Banff and the Canadian Rockies.

With way too little sleep we all got on the bus again headed for the Canadian Rockies! Today we have stops scheduled for Lake Louse, Lake Moraine and the city of Banff. Hopefully the two-hour bus ride gives us a chance to sleep a little more. The weather is cool and wet, but our spirits are high so today will be just fine.

It didn’t take us long to realize how busy the tourist industry is this summer. As we neared the entrance to Lake Louise, it was obvious that it was closed to all traffic. This closure made us continue to Lake Moraine and the only reason we got to stop there was because we were travelling in a bus. All parking spot for a private vehicle was full! I don’t recall if they were letting campers use the same parking lot as the tour buses.

By the time we finished with Lake Moraine, we went back to Lake Louise and bus parking had opened enough that we got to stop there.

The cold and wet persisted, but it didn’t stop us from trying to see the suggested high lights of the area. Our first stop was to visit Bow Falls near the city of Banff and when the bus stopped, we were on the trail again. The river dopped several hundred feet through a beautiful gorge that was very impressive. However, I am not sure if there is a camera that would render a photograph well enough to show you what we saw. Hopefully the picture we took will remind us in years to come what we saw. Maybe on a bright sunny day when there would be more contrast a more defined photo could be taken.

After the falls we were deposited off the bus near the center of town and we were off in all directions taking in all of the sited. Banff is a very popular ski destination, and it was very obvious that it was a tourist town. One store on this street offered a pastry called a “Beaver Tail” and it was so unique that we had to sample one. The treat consisted of a very light fried pastry that was shaped somewhat like a beaver tail and then covered with different toppings. I believe that ours had a cheesecake caramel sauce with Skor candy pieces. I am so glad that we shared one instead of being a hog and having our own.

After leaving downtown Banff we stopped at Lake Louse Ski Resort, where we got to ride the chair lift to the top of the ski slope. If I haven’t impressed, you with how beautiful the Canadian Rockies is maybe the photos here will help.

Our trip has been fairly smooth but there is always something to maintain or repair when you’re living in a home on wheels. The pump that supplies water to our RV when we are not hooked up to city water decided to stop but I was lucky that another traveler had a spare one that fit ours correctly. I have a new one coming to Homer in about a week so I can get his back to him. Another trailer in our party lost a wheel and brake drum assembly. This could have been a trip ending breakdown, but the powers that be were smiling on him too. Yes, they had a very long slow day getting into camp and they lost one whole next day getting it fixed but they did not have to abandon the caravan and are still with us. On a much worse note, we witnessed a fifth wheel travel trailer on fire as it sat along the road. It was not anyone we know but it was so heart breaking to see the people just standing there watching their entire trailer burn up. Fortunately, they had managed to get their truck unhooked, and it looked like they had salvaged a couple of totes before the flames got too hot. To make matters worse there wasn’t cell signal and it was too far from any fire company to even think that something could be saved. Eventually we met a fire engine heading their way, but I am certain it was more to prevent a forest fire than any to do with the trailer.

I am not sure how well my internet access will be, but I will try to enter another posting when time and technology allow. Right now, I am about a month behind. Tomorrow, we travel to Anchorage so phone service may be fairly steady.