sweetness and abit of fresh, crunchy fibre to a dish.  If eaten cooked, lotus root must be sautéed or cooked not too long, or else you’ve lost that crunch.

One wonders who took the gamble to discover that beneath a beautiful lotus flower and its leafy pads, was an edible root firmly embedded in the lake bed.  It must have been a moment of plain hunger. Again, it must have been human ingenuity to use the lotus leaf as a natural food wrapper to steam packets of sticky rice with dried sausage or meat, some beans, a boiled egg or other steamed goodies. Its seeds are also used to make a sweet light brown paste filling for Asian pastries.

Freshly prepared for supper: stir fried noodles with snow peas, peppers, lotus root, onion and tofu.

 Stir Fried, Steamed or Boiled –Savory,  Dessert or Medicinal Dishes
Once you understand the right vegetable combinations and some meat, sliced lotus root completes a stir fry,  a steamed dish or a consommé noodle soup, without adding much bulk and adds aesthetic interest to a dish. 

Once sliced open, you must use within an hour or so since it discolours. Any cut edge for a leftover root, must be protected with a little plastic Saran wrap  and stored in the refrigerator. Use within a few days.

Steamed beef marinated with a bit of soy sauce, oil and onion. Lotus root mixed in with marinated meat just before steaming this dish to cook. Steaming meat is more common as a homestyle Asian cooking technique --a healthy approach.

 I usually find the easiest and quickest way to enjoy fresh lotus root at its best, is to throw in a couple of thin slices into a stir-fry –about mid-way through the cooking dish.  I have yet to see and eat an entire dish of lotus root:  I’m not so sure that is really recommended from the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine or healthy eating.  It is not a starch.

A baton of fresh lotus root. One just breaks off each piece to use.

 Fresh lotus root from the store must be dry and firm in touch. If you have a choice, buy the rhizome as two connected pieces, instead of broken or half sliced. As long as the uncut ends look fresh, not mouldy, buy it. Canned lotus root is tasteless and should be a last resort. (Same thing can be said of canned water chestnuts.)

Because of its neutral taste and low calories, a few slices might be simmered in an Asian dessert soup –more as an aesthetic garnish with some minor nutritional benefit.  Frankly I’ve never made such dessert soups.

Kohl rabi consomme, noodle soup simmered with fuzzy melon slices (an Asian veggie), lotus root. Photo by J. Chong. Consomme was naturally sweet from slowly cooking kohl rabi.

  And yes, once upon a time, I did have a few slices in a Chinese medicinal soup that my mother prepared.  But I can’t recall much of the ingredient mixes and would not be comfortable giving it here on the ‘Net without understanding the soup’s real effect.  She only prepared 1-2 types of medicinal soups –a real amateur in this area.

I’m not a gardener but  after combing the Internet, it appears the sacred lotus, nelumbo nucifera, can become a pest  in its prolific spread and growth unless it is carefully cultivated in confined areas.

Lotus Leaf and Flower– A Pillar Watercolour Brush Stroke
The lotus flower as an aesthetic inspiration is not only noticeable in traditional Asian artwork and crafts, but also as a foundational brush stroke in Chinese watercolour 

Lotus flower --even the seeds in the stamen area are used. Or the stamen is dried for decorative purposes.

 painting technique.  

Years ago, I tried my awkward hand at classical Chinese watercolour painting in an evening art course.  There are several paint brush strokes that must be mastered over and over until you can impart the right hand pressure, brush stroke flair to execute perfect shading for: a  bamboo stalk, lotus leaf and flower, as well as a branch of  plum blossoms.

I never finished the course.  I felt perhaps I didn’t  know Chinese paintbrush calligraphy to help me.  But now, at least I can appreciate the mastery of single stroke painting style for Chinese watercolour painting when I look at such art work.  Execution of lovely lotus flower paintings within an hour is a serious feat, with only black ink, watery pink-red paint strokes and light touch of stamen yellow.

