After a night of passing rain showers, the sound lulling us to sleep in our cozy trailer, we woke to a partly cloudy sky. We were ready for another amazing day driving through the mountains.
Our route took us up highway 95 from Fairmont Hot Springs, through Windermere, Invermere, Dry Gulch, and Radium Hot Springs.
We turned onto highway 93 and drove through Sinclair Canyon and the Red Wall Fault. The tectonic shift is evident everywhere.
We continued through Kootenay Crossing, Vermillion Crossing, and over the Continental Divide between British Columbia and Alberta. You can stand in two provinces at once on the continental spine of western North America. At this location, the Divide separates two watersheds, two provinces, and two national parks.
From the Divide, we drove downhill to Castle Junction, where we joined the Trans Canada Highway 1, and then headed into Banff for lunch.
After lunch, we took a bicycle ride along one of the many trails that snake around town, along the river side, and up the mountains.
We continued cycling the trails through town with its tourist lined streets, coffee shops and craft breweries.
The surrounding mountains overlooking the town remind us we are in paradise.
We continued cycling through forested trails to Bow Falls, and watched the river rushing through the canyon worn over time, then returned to the trailer through the town centre.
We stopped to listen to Blackfoot Medicine Speaks. A program featuring Blackfoot story telling, cultural sharing, and mesmerizing song and dance.
From Banff, we drove through Canmore and Dead Man’s Flats, then took the Morley Road exit, and joined Highway 1A past Ghost Lake, to arrived in Canmore, Alberta.
We arrived at Bow Rivers Edge Campground. The layout, cleanliness and friendliness of the staff exceeded our expectations.
Our next leg will take us up Highway 22 through Rocky Mountain House, to Spruce Grove, Alberta.