Love is in the air — and mountains
Finding romance in the Rockies is one way to stay warm this winter
I feel giddy as the helicopter starts to lift from the heli-pad in Kananaskis, an hour west of Calgary. That giddiness only intensifies as the chopper rises, taking us 9,000 feet above into the peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
As I marvel at the white-capped mountains jutting into the Alberta sky, the pilot points out what’s below. There’s the Bow River winding its way through the valley toward the high rises of Calgary off in the distance.
As we fly by the Three Sisters mountains near Canmore, he tells us they were originally called Three Nuns because explorers thought fresh snowfall on the rock looked like nuns’ veils. We fly by Mt. Allen and look down at the wide white stripes of the Nakiska Ski Resort.
Some Rockies Heli (rockiesheli.com) passengers grin more than others as they listen to the pilot’s commentary. Every year, hundreds of couples take off for a two-hour trip to the top of a mountain and return engaged. If the pilot knows the proposal is coming, he’ll bring along the champagne (and hold the phone to do the filming).
“We’re getting ready to land at that really big airport in front of us,” the pilot jokes as we set down on the snow on the top of a mountain for an hour of snowshoeing. “The Rockies are behind us and the Foothills are in front of us.”
He hauls out the snowshoes he’s loaded into the back of the helicopter. We strap them on and head through the woods over thick snow littered with little animal tracks— rabbits, birds, maybe a bobcat.
When we get to the first lookout, our pilot breaks out the hot chocolate and Baileys and tells us about a few of the proposals he’s seen over the years at this very spot. We warm our hands around the paper cups as he talks about the guy who read his betrothed a long poem and the woman who left her boyfriend hanging with no clear answer after he popped the question. “That was awkward,” he remarks.
Regardless of the answer, this is a great place to drop on one knee and pop the question. Or get married. There have been more than a few weddings up here. In some cases, Rockies Heli flies up to 100 people (and a few outhouses) for a pictureperfect mountain wedding.
Whether you’re getting hitched or just getting to know each other, there’s something about a helicopter ride that gets the heart beating faster. And after the thump thump of the helicopter blades, the Rockies offer plenty of other ways to keep your blood pumping.
Such as? How about strapping on the cross-country skies and heading to one of Alberta’s glorious mountain parks such as Peter Lougheed Provincial Park an hour south of the heli-pad. There are hundreds of kilometres of groomed trails to explore on skis or snowshoes. If you’d rather stay warm by cuddling up with your honey, climb into a sleeping bag behind a sled and let the dogs do the work with one of the dog sledding operators around Canmore.
After you’ve got your dose of fresh air, consider some retail therapy by strolling hand-in-hand down Canmore’s Main Street. As well as restaurants and coffee shops, you’ll find cool boutiques, outerwear stores and art galleries. Pop in to the CarterRyan Live Gallery to browse works of local artists. If you’re there on a weekend evening, the gallery turns into a live music venue.
This is a great place to drop on one knee and pop the question. Or get married. There have been more than a few weddings up here
Just a little off Canmore’s main drag, indulge your love of beer by touring the Grizzly Paw Brewing Company. The tour starts with a few samples before you move upstairs to learn more about how the beer is made, taste a few more and soak up the view of the mountains through the brewery’s giant windows.
Giddy for a second time after a full day romancing in the Rockies? Head back to your mountain hotel, put another log on the fire and really heat things up.