UP,UP, AND AWAY TO “THE ROCKIES”

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DUE TO A DELAYED FLIGHT OUT OF ANCHORAGE, WE DIDN’T HIT REVY AND CHEVY UNTIL ABOUT 7PM BUT AS IT STAYS LIGHT UP THIS WAY TILL ABOUT 9-10PM, WE STILL HIT THE 3 HOUR DRIVE FOR WHISTLER.
OUR THREE SUNNY DAYS IN WHISTLER, WE SPENT RESTING FROM THE ALASKA TRIP, CLEANING OUR CLOBBER FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR JOURNEY AND SOAKING UP THE SUMMER ATMOSPHERE OF CANADA’S NO 1 SKI RESORT.

WHISTLER WAS ABUZZ, PREPARING ITSELF FOR THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS AND IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLDS BIGGEST ANNUAL BIKING FESTIVAL -“CRANKWORX”
EACH SUMMER, IT SEEMS THIS LITTLE ADVENTURER’S HIDEAWAY UP IN THE CANADIAN MTNS, ONLY 2 OR SO HOURS FROM VAN TRANSFORMS ITSELF FROM THE SKIERS PARADISE TO A MT BIKE AND HIKERS MECCA.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 1,200 METRES OF VERTICAL AND 200 MILES HORIZONTAL TRAILS, HENCE THE PLACE IS SURGING WITH YOUTHFUL TESTOSTERONE AND PUMPING VERY HEALTHY ENERGY.
SOMEWHAT CONTRASTING FROM THE CRUISE!!
WE REALLY ENJOYED WATCHING THE RESPECTIVE ATHLETES STRUTTING THEIR STUFF.
3 DAYS LATER, WELL RESTED WE HEADED OUT ON THE WINDING MOUNTAINOUS ROADS, TOWARDS KAMLOOPS, PASSING THROUGH RAIN FOREST AND THE BEGINNING OF A SERIES OF MILKY GLACIAL LAKES, THE SCENERY WAS SPECTACULAR!
FOR LUNCH WE STOPPED ALONG SIDE THE FAMOUS AND “GLACIAL FED” FRASER RIVER AND WITH THE BRIGHT BLUE SKIES LULLING US INTO A FALSE SENSE OF EUPHORIC BEAUTY AND WARMTH, WE TOOK OFF OUR SHOES AND POSSUM SOCKS AND SLOWLY PUT OUR FEET INTO THE CLOSE TO FREEZING FRASER, S---- IT WAS COLD !!!! BUT WE HUNG IN FOR A BIT, GIGGLED A LOT AND JUST KEPT CONVINCING EACH OTHER WHAT A GREAT THING IT WAS TO HAVE DONE, BLOODY MAD BUGGERS WE ARE SOMETIMES.
LATER THAT AFTERNOON WE STOPPED OFF AT THE HISTORIC TOWN OF LILLOOET, IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST COMMUNITIES IN BC AND HAS AN EXTREMELY COLORFUL HISTORY, FIRSTLY OF THE ST’AT’IMC INDIANS WHO HAVE LIVED THERE FOR OVER 8,000YRS, THEN THERE WAS THE GOLD RUSH OF THE 1850’S AND NOW IT IS UNIQUELY FAMOUS FOR FISHING, BOTH FOR THE MIGHTY SALMON, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE WHITE STURGEON, A PREHISTORIC BEHEMOTH THAT CAN MEASURE OVER 10 FT LONG!! ALMOST NEAR EXTINCTION, SOME YEARS AGO THEY INTRODUCED A CATCH AND RELEASE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND NOW THEY CAN BE FISHED AGAIN IN THE SEASON.
TO CATCH A WHITE STURGEON IS EVERY FISHERMANS DREAM!!!
THE FISH FROM THE MIGHTY FRASER RIVER THAT RUNS THROUGH LILLOOET FEEDS AND PROVIDES A LIVING FOR THE LOCAL ST’AT’MIC PEOPLE, WHO, STILL TODAY,
LIVE IN CAMPS ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER.
