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Abstract

it would be cold then, but we forgot just HOW cold it could get.<figure id="1d34"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*iwLVNm7ondgLfI_ryjriEg.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="d39a"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*WwSCa89rCLziTA5_6sG2zg.jpeg"><figcaption>Two very different seasons of almost the same view. The river bed dries up and the ground freezes in the wintertime in Canmore. Because of the low angle of the sun in the winter, this area gets very little sunlight in the day as it stays behind the mountains. Photo Credit: Author</figcaption></figure><figure id="577c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*FPhxaPRp8QVe_lys05LS_g.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Before leaving Canada in 2017, we had been living on the West Coast. The coastal region of Canada is actually a temperate rainforest, and the temperatures remain mild year-round, rarely dropping below 0C (32F). Neither of us had been in really cold Canadian temperatures for many years.But over the 4 months of our stay there, we would be harshly reminded of the winters we had endured as children, and it was enough to make us NEVER want to repeat the experience again!<figure id="7432"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*uH8ae_Vi3em11e-ea6QQLQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Lavishing in the warmth of the Banff Hot Springs. Photo Credit: Author</figcaption></figure>We housesat in Canmore for the months of October and November. While there I took Chris to many of my childhood haunts which was a lot of fun for me and gave him a different perspective of the area than what he had before.We even took a trip to the Banff Hot Springs one day, to try and warm up our cold bones! It was fun to revisit a place that was such a large part of my childhood.<figure id="0203"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*CfqLN-LlEIfRn6IoZV8alg.jpeg"><figcaption>A solitary house in a stark landscape. Photo Credit: Author</figcaption></figure>In December and part of January, we moved down the road to Cochrane. Cochrane is located just outside of the mountains, about halfway between Canmore and Calgary.It was there that we experienced the coldest temperatures yet.We had to plug in the truck that we were lent each night to make sure that it didn’t freeze solid, then would let it run for 20 minutes in the morning, not daring to get in it before it had warmed up. We hopped from house to store to the house again, not wanting to expose ourselves to too much of the frozen temperatures.<figure id="9c6c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*CRY4heDVa780sRiyf26UFA.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="f265"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*jpSszKry8P-X_OzBNEgxJQ.jpeg"><figcaption>We did find one day that was warm enough for a walk, though, and I couldn’t resist

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making a snow angel! Photo Credit: Author</figcaption></figure>At Christmas time we made our way to Chris’ Mom’s house in Central Alberta. This area of Canada is part of the prairies, and it is flat! This is a similar landscape to where Chris grew up in Saskatchewan. It is certainly a far cry different than the mountains where I grew up in Canmore!<figure id="4bf3"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*357C4QO6CMR56x4TDHJ22g.jpeg"><figcaption>Driving through the prairies in Central Alberta. Xmas 2019. Photo Credit: Author</figcaption></figure>The landscape sparkled as there was hoarfrost covering all of the trees. Hoarfrost forms when moisture is found in the air yet the temperatures remain cold enough that it freezes around the items it comes into contact with.The moist air comes from humid air gently flowing into the area or the release of moisture from an unfrozen stream or lake.I will admit that it is dazzlingly beautiful and the landscape glitters like diamonds.<figure id="679a"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*jKxfZZFQj3OWgwQPF2_9Sw.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="5e1b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*EWGtDeaGsoYMeFkeE7sVww.jpeg"><figcaption>A close-up of hoarfrost on a branch and the winter wonderland that was Chris’ mom's house. Photo Credit: Author</figcaption></figure>While we were happy for the extended visit home to see our families, we definitely did not enjoy the harsh winter temperatures. We are now too soft to bear such extremities, and we choose to stay in the warmth of the tropics.On January 15th, 2020, we flew out of Calgary headed for Morocco during the coldest cold snap yet. The thermometer read -36C (-33F) when we bid farewell to our last Canadian winter, vowing NEVER to return at this time of year again!<figure id="49fb"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*FPhxaPRp8QVe_lys05LS_g.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We have now been on the African continent for over 2 years! Join our adventure by hitting the links below! Subscribe to <a href="https://artisticvoyages.medium.com/membership">Medium</a> to get full access to my writing plus thousands of others!<a href="http://www.artisticvoyages.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.instagram.com/artisticvoyages">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/artisticvoyages">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/artisticvoyages">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.patreon.com/artisticvoyages">Patreon</a>|<a href="http://www.youtube.com/c/artisticvoyages"> YouTube</a> | <a href="https://artisticvoyages.medium.com/">Medium</a></article></body>

MEMORIES | TRAVEL | CANADA

Memories of a Snow Filled Landscape

Our last trip back home to Canada was COLD!

