THE SCARY WALK

I forgot to mention the scary walk we did in Canmore on our day off last week! SH**! We asked at the information point about climbing the 3 sisters but she advised us against it due to our lack of equipment. She recocomended Spray Valley which was deep into the forest and took us quite a drive up to go there over sketchy gravel roads. We spotted some moose on the way but they did not have the horns. They are MASSIVE!

The lady at the information point strongly reccommended we buy some Bear Spray or rent some - however with $400 in our pocket we decided we couldnt afford to spend $12 on a potential life saving tool and declined the offer. The walk was easy but a little boring and just straight paths deep into "Bear Land" luckily there were (what looked like) experienced hikers behind us. After a quick chat with them they told us they were going ALOT further than us about 17km! We wer only walking about 2km I think! They were staying in a hut thing overnight. We told them we were scared of the bears and they said to just make lots of noise so we dont startle them. So between us I clapped and shouted "Day Oh" Which mike said i shouted in a weired accent!

The hikers wanted us to walk in front so we did but we kept stopping until we knew they were in view as we were so scared. Safety in Numbers! It did not occur to me as petrified as i was until Mike kindly pointed out that once we arrive at the waterfall and lake to eat our lunch they would pass us and we would have to walk all the way back - ALONE! I froze - turned white and was completely out of my confort zone as it was. We had no spray - no stick - no knife - no bear bell. We were surrounded by berries from lef to right in front and behind us, Bears eat only berries and they have to consume enough berries to get them through their hibernation period which is close. I kept seeing animal foot prints in the mud which Mike convinced me were of a horse - and I think they were.

Then we came accross a massive - what looked like - spew of berries on our tracks! Shi**! I just wanted to get to our destination and get the Fu** out of there! My heart was racing and I felt we had been walking much longer than an hour! WE waited for teh guys and asked them how far. They said we had passed it a while ago and assumed we were wanting a longer hike. Great! We said our feeble goodbyes and walked all the way back crapping ourseves alone in Bear Land! Even Mike was worried. I was shouting "Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum" in my loudest voice which is he word I can shout the loudest - much much practice over the years. I was clappin as hard and loud as I could so the bears would not show themselves. We picked up our pace and got back to teh turn off for the lake which was our destination point. I'm sure the guy said it was only 500m to the lake but couldnt be sure and were petrified so we just walked all the way back without even daring to see the lake the waterfall or even eat our lunch! What a bloody waste of time that was! I have never been so relieved when we approached the car park! - away from the forest, trees and berries!

Mike said "I didnt want to scare you but I read a sign that said something about the Grizzley bears being most aggressive and seen in Sept and Oct with their cubs and that the trail is closed this month! - JESUS!