WE DID THE GOLDEN MILE OF HISTORICAL LILLOOET AND THEN HEADED ON TO KAMLOOPS A CITY, ALSO RICH IN HISTORY, ORIGINALLY SETTLED IN THE EARLY 1800’S AS A FUR TRADING POST AND THEN ALSO PART OF THE GOLD RUSH AND IN LATE 1800’S THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY CAME THROUGH, MAKING KAMLOOPS NOW ONE OF THE STOPS FOR THE ICONIC--- ROCKY MOUNTAINEER. ALSO IT IS FAMOUS FOR IT’S FISHING, HAVING HELD THE WORLDS FLY FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS 32TIMES.
QUITE A CLAIM TO FAME!
OUR 2 DAYS HERE WERE SPENT SIGHTSEEING AND DOING SOMETHING ABIT DIFFERENT FOR US ---GOING TO SEE “MAMMA MIA” OUR FIRST EVER MOVIE EXPERIENCE IN NORTH AMERICA AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD NOT ONLY THE MOVIE BUT THE PRICE ONLY $7 EACH (NO SENIOR’S, JUST REGULAR). GREAT MOVIE FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T SEEN IT, REALLY GOOD LAUGH.
NEXT MORNING WE BEGAN OUR DRIVE INTO THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES,------CANADA’S TREASURE AND INTO THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF THE JASPER NATIONAL PARK IN ALBERTA.
OUR AMAZING LUCK WITH WEATHER WAS IN FULL FLIGHT WHEN WE SPOTTED, ---IN FULL VIEW-----, MT ROBSON THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN CANADA, EVEN THE LOCALS RARELY, IF EVER, HAVE SEEN IT IN FULL VIEW. SO LUCKY WE WERE AND ARE!!!!
WE CAMPED IN THE WABASSO PARK, ABOUT 10KM’S OUT OF JASPER, IN A REMOTE SPOT CLOSE TO THE ATHABASCO RIVER, WHICH IN THE STILL OF NIGHT WE COULD HEAR, THAT WONDERFUL SOUND OF IT POUNDING ALONG.
WE DID TOO WONDERFUL THINGS IN JASPER - THE FIRST BEING THAT WE AT LAST FOUND A RODEO - IT WAS THE JASPER HERITAGE RODEO AND IT WAS THEIR FINAL NIGHT - SO WE GOT TO SEE THE BEST OF THE BEST DOING THEIR BULL RIDING AND THEIR STEER WRESTLING. THE THEME OF THE NIGHT WAS “ONLY TOUGH MEN WEAR PINK” (ALL IN THE AID OF CANCER AWARENESS. THE TOUGH MEN WEAR PINK DIDN’T PROVE TO BE THE NATIONAL RODEO COSTUME THAT WE SAW WORN AT THE BIG BARN DANCE AFTER. THE OUTFIT THERE WAS BOOTS, A CHECK SHIRT, DENIM MINI SKIRT OR JEANS AND A VERY BIGG HAT. THE CROWD WERE GREAT AND WE ENJOYED WATCHING THE LINE DANCES THE HOE DOWNS AND THE YIPPEES - THEY ALL SEEMED TO LOVE TO DANCE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND CELEBRATE THE SPOILS OF THE RODEO WEEK. - YEE HA.
THE OTHER GREAT TIME WE HAD WAS A FULL DAY OF SIGHTSEEING OUT TO THE LIMESTONE MALIGNE CANYON WHERE WE WATCHED KAYAKERS FORGE THEIR WAY DOWN THROUGH THE WHITE WATER RAPIDS AND AROUND OR OVER THE ROCKS- THEN TO THE MALIGNE LAKE THE SECOND LARGEST GLACIAL FED LAKE IN THE WORLD, SPOTTING BIGHORN SHEEP SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ALONG THE WAY AND THEN TO MEDICINE LAKE OFTEN KNOWN AS THE SINKING LAKE, WHICH THE INDIANS BELIEVE WAS CAUSED BY SPIRITS BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT THERE IS AN UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE SYSTEM WHICH OFTEN LEADS TO THE WATER COMPLETELY DISAPPEARRING. HERE WE SPOTTED A LITTLE PIKA A SMALL MOUNTAIN RODENT. BACK IN TOWN WE SPOTTED A MOOSE IN 1 OF THE STREETS - MUCH EXCITEMENT FOR ALL EXCEPT THE LITTLE ENGLISH BOY WHO ARRIVED AFTER IT HAD SAT DOWN IN THE LONG GRASS AND COULD NOT GET A GOOD PHOTO AFTER COMING “ALL THIS WAY”!
