This is my last day here at home home. It’s sending me off in typical PNW fashion with a gloomy morning and maybe, just maybe it’ll light up in the afternoon.

But it’s my last day and I’m not sure when I’ll be back? Maybe Christmas? Who knows?

Knowing me, it’ll probably be Christmas. It usually is.

These past two weeks away from LA went by quickly like it usually does. Sure there were some slow days where I really didn’t do anything at all, but I was sick, so there’s that.

I didn’t get to go hiking with Pickles because he’s a fucking asshole. The night and a few days after I picked him up from the boarders, he was limping and moving gingerly. I had suspicions that he’s faking it, wanting some attention and not wanting to be sent off again. So, because of that, I never went out hiking with him, fearing that it was a real injury.

So, yesterday, he was back to form, an extra spring in his step, walking and running fast. Fucker! I say. Asshole!

But it’s good, I don’t have to worry about him being injured anymore. So, in a way, that’s a weight off my mind.

So, going back, it’s my last day.

I really don’t have much planned besides the movie with my bro.

It’s my last day together with mom. She actually took the day off yesterday too because she didn’t realize that I was leaving Sunday and not Monday.

We went wine tasting, which was on my short list of things to do while I was up here.

We left a little late so we only tried two wineries, but overall, it was great. I got to had some other wines at Chateau Ste Michelle and we visited another winery called JM Cellars. That one wasn’t as good as Chateau.

But, yes, it is definitely something that I’ll have to do again and visit more. Make it a bigger trip next time. Maybe when some uncles and aunties are around, we all can go.

Maybe. Who knows?

* * *

Looking back on this trip, this one was a lot more family than my usual trips back here, especially during the summer time. Sure, there were a few things that were the same and a few things that I didn’t do, but all-in-all, it was a very family centric trip.

I guess all of my trips back here to the PNW are always family centric trips.

Sure, I didn’t have many solo excursions with Pickles like I normally would, like hiking or exploring Seattle, but I managed to get one on the first day that I felt better after my cold. Pickles and I explored Tacoma a little more. Man, so much has changed in the past 15 years. So much.

It’s barely recognizable or that I just can’t remember what Tacoma looked like anymore.

Time. It changes things.

But, something new and different happened on this trip and that was getting drinks at bars with the kids, well the kids that are able to drink. I’m sure it all started with me taking Cloud to Snickers in Chicago and just chilling and I guess we just wanted to continue that tradition. It was great. Just shooting the shit and talking about life, vacationing and just getting to know each other better, in general. It’s definitely something that I want to keep up.

But it’ll definitely not be for a while since Cloud will be studying abroad in France.

But, maybe it’ll happen since we maybe be planning a trip to Italy and France next year. Let’s hope that happens. Fucking hope my bro steps up and actually plan something.

It not, then I’ll have to fucking step up again.

We shall see. We shall see.

* * *

Now all I have to do is to prepare myself for the long 18-hour drive. It’s a lot of mind over matter. I don’t really have to rush and I know I should take it easy and get back whenever I get back.

Benjo and Zarlenga already know my situation and are totally okay with me not showing up to work on Monday. They understand.

So, let’s just see how things go.

PNW.

It was a good trip. Sure I didn’t get to do much, but I set out to do most of the things that were on my list and had a few surprises thrown in there.

Good trip.

Till the next one.

Definitely, till the next one.

Banff.

What can I say?

AMAZING.

Just absolutely breathtaking.

There were moments when I just stood and took in my surroundings. The beautiful turquoise waters of Lake Louise with the mountains and valleys around it. I was alone, while my brother was straddling behind or doing his business, but I stood and let them embrace me.

Tears.

I almost cried. Tears formed. My eyes tingled from the wetness of the pools forming at the bottom of my eyes. They almost fell.

Just beautiful.

BEAUTIFUL.

Banff.

