De dieren in de Rocky Mountains (Animal kingdom of the Rockies)

This is mostly a post for my little nieces (and for myself, to keep in mind that seeing a bear is very special; 45 bears and still counting!), because I think they would really enjoy this part of Canada a lot. So I'll be switching to dutch, maybe Bente can read it herself?
(You should still be able to use the translater-function on the right if you are unfamiliar with dutch!)


Zo veel leuke dieren in Canada! Kijk eens wat ik allemaal gezien heb!


Bambi? 
Ja, baby hertjes gewoon midden op ons wandelpad. Nieuwsgierig kijken ze ons aan. We zijn net op tijd om een foto te maken van ze voordat ze weg springen. Lief hoor!

Streepjes!

Dit is een eekhoorn soort. We noemen hem Chipmunk in Canada. Heel erg schattig met die streep over zijn gezicht.

Bruine beer!
Deze mooie beer heb ik met opa en oma gezien! Oma heeft hem als eerste gespot. De beer steekt zomaar de straat over, vlak voor onze auto! Kun je de grote klauwen zien? Met een grizzly beer wil je niet stoeien hoor. Altijd veilig in de auto blijven!

Grote oren?
Dit is een jong mannetjes hert. Een soort met hele grote oren, net als een muildier. Daarom worden ze muildierhert genoemd. En omdat zijn gewei al 2 vertakkingen heeft, is hij waarschijnlijk 2 jaartjes oud.

Zoutjes!
Veel dieren houden van zout. En zout strooien ze hier veel op de weg in de winter. Dat komt op de auto's te zitten en dan krijg je dit: Een schaap die mijn auto aflikt! Zie je de sporen van de tong op de deur? En het is er niet 1, het zijn er wel 10! Ik moet ze eerst wegjagen voordat ik weg kan rijden. Gekkerds.

Hallo?
Een nieuwsgierige eekhoorn! Hij hoopt natuurlijk op een lekker hapje, maar wilde dieren moeten wild blijven en daarom geven we ze niks te eten. Straks vergeten ze nog hoe ze zelf eten moeten zoeken!

Heeeeele grote cavia!
Dit is een marmot. Ze zijn zo groot als een kat. Ook de marmot houdt van zout! Op mijn schoenen zit nog zout van de zee. Die begint hij af te likken terwijl ik lekker in het gras lig te wachten!

Spetter de spetter!
Wat is die grote ronde steen in het water? Iedereen kijkt ernaar. Opeens komt zijn hoofd weer boven water. Een eland! Lekker een bad aan het nemen denk je? Nee, hij eet gewoon waterplanten. En omdat hij geen handen heeft, moet hij mijn zijn hele hoofd onderwater om ze te plukken!

Schatje!
Oh, kijk, een kleine beer! Ook hier niet uitstappen uit te auto. Stel je voor zijn moeder is in de buurt. Die wordt boos hoor!

Op de Rotswand!
Berggeiten zijn helemaal wit. Met pik zwarte hoorns. En ze kunnen klimmen als de beste, veel beter dan jij en ik!

Micky Mouse?

En wat is dit? Een muis? Een eekhoorn? Nee, het is een pika! Normaal zijn ze erg schuw. Maar deze komt even hallo zeggen! Grappig he?

Wit of bruin?

Dit is een soort fazant. In Canada noemen we het een ptarmigan. In de zomer zijn deze vogels bruin en grijs. Dat is een goede schutkleur in het bos en tussen de rotsen. Maar in de winter ligt hier overal sneeuw! Dus veranderen ze van kleur, ze worden wit! Klaar voor de winter!

Roofvogels

Dit is een steenarend. In Canada noemen we hem Golden Eagle (Dat betekent Goud adelaar!). Ze eten meestal vis. Soms worden ze nat als ze vis proberen te vangen. Dan moeten ze hun veren drogen in de zon!

Sporen?
Een eland is heel groot. Kijk, zijn voetafdruk is net zo groot als mijn voet!

In de boom!

Beren klimmen graag in bomen. Als je goed oplet, vind je in het bos de afdruk van hun klauwen! 

Luiwammessen!
Wauw! Deze zijn echt heel groot. Zeeleeuwen zijn het. Ook nog eens de grootste van de soort. Stellar Sea Lions op zijn engels. En ze grommen net als echte leeuwen! Lekker lui liggen ze te zonnen op de rotsen.
(Dit was natuurlijk niet in de bergen. Dit was aan zee!)

Private tour with my parents!

My parents have always been very good at supporting my adventures abroad. I appreciate it very much, but I also know partly why they support me; they love to have a good reason to travel, too! Naturally they would visit me here in Canada at some point, and beginning this summer my dads health was good enough to fly over the big pond! 

Less hiking, but more good food, laughter and loving going on. And lots of touristy sight seeing, which is fun too.

Taking an old steam train through the beautiful country

Together at my dear friend Lorraine

They also have met some of my friends, and really got along with my host-parents in Vancouver. It was just really nice to show them a little part of why I love living in this country so much. 

It's hard for a mother to have her daughter live so far away. And I know that. However, the fact that my mom now understands my love for this country and me wanting to stay longer, makes me feel at ease. 

(Which doesn't matter probably, without telling you more about  f&%#@ing work permit sh*t, I can tell you I am most probably going to have to leave the country before the end of this year...)

No need to hike a mountain to see beautiful mountains!

