Canada 2025

Monday8September

A damp awakening this morning, but fortunately, the rain has stopped, allowing us to quietly have our breakfast before we pack everything up to hit the road again, heading for Banff and its namesake park.

And a few minutes after leaving the campsite... Arf!!! What do we see sticking out on the side of the road, a fur that doesn't deceive! A bear! And we almost expected it because the day before, in the same place, we had crossed three bear cubs "escorted" by park ranger cars. But this time, we are alone, and we will be able to take advantage of it to observe the plantigrade.

Apparently, it's looking for berries to eat.

It doesn't stay still; it stops for a few seconds to eat its berries, then quickly moves right next to it, and starts over constantly.

We decide to approach the car along the road a few meters from it.   It's superb and, no doubt, it's indeed a grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)! The other bear that can be encountered is the black bear (Ursus americanus); the latter is a little smaller than the grizzly. We will also encounter it soon!

Ursus arctos horribilis? The grizzly is not "horrible" as its Latin name, given to it in 1815 by American naturalist George Ord, might suggest... A few meters from us (and safe in the car  ), it is just a simple large mammal feeding amidst the vegetation. Well, obviously, we won't go give it a hug...  

The tag 169 visible on its ear means that the animal is listed and monitored by Alberta's conservation services. This marking allows park rangers to identify the individual from a distance to monitor its movements and behavior without requiring a new capture. In any case, it will make us happy, it would have been a shame to return to France without having encountered one of the emblematic animals of the Rockies!

We leave our friend and resume the beautiful winding roads of Alberta to reach Banff, about a hundred kilometers away.

After setting up our tent at Tunnel Mountain Campground, we head to the town of Banff, by the Bow Falls.

The waterfall faces Mount Rundle.

On the side, the enormous Fairmont Banff Springs building emerges from the coniferous forest.

A promenade runs along the Bow River to the next bridge.

Art installations line the path.

Ha! A vague resemblance to our encounter this morning!  

The "Banff Pedestrian Bridge" with Cascade Mountain in the background.

Here we are on the left bank.

The Fairmont Banff Springs was inaugurated in 1888 under the impetus of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Its Scottish Baronial style architecture is inspired by European castles to attract international travelers. After a fire in 1926, the current structure was rebuilt with local limestone extracted from the rock faces.

A red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) sprawls on the branch of a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). This relaxed posture helps regulate its body temperature after an intense seed harvest.

Ah, that's it, I've been spotted. But it's used to walkers, nothing will disturb it; it might resume its grooming, a necessary activity to maintain the waterproofing and insulation of its fur.

Cavities excavated by woodpeckers can also serve as lodges for squirrels to shelter or store cones.

Here we are at the starting point but on the other side, right next to the waterfalls.

We turn back to return to the car. These horses must have done the same to bring a group of tourist riders back to the parking lot.  

With the car retrieved, we approach the center of Banff, never far from the Bow River, here on the pedestrian bridge Nancy Pauw Bridge with the superb reflections of the neighboring mountains.

Cascade Mountain and its 3006 meters.

On the other side, Mount Rundle and its 2766 meters.

The gazebo in Banff's Central Park, named in homage to Louis Trono (1909–2004), a local musician and conductor whose career marked the cultural life of the region for over 45 years.

A short stroll through the streets of Banff. The town of Banff owes its existence to the expansion of the transcontinental railway in the late 19th century. In 1883, three Canadian Pacific workers discovered sulphurous hot springs on the flank of Sulphur Mountain. This event led to the creation of Canada's first nature reserve in 1885 under the name of Rocky Mountains Park. George Stephen, president of the railway company, named the site after his hometown in Scotland.

St. Paul's Presbyterian Church from 1930, at the intersection of Banff Avenue and Wolfe Street.

Bronze plaques decorate the ground on Wolf Street to evoke local biodiversity. This medallion represents the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in its natural habitat.

Last few glimpses of the reflections before leaving...  

And here we are, a few minutes from town, at our new spot in the Tunnel Mountain Village campground! The barbecue is started and will finish in the dark as usual. At 8:30 PM, it's already dark.