Maple Leaf Mailbag rock'N roadshow

Wake up early at the Ponderosa Motor Inn. Drive to Canmore. Best sleep of the trip so far, flu is still really bad. Hiked up Grotto Mountain, get to Canmore Caverns. Minus-25, can hardly breathe, deep snow, ice, up to a tent, then the cave. Really struggling. Then down, down into this black pit, miner's lamps, shrews, rock formations, tight squeezes, claustrophobia, Power Bars, rappelling, ropes, slippery surfaces, a lonely feeling. Met some cavers near the bottom—or were they ghosts—who promised to listen to the MLMB. Then the climb back up, really tired, legs hurt. Five hours total. Too much. Beer at Bear's Paw essential.

We awake in Golden, B.C. , a short distance from the Alberta border. I hear a drone in the background and its getting louder. Its the Virus. Jones has it as well. I ignore the foreboding feeling as we sprint for Canmore caverns. The temperature change as one enters the cave is remarkable; the 30 degree increase is a savior. Our guides, Chass and Nick, lead us down into the dark underground world. I slither and slide through the narrow passages. I scrape my body on the caverns jagged edges. Deep inside the enigmatic abyss, I am forced to confront my fears. This process leaves me with a feeling of elation.

Last night we stayed in Golden, B.C. near the edge of the time change. Somehow we make it to Canmore in time to meet up with Chazz and Nick from Canmore Caverns. Caving: a new experience for me. It's freezing outside, but inside the cave it's warm—damp and grimy, but warm. I'm the first to rappel down into a black hole. I'm alone at the bottom of a cave. Strange. The space is large, though, and I can see the light coming from the crew through the hole above me. The others join me and we make our way through a myriad of different caves. One room is as big as a church inside, and some connecting tunnels are just large enough to squeeze through. Alien formations cover the walls. By the time we surface it's dark. Dark and cold. I'm in a hurry to get off this mountain—to get somewhere warm. An hour or so later we're trading stories at the Bear's Paw Pub in downtown Canmore.

Amazing views of the Rockies, going to Canmore...Went caving with Chaz and Nick at the center of the earth...Met a funny rat...amazing stalactites and mites...was funny to crawl in some tights spots...had a blast!...camera lens is having a tough time tough...Good thing I brought this small back-up camera...So hungry after that, this chicken pizza is delicious!...had a fun chat with melissa, our french speaking waitress, who thinks Ian looks "like this actor...you know...he played in almost famous..." TRUMAN CAPOTE!