Wow time goes by so fast sometimes. I have had a great couple of weeks, thats for sure. I have been so busy with work, friends, going out and getting out and seeing the places surrounding Banff.

Here is a picture of the street i now live in. You can't quite see my house in this picture because its behind the trees, i wanted to get the mountain in the pic so you can see where I live. my house is on the left behind some of those trees, its pretty awesome.









After my trip on the ATV, me and a guy I met from Quebec JD went for a hike along the hoodoo trail, which was really pretty. Here is me at one of the look outs on the trail.








On sunday night we all went out to Auroras for the 25cent beer night, which ended quite messy. Was a good night. The weirdest thing happened to me while I was there. There was a blond girl there who kept looking at me, and me at her because she looked so familiar. Turns out it was Rachelle Burley, a girl that I went to high school with back in Coffs, and who I haven't seen in years. Was really cool to run into someone I know on the other side of the world!

Here is a pic of Melissa, Tom me and Barbie at Auroras.

Then on the monday after that I did the discover Banff tour as locals get it for just $8, and I am a local as I have a job here :) so that was pretty cool. unfortunatly I was feeling like someone was hitting me in the head with a brick, but it was a nice day out. Was good, i went back to Lake Minnewanka, and it wasn't frozen this time, it was so pretty.


Here is me at Lake Minnewanka



On Wednesday I did a hike up around Lake Louise. It was really pretty, but I was quite sick for about 2 weeks because I was doing too much and not sleeping enough, so the hike was a little more difficult for me then usual, but I still enjoyed it.

Here is a pic of Lake Louise looking down from where we hiked up to, the top of the Bee-hive.







On the Thursday I did a tour called Discover Bears. It was a great day, we took a bus to Golden and went up the goldola at kicking horse, where we met grizzly bear Boo (left) a bear whose mother was illigally shot when he was a cub, and so he was taken in and cared for. Then on the way back from Golden we saw a black bear and her two cubs on the side of the road, but they ran too fast for any of us to get pics, they were so cute. Then we went up the goldola at Lake Louise and saw a grizzly and a black bear walking on the ski fields. So it was a great day seeing 6 bears!!


Here is me posing infront of Lake Louise. The lake is a pretty aqua colour which comes about because the water is from glacial melt. The colour is from what is called rock flour, as the glaciers melt parts of rock are dissolved in the water, which then flowes into the river, causing light to reflect and give us these amazing colours. Its really pretty, and as you get higher, the colour of the water appears more and more aqua.

Below are pictures of a heard of big horned sheep, and, male elk.





















Went up to the HI the other night for karaoke night. I wasn't planning on getting up to sing, but it ended up that I was one of the ones who got up the most.

Here is Brandi. me and JD singing enter sandman, me and JD also did an awesome version of Smells like teen spirit hahaha. Was a good night. going to work the next day was interesting as i started at 5:30 and was still drunk when I got to work.


On monday Brandi had a friend come and visit, and he had hired a car, so we went for a drive to Canmore, then Lake Louise again, then Moraine lake. To the left is Brandi, Cameron and me infront of lake Louise.










I climbed up ontop of a huge pile of rocks to take this pic. It's really pretty, but I am now wishing that I didn't wear thongs, as i sprained one foot, and cut a toe open on my other foot, but hey, i got the pretty picture.









Last night JD and I went to the movies to see Get smart, it was really funny, I have to say that it is worth seeing for those who wanted to know. So thats me pretty much up to date. Im leaving Banff to go see more of Canada in a few days, so ill keep you up to date with where I am.

Karyn

my thursday

Today was such a good day so i thought i should post another blog. in the morning i got up early and got picked up and driven out to a place near Golden in BC (British Columbia). i went for an all terrain vehicle (ATV aka quad bike) tour through the rockey mountains. it was so amasing. i had so much fun, i was the only female driver on the trip and went right up the front, i loved every minute of it. it was crazy, it has been raining here alot lately, but was sunny today so we got to go through all the mud and got so dirty. we went through a creek, up and down hills, over roots on Awesome really rough terrain and up to a few really pretty viewpoints. Above is a picture of the waterfall we went and saw, it was a muddy but exciting trail to get there. to the left is a picture of me on the ATV at one of the view points, it was so amasing up there. I like this pic cuz the girls said it makes me look badass haha. Was a great adventure, the whole time i was driving i was thinking about how much Tim (brother) would love to be doing this, it's so his thing.






