Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Canadian Rockies 2006

Do we dare submit an entry for the Y2006 Elizabeth Park Hut drawing?
Maybe, maybe not. You tell me!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005


Do vacations have to end? We definitely took the less traveled road, when choosing our memorable vacation. I hope you all enjoyed our trip. Please email us your comments or your questions. (We are also missing email addresses from some of the people we met along the way) email= rockies2005@gmail.com


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Two of the bears enjoying the amusement park.
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Waterslide city!!! An enjoyable worth while visit! ---over 14 different slides. I felt like I was in a football stadium.
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We traveled 5 hours to West Edmonton Mall -- 48 blocks long with a huge indoor water and amusement park. A well deserved treat for the tremendous family effort. Before we reached the mall I was having
computer repair problems. I wish my favorite computer technician from http://www.computerrepairservice.net (the phoenix onsite computer repair) people were nearby to fix my computer problems.

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A rare sunny view of Mt Robson. My amazing kids conquered some of the most prestigious areas in Canada. We traveled over 14 miles bringing our total hiking distance to over 100+ miles!! How did we celebrate this unique occasion?


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Afternoon snooze with my little bear!
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Our Tarp Tents from Henry Shires were extra light! Weighing in at just over 5.5lbs. The tarp tents kept us nice and dry through a sudden thunderstorm.
Yes that is one of our Leki trekking poles holding up the front beak. A nearby camper even took pictures of our tent, because he too wanted a Henry Shires tarp tent. http://www.tarptent.com
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Everyone successfully crossed over the bridge and back, even little bear. She appears to be clutching for her life as she proceeds across the bridge. We obeyed the sign, not helping her across. Look at the interesting pulley system.

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A wiggly suspension bridge. You must avoid leaning over the side and balance your pack to avoid a deadly plunge into the fierce moving glacier fed river. It is a personal achievement just for negotiating this bridge Copyright KOZMO 2005

There is a reason why you see these "One Person" bridge signs. Do you see the heavy gauge cable next to the planks?
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No idea what these feathery flowers are? Any ideas?
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Try this crossing blindfolded.
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Berg Lake Trail. We visited another popular "A" rated Canadian park. We had the opportunity experience some dangerous rushing creek crossing.
Grade school balance beam practice is a must! Proper footing is required.
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Tuesday, July 19, 2005


Tonight we enjoying our stay at a very nice Holiday Inn. Tomorrow we proceed to our final mini adventure at Berg Lake(6 nights of backpacking). We should have updates available on July 26th!
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July 19th our voyage continued towards Jasper (4.5 hour drive). We drove the Ice Line hwy, which the famous Ice Fields is pictured here. We are now in Valemount for the night.
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After hiking out on July 18th we tried our best to avoid the bears. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant, which Bear #1 wanted to eat an adult sized meal instead of a kid's meal. He was definately hungry after the big hike.
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The KOZ Family backpacked / hiked an incredible amount of miles during the 6 days at Assiniboine (July 13-18). 42 miles!!! Climbing over 2200 ft in elevation. Bring our vacation total to: 82.1 miles & 13500ft altitude gain. There are no quitters in this group. By the way, Bear #2 swam in a creek up to her neck (the waters must have been about 40F). She was quite chilled afterwards, as you might imagine.
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One bottle pop, two bottle pop, three bottle pop! ... The Canadian welcoming committee was out again. We met two groups of friendly people on this trip. The group of ladies pictured here not only shared their savory wine and tasty treats, but also conducted the first annual "Bryant Creek Shelter Talent Show". An Amazing skit the won best of show! We still have the song programmed into our minds and we will be singing it up the Berg Lake trail. "Fish & Chips and Vinegar""Pepper Pepper Salt" (July 17th) Copyright KOZMO 2005

Another glacier mountain. And another photo opportunity for me.
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Marvel Lake is a lengthly lake at about 2 miles long. Gorgious turquois blue body of water. Copyright KOZMO 2005

