a peek inside the fishbowl

Before this past weekend, I’d never really been fishing before. Our daughters have fished under Mark’s supervision a handful of times during summer camping trips, but I was always on the sidelines or having a nap back at our tent.

I am very grateful to Mark, because he taught the girls some basic fishing skills (worm goes on the hook/hook goes in water/hook is removed from fish/repeat) but more importantly, he taught them that worms aren’t gross (along with toads, frogs, snakes, and all manner of creepy-crawlies) and that fishing is cool and fun and interesting.

I now have a whole new view of fishing: Fishing is very quiet and relaxing up to the moment it is breathless and exciting.

I need to backtrack a moment and describe the reason behind this epiphany. Ford Canada invited me and a few other media types for a little adventure this past weekend that included (a) a major test drive of the Ford Expedition (b) an outing on the water with some experienced anglers and (c) an overnight at Chateau Montebello. I knew this was something I had to do!*

First, the vehicle. We sure travelled in style, didn’t we?

The Ford Expedition was the perfect vehicle for this kind of adventure. We were, after all, a big group, with lots of stuff, going to a remote location. We all met at Campbell Ford and we divvied ourselves among three Expeditions… one of which had massaging seats but I didn’t get to try that out. With multiple passengers, flexible cargo space (fishing rods! duffel bags! suitcases! snacks!), it had lots of room in all of the right places. I called shotgun so I was truly able to sink into the comfort of my (air-conditioned!) seat and play with the stereo and nav console. I joked with Mark later that it was like a couch on wheels, but that’s not entirely accurate. This is what I imagine a first class seat on the Concord must have been like.

Our destination was Kenauk Nature, just north of Montebello. The location was already added to our GPS so after a quick farewell we were soon on our way. (More about Kenauk later.)

We were on autoroute 50 when I saw some tall grasses waving wildly in the ditch separating the highways. Then I saw a black-topped head. What is that guy doing in the ditch? I had just finished thinking that single thought when the “guy” turned into a bear and rambled out on to the highway! There was one other car between us and the poor bear. The driver, Tori, was amazingly alert and we swerved a bit but there was no harm done. (Thank you Tori!) We couldn’t tell if the bear was hit, he may have been side-swiped a bit, but I saw him running in the other direction so I assumed he was ok. What certainly helped was my elevated position in the Expedition, and the quick response of the driver, of course.

It was a bit of shock. We didn’t even spot a bear at this close distanCe in Banff! After that, I became the (self-designated) Wildlife Watcher. And there was more wildlife to come! We arrived at Kenauk without further incident, although we did spot a porcupine and some kind of giant hawk clutching a snake.

How to explain Kenauk? Kenauk Nature is wilderness retreat. You can book fishing trips to stocked lakes (which is what we did) and there are also a wide variety of accommodations available. (I’m secretly hoping Mark wants to go glamping with me in the fall.) I had never heard of this place before, so I was very excited to visit.

It was a smooth drive down the highway pretty much until we met at the front gates of Kenauk. From there, it was a bumpy, hilly, ride along a dirt road that was punctuated with rocks and the occasional pothole. Our Expedition coasted over everything, no problem. Tori often exclaimed how well it handled over the rough terrain (“See, you didn’t even feel that pothole, did you?”) while I exclaimed how well the cushy seats absorbed the impact.

This photo does not do it justice, but I will say, I felt extremely safe as we motored along these narrow roads:

We were treated to lunch at our first stop, which overlooked lovely Lac Poisson Blanc. This is also where the Kenauk fish hatchery is located.

Check out this view, would ya?

This was part of our lunch; it was amazing:

… I hope my tablemates weren’t dismayed by my lack of conversation. I was too darn distracted by the view. This was the view from the covered picnic area.

Our group was given a special demonstration of Ford’s parallel park assist feature. I’d done this before, but I tried it again. If you’re not already familiar with this feature, imagine a car that calculates the size of a parking spot for you, then slowly guides you in. At the press of a button, it takes over the steering while you control the gas and brake. It’s pretty amazing, although I had to fight the urge to grab the steering wheel. This is a feature I could definitely use. AND, it doesn’t just get you in a tight spot, it can also get you out!

Anyway, I have more to tell about our trip! In my next post, I’ll tell you about the fish that DID NOT get away. (And spoiler alert, it tasted pretty good too.)

*In the interest of 100% transparency it’s important that you know that I attended this overnighter at the invitation of Ford Canada but my thoughts are entirely my own.

I want to interrupt this narrative with a wee show n’ tell of a very pretty necklace I picked out while in Jasper.

I have been wearing it nonstop since we came back to Ottawa. I just love it so much.

It’s from a very cute shop called Ransom. We were waiting for a table at Famoso Pizzaria (which was one of the best dinners we enjoyed during our holiday!) and Ransom is almost next door, so we dropped in. I could have spent a lot more time (and $$) here. Check out their Instagram feed right here if you’re curious to see what else they’ve got in store.

I have a lot to say about Jasper, AB. Basically: I love Jasper! It’s hip and fun and young and outdoorsy without the pretentiousness of Banff. But more on that, later. :)

I told my family that there was NO TIME TO REST during this holiday. As if to prove my point, right after our amazing dinner we decided to pay a visit to Moraine Lake. We were not about to rest on our laurels (or watch Netflix in our hotel room)!

Moraine Lake is famous for its blue colour and fantastic views. In fact, it’s SO FAMOUS that the parking lot fills up at 5 a.m. and stays full, all day. I wish I was kidding. The only way to get there and see the lake is to (a) set your alarm and get there really early or (b) take a shuttle bus. And guess what? The shuttle stops running at 6 p.m. Sigh.

We drove up the road to try our luck. Unfortunately, the “lot full” sign was up so we drove past, dejectedly turned around at Chateau Lake Louise, and drove back down the way we came. Strangely there was no “lot full” sign when we approached from that direction! We saw a car pull in so we decided to follow it and see. (Note that at this point it’s an 11km drive to the parking lot at Moraine Lake.) Thankfully, there were a few parking spots available by the time we got there at 8:45 p.m. Victory was ours!

We parked and dashed over to the water. It was getting chilly, and it was dim and smokey due to the setting sun and the wild fires, but it was still a pretty sweet view. I’m glad we took the chance. There’s a lesson in here somewhere, about taking chances and holidays and happy memories.