It’s a wonder that the lotus as the sacred flower in Buddhism, the national flower for India, Vietnam and Egypt, gives us a great deal beyond its shimmering floral brilliance floating on the  calm waters of a summer lake or pond.

Saskatoon Berries— Wild Little Berry with Potential

Fresh saskatoon berries. Not as juicy as blueberries but just as healthy and sustaining as they have been for North American aboriginal diet for centuries.

 Until I came to Alberta, I never saw containers of many fresh Saskatoon berries in either British Columbia nor Ontario.  Only occasionally, I saw saskatoons already processed in jams, jellies, salad dressings or pies at a  farmers’ market or at a gourmet food shop. I might have had a Saskatoon berry pie slice once upon a time.

Power Berry for North American Aboriginals
This tiny dark purple-blue berry does grow in both of those provinces also. But the  

Bison ready to serve, cooked in onions with saskatoon berry and wine sauce. Photo by J. Chong. Dish creation by HJEH Becker.

cultural lore of Saskatoon berries seem to reside most with the prairie aboriginals, the Cree and Blackfoot First Nations with some use by the Salish along the west coast who seem to have far greater access to different types of berries.

The berry’s name is derived from the Blackfoot, “misaskatomina”  or from the Cree, “misaskquahtoomina”.   Other common names are: serviceberry, juneberry or amelanchier (French).
 
Saskatoon berry bushes can grow in slightly dry or open forest areas, preferably with some soil drainage, sun, and can even withstand a bit colder temperatures in sub-alpine regions.

Unlike blueberries, saskatoon berries have a drier, slightly more earthy, yet still fruity taste. Perhaps one of the reasons why people aren’t scooping up handfuls of saskatoons to eat, 

Saskatoon jam and syrup -- first 2 products on the left. Calgary Farmers' Market 2011.

 is that they are abit more expensive.  However, they cost no more than raspberries during peak harvest  –at least, in Alberta.   Only within the past decade or so, some provinces now realize its market fresh value and have started to lay cultivated trees systematically for the berry hungry food locavores.  Most notably, Manitoba and Saskatchewan’s agriculture and agritourism divisions have paid attention by deploying more technical information for potential farmers and general public marketing campaigns.

Saskatoon berry scone at Wild Grainz Bakery, Calgary AB --just a short bike ride away from downtown. 2011. Photo by J. Chong

 One wonder about the gaps in knowledge transfer on a wide scale  where this berry and its shrub parts, were used for centuries in many different ways by the aboriginals –food, medicine and accoutrements, such as pipes. But such knowledge is becoming increasingly lost on how to even distinguish this berry, as well as other edible berries from poison in the woods.

We bought our first ever, overflowing box of fresh berries from Saskatoon Farms’ stand at the Calgary Farmers’ Market. 

Fresh salad at home with yogurt fig balsamic, saskatoon berry and Dijon mustard dressing.

 The saskatoons proved to be elegant when cooked into a dark wine sauce with our bison and sautéed kohl rabi on the side.  Also the berries complemented a balsamic fig vinegar and Dijon mustard salad dressing that Jack invented on the fly.   Then our remaining berries were frozen to lengthen our summer memories of sun-bright prairies and these twinkling wee berries of potential.

Interesting Reading:
Article by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests for details on ethnobotany of Saskatoon berries  and its different uses by the aboriginals. More extensive scientific information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rocky Mountain Cycling Interlude: Bighorn Sheep, Ragged Peaks and Turquoise Waters

One of several wild bighorn sheep at Lake Minnewanka. Banff National Park, Alberta Aug. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker. Lake Minnewanka 16 km. road circuit is just a short detour from Banff Legacy Bike Path between Canmore and Banff.

You don’t need to be a mountain biker to see mountain ranges up close, orange paintbrush mountain flowers or herds of wild bighorn sheep with their babies. We just returned from several great days of cycle-touring in the Canmore-Banff area, which is over 120 km. north of Calgary. 

