Calgary

I've been to Calgary once before with my family, as a teenager. My standout memory of that trip was our abrupt departure, driving past a policeman posted by a flooded road. So when I flew there for work recently, I was slightly apprehensive.

This trip was a big improvement from my last visit there.

On my first day, I checked out Native Tongues Taqueria. The restaurant’s space has a modern rustic influence. The sturdy furniture theme extended to their wooden table tops with firm metal legs as well as their chairs.

Ceviche, Native Tongues Taqueria

Ceviche, Native Tongues Taqueria

On to the food: the ceviche was fresh and had perfectly tangy citrus notes that paired well with the crisp warm chips that were served with the dish.

Tacos, Native Tongues Taqueria

Tacos, Native Tongues Taqueria

The tacos were topped with tender well marinated meat and we washed them down with Pacífico beers that reminded me of a past trip to Mexico while at uni.

I met up with Louise, a friend from UBC living in Calgary, along the vibrant 17th Avenue SW entertainment district. After a great catch up over a tasty and filling dinner, she sent me an amazing list of recommendations that I set about to visit during my stay.

A note on the weather: Instead of the mild 20°c September weather that is the norm for Calgary, we had near 0°c temperatures and light snow. Thankfully I had dressed and packed accordingly. One upside of the cold was that it encouraged my use of the +15 pedestrian pathways which I might have otherwise eschewed in favour of exploring the city outdoors.

One of many insulated, enclosed +15 bridges

One of many insulated, enclosed +15 bridges

Prince's Island Park was an easy but freezing 20 minute walk from my hotel. I opted not to walk through the insulated +15 pathways on the way there simply because walking in straight lines from the hotel to the park is much faster than zigzagging up, down, and through buildings. The park was mostly quiet, occasionally interrupted with the excited shouts of young children out on school trips. It was peaceful, taking in the calming view of autumn foliage.

Bow River, Prince’s Island Park

Bow River, Prince’s Island Park

There was also an adorable but headache inducing gaggle of toddlers paired up in what resembled a column, encouraged along the path by their daycare teachers. One of the children had started wailing, which was the cue for the rest to do so as well. So while I observed the rustling of dry leaves along the tree lined concrete pavement beside the Bow River, the kids provided an amusing vocal backdrop.

Downtown Calgary is peppered with buildings funded by or housing the offices of major oil and gas companies. One skyscraper in particular, The Bow, had a vast art piece installed. I admired the 12 metre tall painted stainless steel sculpture of a young girl’s head by Jaume Plensa.

Wonderland by Jaume Plensa, The Bow

Wonderland by Jaume Plensa, The Bow

During a lunch break, I checked out Hula, a poke eatery on the +15 level at Brookfield Place. The term “+15 level” simply means the floor is on the same level as the +15 walkways. I got the yuzu rice bowl with tuna, which turned out to be delectable. The bowl offered a great combination crunchy shallots, leafy greens in the form of kale, edamame, and cucumbers, as well as creamy avocado. Mixed with the tuna I selected, all the flavours worked together to create a great blend of savoury and sweet, crispy and with just the right amount of mush.

Yuzu rice bowl with tuna, Hula

Yuzu rice bowl with tuna, Hula

One evening, I dropped by the Wednesday Room on Stephen Avenue for a light dinner with a co-worker. Trendy comes to mind when attempting to describe its interior. We didn’t quite realise that ordering the charred cauliflower dish would entail being served a whole cauliflower. It felt a bit gimmicky. On the flip side, their oysters were ocean fresh and briny.

Stephan Avenue itself was interesting. A pedestrian only street, there were plenty of hip restaurants, bars, and shopping lining both sides. If you stay in downtown Calgary while visiting, there’s a fair amount to explore here.

Stephen Avenue

Stephen Avenue

It seemed odd to visit Calgary and not have a steak in a city well known for its beef. So I googled the closest top rated steakhouses and headed to Saltlik. The steakhouse served up a scrumptious steak: juicy and well seared. It was presented in an unfussy manner: the meat circled with a generous amount of béarnaise sauce and a heaped baked potato. I sat at the bar, attended to by sharply dressed bartenders who made a strong gin and tonic. The service was polite and matter-of-fact, which was fair; the restaurant was packed.

Filet mignon and baked potato, Saltlik

Filet mignon and baked potato, Saltlik

Village Ice-cream was a short trek from the hotel into a more isolated area of the eastside of downtown. Once there, I discovered a warm small space with interesting flavours like carnival corn and guava coconut milk. The staff were friendly and doled out generous portions. I ended up trying the Guide’s mint and strawberry flavours which did not disappoint. Each mouthful meant a dense creaminess along with refreshing mint chocolate and fresh strawberry chunks.

Mint and strawberry ice-cream, Village Ice-cream

Mint and strawberry ice-cream, Village Ice-cream

On my last day there, I popped by 10 Foot Henry. I had the luck of sitting at the chef’s table as I was alone. That basically means I sat right in front of the open kitchen watching dish after dish expertly prepared, garnished, and presented impeccably for servers to deliver to diners.

