Choppers, Chocolate and a Dome with a View

Sunrise strolls and steep climbs

My best-laid plans for going back to bed after finishing yesterday’s blog were thwarted. With sunrise around 7:30am, I decided to head down to the river with my camera instead.

I wandered down the 15th fairway, stopping to grab a shot of the hotel – no golfers out yet, not enough light – so no danger of a stray ball. The brush held a sign warning of bull elk, but sadly no wildlife appeared.

At Bow River Falls I lingered, trying to capture the morning light dancing over the water. The walk back was tougher than expected. A sign promised the hotel was only 100 metres away – true, but directly uphill. My legs definitely noticed the climb.

Back in the room, Ros was already awake and getting ready for breakfast. The spread was solid. I liked that the bacon wasn’t too crispy, but it was a little cold, so I didn’t eat much of it. Fuel enough though, because the morning held bigger plans.

After finishing breakfast we ventured out to where the Dome is – this would be our dinner venue tonight. After taking a short visit we checked out the views and it was then that Ros noticed some elk far off in the distance. We got some photos and videos to remember it all by and continued back to the room.

Wind, whirring blades and white knuckles

At 9:45 we headed off to Canmore for our helicopter ride. The four of us – Ros, Carol, Mick and me – joined 14 others for the adventure. With four or five passengers per chopper, we ended up as the last group of four, which suited us perfectly.

After the safety briefing, we sized up our ride. This one was smaller than the helicopters we’d flown before: one seat up front, four in the back, two facing each other. Just before boarding, the assistant casually mentioned it was getting windy. Too late to turn back now.

Carol boarded first, placed with her back to the pilot. Mick faced her, then I was ushered in beside him instead of Carol. That left Ros – to her horror – in the front seat. Headsets on, the blades whirred to life and off we went.

The views were stunning – mountain ranges stretched endlessly, including the famous Three Sisters. But the wind was wild. At times the helicopter dropped suddenly, jolting us in our seats. The pilot’s commentary didn’t exactly soothe nerves: “winds up here are about 110km/hour – at 120km/hour we call it off.” Reassuring.

As we approached Mount Turbulent, the name made sense. Ros had gone completely quiet, a sure sign of nerves, and Carol looked pale too. The pilot kept checking on us. In the back, we replied “yep” without hesitation. In the front, Ros needed three prompts and even a tap on the leg before managing a muffled “mmm hmmm.”

Thankfully, the descent smoothed things out. When we touched down, both Ros and Carol looked beyond relieved to be back on solid ground. The crew shut down flights after ours as the winds climbed even higher.

Shops, sweets and sugary discoveries

Rather than ride the bus all the way back to the hotel, we hopped off in town. We grabbed a bite in the shopping centre food court and swapped stories of the flight, laughing over a video I’d taken of Carol that probably won’t ever see daylight.

Souvenir shops lined the streets, many with the same trinkets repeated. After browsing a few, we worked up an appetite again and stumbled upon BeaverTails. Not knowing what to expect, Ros chose triple chocolate while I went with apple. Warm, sweet and filling, they were exactly what we needed.

The hotel shuttle buses leave from the main street, but we chose to walk back – partly to see more of the town, partly to walk off the BeaverTails. Mission accomplished on both counts. Back at the hotel, Ros booked in for a hairstyle while I collapsed on the bed with a book.

Rainbows and the Dome Experience

Dinner tonight was something truly special: the Dome Experience at Banff Springs Hotel. Picture a private glass-walled dome set out on the lawn, mountains in the distance, the sky slowly shifting colours.

We sat down to an eight-course degustation that was as indulgent as it sounds. Apparently, before Ros and I arrived, Mick had remarked that it felt like “feeding time at the zoo.” I said the exact same thing when I walked in, and then, hilariously, the waitress used the same phrase during her introduction. As all of the people dining in the two floors behind us were looking at us in the dome.

For a short while the rain tapped gently against the dome, making it feel warm and cosy inside, before clearing to reveal a brilliant rainbow perfectly framed through the glass. The standout dish for me was the filet mignon – perfectly cooked, tender and rich in flavour, the kind of dish you savour slowly even when you know there are still more courses to come. Between the food, the view and the laughter, it was a night to remember.

Tomorrow we swap choppers for gondolas – it’s off to Lake Moraine and then Lake Louise for the night.

The dome was definitely worth doing – it was once in a lifetime experience.