WE ALSO MANAGED TO GET A FEW SHOTS OF THE ,(IT SEEMED) ROCKY MOUNTAINEER TRAIN.
THE NEXT DAY WE TOOK OVER 6 HOURS TO DRIVE 230 K’S, AND SO WOULD MOST OF YOU, - THIS DRIVE IT IS RATED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IS ONE OF THE 10 MOST SPECTACULAR DRIVES IN THE WORLD AND WE HAVE TO AGREE.
OUR FIRST STOP WAS AT THE ATHABASCA FALLS AND THEN ON TO SUNWAPTA FALLS WHERE WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE A RAINBOW ON A RAINBOW DUE TO THE BRILLIANT SUN AND POWERFUL RISING MIST FROM THE SURGING FALLS.
WE CONSTANTLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD ON PRECIPITOUS EDGES TO TAKE IN THE TOWERING MOUNTAINS UNTIL WE HEARD A FUNNY NOISE IN THE TRUCK - OH NOOO - SO WE PROCEEDED TO DIAGNOSE BY CHOCKING AND JACKING VARIOUS WHEELS WITH A 10,000 FOOT MT BACKDROP AND CHECKING WITH NO REAL IDENTIFICATION SO ON WE WENT WITH IT COMING AND GOING, BUT OUR E BELIEVED IT TO BE OK.
OUR MOST DREADFULLY SCENIC LUNCH STOP THIS DAY WAS AT THE ATHABASCA GLACIER - PART OF THE WORLD HERITAGE LISTED COLUMBIA ICE FIELD - THE LARGEST ICE AGE REMNANT BELOW THE ARCTIC FEEDING RIVERS RUNNING IN FOUR DIRECTIONS - TWICE THE SIZE OF VANCOUVER, 5 TIMES MANHATTAN AND 365 METRES THICK, ABLE TO BURY THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - NOT A BAD SPOT FOR LUNCH WE THOUGHT WITH THIS VIEW OUT THE RV WINDOW - ALSO SPENT AN HOUR IN THE VISITORS CENTRE HERE.
THE REST OF THE DRIVE TO LAKE LOUISE ALONGSIDE THE SASKATCHEWAN RIVER WE PASSED THUNDERING WATERFALLS WEEPING FROM CLIFF SIDES, WILDFLOWERS, AND ALPINE LAKES - NATIONAL GEOPGRAPHIC GOT IT DOUBLE RIGHT. BY THE TIME WE REACHED LAKE LOUISE CAMPGROUND WE WERE SCENICALLY EXHAUSTED AND JUST PUT THE PHOTOS ON THE COMPUTER AND SOAKED IT ALL IN.
ALL OF THIS DAYS DRIVE WE DID IN OUR USUAL BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKIES, SO LUCKY---WE HAVE BEEN!!!
LAKE LOUISE CAMPGROUND WAS AN INTERESTING SPOT NOT NEAR THE LAKE BUT IN A FORESTED STATE PARK WHERE THE CAMPING SECTION THAT IS TENTS ONLY WAS SURROUNDED WITH AN ELECTRIC FENCE AND CATTLE GRIDS TO PROTECT THE BEARS!!! YES !!! BEAR WARNINGS AND BEAR SAFETY RUBBISH TINS WERE SECOND NATURE TO US BY NOW BUT THE ELECTRIC FENCE WE HAD NOT COME ACROSS BEFORE BUT AFTER OUR TIME AT THE BEAR LODGE WE REALISED HOW IMPORTANT FOOD WAS TO A BEAR WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO SLEEP FOR 6 MONTHS, AND THE SAYING THAT “A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR” WE HAD COME TO UNDERSTAND AND MANY OVERSEAS VISITORS IN TENTS WOULD PERHAPS NOT UNDERSTOOD THIS.
