We've been on the road on the Canadian Parks West tour now since Monday the 4th it has been cool but really full on.

Spent the first two nights in Whistler had a good look around and went climbing on Black Comb glacier in the afternoon (crampons and ice axes). Saw a black bear in a tree that morning having flash-bangs fired at it too scare it also saw black bear on way up Whistler ski runs to glacier. Quiet a chic place with a lot to do but also with large price tags on everything.

Spent the next three days in Wells Gray state park. Walked into a mountain cabin on the edge of Wells Gray and did an arvo hike from there - no one here but the 14 of us and a mountain guide. Swam in an awesome alpine lake with the best view in the world!!! Walked back down and drove to Clearwater lake camped overnight on remote lake campsite. Watched stars from canoe in the middle of the lake at midnight!!! Lots of swimming and camping fantastic place. On leaving Wells Gray we were treated to a large black bear wondering along the side of the road - unfortunately he took off into the bush before photos could be taken. There are a lot of bears in Canada! No Grizzleys or Pizzleys yet...........

Sunday 10th August

Do bears s***e in the woods? No, they s***e on mountain bike trails........

Relocated to Jasper on Saturday hired mountain bikes the next day and hit the trails around town. Bit nervous in the morning though in a group of eight as there had been a grizzley bear seen near the trail - great biking setup. In the PM three of us went out to ride another trail. About a kilometer in at a junction we met a ranger with shot gun (and other toys) going to scare a bear off one of the trail (fortunately in the opposite direction to us! We rode for a bit more and encountered another four riders, one of whom had just come from where we were going and pointed out that he had seen a bear a little way up the trail. We bunched in a group of six nd took off. Rounding two bends we came across a grizzly bear around 20 meters from the track grazing happily on a bank. I glanced at it thought cool and kept peddling hard - this was a little too close for comfort. The bears are eve