Rocky Mountain Retreat 2008
Banff National Park
After re-visiting the Columbia Icefield we crossed back into Banff National Park, and drove our way back down to Lake Louise. A good place to refuel that was way cheaper than Saskatchewan Crossing, and a chance to visit another lake we missed on our previous stop. Moraine Lake is hidden up in the hills near the Lake Louise resort, it's another one of those amazing turquoise lakes, so beautiful it used to be the picture on the Canadian $20 bill for many years.
As we start to near the lake, we notice more and more cars parked on the side of the road. By the time we get to the parking lot, it's, well... a parking lot. Cars are circling, waiting for spots to open, and we aren't sure we'll even be able to stop and visit the lake. As we come around the far side of the parking lot, there is a right lane dedicated to campers and RV's, I can see an open spot, and there is no campers or RV's in front of us. Just before I get to pull in, the Lexus SUV in front of us pulls into the spot. Norine calls me off from yelling at her, but I give her the evil eye and point at the "Campers Only" sign beside her car. Up ahead a car pulls out of a NO RV spot... when cars stop parking in RV spots, I'll move my camper. We stay for some photos of this overly popular lake and leave before I get a ticket or worse, get towed away.
On the way into Banff we are slowed a little by the road work, along with highway improvements they are installing underpasses and overpasses for wildlife to travel safely through the area without having to be on the highway. Our grand plan was to stay at Johnston Canyon, one of our favourite campsites, where we often see animals, and the site of two of my favourite photos.
But, with poorly labeled highways, we discovered that you can only get to it on Highway 1A and not on Highway 1 which we traveling along. Oh well, we would find a place in the town of Banff.
From the scenic lakes and mountains we pull into the city of Banff, unlike Jasper, Banff has lost its small-town feel. It has grown into a big city, and in no time we are lost on the way to the campground, a good lost though as the road ends up outside the Banff Springs resort, a very impressive structure. We turn around and after a quick visit to the tourist info center, all we had to do was turn right and drive... straight up the hill to Tunnel Mountain campground.
The campsite seems nice, and luckily there is a space left for us, it's far enough from the city that we escape a lot of the noise, or so we thought. At least we wouldn't have trains going by until late in the night. We settle in, grab our bikes and ride down to a nearby park called the Hoodoos.
There is a short trail leading to a scenic lookout across the Bow River Valley. Nestled in the trees above the Bow River is the limestone hoodoos carved by wind rain and snow over the years. As we explore the trail, we find a strange little setup including a skull, a cryptic note, a plastic bag and some water bottles. It is a mystery, until walking back down the trail we pass four people dressed up as pirates, apparently on a scavenger hunt... it's not often you find pirates in the forest.
It turns out that on an August Saturday, Tunnel Mountain campground is just like any campground that is within a short drive of a big city. It's full of people that aren't regular campers, it's noisy, all of the free firewood is gone, yet many campsites have stacks and stacks of firewood, more than they could possibly burn all weekend. Late into the night, the loud families with kids are in competition with loud drunks and an even louder group of laughing teenage girls.
Even with the weekend camping set we have an enjoyable evening, especially cool is watching two small birds hopping around our truck. They cutely explore the area, and then aggressively attack and eat moths and large bugs flying too close to our camper. I love those birds.
After a BBQ dinner, we have enough wood that we brought with us, to have a small campfire. I have to play Smokey the Bear and yell at two young kids left alone and blowing sparks from their campfire sticks into the trees. When I asked them if they were trying to start a forest fire, they duck their heads and say they're sorry... I said, "don't be sorry, just don't do it". We almost had a worse disaster when a wet piece of wood pops and shoots a burning ember into Norine's hair, the smell of burning hair is toxic as I pat down her head and finally flick the ember to the ground. Miraculously there was no visible melted hair or bald patches. I am truly Smokey the Bear!
Aug 24 - After a Saturday night of fun, the noise finally died down, until we are woken up by some dumb-ass chopping wood before 7am. Not just chopping wood, but using a hammer to drive his axe through pieces of wood. The first frustration is inconsiderate weekend campers, the second one is when we go to make breakfast and find out our new camper fridge has frozen our eggs solid.
