Tunnel Mountain

I, I, I must say, like, I'm grateful that there was no bronchitis or head cold to be had, 'cause that is the worst.

I was also very grateful that I was not running up Tunnel Mountain this year.

Oh.

You know what? When I had to switch from the 10K to the 5K due to my sprain, I was disappointed, and I had a few emotional moments about it, but then [laughs] day of I was like, "You know what? I'm actually really happy to just be running on pretty much level ground."

Oh, man.

Oh, things were sticking places and yeah.

But all in all, it was a good time, and I'd, I'd take that 21K over Tunnel Mountain any day.

Yeah.

Just take caution on that road because it does get pretty busy.

And then I would head over towards Tunnel Mountain Road for that Hoodoos viewpoint.

Again, I'm talking about the viewpoint you can drive to, not hiking all the way there from Surprise Corner, which obviously you can do, and we'll come back to that one a little bit later.

But at the Hoodoos viewpoint, there's a parking area with some toilets, then some paths where you can walk around and enjoy the views.

You can see the Hoodoos below.

You have Tunnel Mountain right there, Mount Rundle, and then these big open views throughout the Bow Valley.

This is one of those places where I think the effort to view ratio is pretty spectacular.

You basically get out of your car and there it is.

Though the water is less than a yard in depth, the current moves under the bridge at the rate of from nine to ten miles an hour.

The best point from which to get a good general idea of the topography of Banff and its surroundings is from the summit of a little hill known as Tunnel Mountain.

It is centrally located in the wide valley of the Bow, above which it rises exactly one thousand feet, an altitude great enough to make it appear a high mountain were it not dwarfed by its mighty neighbors.

The view from the summit is not of exceeding grandeur, but is well worth the labor of the climb, especially as a good path with occasional seats for the weary makes the walk an easy one.

In some places, scratches made by the ice are visible, and there are many quartz boulders strewed about which have been carried there from some distant region.

The meandering course of the Bow River, the village, the hay meadows, and grassy swamps all form a pretty picture in the flat valley below.

The eastern face of Tunnel Mountain is well-nigh perpendicular.

The trail leads along near the summit and allows thrilling views down the sheer precipice to the flat valley of the Bow River far below.