* * *

I’d seriously been meaning to go to Banff for quite a few years now. Ever since that I found out that it was about a 10-hour drive from Seattle. I’d driven much longer to go hiking before and 10 hours was nothing.

It didn’t quite get serious until Glacier National Park. I went with my bro and that was just a 9-hour drive. I think it was around that time, back in 2013, that I realize that I need to utilize and do more while I take my usual two-week vacation back at home home. I need to make excursions and long trips out of it. I need to make my time away worth it, rather than just staying home and doing nothing.

I needed to explore and Glacier was my first trip. That was amazing.

So, I decided, Banff.

And finally I did it and it was a banging success.

Banff.

We definitely need to meet again.

* * *

We left bright and early Saturday morning.

The drive in itself wasn’t too bad. I didn’t actually know what I was going to expect on the drive, but I sure didn’t expect that.

The road wasn’t too crowded nor did I have any problems with traffic.

I was just surprised that for about 95% of the drive was through vast wilderness and mountains. You slit through valleys and ride high on mountain tops.

The scenery was magical. I was floored by its green beauty. Just floored.

It was mostly a quiet drive, since my bro and I are usually quiet people, especially around each other. We just listened to podcasts that I had been saving up and that was that.

We got some lunch around the halfway mark, at Kamloops. Nothing special.

After we checked in we were on our way to start exploring Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. We needed to get some dinner. We stopped by the village first to figure out our dinner options, but then we opted to go to the fancier restaurants at the Chateau and that was worth it.

Just magical.

Just magic.

When I first laid eyes on Lake Louise for the first time with my bare eyes instead of pictures, I gasped. Floored by its beauty.

There were people still on the lake in canoes at around 8pm at night. The sun doesn’t set until 9:30 or so there.

But I was just floored.

The gorgeous color of the water dwarfed by the high mountains on either side of the lake and the back mountain range with the glacier ice just hanging there. Serene. Tranquil.

Even the other tourists around snapping pictures didn’t bother me at all. I was in my element. I was tuned in to the zen frequency.

After ingesting the beautiful scene and snapping the obligatory pictures, we went to explore the Chateau and look at our dining options.

We decided on the lounge and they sat us close to a window where we had a great view of the lake.

I had the lamb curry. It wasn’t good. Salty, but I was hungry and I’d arrive. I didn’t care.

* * *

Sunday was the first day of our time there.

Well before the trip I got a rough idea of what we were going to do. I had all the trail maps uploaded to my phone. I got most everything planned out. It was just a rough agenda with plenty of time for exploration.

Sunday I planned to do the Lake Agnes Teahouse and then to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. Yes, I did the two teahouse loop. It was roughly about a 13-15-mile hike, but we added a few more miles with some side trail exploration.

I do have to say, it was fucking busy that day. Maybe it was because it is a Sunday or that it was Lake Louise and there’s just a shit ton of people, but the trails were packed.

We started the hike a little later than I wanted because I forgot about the one-hour time difference, but in the end, it all worked out.

For the most part, I just zoomed as my brother was held back by a group, but he finally managed to catch up. By the time we reached the Lake Agnes Teahouse it was already packed.

It was so crowded there, so many people that we couldn’t even get a spot. Instead we found a spot by the lake, ate some energy bars, rested and then we were on our way.

We had a mountain to climb, and fucking holy hell, that one was rough. It was the BeeHive.

Once we got to the top, we decided to hit up the lookout and the pagoda. There was a beautiful view of the valley and Lake Louise down below. Magical. The shimmering turquoise water down below was mesmerizing.

Amazing.

After getting our view of the lake, we were on our way and we worked our way down the mountain to hit up the Highline Trail to the Plain of Six Glaciers.

The incline on that trail wasn’t too bad but maybe it was just the high elevation or the expectation or the length of the trail, but I was fucking dying. But we finally got to the other teahouse and it was a lot less crowded.

As I posted on my IG, it was a lot less crowded because that hike was no joke. I’m sure if we went there first, I wouldn’t have a problem, but man, I was dying on that hike.

