After a long day in the fresh air whether you have been exploring the alpine meadows or making some turns in the powder, it is always great to unwind and share photos and stories. Of course a little glass of wine or your beverage o

One of the recipes that I have been asked for over and over again is the one with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese. I don’t know where I found it but it has continued to be one of the favourites with many of our guests.

 Although very simple to make it will be a hit anytime you make it too.

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Stuff

1 jar of sun dried tomatoes (in oil) 8.5 oz or 251 ml. Drain and reserve oil. Chop tomatoes very finely.

3 cloves of garlic-finely chopped

½ can of sliced black olives- finely chopped

¾ tub (400g) Feta cheese crumbled

Fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with the oil from the tomatoes-serve with crackers.

 Enjoy and wow all your friends.

 Joanne

Early January at Talus is as beautiful as you can imagine. You wake up with the incredible alpen glow on Assiniboine and Eon mountains to the North East. Coffee has a special taste as you watch the gradual lighting of the peak with morning colors, as it gradually fades again with the light of day. A few moments later the same show is repeated on our Talon Peak which looks over our setting. All visible from any of the East and North windows in the lodge.It is January and cold outside, days are short. The wood in the fire stove is crackling and producing the magic heat that makes everything so comfortable and special.

 The cook is busy preparing breakfast, as aromas float magically enticing sleepy heads to rise and shine in preparation for another glorious day. Gradually everyone comes up from the bedrooms; freshly brewed coffee awaits. By this time breakfast is ready and everyone is animated and keen to discuss the options for the day.

 While we all look out of the windows for the never ending changes on the light on the scenery outside, we prepare our own take out lunch that will nurture us while we explore the tarns, and meadows and plateaus and frozen waterfalls until is time to head back to the welcoming lodge….

 As we head back, the beauty of Burstall Pass in the distance, or the Royal Group, Fortress, Leman Lake we recount our day and await new experiences tomorrow…

 Chris

Whether the activity is hiking or skiing one thing our guests look forward to at the end of the day is returning to the smells of the enticing meals we offer at Talus Lodge. We pride ourselves on our superb home cooked meals and the staff is often asked to share specific recipes. The recipe below is one of my favourites.

One of the reasons it is a favourite is because of the combination of the flavours of basil and tomatoes partnered with balsamic vinegar. To ensure top quality ingredients,  I rely on our local organic greenhouse to purchase both the basil and tomatoes. There is nothing like the taste of a fresh ripe tomato picked from the vine. Usually the basil is purchased the day before I leave and I make the dressing to take with me. The cheese comes from the Okanagan and is also purchased from our local fruit stand. 

The recipe came from the Canadian Living magazine but originally the recipe is named after the island of Capri and is found all over Italy. I hope you enjoy it as much as our guests have.

Caprese Salad

1 and1/3 cups of lightly packed basil leaves

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

4 tsp balsamic vinegar

Pinch of salt and pepper

1Pkg (340 g) mozzarella cheese

4 tomatoes preferably plum

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

-      In food processor or blender, puree 1/3 cup of basil with oil and vinegar until smooth.

-      Cut mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices and tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices.

-      On large serving tray, layer cheeses, tomatoes and remaining basil in a concentric circles.

-     Sprinkle with onion.

-      Drizzle dressing over salad.

Makes 8 servings.

Joanne

There is nothing like xc skiing at Talus Lodge. All you need to do is step out of the lodge (located at 7600 ft/ 2350 m) and start enjoying the marvelous terrain and views. A loop around the Jewell Lakes is a fabulous experience with Talon Peak looming above the basin and the lodge buildings never out of sight. Assiniboine Mountain and a cluster of peaks can be seen in line to the NW. The moraines in this particular area lend themselves for fabulous kick and glide over rolling terrain.

 Immediately below Jewell Lake basin and the lodge our stunning alpine larch forest offers the option to glide within the open areas and to see White Man Pass, Mt Curry and peaks of the Continental Divide. Because of the protection of the trees, the snow is invariably powdery and soft. The larch and other alpine trees offer a variety of shapes that add winter magic.

 If the emphasis of the day is on views, Ptarmigan Plateau is the place to be. Rolling and undulating terrain with unlimited views: the Royal Group starting with Sir Douglas and to the South and in the Distance King George are truly spectacular. Of course you cannot miss Burstall and Spray passes and Leman Lake in Banff National Park below and to the NE. Having lunch and a rest for hot tea anywhere is a must, just to pinch oneself to make sure this is real!

 Come and experience a limitless winter experience this winter! Talus Lodge is an ideal location for family and small groups. We would love to host you this winter.

 Chris

Christmas Greetings to all of you!

 Greetings to all who visited with us at Talus Lodge whether it was winter or summer or from the time we started our operation to the present, we feel fortunate to have been able to share our facilities with you while you visited. Most of all we feel fortunate to have been able to have made your acquaintance and to become friends.

 Greetings to you who may be thinking of visiting us at Talus Lodge. We encourage you to try us and to discover the marvelous experience that awaits.

 Greetings to our friends, who cook, guide, assist, build, clean and generally support us in every possible way. We could not open our doors without your help and enthusiasm. We value your company and feel very grateful for your support. We enjoy the time we get to share with each and everyone of you.

 Our best wishes for a wonderful festive season and wishing you all the best in a 2012.

 Chris and Joanne 

As snow accumulates at Talus and the ground cover changes to the white winter mantle, the creeks of summer turn into solid ice and waterfalls turn into amazing ice structures which defy gravity. Lakes and tarns have a solid ice surface which offers winter use options.

