Of course that presumes one got to sleep. The first mistake was mine, in that I tried keeping up with Canadians in coffee drinking. I might as well have mainlined adrenalin. Then there were the Mountain Goats. We had heard about the goats, but didn't really believe the stories. But then at about 2 AM we were awakened by a high-pitched, frequent bleating. I looked out the window (nice stars up there by the way), and saw nothing, but the bleating continued. Eventually we fell back to sleep, but at 5:30 AM it started again. Well it wasn't a bad time to get up and head for the "facilities" (quotes important), so out of bed, dressed & outside I went. Walking around the edge of the lodge deck I looked over the edge & not 5 feet from me was a juvenille Mountain Goat. He spooked pretty quickly, but right below him on the slope (15-20 feet from me) were two females. What an experience to be so close.
Anyway, Laura was feeling no ill effects from her hiking the prior day, so we both ventured with the group to an area known to the lodge owners as Canadian Meadows. Picture a meadow full of green and yellow, with plenty of grassy plants and some rocks. Hike up to the meadow over a large rockfield, sometimes using chains to go up and over immovable obstacles.
It turns out that Canadian Meadows isn't much of a meadow after all. It's pitched at about 25 degrees, but does have the advantage of a superb view of the Durrand Glacier. Given the extremes of the eventual "trail" (there's those pesky quotes again) Laura stayed at a lower viewpoint, while I continued up relentless switchbacks.
You can see the objective (or so we thought) just above my head in the top left of the photo. Of course anyone who has hiked in the mountains knows that every time you think you have reached the top there are always one or two more slopes to climb. Eventually the group (well 4 of the 8 people) made the top, and a spectacular 360 degree view of glaciers and montains. We all took picures of one another at the top (and thanks to my companions for all the photos in this section, as I did not bring my tripod for self-portraits).
After making our way back down (and up) to the lodge we were treated to some lovely snacks & then a fine dinner accompanied by
Pol Roger Champagne NV
From half bottle this was pretty standard stuff. I think I have become jaded from all the small producer fizz I have been drinking. Anyway there was the expected yeast, apple nose and fresh fruit on the palate. Not very exciting, but still a privlege to drink Champagne at 6300' elevation.
No coffee for me thanks. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Oh gosh...did you hear that? Clip-clop...clip-clop...clip-clop...naaaaaAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!...NAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!
