A journey to fill my soul

I need to back up a bit cause it’s been a few days since I dropped a post. This post starts at what I called the gateway north. I was camping at a Provincial Park at the side of a lake near Pincher Creek. My drive that day was to take me up to, and through Banff National Park. In need of supplies I pulled into the city of Banff to find utter chaos.

It was Father’s Day and a run was taking place in and around the city. As Ricky Ricardo always said when things went wrong, ay yi yi!!!!! I was lucky to snag a parking spot in an area set up for the runners to park their rigs. Lots of out-of-towners. It was only about a 10 minute walk in shoulder-to-shoulder in-step pace to the store, but I pulled it off.

Banff National Park

The drive through the National Park was alright. I drove what’s called the Banff-Windermere Hwy in order to reach Hwy 95, the path to my next camp stay. I’ll say this, and I can be a little critical, but the Banff Hwy could probably be a very nice drive for some people, but when it’s bumper-to-bumper and cars are parked on the roadway waiting for a parking spot in the many pull-offs, to say the least, I reached my limit. It was beer time but that was still an hour away.

The needed timeout

I chose a private campground to take a few days down. I was really tired and needed to do some serious campsite planning to keep the journey on track. Quinn Creek Campground turned out to be a major win. For the first two days there, only two sites were filled. To say the least, it was quiet. And to add some humor to this all, the other campers, Allen and Kim, are from the south side of Milwaukee on their drive to Alaska. Very strange……

The drive…

Now, this is where taking some down time pays off. My travel following this stay took me on possibly one of the most beautiful drives. Possibly a tie with the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had to drive a short distance on Canada Hwy-1, but that was just fine cause my first stop was at Wapta Falls.

Reaching the waterfall first required a 2-mile drive down what could only loosely be called a road. A true beating no matter what wheels you rode on. Once into the parking area it was about a 2-mile hike down a ragged trail to reach the river and viewpoint. Don’t believe any comment found on Google, cutting through the woods to get around the mud trail, dodging boulders and avoiding standing tree roots to prevent an ankle catastrophe was a challenge for this old guy. All good, the time spent listening to the water crash was well worth it.

Onto the Icefields Parkway

I don’t believe there would be any one picture to sum up what this drive is. The parkway is about 75-miles long nestled in between two mountain ranges providing 360-degrees of viewing pleasure. Each curve in the road, mountain climb or descent, allows for another breathtaking view. The entire time I was driving I said I need to drive this road one way and then turn around and drive the opposite. And possibly the strange thing is, there were very few people/travelers. What could provide an even greater highlight would be to continue just a bit south of my entry point and visit Lake Louise.

Just writing this, thinking about that previous thought, makes me think of an incredibly get-away for anyone willing. Fly into Calgary, rent a car and go north to Jasper. Take two days exploring and enjoying the drive and then end at Lake Louise for a few nights stay, what a treasured memory the trip and ending would provide. Really something to think of….

Jasper Wildfire- 2024

Now comes the heartbreaking part of this story. About 20- miles short of Jasper on the parkway you start to see the signs of destruction wildfires cause. as you near the city of Jasper the destruction becomes worse and at the edge of town you come onto the temporary housing units the government has built for the city occupants.

My campsite is in Whistlers National Campground just 1- miles or so south of the city. Needing fuel I drove into the city, very sad is all I can say. Any person who is a survivor of any natural disaster has my heart. I feel so sad for what is, or isn’t left. There are buildings that survived, but not many. The people of the city are trying so hard to come through the disaster with the dignity so deserved. My heart goes out.

Whistlers Campground

The park was a total disaster following the fire. There are no trees left.

All the buildings have been rebuilt, the reception along with all the camper facilities. Upon registration each camper is given a lesson in safety. Wild animals are everywhere, elk, bear, grizzly, goats….you name it. Lack of food in the forest is a big problem.

But there is hope. It may be a bit hard to see in this image but note the wildflower and tree growth in the forest.

What’s next?

I’m reaching a goal, I’m near a point where things get very wild. I have a 7 hour drive tomorrow heading west and then north. I’m headed towards Prince George, BC. and then onto Hwy 97. At this point the highway is named the John Hart highway. Up a ways north of that I’ll come into Pounce Coupe, BC, which is the gateway to the Alaskan Highway, also known as the AlCan highway. About 11 hours from that point and I’ll be in Watson Lake, Yukon. But let’s not get in front of ourselves. I have 3 more camps to make before I reach Watson Lake, and finding open accommodations, or campsites I should say, are become a bit harder to find. This is the major road to Alaska, travelers don’t have road options so we’re all fighting for the same thing. More to come.

Once again, thank you for your continued patience as I make my way north. Thank you for the thumbs-ups and comment, all appreciated. Until next time….Peace!

And if this works…Turn the volume up and enjoy….