Marinated Beets, 10 Foot Henry

Marinated Beets, 10 Foot Henry

There was a large selection of vegetarian options. The beet dish was roasted and marinated in a slightly vinegary base and served with a lightly spicy and whipped creamy avocado side. It was a bit jelak* to eat near the end despite having ordered a half portion of the beets as I was dining alone. I appreciated that my server suggested the half portion when I ordered. The seared pickeral was almost impossibly tender and its skin was crisp perfection. The almonds added a nice crunch to the dish.

Seared Pickeral, 10 Foot Henry

Seared Pickeral, 10 Foot Henry

My final activity before taking off for the airport was to trek to Phil and Sebastian Coffee. Their store on Stephan Ave had a polished but warm design filled with hanging plants and other greenery. It would be a cosy place to be in during the winter months. The barista made a good matcha latte- the right balance of subtle astringency with the buttery mouthfeel of matcha and steamed milk.

Phil and Sebastian, Stephan Avenue

Phil and Sebastian, Stephan Avenue

One last thing that struck me: Calgary is ridiculously clean. It’s so clean that I actually asked Louise if all of the downtown core we walked by was recently built because the pavements and buildings were exceedingly well maintained. The streets were free of gum and trash unlike in Vancouver, and any leaves were swept to the side.

The Calgary that I visited in September was a great improvement from my scant memories of the city. I was impressed with the ingenuity of the +15 pathways and appreciative of the welcoming nature of its residents. From my experience of the downtown core at least, the city has lots to offer. Calgary has become more diverse. Hopefully this continues and injects an added vibrancy into the city.

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Jelak: Malay for “sick of eating” - especially due to extremely rich foods

Joffre Lakes

Joffre Lakes is a 10km long hike just northeast of Pemberton, BC that I got the chance to climb this past summer. It's about a 2.5 hour drive from Vancouver past a number of other nature spots and hikes. We left Vancouver around 6:00 AM and after a stop in Squamish for breakfast, we reached Joffre Lakes around 10 AM. The main parking lot was already full and the overflow lot was at half its capacity.

We left the car park around 10:15 AM after a long wait for the 2 toilets available. A small note: if you're used to shopping mall restrooms, keep in mind that in the wilderness the few toilets you encounter will be in a much more rustic state, to put it politely. 

We happened to start our hike just as a huge tour group was about to embark on theirs. They unfortunately made a big ruckus in an otherwise peaceful park space. After a short period of time we managed to get ahead of them and focus on the trek and sounds of nature around us.

It got crowded at narrower junctions

It got crowded at narrower junctions

I was quite thankful for the ample amount of shade during a significant portion of the hike. This helped keep our temperature down and made the switchbacks (zigzag trails on steep hills) much more bearable. There were some exposed sections on the switchbacks where we really felt the heat of the late morning sun but those led to shaded paths later on.

Stretch of switchback under the scorching sun

Stretch of switchback under the scorching sun

Once we reached Middle Joffre Lake, we noticed a big group of people waiting to take a picture on a vast log floating out into water. The crowd had swelled by mid afternoon when we were heading back down. The queue of people eager for their chance to pose on the log over the lake was fairly orderly but spectators and the line itself created a not insignificant bottleneck for hikers heading in both directions.

View of Middle Joffre Lake

View of Middle Joffre Lake

Somewhere along the way, I noticed an older lady in a long elegant dress climbing up the mountain with what appeared to be her two daughters. I was quite impressed with her elegance despite the immense heat and demands of the hike. I initially thought the dress impractical but as a friend pointed out, it appeared to be a lightweight breathable fabric and didn't impede her movement. She was clearly comfortable hiking in it.

After walking in single file over twisting tree roots at some junctions, we arrived at the more crowded end of Upper Joffre Lake. An additional 40 minutes through what felt like a prolonged section filled with rocks and boulders later, we reached the campsite grounds at Upper Joffre Lake around 12:20 PM. By the time we reached Upper Lake it was 31c. It was HOT. There is absolutely no shade for a vast majority of the campsite grounds and the same goes for the general area around Upper Joffre Lake.

Stef and I awed by the mountain range

Stef and I awed by the mountain range

We saw a few people brave enough to take a brief but freezing swim in the Middle and Upper Lakes. This involved a lot of cursing and/or screaming for every single person that attempted it. The most I managed was standing knee deep in the waters. It was equal parts refreshingly cold and potentially hypothermia inducing.

Smiling while I can barely feel my feet

Smiling while I can barely feel my feet

I got out within a few minutes of my dip and was content with sitting on a rock dipping my toes in occasionally as I devoured one of the banh mi sandwiches Stef helped us buy the night before. A lengthy rest by the lake and lots of pictures later, we packed up our trash and started to head back. There definitely seemed to be a larger flow of people heading up around this time.

Heading back down the rocky facade surrounding Upper Joffre Lake

Heading back down the rocky facade surrounding Upper Joffre Lake

We passed by an abundant number of Whiskey Jacks throughout our hike, many of whom flew inquisitively up to us on our way back down.

All in, it was a scenic intermediate hike! I would say it’s a doable hike that is just tough enough to make you groan at times, while soaking in the views ambling through the paths in other sections. There were people of all fitness levels hiking Joffre Lakes. If you do try out the hike in the summer, bring plenty of water, snacks, as well as lather on the sunblock and layer as you need to avoid heat stroke.