Banff National Park: A Jogger’s Perspective
Ah finally the snow and ice has cleared and it is possible to go for a jog without slipping and dying. It was only a month ago that I was jogging on the frozen Bow River. Really you are spoiled for choice when it comes to routes for jogging. Depending on your fitness levels, you could make the very challenging run up Tunnel Mountain or just a short loop around town by the river. However yesterday, I ventured out into the unknown side of Banff. Past the Cave and Basin, there is the marsh loop and on a sunny day, I would have to put it down as the best run in Banff and maybe anywhere.
The run is more or less flat the whole way and begins on a concrete path surrounded by overhanging trees. The fact that there might be a just-woken Grizzly Bear watching you from the trees makes you run faster. Fear is a beautiful motivator. There are a ton of options for turn off’s while you are running but eventually take a right and you will loop around towards the gorgeous turquoise Bow River and into the depths of the forest.
You really feel like you are alone in here and even though the sun was shining on a beautiful evening, I didn’t come across one other person on my whole jog…which makes the fear factor with bears all the greater! One of the great things about Banff National Park is that it is a National Park. This means that nobody can build huge skyscrapers and ruin the natural surrounds. Banff is almost exactly the same now as it was hundreds of years ago – beautiful.