Banff Legacy Bike Path between Canmore and Banff. Alberta August 2011. Photo by J. Chong

 In  the past, we have toured the area by bike between Banff and Lake Louise, as well as on the Canadian Continental Divide near Field, British Columbia.  Within Lake Louise and Continental Divide, we have also cross-country skied and hiked at different times.  (Winter avalanche warnings are real.)  The first time was by car before we switched to self-propelled means.

Each trip has been a different experience with unexpected surprises.

This time, we wondered if we had encountered the next generation of bighorn sheep on bike, since we saw these same creatures over a decade ago in the same vicinity, Lake Minnewanka.  Except last time it was in the quiet winter stillness when we were safely protected in our car. There were no other tourists around us at that time.

Mature male bighorn sheep. Lake Minnewanka, Banff National Park. Alberta Aug. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

 Bighorn sheep sighting is just a 10 km. detour off of the new 26-km.  Banff Legacy Bike Path between Canmore and Banff.  You must cycle over an electrified pavement section less than a few metres wide, without stopping as instructed by the sign, to make the turn-off.  The bike path just has a few electrified sections to keep the wildlife from tromping into the path.  Elk and deer are common in this area –even occasionally near the major highway which we did see last winter. Bears and bighorn sheep are also frequent this area but in abit more remote areas. 

15 km. south of Canmore, Old Banff Coach Rd. (Highway 1A), Alberta. Aug. 2010. Photo by HJEH Becker

In the Banff area and nearby, the Trans Canada highway cuts across major wildlife migration crossings. There are both built overpasses and underpasses for these wildlife migration paths and to protect humans.

Valleyview Park stopover halfway along Legacy Path. Banff National Park, Alberta Aug. 2011. Photo by J. Chong

 During this past weekend, there was a cougar attack on a child at Barrier Lake over 40 kms. away from our area. Certain wooded areas in Lake Minnewanka are off-limits to hikers during these summer months because of bear attacks which have occurred several times in recent years. 

Several Local Mountains Loom From Different Angles
Along the Legacy Path, there were several well-known mountains and rock formations  in view at a cyclist’s pace:  Castle Mountain, Sulphur Mountain, the Hoodoos, Mount Rundle (made of several mountains totalling 17 kms. across) and so on. Too bad we didn’t time our trips to see these mountains at sunset. But at least on bike, there’s time to position oneself for the best shots. 

Lake Minnewanka, Banff National Park. Alberta Aug. 2011. Photo by J.Chong

 In Canmore, the Three Sisters Mountains were often in view, from different angles. 

I’m sure I saw Ha Ling Peak since we did go cycling on various routes locally from different points in town. Ha Ling was named after a Chinese cook for the Canadian Pacific Railway who climbed the mountain twice in 1896, just to prove that he actually could do it. On the second time, he planted a larger flag at the summit for the townspeople of Canmore to see. It was named Chinaman’s Peak but renamed in 1997 to Ha Ling to remove the historic derogatory term of Chinaman.

Cycling on a bike path along an active rail line at sunset. Canmore, Alberta Aug. 2011. Photo by J. Chong

 Canmore now has become more established and upscale than we knew it over a decade ago.  For tourists it is less frenetic, less costly and more relaxed to stay here in the summer compared to Banff.  This year our trip coincided with their annual Folk Music Festival.

Bike ride on trail section shared with horseback riding group. Below Banff Springs Hotel. Aug. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

 While cycling to our hotel at the northern edge of Canmore, a sharp high whistle pierced through the air above the buzz of moderate car traffic beside me. Suddenly I saw  a row of 6 tiny brown-grey pikas shoot out of their burrows from the road bank in a high-speed scamper to safety 3 metres on the other side of the embankment.  It was wild rodent action, all in perfect sychronicity within the blink of an eye.

With some headwinds and tailwinds to challenge and delight us on our bike trips, we look forward to more adventures ahead to the Canadian Rocky Mountain area.

Note:  The Canadian National Rocky Mountain Parks of: Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho are together as a continguous set of peaks, a  UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.   More photos of this trip and areas near by are here.