Here is me with Brandy and Melissa, Mel was my room mate for a month when we lived at 426 Cougar, and Brandy is my current room mate at 172 marmot, they are both awesome girls so i had to include them on my blog.








Today anyone who works in Banff got free passes to go up the goldola to the top of sulphur mountain, so a group of us took advantage of the freebees and went up. It was a nice day, good views, so here is a nice picture of me infront of Banff up the top of the mountain.

P.s, if you enlarge this pic you may be able to see what i got done on sunday :) this is one of the first pics with my new look.

So this was my thursday, and i must say that i am totally exhausted and ready for beddies.






Oooh and before i go, here is a picture of my new best friend haha. isn't he cute. he came and sat in my hand, i so want to take him home with me, but they wont let me. he's a chipmunk, i want one.








Night all, luv Kayn

Ok, it has been longer then i thought since i have been online, i guess i have been too busy to update my blog. sorry i will try to do it more often.

anyways, i have been doing so much since the last update. i have been working a fair bit in the restaurant, as well as doing hikes and all kinda of things.

My friend Bron who i have known since i was about 4 i think was in Banff a few weeks ago, so we went over to the Johnston Canyon. Here is a picture of the catwalk which is bolted into the side of the rock of the canyon, this was really cool. Underneath this is a pic of me and Bron at the canyon.



















I also went for a tour around, i went to Castle mountain, Moraine lake and Lake Louise. it was really pretty, as you can see in the pics below, the lakes were still icy on top, but it was worth the trip.




Castle mountain













Morane Curve



















Moraine Lake















Lake Louise











I went to what is known as the cave and Basin, which is a series of natural hot springs, one of which is inside a cave. It was pretty, but very smelly. the caves have a large amount of sulphur in them, so the smell is very strong, so i did not stay therte for very long. This place is quite unique as it is home to an endangered species of snail that only lives in the 5 springs in Banff. The snail is so unique as it survives in this warm water that has a higher amount of sulphur, and not as much oxygen as other water, which i thought was pretty cool.









Ok in the last week and a half i have been white water rafting three times, i think that i am addicted haha. I went for the first time on the 29th of May to a place in the Kananaskas known as the horseshoe canyon, which is the intermediate rapid. it was so much fun, i had such a good time, until the end. the water in the Bow river that we were rafting on was 5 degrees, it was a glacial melt and so had been ice just a few hours before. The people in my raft for some reason thought that it would be a good idea to flip the raft on purpose on the last rapid. now come on what a silly idea that was, although i am proud to say i was the only one apposed to the idea, and the only one who actually followed instructions when in the water, other then the other stupid people who all paniced and had to get rescued.

other then swimming in a freezing river, i loved rafting so much that i went and did the hardest rapid a week later. the kicking horse. it was one of the best things that i have ever done, i loved it so much. we had alot of class 4 rapids all in a row, getting my body thrown around like that was graet, i cant wait to go and do more rivers.

then last night there was a free rafting trip for all staff in Banff that deal with the public, so we had over 80 people in their 20's on the river in 8 rafts, it was such a great night. the river was higher thit time so the rapids were better. i had a blast, but i am paying for it today as im sick, but you get that.

We had a few sunny days over a week ago, so i went for a hike up tunnel mountain again. To the side is a picture looking in the valley behind Banff.
Below is a picture of banff from the top of Tunnel mountain.























Here is a pretty pic of the Fairmont Banff springs hotel, thought i would throw it in because its really pretty. This is where my aunt and uncle stayed when they were here in Banff the other day, it is also where alot of famous people have stayed, that chick Kim Cattrell i think, from sex in the city is there at the moment i read in the papers.






Last week me and a few of the guys went for a hike up to the Sundance Canyon. it took over 4 1/2 hours to do the hike, and my feet were so sore, but it was really worth it.


I also moved house a week ago. i now live in an appartment with 6 other people. my roommate is girl named Brandy, who i have known for ages, she is really great. the others are sweet too, most of them are Phillipino and they are great, i am so happy here!!









Anyways ill try to keep you all up to date.

Karyn