RV ALASKA - Touring Yoho, Glacier, Mt. Revelstoke and Kootenay National Parks

Aside from the nine elk dining outside our window, we had yet to see any of the other wildlife for which this area of Canada is known.  Disappointed, yes, but that didn’t deter us from keeping an eye out anywhere and everywhere we went.  Our luck was about to change.

Alan and I spent one full day touring Yoho, Glacier and Mt. Revelstoke National Parks, then another day driving through Kootenay National Park, the town of Radium Hot Springs and on down to Invermere to restock our supplies.  That left us with one final day in Banff – Father’s Day.  With steady showers predicted, we spent it soaking up the scenery around Tunnel Mountain, biking between rain showers and catching up on camp chores.  Alan received calls from both Ryan and Kyra, so he was, indeed, a happy father.

Date(s) – June 14^th – 16^th

Total Miles Traveled to Date – 6,058

Wildlife Sightings to Date – One (very large) black bear, 2 deer (both bucks, with their racks covered in velvet), 8 mountain goats (including 3 tiny and adorable kids), 6 longhorn sheep (right in the town of Radium Hot Springs), 5 more elk (including a calf that hadn’t yet lost its spots) which brings our elk total to 14, several small herds of pronghorn antelope (including 2 mamas with 3 newborn fawns between them), 6 bald eagles (including 2 fledglings), 3 great blue herons, dozens of American white pelicans, at least a half dozen families of adult geese with goslings, a number of ducks and 5 adorable ducklings.

Highlight(s) – Scenic wonders and wildlife!  Alan and I agreed that our favorite scenic view of the day we spent touring Yoho, Glacier and Mt. Revelstoke was of Roger’s Pass in Glacier National Park.  The pass was named for Major Albert Bowman Rogers who, while working for the Canadian Pacific Railway, discovered a gap through the impenetrable Selkirk Mountains.  This area of Glacier National Park is prone to avalanches and gets up to 40’ of snow each year.  Engineering the transcontinental rail line that would connect British Columbia to the rest of Canada was quite a challenge and an accomplishment.  The final spike was driven in 1885 at a remote spot called Craigellachie in the mountains of British Columbia – and the rail line was completed six years ahead of schedule.  Note that our Parks Canada Pass allowed us free access to the Rogers Pass National Historic Site – small, but quite interesting.  We were happy that we had stopped – and those views!

Another stop related to the Canadian Pacific Railway was at the “Spiral Tunnels” viewpoint at Kicking Horse Pass in Yoho National Park.  Initially, when the Canadian Pacific Railway was working on its transcontinental line, the rail company was under pressure to get the line in and working.  The tracks over Kicking Horse Pass were put in “quick and dirty” – straight up and over.  (No wonder the railway came in six years ahead of schedule.)  The first train over the pass derailed on the steep grade and three workers were killed.  Eventually, a solution modeled after a system used in Switzerland was designed by J. E. Schwitzer, one of Canadian Pacific’s Assistant Chief Engineers.  Instead of simply climbing and descending the steep grades of Kicking Horse Pass, the trains now spiral through tunnels cut in the mountains.  We were extremely fortunate to stop at the Spiral Tunnel viewpoint (on Yoho Valley Road in Yoho National Park) just as a long line of train cars was making its way through the tunnels.  It was absolutely fascinating to watch creative engineering in motion!  (If you’d like to learn more about how the Spiral Tunnels work, simply go to the Parks Canada website and search for “Kicking Horse Pass National Historic Site.”  Normally, I’d provide the link but, since we’re struggling with internet service right now, you’re on your own.  My apologies.)

In Yoho National Park, Emerald Lake and Natural Bridge are not to be missed – both were stunning!  In Glacier National Park, we enjoyed our lunch at a sweet little picnic area with vault toilets and gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains.  (I am definitely in need of more superlatives.)  The drive through Kootenay National Park was one amazing mountain view after another – and where we spotted the huge black bear in a meadow and the family of mountain goats hanging out near the highway.  Grateful that we were in our own vehicle and not on a tour, we watched both the bear and the mountain goats for as long as we wanted from the truck parked on the side of the road.  (We keep one pair of binoculars in the truck and one in trailer for just such occasions.)

Smokehouse 93, a BBQ restaurant on (you guessed it) Route 93 in Invermere was an excellent find!  Alan enjoyed a chorizo sausage sandwich with coleslaw and potato salad; I had a smoked turkey sandwich with coleslaw and smoky mac and cheese.  The entire meal was delicious (the coleslaw was to die for!) and we thanked the staff enthusiastically as we left.

Lowlight(s) – Mt. Revelstoke was the smallest National Park we visited and the one farthest from our home base in Banff.  Hoping to drive to the top of the mountain, we were disappointed to find out that the upper portion of the winding road full of switchbacks was closed to traffic.  Although we enjoyed the views of the city of Revelstoke and the surrounding mountains from the two viewpoints were we able to stop at, it was quite a long drive for not much of a return on our investment of time.  A stop at Tim Horton’s for coffee and doughnuts mitigated the loss. 

Campground(s) – Still at the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court until we leave for Jasper National Park tomorrow.

Laugh(s) of the Day – Mama Mountain Goat’s efforts to corral Baby Mountain Goat were hilarious.  If you have kids, think back to their toddler years and you’ll get the picture.

Pic(s) of the Day

Roger's Pass - Glacier National Park

 

Diorama of the Spiral Tunnels - Yoho National Park

 

Emerald Lake - Yoho National Park

 

Natural Bridge - Yoho National Park

Black bear - Kootenay National Park

 

Mama mountain goat and kids - Kootenay National Park

Comments – Although I’ve attempted it several times, I still haven’t figured out why some of my photo captions print in bold or how to correct it.  I’m officially throwing in the towel; we’ll all have to live with it.  Ditto for the spacing between the photos.

Tips – It’s not just gas prices that are higher.  If you plan to make this trip, budget more than you think you’ll need for both groceries and restaurant meals.  When Alan and I travel, our meals are a combination of home-cooked and restaurant or take-out.  We like investigating regional foods, in particular, when we’re traveling, but we’re having trouble finding restaurants that fall within our comfort range in reference to pricing.  As for groceries, our last large grocery store was a Walmart Supercenter in Cranbrook, not far from the U. S. border.  In Banff (and, I’m guessing, probably in Jasper from the little research I’ve done), we’re finding smaller grocery stores (like IGAs) with a reduced selection and higher prices.  Typical of tourist destinations, I suppose, but not exceptionally helpful.  I paid $4.79 for a quart of half & half that would cost me $2.68 at home, and I bypassed a honeydew melon that was small, overripe and priced at more than $8.00.  Finding fresh fruits and vegetables in their prime (and at a price I’m willing to pay) has been an exercise in frustration.

Favorite Expressions – Remember how I warned you that I felt I wouldn’t be able to adequately describe the magnificent scenery?  It may help to know that our most commonly uttered exclamations over the past few days have been, “WOW!”, “Look at THAT!” and, my favorite, “HOLY CRAPIOLI!”

Up Next – Luckily, no snow fell overnight in Banff, and we left on Monday morning for Whistlers Campground in Jasper National Park.  That being said, I will admit that the skies were looking a bit foreboding as we headed north on the Icefields Parkway.