Calgary Stampede Week: Cycle-Ridin’ Through Cowboy Hats and Pancakes

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  As a cyclist, you know the annual Calgary Stampede festivities have begun when cycling early morning on the popular Bow River bike-pedestrian path, suddenly there’s horse poop every 30 metres or so.   It’s just one time, when the horses, their … Continue reading →

An Idyllic Summer Escape to Vancouver Island for Maidei

Hanging out by vineyards at Muse Winery, Vancouver Island 2011

  After feeling the city vibe of downtown Vancouver, Maidei sailed off the next morning, on a B.C. Ferry across the Georgia Strait to Saanich, Vancouver Island. During this 1.5 hrs. long voyage, she was delighted by ever-changing panoramic views of rock outcroppings and lumpy green Canadian Gulf Islands while they plied the ocean waters.

These small islands are known for laid-back lifestyle where some people have their cottages and where artists have drawn inspiration. Some islands have a few hilly bike routes on narrower roads.

The ferry dock at Saanich is about 30 km. north of Victoria.  

Tiny Anna's Hummingbird variety, sits quietly above near our bistro winery table. Saanich, Vancouver Island 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

“Saanich”, is a Coastal Salish aboriginal word that means “emerging”.This peninsula area is quieter than Victoria, with small farms, parks, some bike routes and a handful of wineries. She found it lovely to cycle along the quieter roads with the smell of the saltwater ocean.   She cycled over to Muse Winery where she lolled around the bistro outside by the vineyards and a few glass art sculptures. Lunch included a glorious seafood salad with jumbo shrimp, lots of fresh 

Hummingbird's tongue pokes out in anticipation of an insect meal. Saanich, Vancouver Island 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

crabmeat, salmon with avocado and sprouts over lettuce.

One of the lunch highlights, were the birds flitting around which included  hummingbird breed, Anna’s Hummingbird and  a bald eagle which had its nest up in a tree less than 500 feet away.

Later in the evening, she ambled over to the pier in the small town of Sidney where she was staying overnight. That evening the town was buzzing with a street festival in celebration of Canada Day weekend, July lst the next day which marks the creation of Canada as an independent country in 1867.  Unfortunately she didn’t buy any lovely cheeses from     

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  Saltspring Island but she had a good look at the displays and joined the sampling along with many other shoppers.

On the second day on Vancouver Island, Maidei peeked into the Sea Cidery place, where hard cider was pressed from different local apples which netted a range of mild alcoholic cider varieties for sale.

The whole trip was sparkling, sunshine trip treat for Maidei –her island getaway on Canada’s Pacific west coast.

Maidei Touches Down in Vancouver, B.C.

Near one of the community outdoor mosaics at Norquay Park, Vancouver, BC. Part of the mosaic art series, "Clean Water Mosaics". Over 200 volunteers for 20 different mosaic designs, led by artists Yoko Tomita and YarOn Stern 2011.

 Maidei continued her world-wind adventures during her TeamEstrogen global cycling relay,  but now in western Canada.  She  boarded on an Air Canada flight from Calgary to Vancouver. She wanted to escape the shenanigans of the annual Calgary Stampede in early July which features bronco horses, chuckwagon races, deep fried foods and nightly drunken partying for 

Cyclist heading towards pedestrian steel bridge in a shape of canoe. Olympic and ParaOlympic Village, Vancouver BC 2011

  nearly 10 days. Apparently last year there was a steer (a castrated male bull) that broke loose and ran around in the downtown streets before it was caught.

During her first morning in Vancouver, she was led by a local community art team group leader, who talked about the brand-new, pavement art mosaics that were embedded in one of the local parks in East Vancouver, Norquay Park. The series of art mosaics, thematically called, “Clean Water 

Hanging at Olympic and ParaOlympic Village, Vancouver BC.

  Mosaics”, were funded by 4 local groups,   including the Parks Board for City of Vancouver.  There are over 20 different mosaic installations in this area– at the park entrance, by the wading and spray pool, park benches and by children’s sandbox area.

