Regardless it’s peak March in the Bow Valley. Snow is receding in the mountains and parts of the valley trails. It’s still winter, but the daylight and the lack of snow in the valley tells you summer is around the corner; no spring around here, really.
I heard about Banff from an Australian friend when I was studying in NYC I guess. Oo Australians know how to travel. Regardless it is hard to miss when you live in Canada, especially if you are a person who likes the views and the trails. Still I only traveled here after spending 2 years in Montreal and maybe only because it was the Covid summer. It was kind of not possible to leave country months after Covid started and a natural destination was the Canadian rockies. So was the first visit. Instagram shows my first post from Banff, the tunnel mountain road on 26th June of 2020. A classic le Tour de Bow, Alymer Lookout, Stanley Glacier, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Marble Canyon, Wapta Falls, Icefields, Jasper… 9 days it is. Then the unexpected covid year followed by “Canada calling for PR”. June 2021, I was in Alberta again. This time venturing into BC: Revelstoke, Nelson and Fernie: extending the horizon a bit more: Valhalla, Bugaboos and Assiniboine for the first time, most of it w/ L.!
It was the Mountain Collective that I bought in 2022-2023 winter that brought me to Bow Valley in the winter, Islandman in the background. March 5th, the instagram says, I was at the Sunshine Village and looks like I stayed about 14 days here; perfect timing. The beauty of this place hit me differently in winter and I remember saying and dreaming in Cammore:
“How would it feel like to live here and would I ever get used these views?”
It was a brave new world during Covid and dreams ran “wild”. L. was with me looking into my eyes with excitement.
Well, that excitement didn’t last for that much longer. She wanted a baby and I was feeling like a fulfilling life together didn’t require that. That led to the decision of separation. Meaning no more the mighty old-port loft, a symbol of fun Montreal life, we were enjoying. It was time to close our house. I was also scared of what it might felt like staying in Montreal and living how life would go without L. We worked at the same office and had many common friends. I decided to leave. But I needed to stay in Canada for few more years and be done with having a first-world passport for good. It was also easy to go fully-remote in 2023 spring. Weeks before the fully-remote bus left the last stop, I hopped into it. It was time to make a dream come true and move to the Bow Valley.
In hingsight it feels like it should have been an easy choice, but nothing about that was easy. After spending 5 years, I finally had a community of friends in Montreal. Throwing parties outside and having a descent support network. Enjoying and improving my dj-skills. I also knew the city and had a car and was ready to buy a home. Think of going across the country where you knew “no-one”. Giving that up. No, it wasn’t easy.
Packing and moving happened in good moods. So was the cross-country 6 day trip from Montreal to Calgary. It felt so liberating to move your home to the west, like many families did over so many years. Seeing the great lakes and the great plains. So was the month I spent in hostels and camping grouds, trying to find a house. Did many fun hikes, started to explore the peaks around.
I had few friends visiting early on (Kelvin, Jacob). It was nice to have them; I was pretty lonely to be frank. I tried to continue djing and trying to be social, but not much reward. I got a place with a beatuful view of Grotto, like I dreamt earlier in March. Working with views. Honestly the views lasted few months. You don’t eat all the time. Similarly you don’t need to see it all the time.
Learning new things like backcountry skiing, climbing, mountaneering felt much better. After all if you are not doing those why are you living in the mountains? Why try to go to beach if you are in Canada? Finally I got to love winters: improved my skiing and winter knowledge through many courses like: AST-1, AST-2, Ski Mountaineering, Cravesce Rescue. Did quite a bit backcountry and resort ski days. Tried skate skiing and did plenty of winter running. Ultimate canadian boot-camp.
Winters can be as much fun as summers, if you know what to do. Nothing matches walking on your own, in winter, around Assiniboine; setting your track and it dissapears. Crazy how much I did and learned during the 2023-2024 winter. I didn’t really socialize much, nor did djing and partying. It was just the play in the great wilderness and work and sleep. And maybe all of this originated from the loneliness and to prove myself that I can have fun and grow despite all. Went to Assiniboine Naiset Huts on my own. It was a moving experience. In 3-4 months getting comfortable enough to go into deep winter and walk around Assiniboine. Such a special place. Sking out on my own, had a small accident where I pulled my calves at the Assiniboine pass. Luckily I didn’t became that guy who needed rescue; just a painful 20km walk. This trip was so liberating, maybe even phoenix waking.