 Snowshoeing allows you to experience the snow in a completely new light. At the Talus alpine larch forest, out in the open Ptarmigan Plateau or high up in our mystical mountains, you can sense the calm and embrace the magic of winter in a whole new way.

 Wander in our landscape at a relaxed pace, pick out wildlife tracks in the snow or admire trees covered full of snow while crunching along a snowshoe loop or floating atop fresh powder. Breathe the cool winter air; feel invigorated and warm as you move within a surreal setting. Stop, look around and feel the setting and the surrounding majestic views. Allow your spirit to soar!

 Snowshoeing is a truly unique and magical experience. Leave your tracks deep in the unbroken snow while you cleanse your mind and soul. Rediscover the magic of the mountains and the miraculous snow in a profound way all made possible with a pair of snowshoes.

 The lodge is always there for you when you are ready to come in after your adventures outside.

Excerpts from a Calgary Herald article by Trent Edwards. March 2008

At Talus Lodge it is hard not to remain in a suspended state of giddiness.

After our chopper lifted off the plateau, whipping snow into our grinning faces, our ears took a moment to adjust to the silence. Frosted peaks, forested valleys and frozen lakes a plateau straddling the Continental Divide, we were still on a high from that thrill ride.

Surrounded by snowy mountains, our home for the weekend felt like a million miles from the nearest city, rather than a mere 15-minute helicopter ride from Canmore.

This little piece of heaven near Banff National Park would surely have been placed within its borders had the park’s founders known of its natural charms back in the 19th century.

This small plateau is surrounded by jagged peaks, a cirque and a 300-metre cliff that offers inspiring viewpoints over a picturesque valley and distant peaks.

None of these natural beauties, however, are quite so spectacular as the Talon, a 2,710-metre peak with a hook-topped shape that dominates most views here.

For a ski-tourer this place is posh — hot and delicious meals, a heated lodge with soft beds and, perhaps best of all, not having to carry your food, cooking and sleeping gear with you.

All of the snowshoers couldn’t seem to stop acting like kids on a snow day. We laughed and hollered as we ran down steep hillsides of fluffy powder on a snowpack up to six metres deep.

Out of politeness to the others, I fought the urge to get out of our leader’s tracks so as to preserve the pristine snowscape from my tracks. But I soon found myself greedily making my own tracks as I explored between groves of trees.

Though days old, the untracked powder was still light and fluffy. A short traverse then brought us to the natural glades that lead all the way to the valley floor. We whooped it up as we carefully picked our way through the trees.

For the next three days, we would fill our minds with beautiful sights, bask in classic Rockies scenery while snowshoeing and ski touring, enjoy powder skiing, eat decadent meals and get to know a cast of interesting strangers.

Talus Lodge Testimonial

 Talus Lodge is situated in an idyllic location and our facilities are second to none in the realm of a back country setting. Our guests leave our lodge with lasting impressions of their visit. I am delighted to offer the following text written for us by guest Bill Summers who is now also a good personal friend, as a testimonial of what he enjoyed about our lodge.

 Thanks again for another great visit to Talus Lodge.  

Bill Summers

Winter is setting in as another autumn is just a distant memory. The landscape gradually changes to white, temperatures drop, days get shorter and ponds and lakes freeze. Time to turn to winter fun.

 Trees wrapped in rime, snow and weather

tall and short and wide and narrow

silver base background of gray and wispy

dark lines and bright patches against the sky

 Mountain tops whiter every day as we anticipate those ski turns, toboggan runs or snow shoe trails.

 Soon we will be in the alpine looking down the valleys and the tracks that mark our route. We may see or hear the ptarmigan calls and if we are lucky we will see the buds and bark they munch on for survival. Tracks of snowshoe hare or weasels or small rodents will tell us travelling patterns and direction. Perhaps we will see mountain lion or wolverine tracks or wings of a raptor etched in the snow….

Patterns of life everywhere.

 As we enter the lodge after an invigorating day, a warm drink beckons as we reminisce about our adventures.

 This is what winter is about.

 Experience this and more at Talus Lodge

 Chris

Golden larches, crisp alpine air, amazing views of mountain tops and valleys, all surrounded by vegetation turned golden by diminishing daylight and changing temperatures. Alpine residents scurrying about when the sun is out collecting food for winter before snow falls.

 A perfect time to hike to the Continental Divide, through the meadows and alpine forests climbing  higher and higher to enjoy the views. Pristine, inviting clear water flowing in creeks; filtered by nature quenches our thirst.Grizzly bear diggings fresh and old, evidence of the large mammals looking for food. Large ground disturbances include large boulders or shallow diggings. Surface dwellers: marmots, ground squirrels give them the energy to survive. Any bulbs, roots or insects will do to ensure a comfortable winter sleep.

 Resting and pausing to soak up the surroundings. We look back and see the Talon towering above the Jewell Lakes basin and the lodge.  Ahead we can now see “Rendezvous” point, our destination between Whiteman and Mount Leval, not quite there yet.. More meadows, a broad gulley, a trail on the side hill and water flowing over the rocks. The Divide.. all we need now is to reach our high point for the day. Alpine flowers now in the seed phase: phacellias, snow potentillas, rock-jasmine, woolly fleabanes growing in the scree.

Before we know it we are on top: Assiniboine, the Royal Group, the Spray Valley, Sir Douglas and Birdwood all visible in the horizon!! Vivid bands and patches of golden larches everywhere!!

 Time to find a soft spot, lay back and enjoy the respite knowing as we contemplate, the snowy days to come.

 Chris