Afterwards she whipped over on a folding bike, to see the Olympic and ParaOlympic Athletes’ Village, a legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympics, where she saw  

Granville Market, with Burrard Bridge in background, English Bay and North Vancouver mountains. Vancouver, BC 2011

 more outdoor art. She saw its pedestrian bridge built like a curved canoe. However, she disagrees with the artist: it looked more closer to a kayak. There was enough cyclists whirling around in this area, even though she was vacationing on a weekday afternoon.

Later a few hours before sunset, she hung out by the waterfront at Granville Market. From there, she could see the Burrard Bridge, an art deco 

At a gate shaped like a giant abacus, entrance to some yuppie condos. Chinatown, Vancouver BC

 bridge with separated bike lanes; Burrard Inlet flowing into English Bay with the North Shore mountains rising above. Goodness, she even noticed a plume of smoke –hopefully not a forest fire there.

All in all, it was an active day. She awaits for the wonders of Vancouver Island the next 2 days.

 

See Maidei’s earlier adventures in Calgary, Alberta.

Kicking up Focaccia con frutta (Fruit Focaccia): My Way with Ginger Root and Spices

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 Ever since I discovered that Italians traditionally  studded their focaccia dough with red or green grapes instead of just  sundried tomatoes, I’ve been on the occasional focaccia con frutta-making streak. However the variations I’ve concocted, have morphed into flatbread closer … Continue reading →

Supersized Meals Along Cycling Trips : Gulping Surprises

Ate the whole Mexican meal. Bothell, Washington 2005. Photo byHJEH Becker.

  I’m not sure why it is, but the  most memorable super-sized meals have been during our cycling trips.  Why does this happen out of town?  Maybe I don’t eat out often enough in local restaurants in my home city. I spend more restaurant dollars and sample more culinary variety  when we’re travelling and touring.

After a 100 km. or only a 40 km. cycle to a strange place, somehow it’s easier to justify eating a super-sized meal.  It must the tourist idiot-factor.   We may sometimes do crazier things, away from home.  

At times, what dumbfounded us was the size of food portions in various U.S. restaurants 

Tower of ice cream for 1 person. Avignon, France 2008. Photo by R. Campbell

that  we  dropped  by. A common experience across the international border.  While in the U.S.,  Stone Creamery, the  ice cream chain, there were noticeably  larger ice cream sizes  for the same price in Vancouver.  It’s more  of a novelty for us to dig into huge ice cream globes each time we visit Seattle.  It’s a supersize snack fun time.  Stone Creamery’s ice cream flavours and  bland smoothness appeals to mainstream taste: nothing too wierd nor strong.  Prime for eating lots of  nice, safe ice cream.  We’re more accustomed to playful, stronger flavours of gelatos from various gelatari in Vancouver which range from soy, 

Massive tortellini for Jack. Mount Vernon, Washington 2010. Photo by J. Chong.

 with  flavours more Italian,  Asian or tropical —smaller portions but same price.
 
I have had some eye-popping sized meals in some Mexican restaurants –on the U.S. northwest coast area, an area supposedly where the general population may be more physically active in various activities than other parts of America. Or maybe I only know northwest coasters who like their cycling, jogging, hiking or skiing.

Maegret of duck in port sauce with generous bowl of spaetzle. Strasbourg, France 2010. Photo by J. Chong. Meal a la carte for 1 person.

Hefty Portions in Some European Eateries
What was amazing to us, when we travelled in Europe last year, were supersized meals  at some restaurants in touristy areas in large and small European cities.  Maybe serving larger meals of any common local food, kept the North American tourists happy.

For instance, earlier I wrote a blog post about Czech dumplings which I sampled several times in different places. In one of the photos, the dumplings were mini cake-like, carbohydrate towers.  Well, they really were hulking but fluffy and airy dumplings to soak up the dark brown beef gravy puddle.

Apple strudel for 1 person but split for 2 cyclists. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic 2010. Photo by J. Chong

 In Strasbourg, France, our first dinner was the traditional baekoff which appeared to be a duo of dumplings or potatoes with a meat dish served in a baking dish.  Each of us ordered a different dinner combination a la carte.  The duck meat portions were generous:  was it because we were in a touristy area or was duck more common in France?