Then things got just better. We got back with L. kind of. Cem joined mountain adventures during the summer and L. visited, too. It was a fun, proper summer; minues the fires. Nice to run alone, also nice to run with friends.
Spring started with King of the hills where you ran up to mountains for 4 weeks and it is a great wake-up call for the body. A summer full of running and exploration. Nothing serious, but still I got much more fit. Lost some weights and got better at running longer. This resulted in my very first ultra run in the inaugural Black Lung ultra in Nordegg. It was so a fun journey, Though I got lost during the last section; I was able to score third place. Funny thing was I didn’t even tried hard to do this. I just needed to run slower and walk sometimes and live in the mountains. And mountains shape you.
Second year started with a better rental place. Cheaper, better, 3 floors and some privacy. I had few roommates to feel better when I travel during the dark months like November-January. I tried Ice Climbing and it was cold. Then L. arrived in February doing her sabbatical, kind of repeating what I did a year ago and discovering the winter wonderland. We started doing outings together and went to Assiniboine together this time. It was special; again.
We decided to stay for another summer. Summer around the corner and this time did more mountainering with our awesome guide Tim. Went to Bugaboos with L. 4 years later this time with gears and did some fun climbing. Things escalated we said and then we did Sir Donald. Being fit and doing long days; using your body and mind. So much fun.
We also did some more long runs, like Golden Ultra. Faster then ever and it was time to pack. I got my Canadian passport in early 2025 and the rest of the world was calling. Or it felt like that somehow. Maybe European Alps, maybe California. So, I started packing the home. The lease was ending conviniently at the end of September. We did one last run that I wanted to do since I moved in. Running to the Bow hut from Bow lake. Such a treat to run by the glacier late in the afternoon; almost no one in the trails. Just the sun, and the rock and the ice and the wind. And you.
So was the 2 years I spent in Canmore. Now I’m back to the valley for skiing and arranging the last bit of moving logistics. Destination California. Anti-Canada. Good weather; but you have Lake Tahoe! Will see how that will compare to the great Canadian wilderness. Regardless I’m impressed by the redwoods and the hills around the bay area. Should be a smoother ride back to the city.
Funny enough remote work was fine. I was I think most productive and impactful as I ever been. Did some useful things and continue growing and by the end of 2025 I was co-leading Gemini Nano pretraining. I did work a lot some times, but I also took the day off when there was a fresh snow or a course. I developed a nice cooking routine. Oats in the morning, salad for lunch and something fun for dinner. And weekends for some bread and olive oil, when not doing an early-start. It was a simple life and busy sometimes.
Canmore changed me. First of all, it tought me alignment. Align your life with the winds of change. Escpecially you, you who has options and means. Don’t try to run trails if you are in the city; similarly don’t live in the city if you wanna hit the trails. If you wanna work hard, go work hard in the main ship. If you are blocked at work, go do something else. Life is short but long enough to pipeline and time things. Start from priorities and shape your life so that those things are aligned and easy. Once there, look around and ask yourself what is aligned with my current situation. There will be more than you initially imagined, thats for sure.
Also I learned (again) that I don’t know what I don’t know. We are incapable of imagining life. Only the rough countours. And nothing compares to actually doing and living the dream. Maybe it is right, maybe it is a mistake. There is only one way to find out. So find it out.
Canmore made me more capable in the outdoors. Made me fit. Made me lonely and happy. Happy being alone. Happy doing my own thing, not much to coordinate. I have 3 skis now and bunch of gear. And all the right outfit for every weather. Very light tent, two of them to be precise and a climbing rope. So many different bags of all sizes. My favourite winter shoes are the NF traction mules now and no more buying running shoes without trying. Trail running shoes are the best.
So, in short, it felt great living here and indeed I got used to the views. Came for the views, stayed for the trails and became a mountain goat who can ski. Let see how this mountain goat will do in the Redwood city.
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