Leaving Tofino, I caught a ride back to Nanaimo to catch a ferry back to Vancouver for the night. The drive took us through a very snowy and treacherous stretch, which involved the car slipping out into a barrier. Control was regained before nearly heading off a cliff, and after some very clever defensive driving, we rolled into Nanaimo a little shaken. I said goodbye to my lift and caught the ferry across to Horseshoe Bay before returning to the Samesun Hostel for the night, where Mike was due to pick me up early the next morning to head east.
A 7am start followed and we hit the road, busted out some tunes and headed through suburban Vancouver and onward towards Jasper. After an hour or two of driving, the scenery changed quickly as snow began to thicken and the Rocky Mountains came into view. Mike and I chatted, listened to CDs, and caught up on everything that had been happening in our lives. There is nothing quite like a road trip for getting to know someone well.
After six or seven hours on the road, we arrived in Jasper by nightfall. We organised accommodation at the HI hostel and booked a tour for the following morning through Maligne Canyon to see the frozen waterfalls. Tired and dealing with temperatures close to minus twenty, we grabbed some quick Subway for dinner and called it an early night.
The night before, we had debated leaving most of our gear in the car, though choosing not to proved wise. Everything had frozen overnight, including our water bottles. Packing up in the morning, we headed out early for the tour and found ourselves incredibly lucky, as we were the only two people on it. The walk through Maligne Canyon was stunning, surrounded by snow, ice, and frozen falls.
After checking the weather conditions, we decided to take the Icefields Parkway towards Banff and Lake Louise straight away to ensure we arrived before nightfall. Snow was forecast, but with the right gear and Mike’s confident four-wheel-drive skills, we headed south. The drive through the Rockies was nothing short of incredible. Watching snow drift and twist across the road is something I will never forget. A few deep patches slowed us down, but we pushed on and eventually reached Lake Louise.
Stopping briefly to see Lake Louise completely frozen over, we took it in before continuing on. Feeling weary and tired, we finally pulled into the Samesun Hostel in Banff for some well-earned rest, dinner, and a beer.
After the long drive through the Icefields Parkway, arriving safely in Banff felt like a small victory. I can only imagine what Lake Louise must look like in summer. We settled into a dorm with a fireplace and bathroom and headed out that evening to the Beaver Bar. There, I caught up with Dean, a good friend I had made in Vancouver who was living in Banff at the time. A late-night walk through town followed before turning in early, ready for the next day.
The following day was spent exploring Banff and visiting the Hoodoos. Winter scenery in Banff is absolutely ridiculous in the best possible way. Later that evening, we caught a film and made the somewhat hasty decision to drive back to Vancouver the next day, a choice that turned out to be a good one.
Vancouver seemed to draw us both back again, and we managed the drive from Banff to Vancouver in a single day. A day later, I said goodbye to Mike, a great friend I had made along the way, as he headed south towards Washington and onward to Montana. Paul also came to visit from Tofino as he made his way east towards Montreal.
Another unsettled period followed. Friends were still around at the Samesun and time was spent together before the feeling returned that something needed to change. The pull towards Halifax grew stronger and became too difficult to ignore. One last trip in British Columbia felt necessary, so plans were made to visit Victoria, a city on Vancouver Island I had been told I should see before leaving for Halifax at last.
This decision would prove to be life-defining, drawing me back and forth between both cities many times in the years that followed.
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