Close encounters with two kinds of Alberta wildlife

[a_t_rain]

Ah, a whole hour of free Net access, courtesy of the Edmonton Public Library. How lovely. Gather 'round folks, it's storytelling time.



Right, so I had to double back from Banff to Jasper to catch the train back to Edmonton. The road the bus takes is called the Icefields Parkway; the Jasper hostel is about three miles along the parkway before you get into town. I get the brilliant idea that I should ask the bus driver to let me off at the turnoff to the hostel and walk the rest of the way, rather than paying $15 for a cab. It's only a mile and a half or so -- a pleasant enough evening walk, even with the big pack.

"Have you walked this way before?" the driver asked.

"Yes," I said. (Meaning, part of it, and I certainly knew which way I was going.)

"Do you carry a big switch?"

I laughed.

So I'm walking along, lovely spring evening with the birch trees starting to go green, feeling quite happy. A Large Black Shape lopes out of the woods and across the road, really quite close, maybe thirty feet ahead of me...

My first thought: My, that's a big dog.

Second thought: Oh-holy-shit-that-isn't-a-dog.

So I stand there, absolutely frozen, for a minute or two, wondering if there are more of them -- the scariest possibility is that I might get between a mother and her cubs, but it isn't going to do me much good to stand there forever, and turning back and walking all the way into town didn't seem like a very good idea either. So, forward. I did what they say to do in all the bear safety leaflets, and started making a lot of noise:

"HELLOOO! LOVELY EVENING, ISN'T IT? ARE THERE ANY MORE BEARS OUT THERE? I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I COME IN PEACE! I LIKE BEARS! ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY AREN'T EATING ME! BACKPACKERS DON'T TASTE GOOD! TOO MUCH CANVAS!"

Well, I felt like a bit of an idiot walking along and shouting helpful things in this vein, but I didn't see any more of them (and ended up getting a lift from a friendly German guy who listened very appreciatively to my tale of danger and excitement. Thanks, Johannes.)

A fun story now that it's over :)



Canada's VIA Rail system, as it turns out, works about as well as Amtrak, in that you eventually get where you are going but the schedules are highly theoretical. In the case of the train from Jasper to Edmonton, we arrived three and a half hours late -- just in time for the Oilers' big victory.

I ask the friendly lady at the train station where I can catch the bus (three blocks away, as it turns out) and set off down the road. A few cars drive by with much yelling, honking of horns, and waving of blue and orange banners.

Turns out that's only the beginning of it. I'm staying a block from Whyte Avenue, which is the epicenter of the celebrations, and by the time the bus gets within a few blocks I realize it would be faster to get out and walk, because the streets are absolutely choked with traffic.

And what do I do? I decide I'm craving pizza, and go out on a Quest as soon as I check into the hostel. Me, the clueless out-of-towner, and about five thousand college kids blowing horns, giving each other high-fives, and roaming in massive packs -- the ones that weren't in cars honking like mad. Trying to give me high-fives, too. It's at moments like this that the Imp of the Perverse takes over, and I was half-tempted to tell them I was American and had been rooting for the other side. (I didn't. Discretion is the better part of valor.)

('Twas good pizza, though, when I finally found a place that sold it by the slice, although I had to shout to make myself heard.)

Comments

[dreamer-marie.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're really getting adventurous in Canada! I'm glad you didn't get eaten, by the bears or by the Oilers' supporters (what was the game, base ball?).

[neigedens.livejournal.com]

Hockey. (Nobody gets that excited about baseball.)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's amazing! And I'm very glad you didn't get eaten, because dear me canvas is not tasty. *g*

[mugglegirl0908.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you didn't get eaten by bears! :0)

Sounds like you're having a very fun and adventerous time in Canada. Is there a chance of seeing pics when you return?

Have fun and be safe!

[ignipes.livejournal.com]

Hee! Glad you survived both of your close encounters.

[lyras.livejournal.com]

OMG! Am very impressed with your bravery.

[lorelei-lynn.livejournal.com]

Glad you're OK! I know I'd be too nervous about things like that to travel alone. My closest encounter with large wildlife was with a mountain goat in the Grand Canyon five years ago. At least he/she wasn't carnivorous, and I got a good picture.

