Friday 10th August
Left for Rockies late am. Dreadful weather – rain, hail, thunder and lightning after arriving at Tunnel Mt campsite and walking to Hoodoos.
Not your desired image of the Banff Springs Hotel!
Had a campfire and Adrian & Simon rigged up shelter
Saturday 11th August
Good day. Em & Laure to Banff spa.
Investigating the original Banff Springs
Rest of us to Cave and Basin in morning then to Johnson Lake and Stewart Canyon (Lake Minnewanke) in pm.
And then the sun came out! Johnson Lake
Back at the campsite, Felix & Ruby befriended relatives of their friends in Otterton!
Sunday 12th August
To Banff Upper Springs.
Picnic lunch by Bow Falls
Walk up Johnston Canyon to Upper Falls, followed by icecreams.
Simon, Laure and Manolo left for Calgary.
Monday 13th August Our 41st Wedding Anniversary
Opened our cards, and Adrian lit campfire. Pancakes for breakfast.
Stopped by Hoodoos, in better weather!
Shopped in Banff then drove to Lake Louise campsite. Had lunch (feta salad) then drove to Kicking Horse Pass and looked at rail tunnels.
Trouble in the tunnel!
On to Takakkaw Falls, then back to Moraine Lake.
Back at campsite had bubbly, then whole salmon cooked on campfire, and excellent carrot cake.
Felix & Ruby played with children from Montreal/Calgary
Tuesday 14th August
Very cold then lovely day.
Ate breakfast outside and left at 9.00am.
Saw long train
Lake Louise looking wonderful as always – watched chipmunk.
Classic Lake Louise!
Icefield parkway – Crowfoot glacier, Bow Lake – very turquoise.
Peyto Lake (shaped like bear).
To Wilcox Creek campsite – saw black bear on way. Lunch and pitched tent.
Snowmobile trip onto Athabasca Glacier.
Felix and Ruby Enjoying the Athabasca Glacier
Nice family at campsite – John and Ros with children Tom and Isobel, from Surrey.
Wednesday 15th August
Very cold at first then beautiful day. Ate breakfast inside.
To Athabasca Glacier and walked up to it, then ate last of carrot cake.
Sunwapta Falls (lunch, marred by wasps)
Athabasca Falls – walked down to beach by river.
Long bumpy drive to Mount Edith Cavell – great walk – Angel Glacier, Cavell Glacier and Ghost Glacier.
Surprise icebergs by Mt Edith Cavell
Bumpy drive back to Wapiti campsite, Jasper – long queue to book in.
By Athabasca River. F&R found 2 children to play with.
Thursday 16th August
Beautiful day. All slept late. Cooked toast on campfire.
Into Jasper to shop. Posted cards and got emails.
To Maligne Lake – went out in row boat.
Jolly Boating Weather!
Stopped briefly at Medicine Lake on way back, then at Maligne Canyon.
Swim in Lake Edith.
Cooked ribs on campfire.
Storm at bedtime.
Friday 17th August
Dull start, but cleared.
Through Yellowhead Pass. Stopped by Mt Robson, BC. and briefly by Mt Terry Fox.
Majestic Mt Robson
Same lunch spot as 1989, by little stream.
To North Thompson River Provincial Park near Clearwater.
Nice children’s playground. Walked by river.
Mother and daughter!
Saturday 18th August
Grandpa!
Some drops of rain.
South to same route as 2002 to Adams Lake – some still unsurfaced.
Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park – walk on island by Shuswap River.
Sorrento – shop and Dollar Store.
To Herald Provincial Park (as 2002)
Weather unsettled. All had a swim.
Walk to Margaret Falls.
Met nice family with fostered children.
Sunday 19th August
Wet start!
Salmon Arm – washing, shopping, lunch (in van)
To Fintry Provincial Park– nice position by Okanagan Lake.
Emma, Felix and Ruby have a swim
Dry evening. Friendly people next door – some visiting friends.
Monday 20th August
Disappointing weather – mostly overcast with some rain.
Adrian & I walked up many steps to Shorts Creek waterfalls and both swam in pm.
Tuesday 21st August
Sunny.
Lake Mara Provincial Park – stopped for coffee and children paddled. Paragliders landed nearby.
To Sicamous for lunch in park by lake – lovely play area and water play and beach.
Stopped by Last Spike.
Arrived at KOA Revelstoke 4.30. All had swim in cool pool, then hot showers.
