WTN: Canadian Rockies Part 4 - The Interregnum ('05 Mission Hill Pinot Noir)

[David M. Bueker]

Laura and I don't like to zip around much during our vacations. Our preferred mode is to pick one or two places to stay & use them as a home base for exploration. Due to the limitations of entry and exit dates for backcountry lodges (dictated by helicopter schedules) we had to do some extra moving on this trip.

One very good thing was that we were able to return to the Eagles View Bed & Breakfast in Canmore, Alberta. http://www.aneaglesview.com/ We had stayed there in 2006 & loved it, so it was a pleasure to go back. It's in a newer part of Canmore, a town that has exploded with high end homes and resot accomodations at prices to make the wealthy wince. But there's still a good bit of a "college town" type feel to the main street area, some great food (especially the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company http://www.rockymountainflatbread.ca ) and drop dead views of the mountains.

I had planned to play golf on Wednesday. Booking a 12:54 tee time I figured I was safe from frost delays, but nature had other things in mind. Serves me right for booking to play at over 6000' elevation in shoulder season.

So instead Laura and I did some additional sightseeing and walking to keep in the hiking groove.

Because of the vast improvement in Laura's foot we later ended up doing some more aggressive hiking. The weather was once again stunning in the parks, so on Thursday we headed for Kootenay and Stanley Glacier, a hike we had done twice before, but always in bad weather. It also gave us a chance to explore the effects of the 2003 Tokkum Creek forest fire up close and personal.


Sunshine and blue skies made the trail a completely different experience from what we had done previously, and as usual I had plenty of opportunities to exercise my shutter finger (though sorry - no picures of the big weasel we saw along the trail).


We ended up having dinner at the Flatbread Company. We've been there so many times that when we walk in the staff recognizes us (at least the permanent staff does) which is a nice feeling to have in a vacation spot 2000 miles from home. We split one of their delicious, totally organic pizzas and then a decadent double chocolate brownie (Laura was melting faster than the side of vanilla ice cream on the hot plate). To accompany the pizza I selected a Canadian wine:

2005 Mission Hill Pinot Noir (Okanagan Valley, British Columbia)
Ruby red, attractive cherry and earth aromas. Well balanced and fruity, with very good acid balance and reasonable (13%) alcohol. Quite attractive as a North American alternative to a Bourgogne ROuge in a similar price range. I wouldn't age it, but there's no need to. Yummy.

Our next backcountry lodge awaited us.

[Jenise]

Your pictures remind me that I don't think I've ever seen bigger, bluer skies than in Alberta.

Re the wine, I've had a couple vintages of Mission Hill pinots over the years I've been up here and they've all been just as you say. Never memorable, but never goopy and always entirely drinkable. In fact, that pretty much goes for every Mission Hill wine I've ever had.

[David M. Bueker]

The only bring home buy I made was a bottle of the Mission Hill flagship Bordeaux blend, the 2004 Occulus. Apparently it's a limited release wine & I was "suckered" in and grabbed one. I'm glad to hear non-goopiness is a consistent thing for them. The bottle sure is heavy.

[Jenise]

Ah, the Occulus. Haven't had the wine, but I know of it--our Northern friends seem to like it, but generally think it's overpriced (like all BC reds, for the most part). What did you pay, $60ish?

[David M. Bueker]

More than that...