THE FOLLOWING DAY WE TOOK OURSELVES OVER TO THE WORLD FAMOUS LAKE LOUISE AND ENJOYED A FEW COCKTAILS IN THE LOUNGE OF CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE OVERLOOKING THE LAKE AND VICTORIA GLACIER. WE FINISHED THIS DAY OFF WITH ONE OF THE GREAT ‘SKIP BO’ CHALLENGES AND A COUPLE OF SESSIONS OF SEA CHANGE.
FROM THIS BASE WE WENT THE NEXT DAY TO BANFF - JUST 45 KMS DOWN THROUGH THE ROCKIES. AND THREW OURSELVES IN THE HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, UNBELIEVABLE TO BE SITTING IN HOT SPRINGS WITH THE THE MTS ALL AROUND US, AGREAT FEELING. AFTER ENJOYING ANOTHER LITTLE REFRESHMENT AT THE BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL A BUILDING MADE OF BEAUTIFUL IN SWISS STYLE, SO ROMANTIC!
THEN WE WENT DOWN TO TAKE IN THE QUAINT BUT TOURISTY TOWN AND THE SURROUNDS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CORRIE SPOTTED A REAL MOUNTIE, SO EXCITING!! HAD BEEN WONDERING IF THEY WERE STILL ABOUT ?WELL WE THEN CHASED THE MOUNTIE (CALLED TIM) ALL AROUND TOWN AND FINALLY TRACKED HIM TO THE TOWN HALL FOR A PHOTO AND CHAT - GREAT AMBASSADOR!!!!
THESE TWO TOWNS ARE THE CENTRE OF BOTH SUMMER AND WINTER ALPINE PURSUITS BOTH CRADLED IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ON THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAIL LINE OF THE ROCK MOUNTANEER. THE RAIL LINE ONLY STARTED TO PAY WHEN A NEW CEO TURNED THE FREIGHT THE LINE CARRIED INTO TOURISTS AND BUILT LUXURY HOTELS AT THE MAIN STOPS.LIKE THE MOUNTIE WE ALSO SPENT QUITE ABIT OF TIME IN THIS AREA CHASING THE ROCKIE MOUNTAINEER, UST WANTED A SHOT OF IT CHUFFING ALONG THROUGH THE MTS.

FROM HERE WE ‘STAMPEDED’ WEST AND SADLY OUT OF THE ROCKIES FOR THE TIME BEING TO ALBERTA’S CAPITAL -CALGARY. OUR CAMP GROUND OVERLOOKED THE 1988 WINTER OLYMPIC SITE SO THE CHALLENGE OF THE LUGE WAS CALLING IAN SO OVER WE WENT FOR A TOUR BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE RUN WAS SHORT BUT IAN MANOUVERED IT BEAUTIFULLY FOR A RECORD 6.3 SECOND RUN - $1 PER SECOND - A LITTLE LIKE WHISTLER THE SITE IS TRANSFORMED IN SUMMER TO A GREAT MOUNTAIN BIKE VENUE WITH THE CHAIR LIFTS ADAPTED TO CARRY BIKES ALTERNATING WITH THEIR RIDERS SO WE TRAVELLED UP TO WATCH THE FUN AFTER FILMS IN THE MUSEUM AND TAKE IN ALL THE 1988 MEMOIRS. LITTLE SIGHT OF NZ OR AUSSIE IN WINTER OLYMPICS BACK THEN.
