Checkout from the Worldmark wasn't until noon today, so we took it easy. We missed Shakespeare in the park in Calgary because of it, but Val didn't find that until it was almost too late anyway.
Instead, after we divvied up the food, made sandwiches with interesting ingredients (tex-mex cheese and ham, anyone?), and said our goodbyes. There was a hike called Grotto Canyon that was on the way to Calgary and didn't request another day pass into Banff, so we decided to check it out.
The forecast was stormy for today, but we didn't think about it much at the start of the hike. We parked by a fishing lake, then hiked not a quarter mile until we got to a sign with an arrow pointing at another gravel parking lot.
Of course, we didn't follow the sign. Why would we hike to a parking lot? So we took a right.
And we found a canyon. The trail sign said there had been some water damage, so we attributed the lack of a clear, single trail to that. It was when the angle of the trail turned so steep that even if there was a clear trail, we couldn't have classified it as easy, did we think we were on the wrong track.
There was also a couple and their six or so year old that was hiking up it too. And they initially confirmed our original thought - washed out, but this is it. They began to suspect something fishy as well.
The trail got smaller and smaller until it petered out. We could see some hikers on a hill nearby, but no falls and no grotto. So we decided we were a canyon too early.
We passed the parking lot, cautioning another couple who was headed up the fake Grotto Canyon, then started speed-walking up a much wider, much nicer incline of a trail. We were happy to be able to walk quicker, yes, but the real reason for our speed was the ominous clouds that were covering the sky. The first lightning flash was ten minutes in (but many miles off - we were counting). The drips started, leading a kid who was leaving the canyon to tell us that we should stop hiking because it's raining.
We just put the rain-repellent cover over my bag, stuck the electronics in it, and continued on.
The drops were pretty large when we finally hit the end of the canyon. There was a waterfall, as promised, as well as a geologic field study group, with tape measures and clipboards everywhere.
With the assumption that the storms would last, we took a quick selfie, hundred Ben enough to let him get twenty feet further up the stone incline to see the grotto, then hightailed it back. The rock climbers we had passed while they were setting up their gear were now setting anchors on a wall.
It wasn't ten more minutes out of the canyon that the sky turned blue (though the rain took a little longer to stop - sunshowers!) and the chill from the wet drops receded. By the time we reached the car, it was 1:30 and back to a beautiful day.
Except for the fact the picnic table by the lake was still wet. We fixed that with some extra clothes and rain gear.
I guess last night was our last family supper, but the mismatch of food was the final one with Val and Ben.
We headed off toward Calgary with plans to check into the hotel so that Ben could get a shower before getting on a plane (then sleeping in the airport during his long layover). Since Val's flight was in the morning, she booked a place.
There was quite a bit of construction traffic, then the room wasn't ready when we were there at 3:30. So what was a comfortable gap turned into a bit of a squeeze, but Ben, the car, then me got dropped off at the airport, after we filled up the Jeep with gas as a sketchy station between the hotel and airport.
And that was the end of the nature adventures. The urban fun came with a bus, a second bus, and a streetcar, but I made it to my hostel safely. I am still going to be sleeping in a room with a handful of other girls. I just won't be related to them now.
Sweet dreams, Toronto!
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