 Of course, at times we’re surprised by a local restaurant. Recently we shared a huge appetizer that was deemed a polenta base with an enjoyable tomato-basil sauce, a prelude to our 10” thin pizzas that we each had later on.  The polenta was surprisingly light which led Jack to believe there was some tapioca used to lighten the polenta  volume. 

Polenta Lasagna --featured appetizer at Pulcinella's, Calgary 2011. With layers of sausage (not obvious to us), tomato and cheese. Photo by J. Chong. Shared by 2 walkers. Consumed before 10" thin gourmet pizzas per person.

  And do I need to say anything further on the traditional Ukranian local fare of a large cabbage roll, 6 cheese-potato perogies, sauerkraut and sausage?  

My apologies for not including any photos of an  Asian banquet array of dishes: I’m used this –but only for special occasions.  Maybe I indulge in supersized meals off-side because it’s memory of those rare Chinese banquets of 8, 10  or 12 courses with friends or for special meals.  Meals to remember.

Cycling A Piece of Maidei’s Global Relay Journey: Calgary, Alberta

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Maidei comes delivered in her own tiny cycling jersey,  with her handcrafted bike and even a pair of miniature skis in a Cuban cigar box, with tattered logo label, Romeo Y Julieta. To cushion the postal delivery bumps, she is protected … Continue reading →

North West Mounted Police: Red Jacket Legacy of the RCMP

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Right by the Bow River bike-pedestrian path and flat prairie parkland, is Fort Calgary. Once a station for the North West Mounted Police who were part of Calgary’s historic development.  Indeed, the police are part of the Canadian prairie and … Continue reading →

Butternut Squash Chic : Carrying on Stir-Fried Memories

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 Awhile ago I rattled on in this blog, about the venerable member of the kale and cabbage family: kohl rabi, a veggie of poverty-based childhood.  Here’s another: butternut squash.  It was a cheap buy when my mother could turn a 25-cent … Continue reading →

More Snowshoeing for Snow Mountain Addicts and the Vertigo-Inclined

Snowshoeing across footbridge in light, no wind snowfall. Rocky Mountains, near Black Prince. Kananaskis area, Alberta. Feb. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

 After postponing our December snowshoeing trip, because Jack was abit sick and again, after 2 separate January trips to Banff with snowshoeing intentions, we finally did our annual snowshoeing trip. In the Rocky Mountains north of Kananaskis Mountain area and under the snow-veiled shadow of the Black Prince, a locally known peak.

It was our first snowshoeing foray with a group of 15 people, organized by the Outdoor Sports Centre, University of Calgary. They offer well over 15 different trips each winter.

In a group of others,  it made us realize that we had snowshuffled  far out on our own in self-guided trips over the past decade.  Some of our trips were highlighted  in my last blog post.  Most of our snowshoeing trips covered about 10-18 kms. per trek.  If we stayed somewhere in a ski resort, we would  snowshoe for 4-5 hrs. each day for several consecutive days. 

Pausing under mountain shielding snowfall for lunch. By Black Prince, Kananaskis area Alberta. Feb. 2011. Photo by J. Chong

The trip was originally planned for the Sawmill Ridge area.  It was a warm, gentle 4 degree C morning in Calgary.  We wondered if it was going to be a sticky snow, slushy trek.

However  2 hours later, our van climbed north and deeper into the mountains, through whipping 50 kms. winds and white-outs across open fields.  Thankfully our guide, “Aspen”,  decided to turn the van steering wheel to a shorter and wind-protected snowshoeing route tucked in among the pine, spruce and fir forests. We still had ever-changing views of mountain ranges through a gentle veil of dry snowfall.   We were grateful since we were a photo shooting, non-competitive group looking for fun and fantastic scenery.

Birthday snow hike by river on a face-biting cold -28 degree C morning. Mt. Rundle in background. Banff, Alberta Jan. 2011. Just too cold for snowshoeing in wilderness.

