We love Halloween! I am one of those crazy moms who spend weeks shopping for or making matching family costumes, all to capture a single moment in a photo. We would go trick-or-treating early, get pizza delivered then spend the rest of the evening handing out candy. But covid has other ideas. With the emergence of a second wave and rising number of cases in our home city, we agreed to skip trick-or-treating and spend the weekend away in the mountains.
Blackshale Suspension Bridge
The Blackshale Suspension Bridge, located in Kananaskis Country, is an easy, family-friendly trail with fantastic mountain views and an impressive suspension bridge to cross. We’ve never been before so we kind of just followed the cars in front of us and pulled over to park alongside the Smith-Dorrien Highway when they did.
While the hike is accessible from the highway, it is not clearly marked. We got a little lost at the start but found our way following the footprints of those who have passed through just before we did. The suspension bridge spans Blackshale Creek, which flows through a deep canyon far below. To our surprise, there are no safety rails on the hiking trail on either side of the bridge so one must be careful when near the edge.
Banff
We were surprised and not surprised that Banff was quite quiet with few visitors. We wandered through the town like tourists do, popping into every store and snapping photos with every bear and moose we encountered.
The kiddos wanted to know what it felt like to be at the top of the world so we took the Banff Gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. The mountaintop facility was renovated in 2016 and transformed into a state-of-the-art building with an unparalleled mountaintop view. The facility has restaurants, cutting-edge interpretive exhibits, a multi-sensory theatre, and a 360-degree rooftop observation deck.
Let’s talk food first! We had lunch at Sky Bistro, one of the two restaurants located at the summit and it was amazing! Sky Bistro offers a distinctive Canadian menu that features a handpicked selection of local meats, produce and ingredients. I had the braised beef short rib stroganoff and I don’t think I’ve tasted better anywhere!
Photos courtesy of Pursuit Collection
The transformed Banff Observation Deck had an amazing 360-degree bird’s eye view of Banff and the Bow Valley. At an elevation of 2,281m (or 7,486 feet), we were treated with incredible panoramic views of six stunning mountain ranges. Since the Sulphur Mountain Boardwalk was completely covered in snow and quite icy, we hiked as far as one-third of the way to Sanson's Peak before turning around and heading back inside to stay warm.
The Above Banff Interpretive Centre offers fun displays, exhibits, and a multi-sensory theatre for everyone, not just kids. It was neat to learn about the natural history, ancient geology, early explorers, and animals local to the area.
There are three ways to save on your Banff Gondola tickets:
Save up to 10% when you purchase general admission tickets online in advance and up to 25% on adventure and dining packages.
Purchase the Family Experience package online to receive free admission for kids (ages 6 to 15). This package includes Banff Gondola admission and a treat for your kid when you visit early before 12PM.
Alberta residents can save up to 15%. Proof of Alberta residency will be required upon arrival at the Banff Gondola. May be booked online in advance at an Explore Rockies location or by calling their guest service team.
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