Banff Day 2 Banff National Park

Motto of the day: WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT! 🐻
After a lovely breakfast at the hotel coffee shop—and squeezing in a quick photo with a Mountie who wandered into the lobby 😉—we boarded the coach for our first full day of exploring Banff.
Our first mission was tracking down some of Banff National Park's famous wildlife. We cruised around the spectacular Fairmont Banff Springs golf course, where we spotted a couple of elk, and Ian and Lara even caught a glimpse of what looked like a coyote darting through the trees. The scenery was absolutely stunning, though we're not sure we’d want to play a round on that particular course—it’s notorious for bears wandering across the fairways!
Speaking of bears, we learned all about Banff’s most famous resident: The Boss (Bear 122). He is the ultimate grizzly—weighing anywhere between 500 to 650 lbs depending on the season. The Boss is a total legend around here, known for surviving being struck by a train twice, fighting his rival "Split Lip," and even snacking on smaller black bears. Because of his massive size, he gets first pick of all the best food in the valley.
We were warned that grizzlies can charge at a terrifying 35 mph, so you're supposed to stay at least 100 metres away. The top safety tip we took away? If a bear does chase you, just make sure you're running with someone slower than you!! 🏃‍♂️💨
Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how brave we were feeling!), The Boss decided to skip our tour today!Read more