Didn’t have campfire – cooked prawn and pasta dich.
F&R played with Nathan (12) and Sarah (5)
Wednesday 22nd August
All had ‘Yummy pancake breakfast’ (as 1989).
After shopping drove to Blanket Creek Provincial Park and had lunch.
Walked to small lagoon and spent afternoon there.
Walked to Sutherland Falls.
Heard that there was a bear around the campsite.
Thursday 23rd August 800th night in Bam
Blue sky. Saw ruffed grouse as we left campsite.
Drove up Mt Revelstoke (26km) Walked up to summit.
Lady opened up fire hut (bear skin and stuffed ruffed grouse inside)
Lovely views and flowers – Indian paintbrush, lupins, michaelmas daisies.
Nice circular walk ‘Meadows in sky’, bus back to car park, then drove back down, stopping for lunch on way.
To superb swimming pool in Revelstoke in pm (free with campsite) – flume, rapid river, hot pool.
A&I went shopping then all had snack by river and drove back to Blanket Creek. F&R enjoyed camp host’s dog.
Had bubbly. I had long walk through forest, eventually to Columbia River. Campfire.
The Columbia River after my long walk through the forest
Friday 24th August
Up early. Packed up, and stopped for quick look at Columbia River.
Children said goodbye to the dog.
Saw 2 bears (separately) on way back into Revelstoke.
Walked Giant Cedars boardwalk.
Stopped at Rogers Pass.
Drove through Avalanche Tunnels.
Lunch by Beaver River (3rd time)
Stellars Jay.
Had to stop for roadworks (blasting)
Got propane in Golden, then to Redstreak Campsite at 4 (3) o’clock.
Simon, Laure and Manolo arrived
Saturday 25th August.
Felix made a car from the firewood
Walked to Radium Hot Springs – (3km) and all had fun there!
Walked to viewpoint in pm with Simon & Manolo.
Sunday 26th August
Pancakes and toast on the campfire for breakfast.
Left 10.30. Stopped in village for food and petrol.
Stopped to look at Sinclair Canyon.
Olive Lake (in the rain). Saw bubbles of springs.
Lunch all together in covered hut at McLeod Meadows picnic site, then Simon, Laure & Manolo left for Calgary.
Played by the Kootenay River. Vast area of forest burnt.
Numa Falls.
Walk to Paint Pots – very mucky.
On to Johnston Canyon campsite – no firewood for sale. Ranger said rain and snow forecast, and a grizzly bear about!
Had cup of tea inside and played games, then played twister outside.
Walk by river and back by railway.
Supper of enchiladas, inside. Looked through our photos of this trip.
Played Yahtzee with Emma.
Monday 27th August
Had baked beans on toast for breakfast – inside.
Drove to Banff.
Stopped for coffee/snack by Vermillion Lakes.
Stopped in Banff – Emma shopped, posted cards, rang Paul to say Happy Birthday.
Lunch at picnic table – very cold, then torrential rain.
Waiting for the rain to stop!
Walked Many Springs Trail – almost stopped raining.
To Mt. Kidd RV Park, Kananaskis – lovely hot tub.
Had last campfire, and toasted marshmallows.
Tuesday 28th August
Cold night. Beautiful morning.
Bacon and scrambled egg on toast for breakfast (inside)
Playground with a view! Mt. Kidd
Lovely walk by Kananaskis River.
Back to the hot tub.
Had icecreams – watched 4 little boys playing in very cold outdoor wading pool, and little girl like Manolo lying on decking. Left midday.
Lunch by Mt Lorette Ponds, after walking around them – hot!
O’Shaughnessy Falls – pennies in it.
Several stops by beaches at Barrier Lake – built small tipis.
Back to Calgary – Simon, Laure and Manolo.
Trish and Pat came for barbecue supper.
Wednesday 29th August
S&L to work.
‘Downtown’ Calgary – Princes Island, ‘+15’ shops, Devonian Gardens and little park, then park on Princes Island.
In the indoor Devonian Gardens
Back to S&L’s – Trish & Pat came to collect their camera.
Lunch in garden. Phoned Paul and Tom.
An early birthday cake for Grandpa
Thursday 30th August
Last morning for the cousins together!
Emma’s flight delayed 2 hours, so had picnic in Confluence Park near the airport
And watched the planes arriving and leaving
Fun at Radium Hot Springs
Around the Canadian Rockies
Campfire together.