Having spent enough time in Banff, we make our way back up Hwy 1A to Johnston Canyon, even if we didn't stay here we could enjoy the trails along the canyon. The parking lots are full at the foot of the trail, so we end up parking our camper on the sloped side of the road, hopefully it hasn't tipped over when we get back. Strangely with all the cars, we don't pass many people on the trails.
Suspended walkways and narrow trails lead up to an impressive set of falls. There is a short tunnel cut through the canyon bedrock that allows passage to a small cave with a great view of the falls (albeit a wet one). Too wet and too close to take a picture.
On our way back along the trail we are stalked by the majestic looking Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel. We finally elude the rodent and end up back at one of the parks oldest resorts, Johnston Canyon resort, built in 1927. When we get back, we are relieved to see the camper is still upright.
Kootenay National Park
From Johnston Canyon it's a short drive to Kootenay National Park. First stop, Marble Canyon, sadly, it is a very obvious forest fire area. Kootenay has had many Forest Fires since 1968, including major fires in several areas during 2001 and 2003. As you walk through Marble Canyon, you are surrounded by burnt trees, basically black twigs as far as you can see. Of course they tell you that it is a requirement to bring new life to the forest. "It opens up dense old growth, and turns branches, leaves and dead wood into instant fertilizer. Sun-warmed, nutrient-rich soil allows rapid re-growth of plants providing abundant food for songbirds and wildlife" if they survived.
From the forest fire black of Marble Canyon, we hiked up to the colourful Paint Pots. The Paint Pots are a group of iron-rich cold mineral springs which bubble up through several small pools and stain the earth a dark red-orange colour. The Paint Pots were a major source of the Ochre paint pigment for a number of First Nations groups prior to the 20th century. You cross a river of that amazing blue, and you know you are getting close when the creek looks like a sewage treatment plant.
Huge pools of red and orange sit in contrast to the green of the trees and the blue of the sky.
After hiking through blackened forests and reddened pools and earth, it was time for a much needed lunch break. Even the rest areas are scenic, at Kootenay Crossing the highway runs through the middle of a twisting Kootenay river. I never tire of that silt created blue-blue water.
As we are driving along, I notice a large shape on the side of the road, and we safely pull off the highway to enjoy a rarity at roadside, a Moose. I shut down the truck and we sit and watch her as she feeds on the grass, she gives us a glance, but we aren't disturbing her, watching from a safe distance. I am amazed how many people just zoom on by without even slowing down.
After enjoying this rare sighting we get ready to leave after she has a good scratch, so I start up the truck again to drive away, and a young Moose calf walks out of the trees... I turn off the engine again. We sit and watch for a while longer, the calf tries to feed, and mom shoo's her away, so they both dive in and start eating the grass, butts high in the air! Time to move on.
Our last stop inside of Kootenay National Park is the Kootenay Valley Viewpoint. An amazing perspective on a vast area of a national park, you look out on a landscape that has been devastated by forest fires, ravaged by the pine beetle, yet manages to still thrive.
We temporarily leave the National Park as we enter the town of Radium Hot Springs, get some gas, and then head back into the park from another road, strange, but it's the only access to the Redstreak campground which is inside Kootenay National Park. After setting up our campsite, and making sure we have firewood, we pack up to head for a refreshing dip in the Hot Springs. After a week and a half of camping, any form of liquid submersion can be refreshing. 
As we pass the ranger hut, a nice 4 point white tail buck is grazing in the grass, so once again I pull out of the way, and shut off the truck. Norine piles out with the camera and walks parallel on the other side of the road taking pictures as she goes. Before she even realizes what is going on, she is in the midst of 4 deer (a buck, a doe, and two younger deer... 1 boy, 1 girl).
They are all grazing at the edge of our campsite, to give them enough space, Norine just stays back and stands by a tree. She is in shock as the two female deer wander right up to her, and then lay down in the shade of the tree. They just look at her, and go back to relaxing, after recovering from her shock, Norine takes a picture and tiptoes away to leave them in their peace... wow!
