It was cold here overnight, around 5C but fortunately; we have a great furnace, which kept us all toasty and warm. The good news is that the rain had diminished to an occasional shower and the forecast was calling for sunny periods throughout the day. We were in no hurry to get going, partly because we had sheets and towels to wash and the cold air outside was not the most inviting.

By noon, once the laundry was finished and we were all ready to go, we headed out to the foothills of Bragg Creek in Kananaskis Country, west of the city. The sun was out, the air was warmer and it was an ideal day to do some sightseeing. As we headed west along Highway 22X we could clearly see the mountains in the distance which all appeared to be fully covered in white snow. The 30-kilometre drive there was very scenic with plenty of rolling hills dotted with some very impressive ranches and homesteads. The village of Bragg Creek has many outdoor activities to offer from golf to hiking as well as several unique shopping and dining experiences. We did some sightseeing and window-shopping before having a late lunch at one of the many eateries where we learned that yesterday the whole area was blanketed in the cold "white stuff".

We drove back to the city via Highway 1 so that we could drive past the Canada Olympic Park, built in 1988 for the winter Olympics. It is now used year round for a number of sporting activities such as skiing and mountain biking as well as corporate events and weddings. Tomorrow we will continue westward through Banff and the community of Lake Louise so we hope the snowfall takes a holiday until we emerge on the other side of the mountains. Today was a much better day to see the area and we were just thankful to see the sun again which, with some luck, will continue for the rest of our journey.