Marvel Lake hidden by the morning fog! There is actually a lake you should be seeing.
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Bears reach the top of Wonder Pass.
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July 17th, Bears hiking out of Assiniboine through Wonder Pass. What a cold morning 38F. 8.5 miles of "Wonder" views.
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Our private cabin had two bunks, wood stove, two windows, and a eating area. These cabins were built in 1928 by AO Wheeler, Alpine Club of Canada founder. Parks Canada modernized the structures in the 70's and recently replaced the roofs.
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What in the world! This is more than I need to know or see! Actually, this is the most unique biffy yet, composter and artifact room.
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Momma bear showing off her Red Ledge rain gear.
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July 16th - rain day, we decided to summit the Nublet.
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More stunning wildflowers.
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Also on July 15th we visited the approach to Mount Assiniboine. The local ranger said that there is a Grizzly and her sow in this area, but all we saw was a single footprint.
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The wildflowers were blooming beautifully in the area.
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July 15th we visited Lake Sunburst and Cerulean. Amazing glacier fed lakes. We have been told that fishing is excellent, but we never saw any fish near the shores.
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What's wrong with this picture. Brought back memories of raising the flag at the Camelback Inn. The local BC ranger raised the BC flag, before the Canadian flag. The little bears spotted this mistake right away.
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The bears feeling the fridges waters of Lake Magog.
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Another nice sighting was this Bald Eagle near the shores of Lake Magog. Some of the locals didn't even know that this bird was flying around the area.
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Mt. Assiniboine, resembling Switzerland's Matterhorn is Canada's seventh highest peak at 11,867 ft. Typically in the clouds, but a lucky day for all of us to see this amazing glaciated mountain. Sepp and Barb's daughter climbed this difficult mountain at age 12, making her the youngest person to climb the peak. It is quite dangerous to summit this mountain, because the immense amount of snow.
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Barb kept the kids busy by having them compete in a game of "Jenga" She did dare Bear #3 to take a dip in Lake Magog before dinner. She also talked about the allusive Assiniboine hot springs, which we never found.
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Afternoon tea at the lodge was a welcomed perk for everyone. We enjoyed the scrumptious treats of various cakes.. The kids enjoyed ginger snaps and lemon aid, while we sipped our black tea and ate pumpkin chocolate chip, spice cake, and a tropical fruit pound cake. Barb and Sepp Renner the hosts of the lodge were quite friendly and even shared guest stories. A quiet place to relax after a enduring day of hiking.
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Assiniboine Lodge was nearby, but no relative was willing to sponsor our stay ($1,440 / night), so we opted for the budgeted Naiset cabins.
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4 hours, 1,200 ft elevation gain, and 8.5 miles later, everyone arrived safely to our cozy cabin for the next three night. (July 14th)
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The view from the pass was amazing. We could vividly see Mount Assinibione in the distance.
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Momma and bear #4 show some enthusiasm after ascending Assinibione Pass.
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We were surprised to discover this moose antler, while traveling through a marshy meadow.
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July 14th, we headed toward the other side of this mountain range (another 8 mile backpacking day)
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We visited the local Warden's cabin, about .25 mile away from the shelter. The Warden, who we can't recall her name was very informative. The bears asked if she packed any pistols. She said no, but she does carry a long arm. She has a posh cabin, with an outdoor sauna and shower. Pictured is her two horses, which trade off carrying her equipment..
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Bear #3 chopping wood for the evening fire.
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The Bryant Creek Shelter was our home, for the first night. The entire hike is 16.5 miles, which the shelter is about midway through the hiking, making it a perfect resting point. Very primitive building. No cooking facilities or light -- Not that we didn't need lights, because sunlight is visible until 10:45 p.m.
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Bear #3 pausing a moment on a bridge across the raging Bryant Creek.
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We did site some interesting wildlife along the trail. We saw about 10 deer the entire trip.
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July 13th, our first day, we trekked about 8.5 miles in about 3.5 hours. Beautiful day for a family hike.
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The KOZ Family arrives at Kananaskis Country in the heart of the
Canadian Rockies. Our 4th leg of our amazing vacation. 5 nights in Assiniboine.
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