After our deer adventure we loop around to spend some quality time at Radium Hot Springs. Part of our quality time is eaten up by using their super slow internet kiosk to check messages. The sign says "High Speed", but there is nothing speedy about it. The hot springs pools range from 35°C to 47°C (95°F to 117 °F), we stick to the hot pool this time and absorb the minerals of the area. After becoming human prunes, we made use of the showers, and headed through the narrow canyon back to our campsite. The buck is still grazing outside of our campsite as we pull in.
Aug 25 - On Monday morning we woke up at 5:30 to rain, again. We also discovered that our camper jacks leaked, so we weren't level and kept rolling to one side of the bed. Time to run from the rain again, and look for some hydraulic jack oil. Our plan was to stop at Wasa Lake, one of the warmest lakes in B.C., but it was raining cats and dogs... a lake visit just didn't make much sense.
Having left the National Parks, our plans to explore the East Kootenay area of B.C. started with Fort Steele, a 1898 Heritage Town. Similar to Barkerville in Quesnel, but much larger.
The parking lot is next to a field full of huge Clydesdales, and you enter a historic fort building next to a historic steam train, that takes you on a historic train ride around the historic hills. Once you enter the historic fort, you are taken back in time, into an old time town full of barracks, shops, farms, churches, homes, and fortifications, all circa 1898.
Animals of the period are scattered throughout like a mini-zoo, but done in a way that feels like they belong, chickens in yards, pigs in pens, horses, goats and sheep in whatever they put them in... it seems like they have even gone to the trouble of placing little birds on historic fences.
The town is made interesting by it's cast of characters, shopkeepers, cowboys, ladies of the town. All obviously poorly paid non-actors... it's entertaining seeing just how bad their skits are.
The assortment of buildings and shops are widespread, there is 4 different churches, have to cover all denominations I guess, hardware, clothing, grocery, telegraph, and even a "Painless Dentistry" shop. Picturesque gazebos and giant waterwheels nestled against dilapidated old houses set the stage to imagining what it was like over 100 years ago, and what it was like before restoration.
One of the more interesting, if not disturbing displays was inside of the historic hotel... "An Exploration of Historic Prejudice and Intolerance". Behind the peaceful facades of Kootenay towns in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the forces of prejudice and intolerance were an everyday occurrence. The images and stories displayed the challenging lives of Chinese, Italian, Remittance men, the Sikhs and First Nations populations of one hundred years ago. Sad.
Fort Steele was a real eye opener, from an educational standpoint, and from a visual standpoint. It was lucky that we decided to check out this spot on the map that we had never heard of before.
From a town based on the time period of 1898 we circled around to a town based on Bavaria, Kimberley. My memories of Kimberley were of a cute little german town with a giant cuckoo clock, that had a little Happy Hans come out and yodel every 30 minutes.
The town is still cute, but it has been devastated by the drop in tourism, shops are closed, the clock is kaput, Happy Hans doesn't come out and yodel anymore, and the time isn't even correct.
Oddly, the town did have everything we needed, a Home Hardware and a Lordco Auto supply... so we got all of our necessities, checked the web cafe, and had some lunch. I nearly choked when the Billy-goat-gruff waitress brought our bill, seriously, wax that chin. I hope I didn't stare.
After loading up on yummies at the Chocolate shop, which is conveniently located right next to the Health Food store, we hit the road and found the Kimberly Riverside Campground. What used to be the Happy Hans campground was quite nice, with a pool and laundry facilities, and campsites that were well treed and semi-private. Unfortunately it dropped to 10° (52° F) and rained all night.
Aug 26 - After we packed up, it got sunny. Yay! A quick stop in Cranbrook for some gas and firestarter, as all of our Zip got used on the wet wood the night before. A little odd that 2 packs of firestarter cost us $6.66, even the cashier thought it was a bit creepy. Better leave this town and head for the last of our National Park stops... Waterton National Park.