7/22/17 We've Arrived!
Just as pioneers must have felt when they reached their destination after long weeks on the prairie, our first sighting of mountains overjoyed us.
Out of Edson, there was a slight change in terrain. Cultivated farms became ranch land and cattle nestled between rising foothills. Then the mountains appeared on the horizon. So excited to see them after days of the same terrain, I took a picture every mile, sure that was the best the view could ever be. Still miles away, the big tease was on, but it was worth the wait when we finally entered Jasper. Here the Rockies erupted, their toothed peaks hungrily biting into the low hanging clouds. A free pass into the park because of Canada's 150th anniversary had us appreciating this country even more.
Looking for a picnic spot, we headed off the route to Miette Hotsprings. The road bent back on itself again and again, creating a new best ride of the journey as Jules and Rascal ran the gears and we all leaned together, defying gravity, while climbing Mt. Utopia. At the hotsprings, we settled in for a picnic with goats who scoured the grounds for leftovers. Then, shredding the mountain, we dug into the curves and flew down to hit route 16 again. Crossing the border into British Coumbia, we have run the gamut of the Provinces.
Yes, we are still on the Yellowhead, the highway of many faces. Mt. Robson National Park took us past toothpaste blue glacial lakes and peaked mountains that rode like waves, all cresting in the same direction. The grandeur of the Canadian Rockies grabs me by the heart each time we ride through and it is often difficult to focus when tears blur the view.
Out of the park, we continued up route 16, still hugging the Rockies. In McBride, we turned down a narrow dirt road to find Beaver Creek Lodge, the second utopia of our day. A charming cabin, complete with all the amenities, sat bordered by river and mountain in the middle of a hay field. After dinner created by Jules on the grill, we were treated to the dessert of a sherbet colored sunset firing up the mountains.
This is why we came! Crossing Canada was a means to an end, not just another notch in our belts. We yearned to ride the Rockies again. Multiple fires are making travel challenging, but we have found our way and burst through. This rugged carved cradle, the work of billions of years, holds us now and we nestle in for the night, visitors on a speck of time.
Out of Edson, there was a slight change in terrain. Cultivated farms became ranch land and cattle nestled between rising foothills. Then the mountains appeared on the horizon. So excited to see them after days of the same terrain, I took a picture every mile, sure that was the best the view could ever be. Still miles away, the big tease was on, but it was worth the wait when we finally entered Jasper. Here the Rockies erupted, their toothed peaks hungrily biting into the low hanging clouds. A free pass into the park because of Canada's 150th anniversary had us appreciating this country even more.
Looking for a picnic spot, we headed off the route to Miette Hotsprings. The road bent back on itself again and again, creating a new best ride of the journey as Jules and Rascal ran the gears and we all leaned together, defying gravity, while climbing Mt. Utopia. At the hotsprings, we settled in for a picnic with goats who scoured the grounds for leftovers. Then, shredding the mountain, we dug into the curves and flew down to hit route 16 again. Crossing the border into British Coumbia, we have run the gamut of the Provinces.
Yes, we are still on the Yellowhead, the highway of many faces. Mt. Robson National Park took us past toothpaste blue glacial lakes and peaked mountains that rode like waves, all cresting in the same direction. The grandeur of the Canadian Rockies grabs me by the heart each time we ride through and it is often difficult to focus when tears blur the view.
Out of the park, we continued up route 16, still hugging the Rockies. In McBride, we turned down a narrow dirt road to find Beaver Creek Lodge, the second utopia of our day. A charming cabin, complete with all the amenities, sat bordered by river and mountain in the middle of a hay field. After dinner created by Jules on the grill, we were treated to the dessert of a sherbet colored sunset firing up the mountains.
This is why we came! Crossing Canada was a means to an end, not just another notch in our belts. We yearned to ride the Rockies again. Multiple fires are making travel challenging, but we have found our way and burst through. This rugged carved cradle, the work of billions of years, holds us now and we nestle in for the night, visitors on a speck of time.
Leaving Edson
So excited to see mountains
Free ride
A "problem" bear
Lunch visitors
Mama and baby
Papa
That's where we were!
Goat in the road!
At every turn
Glacial blue
No words
Hungry elk
Home for the night
Beaver Creek
Our cabin
I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore
My King
View from our cabin
Canadian sunset
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