Unfortunately we didn’t spot any moose since this area does have a few moose lumbering in the lowlands. Moose like swampy or moist low-lying areas and  meadows fringed by protective woods. 

Various areas nearby are prone to avalanches so the uninitiated should tramp about with an experienced snowshoe guide.

Snowshoeing Conquers Fear of Heights
Someone pointed out that snowshoeing allows me to enthusiastically penetrate  mountain wilderness areas where I would normally wobble down on cross-country skis or pick my step around narrow mountain side trails.  I do have some fear of heights. 

By Spray Lakes path north of Banff, Alberta. Jan. 2011. A non-snowshoeing 16 km. hike with ever-changing scenery.

I first came face to face with this fear in my late twenties, when we were hiking a narrow rocky trail by the Agean Sea on the Greek island of Santorini.   I barely made it across the ¼ km. of rock and sand.Another time, I ended up with aching upper thigh muscles for several days because I could barely descend a no-rail, open staircase that curved around an open pit, dark stairwell inside a lighthouse by Georgian Bay, Ontario.   The lighthouse was only four stories high but I only made it up three-quarters up the stairwell before I descended with legs shaking like jelly.  Rail trestle bridges converted for cycling in British Columbia, are fine as long as I don’t look down at my pedaling feet, crossing wood ties with light filled spaces plunging 100-500 metres down into a valley or canyon.  I haven’t yet walked across Capilano Bridge in North Vancouver.  At times, there are steady mountain ascents while snow tramping in the woods.

Snowshoeing deep into wind protected forest. Kananaskis area, Alberta Feb. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker. At times, there are steady mountain ascents while snow tramping in the woods.

 But puffy piles of pure lush snow, obliterates steep, long declines and narrow twisty turns.  The descent on mountain sides are softened as the eye sees kilometres of  white purity rolling downward with trees bedecked in  snowy chiffon swaths and snow frost- swirled tophats.   No doubt, I’m guided by childhood memories of rolling and sliding down snowy, non-rocky hills.

Snow cocoons each mountain snowshoe hike by softening each step in knee-deep fluffiness.  Snow blunts an occasional fall or stumble into dimpled puffiness of snow candy.  You may not find me creeping up and down steep Mayan temple steps, but give me a marked snowshoeing trail up a mountainside and I will gleefully descend and fall in step with you to marvel the magnificent snowscape.

Snow Shuffling Trips: Snowshoeing Beyond Mountains to Winter Vineyards and More

Among snowboarding or downhill ski shooters, surely snowshoeing is just so snow sedate and tame.  But you can kick up snowshoeing a notch, by heading 

View from Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver BC 2003. Photo by J. Chong

out into the mountains. We’ve gone nearly annually to different mountain areas in British Columbia for snowshoeing in winter wonderlands. Some “snowshuffling” adventures are no closer than home, in nearby mountains close to Vancouver. It is possible to cycle, go by ferry to North Vancouver, take a municipal bus ride and then ski or snowshoe in a day’s fun. Yes, the young-at-heart schlepp their designer snowboards and loose gear onto the Seabus.

Snow Fantasies Easier to Realize While Snowshoeing
Every snow dream fantasy is realized when snowshoeing out on open, sweeping slopes or tighter in, among snow-draped, towering evergreen forests where no skier can squeeze in further. Within forests, sometimes it is like being cradled safely by a valley snow-goddess away from windswept snowy expanses. The best snowshoeing routes offer a blend of mountain slope trekking, undulating routes with patches of flatter terrain respite for awestruck panoramic views at each winding ascent or to sit dry without snow. Every 10 metres for so, the views change ahead and to the side.

Getting Lost in Snow Wilds
Unlike cycling when I often happily bike solo at least 60% of the time or more, often up to 50 kms. or so, each ride in my home city, I prefer a snowshoeing companion. Snow whiteness blankets recognizable landmarks. Not all areas offer signage. Being surrounded by a jumble of mountains offers little comfort to a geospatially challenged person. It’s a nice suggestion to offer me, use of a 

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 compass, but snowshoeing areas are places where I visit, not live and hence, I am not familiar with the terrain nor changing weather conditions. The winter cold alone, is a nagging reminder of one’s vulnerability in the wilderness. It is well known among mountain adventurers that benign sunny weather can suddenly transform into rapid snowfall that is romantic on the mainland, but masks visibility in falling twilight on a mountainside with no city lights. These conditions already offer a mini-adventure.