A DAYS SIGHTSEEING IN THE CITY UP THE TOWER, WHICH IS THE SHAPE OF THE 1988 WINTER OLYMPIC TORCH, ALLOWED US TO OVERLOOK THE CALGARY STAMPEDE SITE AND SPOT WHERE THE ROCKY MOUNTIANEER COMES RIGHT INTO THE FAIRMOUNT HOTEL REAR ENTRANCE WHICH SENT US OFF ON A PURSUIT OF A CLOSER LOOK( THE CHASE CONTINUES). WE ALSO SNUCK IN OUR SECOND LITTLE NORTH AMERICAN MOVIE EXPERIENCE WHEN WE TOOK OURSELVES OFF TO SEE ‘SEX AND THE CITY’ AND THIS TIME ONLY $3/TICKET -WORTH FLYING TO CANADA FOR.(REMINDED US OF OUR WONDERFUL WEEK IN NY AND SOME GOOD FRIENDS)
FROM THIS BIG POST OLYMPIC BIG CATTLE COUNTRY CITY WE HEADED SOUTH AND SOMEWHAT SADLY ACROSS THE BORDER INTO USA AND THE GLACIER NATIONAL PARK WITH ONE LITTLE STOP OFF AT FORT MACLEOD - A HISTORICAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE POST WITH A GREAT MUSEUM WHERE WE COULD EXPERIENCE LIFE IN THE WESTERN CANADIAN PROVINCES OF THE TIMES WHEN THE INDIANS WERE BEING PUSHED AWAY FROM THEIR SOLITARY LIFE DEPENDENT ON THE BUFFALO. FUR TRADERS AND ALCOHOL DISTILLERS STARTED TO MUSCLE IN. THE RED COATS, AS THEY WERE KNOWN, AS OPPOSED TO THE BLUE COATS OF USA WERE ABLE TO BRING PEACE WITHOUT AN LOSS OF LIFE. THE CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER HAD SET UP THE POST AS DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS IN 1873 AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEE A RE-ENACTMENT OF THE FAMOUS CANADIAN MUSICAL RIDE PERFORMED BY SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT RIDERS IN THEIR SUMMER HOLIDAYS. THE MISSIONARIES - ANGLICAN AND CATHOLIC - ALSO HAD PLAYED A LARGE PART IN A PEACEFUL TRANSITION TO MORE MODERN TIMES.

THE CROSSING TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK WAS BITTERSWEET, AS WE SAID OUR GOODBYES TO CANADA FOR THIS TRIP AND HEADED DOWN TO THE GREAT WILDERNESS OF MONTANA. IT WAS VIA ANOTHER PICTURESQUE ROAD IN THE ROCKIES, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE LIMITED TO 21 FOOT VEHICLES (WITH OURS BEING 44FEET) MISSED THE SIGN!!!!!
THE NEXT DAY IT WAS A TYRE REPAIR AND DEAL WITH THAT NOISE WHICH WAS NOW A VIBRATION - SO 30 MILES TO REPAIR TOWN AND ANOTHER 35 MILES EACH WAY TO GET THE PARTS MOST OF THE DAY AND WE WERE ROADWORTHY AGAIN (FOR THOSE MECHANICS OF YOU WONDERING IT WAS A SHOT UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE FRONT OF THE DRIVE SHAFT - GLAD WE CAUGHT IT IN TIME AND NOT ON ONE OF THOSE BENDS!!) WHILE IAN WAS OFF CORRIE WAS QUILT (FOR ZOUERA) AND CURRY MAKING IN THE RV.

THE NEXT MORNING WE HEADED OFF TO THE FAMOUS ROAD TO THE SUN ADVENTURE AND HAD A WONDERFUL SIGHTING OF A BLACK BEAR ON ROUTE ENJOYING SOME OF THE POTENTIAL 350,000 BERRIES A DAY THESE CREATURES CONSUME GETTING READY FOR THE CAVE AND WINTER HIBERNATION - AT THIS STAGE OF THE YEAR THEY ARE NOT VERY INTERESTED IN HUMANS WITH CAMERAS UP CLOSE SO GREAT VIEWING. WITH SNOW FALLING THE NIGHT BEFORE EATING IS A BIG PRIORITY AND UNFORTUNATELY THIS SNOW CAUSED ONE OF OUR ONLY STOPPAGES IN THREE AND A HALF MONTHS DUE TO WEATHER -THE ROAD TO THE SUN WAS CLOSED,BUT REALLY WE HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT - ONLY BAD WEATHER IN 31/2 MONTHS, ----NEXT TIME. SO OFF TO FISH CREEK FOR LUNCH ON THE LAKE AND A REMINISE ABOUT OUR AMAZING BEAR SIGHTING AND THEN HOME FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF THE SKIPBO CHALLENGE! THANKS AL AND LIZ GREAT GAME!

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Comments

[Ikbal]

Breathtaking!!!
What wonderful adveture and these fantastic beautiful sights!!! Including You two. You both look great and sounds as you are having fun, fun, fun!!! Where do get all the energy from? Don't forget to come home at some stage, miss you. Lots of love and hugs, Ikbal