The Bow River in Canada has a total length of 587 km (365 mi) and flows from the Canadian Rockies through the town of Lake Louise down to Banff, and the less famous town of Canmore. We walked along the Bow River on wonderfully paved and unpaved path that led us away from town.
We had been warned not to hike outside of town without bear spray because of the bear activity, and did not feel comfortable hiking on unknown areas with so many warnings from the locals.
A bear sow had bitten a man on the leg the week before we were there. After he used bear spray, the bear kept coming at him and knocked him down. His dog was off leash (a no-no) and led the protective mother back to him and away from her cubs.
“Don’t move your neighbor’s boundary markers, the longstanding landmarks set up by your pioneer ancestors defining their property.” Deuteronomy 19:14 Message
Stunning riverside homes were built in different decades and centuries. There were log cabins with a look of being there from the late 1800s. The houses made out of wood had an orange tone to the trees. The newer construction included townhouses with three stories and heated garages as well as single-family dwellings with luxurious hot tubs on their decks facing the Bow River. Ladies playing cards are glimpsed through the windows. What a life!
Have you ever been envious of someone who lives where you hike? Who does it take to live on a river, a side of a mountain, or in isolation in the woods?