Once, I was lost for half an hr. in the Apex ski resort area after Jack trooped off further to explore a trail.  I thought I could easily return back to the hotel. Within 40 min. of snowshoeing solo, I faced virgin snowy fields ringed by mountains. If it weren’t for the unseen whine of snowmobile machines, I would have been unable to flag someone later for simple directions.  Meanwhile Jack had already arrived at the hotel downhill and headed back onto the trail at sunset when he realized I had not returned yet.

Surprised by Rare, Hairy Black Pig
Although snowshoeing drives us to visit various areas for the sport, we also look forward to side local attractions — including a hairy black wild pig when we were driving from Silverstar Ski Resort near Vernon, B.C.  The frightened pig skittered across the slippery and moderately busy highway. Too bad we were so startled that no camera was ready. I thought wild pigs were only in Europe or Asia.

Snow wonderland. Manning Park, B.C. 2004. Photo by HJEH Becker. 120 kms. west of Vancouver --where I tried snowshoeing for first time

After our fill of snowshoeing at Apex near Penticton, B.C., we headed over to wineries.  In winter starkness, the barren vineyards are another beautiful, sculptural carpet.  Suddenly land contours become alive under monochromatic shades of white, tinted by whatever the sky colour was there was at the time. We snowshoed a short piece on a popular abandoned rail and bike trail near Kelowna that is part of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail.  This trail traverses across Okanagan Valley area through some mountain tunnels and across rail trestles.

Of course a brisk snowshoe trek was well-capped by a winery restaurant meal and its wine –far more relaxing than the sweating crowds in summer in 35 degree C dry heat.

In winter, Mount Revelstoke National Park seemed nearly deserted and dauntingly immense when we went snowshoeing several times during one trip. A stark contrast to summer cars chugging up to the parking lot and hikers ambling among its famous bright Alpine Flower Meadows. Similar to cycling in isolated rural areas, here we equipped ourselves with enough food, water and a GPS unit. It’s not totally a strange sight to see skier skating along through deep snow, with their dog sporting a doggie-vest and doggie panniers with a first aid kit cross emblazoned on its side.

Snowy Itinerary by Faux German Christmas U.S. Town
Along with snowshoeing trek on the Icicle Ridge route, we also explored Leavenworth’s faux German-Christmas decked buildings, shops and restaurants.   This American town is self-consciously bedecked year-round in 

Birds take refuge in pretzel tree. Leaveworth, Washington 2009. Photo by HJEH Becker

German regalia and celebrates some German festivals as a tourist drawing card. Winter time just after Christmas, is a good time to enjoy the town’s festive lights, German restaurant fare and its Nutcracker Museum –which was closed on the day we were there.

Kistchy as it may seem, to me, I take a snowshoe step back for a bigger picture: it’s no more kitschier than any Chinatown in North America with its golden dragons and red lanterns. (Funny, I don’t hear lots of non-Chinese complaining that Chinatown is kitschy.)

Despite groan-inducing prices for food and necessities by captive visitors at these snowy mountain retreats, it’s hard to ignore the siren pull of shimmering snowfall over snow-swept, jagged mountains, snow-slathered forests and fields.

Note:  These wilderness park and resort areas do have bears, cougars and wolves.  Several years ago near Lake Louise, at Lake Minnekawa, a local cross-country skier was killed by a cougar just a day before we arrived for winter hiking in the area.  She was alone.  I have seen wild bears twice on separate trips –once while cycling on the Continental Divide near Field, Alberta and the other was a bear cub with mother, at a parking lot by a trailhead, Waterton National Park, Alberta.  Long-time North Vancouver residents do have stories of bears occasionally rummaging around in their neighbourhood.