[tree_and_leaf]

Very exciting traveller's tales - thanks, you have just enlivened my Thesis Writing Session Of Doom. I exaggerate about the thesis, but only a bit ;)

[snorkackcatcher]

Wow. Alarming stuff, glad you're OK! (Given that Britain doesn't really have any dangerous wildlife, we sometimes forget what the rest of the world is like!)

[dolabellae.livejournal.com]

What do you mean? My friend's mother had a really nasty bite from a mole the other day!!! (This is actually true).

But yes. Goodness me. Very glad you weren't eaten. If ever confronted by a bear, I will remember your tactics.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Well, sleepy little college towns in North Carolina, such as the one I live in, don't really have any dangerous wildlife either, which means I hadn't quite gotten it through my head about the bears until I was face to face with one :)

[darth-kittius.livejournal.com]

How envious am I that you were on Whyte Avenue for a major Oliers win?! Oh! I miss those days!! I used to go to the coolest bar, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. Most days I was found at RATT on the U of A campus. Or better yet, the PowerPlant (also on U of A) which was about 50 feet from my apartment.

Ah! The good ole days!!

[neigedens.livejournal.com]

:is jealous of your bear encounter: I've lived in these fricking north woods all my life and I've never even seen a wolf! Or a bear!

But I don't envy your narrow escape from the Oilers rioters. Canadian hockey buffs' zaelotry is only rivaled by that of Wisconsin Packer fans.

[almostsophie.livejournal.com]

Wow. If you're in Edmonton you're about 3 hours away from me (in good traffic). That's officially the closest I've ever been to someone on LJ.

I haven't been paying attention to the hockey since the Flames lost their series. The year the Flames made it to the last series I went out to the Red Mile just to see what was going on. It was certainly crazy!

[mrs-wolf.livejournal.com]

OMGEILkrjfaWloe

I am so jealous! I haven't been in the wilderness for some time.

I used to go backpacking along the Santiam/Pacific Crest in Southern Oregon each summer with my father (a father/daughter type thing), and we'd always wake up to rumbling bears, batting at our suspended supplies. I would really like to take a summer off some time and just live in the wildlife like a hermit, or something. It sounds so romantic and something I would like. We used to backpack out by this Indian reservation, right on the border, and since it was so far out it was untouched. Just this crystal, clear, chirping lake.

I'm happy you're having such a great time, it sounds absolutely wonderful.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the bear didn't get you - such a loss to the fandom!

And Canada sounds great. Enjoy - and tell us interesting stories if it doesn't interfere with your enjoyment!

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

You see! What did I tell you! But did you listen?

I'm glad you didn't get eaten.

[anna-in-the-sky.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you survived the bear encounter unscathed. The only wildlife I ever came close to was a wild boar, which already scared the shit out of me. I think you were very brave.

Have fun on the rest of your trip and stay safe!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I would be envious, except that whilst I should love to see a bear in the wild I should prefer it to be in conditions I had slightly more control over!

That sounds like a hostel in need of a shuttle bus.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Well, they've technically got one, it's just that it's really the shuttle bus for the cable car up the mountain, and therefore the last trip is at 4:45 p.m., just before the cable car closes. Which makes it rather useless for evening arrivals.

[lea-hazel.livejournal.com]

It's a strange coincidence, but the previous post on my friends' list was about the Oilers' game. I just saw "Edmonton" at the beginning of your entry and did a double take.

The idea of seeing a bear face to face is incomprehensible to me. I don't think Israel has any mammals that big running wild.

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't commented here before but I've been lurking around for a while, reading your HP fanfic. Since you were just in my hometown I figured it was high time to tell you that I've been enjoying your writing! I'm especially fond of your Remus Lupin and your Tonks, but your Marauders are wonderful as well. It's nice to find an author who can write pieces that are both humourous and intelligent.

I hope you enjoyed Edmonton and weren't too frightened by us Oilers fans! Enjoy the rest of Canada!

sugar_spice48@hotmail.com

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Hi, nice to meet you!

Nah, not too frightened, although I do think two nights of victory celebrations in three days is more than enough :)

[darth-cabal.livejournal.com]

I've heard that bears are out to destroy America. If they've been sighted in Canada, I think that there can only be one conclusion: conspiracy!