A fast fly-by shot of a barn in the prairies as the sun was setting. I’ll admit, it was a stunning winter evening. Photo Credit: Author

We have mostly been away from Canada since 2017, though we did go home for one visit in between our forays in Central America, and our trip to Morocco at the beginning of 2020.

It was meant to be just a 4–6 week visit, but one thing led to the other, and we were there for 4 months.

We arrived in Calgary at the end of August 2019 and made our way to Canmore, my hometown. At that time, we had been away for 2 years, and we had no desire for cold weather. So we figured that we would leave again by mid-October before the snow fell.

Notes on My Hometown — Canmore, Alberta Canada

It’s not the hidden gem that it once was.

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Canmore is located at 1309m (4296 ft), high up in the Rocky Mountains. The weather is unpredictable during any month of the year, but it was still technically summer. I had visions of taking Chris to one of my old swimming holes and looked forward to lavishing in the last few days of summer.

However, after arriving, we were immediately shocked by how cold it was! Coming from a constant temperature of around 32C (90F) in the tropics, Canmore in the summer is about 20C (68F). A stark difference!

The majestic Rocky Mountains in Canmore on a bluebird day. Photo Credit: Author

I definitely forgot that summer is NOT warm in Canmore, and we were mostly freezing cold wearing our pants and long sleeves even on the sunny days. It didn’t help that it SNOWED shortly into September!

We were aghast!

As word got out that I was back in town, we started to get housesitting offers from people who were going away on holidays. One thing led to the other, and before we knew it we had housesits booked all the way into January! We knew that it would be cold then, but we forgot just HOW cold it could get.

Two very different seasons of almost the same view. The river bed dries up and the ground freezes in the wintertime in Canmore. Because of the low angle of the sun in the winter, this area gets very little sunlight in the day as it stays behind the mountains. Photo Credit: Author

Before leaving Canada in 2017, we had been living on the West Coast. The coastal region of Canada is actually a temperate rainforest, and the temperatures remain mild year-round, rarely dropping below 0C (32F). Neither of us had been in really cold Canadian temperatures for many years.

But over the 4 months of our stay there, we would be harshly reminded of the winters we had endured as children, and it was enough to make us NEVER want to repeat the experience again!

Lavishing in the warmth of the Banff Hot Springs. Photo Credit: Author

We housesat in Canmore for the months of October and November. While there I took Chris to many of my childhood haunts which was a lot of fun for me and gave him a different perspective of the area than what he had before.

We even took a trip to the Banff Hot Springs one day, to try and warm up our cold bones! It was fun to revisit a place that was such a large part of my childhood.

A solitary house in a stark landscape. Photo Credit: Author

In December and part of January, we moved down the road to Cochrane. Cochrane is located just outside of the mountains, about halfway between Canmore and Calgary.

It was there that we experienced the coldest temperatures yet.

We had to plug in the truck that we were lent each night to make sure that it didn’t freeze solid, then would let it run for 20 minutes in the morning, not daring to get in it before it had warmed up. We hopped from house to store to the house again, not wanting to expose ourselves to too much of the frozen temperatures.

We did find one day that was warm enough for a walk, though, and I couldn’t resist making a snow angel! Photo Credit: Author

At Christmas time we made our way to Chris’ Mom’s house in Central Alberta. This area of Canada is part of the prairies, and it is flat! This is a similar landscape to where Chris grew up in Saskatchewan. It is certainly a far cry different than the mountains where I grew up in Canmore!

Driving through the prairies in Central Alberta. Xmas 2019. Photo Credit: Author

The landscape sparkled as there was hoarfrost covering all of the trees. Hoarfrost forms when moisture is found in the air yet the temperatures remain cold enough that it freezes around the items it comes into contact with.

The moist air comes from humid air gently flowing into the area or the release of moisture from an unfrozen stream or lake.

I will admit that it is dazzlingly beautiful and the landscape glitters like diamonds.

A close-up of hoarfrost on a branch and the winter wonderland that was Chris’ mom's house. Photo Credit: Author

While we were happy for the extended visit home to see our families, we definitely did not enjoy the harsh winter temperatures. We are now too soft to bear such extremities, and we choose to stay in the warmth of the tropics.

On January 15th, 2020, we flew out of Calgary headed for Morocco during the coldest cold snap yet. The thermometer read -36C (-33F) when we bid farewell to our last Canadian winter, vowing NEVER to return at this time of year again!

Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We have now been on the African continent for over 2 years! Join our adventure by hitting the links below! Subscribe to Medium to get full access to my writing plus thousands of others!