We found a table and got our biscuit and tea and just chilled for a bit before we head up to the PofSG lookout.

That hike wasn’t too bad. Just up and up and we took our time but it provided us more great views and then disaster came. We were almost right to the end of the lookout and then the storm came.

The rain/hail/sleet/snow came and we were caught in it on a precarious ridge trail. We hustled down the trail back to the teahouse at a very good fast clip. That’s when my bro aggravated his knee.

It was about 3+ miles back to the hotel from the teahouse and we just soldiered on. We put on our rain gear and just hiked down while it rained on and off.

But it was an exhilarating rush as we hiked down. My bro took his time with his bum knee as people were passing us by.

I was getting annoyed, but I’m an asshole. He was slowing me down.

But we managed to get to the bottom in one piece for the most part and that was the end of our adventure for the first day. We went back to the lodge, took a shower, rested and then we drove back to the Chateau to get dinner.

I had a lamb stew. I wasn’t bad, but I know for sure I was done with stews and stew like food for a while.

* * *

The next day was our final day in Banff and the weather turned out much better than the day before.

That day we, or I, decided to do Moraine Lake and Larch Valley.

Going up the first set of switchbacks to the beginning of Larch Valley was tough. We were definitely on a much slower pace than the day before.

I’m sure a lot of it had to do with how tired we were from the day before and my bro having a bum knee and also it was just fucking up and up and up in high elevation.

But oh man, it was fucking beautiful once we got to Larch Valley. The 10 peaks stood high up in the sky and the Valley opened and that’s all there was, the peaks.

We made it to the end and took a rest by the lake that was right before Sentinel Pass. From everything that I’ve read, the view from Sentinel Pass was phenomenal, but man, we were tired. The trail was about 1 mile in total distance and about a thousand feet in elevation gain. It was rough.

I’m sure if we took our time we wouldn’t have a problem, but knowing my bro, he wasn’t down. He was concerned about making it down the valley and the hike because of his bum knee. Next time.

Next time.

I was in awe with the amount of people that was hiking up there. Sure it wasn’t as busy as the day prior, but there were quite a few at the lake, already on the pass, and many that were coming up when we hiked down.

The one thing that I loved was how many dogs were hiking up there. We saw quite a few on both days, from big dogs to little dogs. There were dogs everywhere and I loved that Canada had such a lax dog law for their National parks.

We finally made it down to the fork of the trail head and then we made our long long way to Eiffel Lake. The hike in itself wasn’t bad, a fairly straight and flat two-mile trail along the side of the mountain offering spectacular views of the Ten Peaks and a few peeks at Moraine Lake down below.

We rested for a bit at the lake and then we make our long way back. Again, my bro had to take his time going down the trail to the actual trail head.

I was very annoyed with it of course, ’cause I’m and asshole, and then my left knee started to hurt. Karma.

Karma. She’s a bitch.

We made it all the way down and we had one final hike left to do, the Moraine Lake trail. This short 3/4 of a mile trail goes along the side of the lake. We made it to the end, took in the views and then we hiked our way back to the car and then we called it a day.

Like usual, we drove back to the hotel and showered and then drove back for our final dinner.

It was actually pretty good dinner. It was at one of the fancier hotel restaurants. Lago. Italian. Not bad at all.

* * *

The next day, we just drove our way back home.

For the most part, the drive was uneventful, but man, driving through that storm and the wet road at highway speeds was a little hairy. It’s been a long time since I did that and there were times I’m sure I was hydroplaning.

The good thing about it was that I got a car wash, which I desperately needed. My car is a lot cleaner now and I love it.

Overall, the trip was magical. It’ll be a trip I’ll forever remember.

Banff, as I had suspected, had sneaked its way into my heart and found a spot in it.

It’ll definitely be in the rotation of things to do whenever I drive up here again.

Most definitely.