Mount Engadine Lodge, Kananaskis

www.mountengadine.com/dining-mount-engadine/afternoon-tea

I am so far behind with my photostream, adding descriptions, tags, and so on. We are under another heat warning and I feel like I'm living in an oven. The last few days, I have managed to get out for a few hours despite the heat, but the forecast for today is 34C and tomorrow 37C. The previous record for tomorrow's date was 36.1C in 1919, so tomorrow might just beat the record. On top of the heat, the smoke from wildfires is making the heat even more unbearable, as well as producing poor visibility. Functioning in the heat is not my strong point : )

Despite the weather conditions, four of us decided to go up into the mountains yesterday, our destination being the Mount Engadine Lodge. Though I had only ever driven to that area once by myself, I had been several times with friends. Never had I ever experienced the Lodge's Afternoon Tea, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that the place would not be full. As it turned out, we were the first to arrive, choosing a table outside on the deck. The view is so beautiful over the amazing valley - Moose tend to like this meadow, but we were out of luck yesterday. One of the photos I posted this morning shows the meat and cheese tray that I chose. What I didn't photograph was the apple pie and the chocolate dessert that I enjoyed afterwards - two small slices, I should add.

Unfortunately, the smoke haze made the mountains almost disappear. Never pleasant when the smoke irritates ones eyes. Last summer, 2017, it seemed to last pretty much the whole summer and, added to the endless heat, made it so unpleasant to go anywhere. We noticed a cyclist wearing a mask as he pedalled along the Spray Lakes road - seemed a wise decision, given the awful dust from the gravel road as well as the smoke.

It is not a short drive to get there. After meeting up at one person's summer cabin in the Ghost Reservoir area, we then drove the back way, crossed over Highway 1, and past Barrier Lake. Eventually, we turned north and travelled the Spray Lakes road. After enjoying afternoon tea, we returned to Calgary via Ghost Reservoir and Cochrane. I finally reached home shortly before 9:00 pm, after a great day in great company. Thanks so much, everyone!