With the college gang reunited in Golden, BC it didn't take long for the old dynamic to fall back into place. Daunean, Tyson, Sam, Jeanette, and I all lived in College West residence at the University of Regina, and because of that we are bonded for life by the suffering and hardships that we endured there. That, and we all seem to appreciate stupid jokes and alcohol, so it's clear the universe wants us to be together.
On Saturday, July 21, it was finally time for Tyson and Kristi's wedding. I met up with Daunean and Ian for lunch before joining Sam, Jeanette, and Jen at the Golden Eagle Express Gondola. In addition to the very scenic surroundings at the Kicking Horse Resort, the ride up the mountain provided more impressive views. Sam made the mistake of hinting at her fear of heights, which only fueled a series of jokes about gondola related accidents. You could say we were all in good spirits.
At the top of the mountain it was noticeably colder, but the views were worth it. From our seats on the terrace at Eagle's Eye we were able to see the peaks of Banff, Jasper, Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Kootenay, and Yoho National Parks. Not a bad setting for a wedding (or a photographer for that matter).
Tyson and Kristi soon made their way down the aisle and sealed the deal with a kiss. I managed to capture and edit a few minutes of really nice footage of the event.
Not long after we were back at the base of the mountain hanging out in the suite at the Mountaineer Lodge and having drinks. We were ready for the reception.
The night from there on was a blur of random conversations, dancing, playing with the photo booth, snacking, drinking, and haphazard picture taking. It was exactly what I think we were all hoping it would be. Everything seemed to go off without a hitch, and the energy was high.
The next morning, a bit hungover, I was rushing to checkout by 11 and get back on the road. Everyone was in between other plans and so things seemed to end as abruptly as they began. The jury is still out on who will be getting married next year to continue our annual reunion, however I'd be cool if we just forced an excuse for a party. Vegas is always nice.
Over the weekend I drove to Golden, British Columbia for the wedding of my friends Kristi and Tyson. It was an opportunity for a reunion with my university friends, specifically those that I lived in residence with. The timing was apropos as we had all gathered around this time last year for Daunean and Ian's wedding in Regina, and we were due for our yearly meetup. More of that in part two.
Part of the fun of this wedding was having an excuse to take my Jag for a cruise in the mountains for the first time. This meant driving up through Calgary, going through Banff National Park, doing some exploring around Lake Louise, and finally spending a few days up at the Kicking Horse Resort in Golden. I took the Friday off work to take the relaxing 6.5 hour drive from Medicine Hat with nothing else on the schedule that day except for meeting up with Jeanette that evening for dinner.
The day started out with cloudy skies, which were dashing some of my plans to stop more often and take pictures. It actually wasn't until just after Lake Louise that the clouds finally dispersed and the sun came out. Everything seemed perfect from there until Golden, except that evening I heard that the rain around Banff had caused a mudslide that was blocking the West bound traffic. I think I must have missed it by an hour or two, but it did cause delays for my other friends who had yet to make it out for the wedding.
I checked in at the Glacier Mountaineer Lodge late that afternoon, which was a very scenic 14km drive up the mountain from Golden at the Kicking Horse Resort. I was really impressed with the views and my room. The resort was actually pretty quiet over the weekend, and it was actually really nice feeling like we had so much of the place to ourselves. It was a great scene for the mountain top wedding to come, and the day long drive put me in a great mood. Those winding roads were a lot of fun.
Revisiting a few of the key locations from the Buick to the Future shorts my friend Tyler and I made in the summer of 2007 was a trip. With the series now 5 years old, it's tough not to think about it without film school memories flooding back in. The project really marked the beginning of the end of my time in Regina and university, so it seemed fitting to explore these scenes along with the film school itself.
In addition to being a little bit older ourselves, the locations actually have changed quite a bit. The Cinema 6 drive-in site where we shot the third episode was a giant marsh when we went out there. The movie screen has since been torn down and only the sign remains in a flooded ditch. In 2007 we took a picture underneath the sign, but couldn't get near as close this time.
The parking lot where we shot the first episode at the university has seen a few changes too. The road where we got the Buick up to 8mph has now been paved, and a new lab building sits in the background. Even the Buick now resembles a Jaguar.
