Homeward bound

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On the homeward trail, July 24, 2005

We set out from Bow Valley about 11:30. We headed west on Highway 1, bound for 93 south. Katherine started the driving, but got tired quickly, and went to take a nap in the back while Roberta drove until about 1:30. Then we stopped at a rest stop, just back into BC, right beside a charming rushing stream, and both of us slept. I think we were both really exhausted from working so much in the sun the day before. Katherine didn’t start to feel entirely normal again until mid-afternoon, after we passed Radium. She had not only been cooked Saturday afternoon, but when we woke up Sunday morning it was cold and raining and she got quite chilled in the campground before we left.

Our intention had been to get as far as Cranbrook this day, but after stopping for a yummy diner dinner at Yahk, we found we had energy to push onward, so we went as far as Salmo before camping for the night at an RV park (Selkirk Lodge). It was a fine place to spend a night - reasonable fees, not too crowded, and free showers. The drive through the Kootenay Summit was just exquisite - we descended just as the sun was setting behind the mountains. Too bad there was no safe place to stop and take a picture. Both the ascent and the descent to this pass are really steep and a constant climb. On the downhill side, we must have passed at least 5 or 6 runaway truck lanes, and there were constant warning signs to trucks about the grades.

The scenery along Highway 93 was also as beautiful as we had been told. In this month on the road, I have gained a real appreciation for how much of the BC terrain is mountainous. It feels as if we have been going through mountains most of the time since we left Victoria, with a brief exception for a short time north of Parksville. It boggles the mind how the province maintains roads through this terrain. And even more how BC Hydro installs and maintains power lines. Often the road runs parallel to the lines, but usually much lower, and when you look up the mountainside at the lines you wonder how anyone can even stand on those slopes, let alone put up hydro towers and poles, and then maintain the land below them so it doesn’t become overgrown with vegetation that would be risky to the lines.

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