Mountain Highs

We did it. We towed a 34', triple axle trailer with our little 1500cc Chev Avalanche through the mountains. Not just any mountains, but the Canadian Rockies - through Rogers and Kicking Horse Pass, to be exact.




For sure, we did not go as fast as those BC licenced full-ton duallys pulling their 5th wheels at 110kph, and yes, our Avalanche was a little warm when we got to the top. But when we unhook to go into town or to bop around sightseeing, we sure are glad for the better gas mileage that we get from our little truck than the mighty 2500 or the 3500cc's.




Our first mountain pass just before Revelstoke was rather tame. It was the site of the last spike for CP Rail, and they have a little park there commemorating it. Crossing the Columbia River again, (we crossed it once  coming out of Oregon) we got to the town of Revelstoke, sitting in a beautiful valley. Snow capped peaks were all around us. Our campground was beside a small lake, actually just a little more than a big pond. The best thing about this lake was that it was stocked with big rainbow trout. Not that we caught any while we were there. But the osprey and bald eagles nesting close by caught a few, and we were able to watch.

It was a pretty wet week, in fact a wet spring judging by the overflowing banks of the rivers, so we spent time touring the hydro dam and the railway museum. The railroad is a big part of the history up here. Trains were in this area before roads, and the towns grew around these supply lines. We also drove up to Glacier National Park and then took a trip down to the hot springs. Finally when the weather cleared we hiked part of Revelstoke Mountain and paddled the pond.

Then, under full sunshine, we packed up and headed up to the higher mountain passes. We passed mountains with tops of bare and jagged rock and others covered by snow and glaciers. We praised our little Avalanche and called it baby names as it chugged up the big hills.  And when we got to the other side of those mountains, we found rain again.




We also found Lake Louise. A beautiful lake of a cloudy green colour, with a glacier on the end. Another tick off the old bucket list: we paddled it down to the end and back. It was quite busy with tourists, even on a wet Tuesday. The walkway on the side of the lake had a steady stream of people, and we could see the camera flashes going off even at the far end of the lake.









The tiny village of Lake Louise, and in fact Hwy 1 as well, happens to be built right on a wildlife corridor.
They have managed to reduce the number of animal collisions on the road by erecting a fence all along the highway. And then they created these really great wildlife "overpasses" as well as underpasses so that wildlife movement isn't limited. 








Except that the village of Lake Louise is inside the fence with the bears and such. Since they can't fence off the inhabitants of the village, they fenced right up to the entrance road and added a cattle guard. This keeps the animals off the main road, but not out of the downtown.


We are in a trailer campground right in the village that is specific for hard sided trailers. No tent trailers or pop-ups allowed. All soft sided tents and trailers are in a different spot that is encircled by an electric fence. That is probably only for the peace of mind of the campers. The hiking trails and all walkways are frequented by bears, as evidenced by the scat all along them. Usually fresh.

Being that there was still lots of rain the first few days, we also took trips to Banff and Canmore (anyone remember "Mike, from Canmore"). Obviously, zipping down Hwy 1 from one town to the next, there's not much to see for wildlife because of the fencing. So on our way back, we took the Bow River Parkway, which runs parallel to Hwy 1, but on the other side of the Bow River, and thus inside the fencing. Much slower, but way more satisfying. We got to see a mother grizzly and her 3 cubs munching on dandelions, a couple of elk grazing in a meadow, and a string of falls in the Johnson River Canyon.

Since that was so much fun, we decided to drive the Icefields Parkway up to Jasper. This parkway is also open to wildlife and we saw a lot of it. In between magnificent views of jagged, snow capped mountains with blue glaciers hanging off its cliffs, we saw herds of big horn sheep, a few black bears, and one huge grizzly ambling by the roadside. In park terms, these viewings usually caused "bear jams", where motorists will stop at the side of the road when they see an animal. The cars coming behind or towards them will also stop, sometimes in the middle of the road blocking it completely. It gets worse when people jump out of their cars and go running over to take a really close picture. Not always a good idea when it's a bear.

Our last day in Banff National Park was cool and wet. How unusual. But we took the gondola up to the peak of the ski hill near the village anyway, despite the fresh snow that we could see up there. With the wind blowing, it was cold enough to require our winter coats. Good thing we brought them on this "warm weather only" trip. It pays to be prepared. The view was amazing. We could look over the endless mountains and down at Lake Louise, its green colour still startling at that distance.

There were a few hikes and such that we would have done if we'd stayed longer. Maybe that's something we can come back to do. Meanwhile, it's time to pack up our poor beleaguered SUV and point it east, out of the mountains and those big old trucks that show it up on the hills.


We don't want it to get an inferiority complex.

W