I made my mom go paddling with me on Emerald Lake,
and at the end she says it was her favorite part of the holiday!

Vancouver's totem poles

Inspired by the mermaid of Denmark, here is Vancouvers "girl in wetsuit" 

I'm of to my next tour. If anybody hears or knows about great job opportunities anywhere in Europe, shoot me a line!

Tessa as a tour guide

If you have been reading my blog, you have read that I am, again, working as a tour guide this summer. You might have also noticed that I was not able to keep my promise on updating my blog frequently. As a tour guide I am working 24/7 and sometimes for up to 3 weeks in a row. The few days in between tours are really needed for rest and there is just not much time for writing a blog. I am happy if I am able to call my mom & dad every 2 weeks. (They have visited me here in Canada, see the next post!)

Being a tour guide, what exactly does that mean? 

I dress up. In a real outdoor-suit. I don't even own normal socks anymore. It is just hiking socks or barefoot. I also wear nail polish on my toes to hide the dirt under my nails...

The few times I am actually in downtown Vancouver or another city and put in earrings, use some make-up and throw on a dress I feel so girly that my giggling starts automatically. 

I get food. Mostly I get food in the grocery shop. Timberwolf tours provides me with a list and a dinner suggestion plan for the whole trip, but I am too creative to stick with that, so I make up my own or adjust where I see fit for the group. Sometimes that means tracking down fishermen and hoping they will sell you a salmon...

Yes, we found a nice fresh Sockeye Salmon!

I cook. Sometimes I cook alone, sometimes the guests help. But I love to cook and I love the fact most people love the food I cook. It just gives me a very happy feeling. It is the hardest part of the day, especially when I have to get up very early to make an extensive breakfast, but it is also very rewarding. 

My favorite way of cooking: grilling on the fire!

I clean up. Ok, honestly, I hardly ever do the dishes, I am very lucky to have had guests who were very willing to help out. Mostly it means I clean the campground after eating and put everything away where it belongs. 

I am the driver. This is quite self explanatory. I drive the van to where we have to be, guests don't have to worry about finding the way because that is my job. And do I always know where to go? Yes. (Maybe I don't always take the shortest way...) If I haven't been there before, street-view in google maps is awesome for preparing my trips! Nowadays I have been most places our tours go to, which is honestly a lot of different spots! 

Packing the trailer is part of the job too.

I tell interpretive stories. I will try to do my best to make you see where you are, what you see around you and what is so special about it.

And everyday I learn more again, from every group. I am sometimes amazed at the amount of what I have learned in the past year. I can tell you about the mountains, the flora and fauna, the history and some interesting fun facts of the places I go to. And still there is such a massive amount of information yet to learn if I wanted to. 

Pointing out the mountains around Lake Louise

Enjoying the view on downtown Calgary

I pick the lunch spots. When we do a hike, lunch is mostly somewhere halfway up the mountain, or even on top. Other times we have lunch along the road. Honestly, in the Rockies picking a good lunch spot is the easiest task for a guide, IF it is nice weather. If it is raining or cold it can be a challenge!

This retired couple was still smiling even when hail and snow
came down on us while having lunch on a beautiful pass.
That's Canada in July!

Another good lunch spot.

I take pictures. Well, obviously the guests take pictures. But I make sure they have time for it, on the right moments. That they see the animals they want to capture (we sometimes venture out in the evening if we have missed all the bears so far), or don't forget to look back to the awesome glacier view we see behind us for example. And I like to make sure group shots are not forgotten when we are on top. 

I also like to have fun with pictures and always make sure there are some memorable crazy ones or maybe a nice new profile picture.

Maybe this will be my new profile pic?

I deal with group dynamics. Sometimes the easiest, sometimes the hardest part of being a guide of a group trip. It all depends on the individuals in the group of course. One trip I have to work hard at growing a group, other trips it just clicks. 

But it always happens that the guests arrive as individuals and they leave as a group. I think it's beautiful.

Timberwolf Tours gives out Toques (=hat, beanie) as gifts.
Wearing the same hat while its windy and cold
helps with group bonding in a fun way!

 In the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain,
getting a flat tire
ensures quick group bonding, too...

I tell people to enjoy. Guests book a holiday. They might be working the night before they leave, are used to being on a schedule, tight timing and efficiency. This is the one time they can relax and let go, but it takes effort to be able to do that. Teaching people or reminding them how to really relax and let go is part of the job. It is also the most rewarding part if you can see a person really letting go and start enjoying the surrounding.

I go to the office. And my office is a different place every time. Mostly I live in a tent all summer and my life is stored in the van. Actually, I don't have a personal life during the summer. No time for that!

This might not sound very appealing, but have a look at the views I get to enjoy while working:

Well's Gray Provincial Park 

Helmcken Falls with a gorgeous rainbow!

Hut-to-hut trekking took us over some snow patches
(Yes, my snow-loving heart skipped a few beats!)

The last ice is still on the lake, mid of July

Our cabin for the night visible on our way down

Evening view from the cabin

Beautiful fields full of Glacier Lilly's
(The Japanese tourists go Banana's over these!)

Iceline trail, Yoho NP

View on Takakkaw Falls

Bourgeau Lake trail, Banff NP

Garibaldi Provincial Park

View on the Black Tusk

Gorgeous Garibaldi Lake

I hope this gave you a little more insight in what I am up to this summer! 

Thank you for reading again.