FRIDAY, MAY 31

FRIDAY, MAY 31:

     Slept fine in our snug cozy home last nite!  There’s something very elemental and reassuring about going to bed in a warm, tight abode when you’re in the chilly mountains.    

     Woke up to still more light rain.  This morning we continued our drive on the Icefields Parkway.  We could see much more today, even though still foggy, misty, & wet.  But the clouds seemed less grey and higher, as if they were thinking about breaking up.

     Drove through mile after mile of glacier-carved mountains & gorges, and saw some glaciers themselves.  Not nearly as dramatic as we’ll see in Alaska, I’m sure, but nevertheless impressive!  Nearly all of the mtn peaks were covered by snow . . . in fact, lots of snow frosted the mountains’ sides, as well. And in a few places, even snow right on the ground and sprinkled over the eye-level tree tops!

 

 

 

 

 

     Then drove into Jasper Park.  No more glacier formations, but simply gorgeous snow-capped mountain landscapes.  And some more of those translucent icy aquamarine streams - some not seeming to be moving at all, while others were rushing with whitecaps.    Our guidebooks say that some consider this the number one most beautiful drive in the entire world; most rate it at least in the top 10.   We wondered how much different it will look here when we return in Sept.  On this stretch, we saw 3 mountain goats negotiating jagged cliffs in the mountainside right by the road, as well as caribou and deer.  And, oh yes, our first bear!  Just a lone one.

     Drove west out of the mountains.  Bill found a large RV center in Prince George to diagnose & fix what was wrong with the water pump.  So now we’re completely ready for a dry camping night or two, if desired! 

     Finally, in late afternoon, we had our miracle - the clouds parted like the Red Sea, and blue sky shone through!  Hallelujah!  So we drove on in relative clarity & warmth to our stopping place for the night, just outside of the small town of Houston.  It’s an exceptionally pretty campground, with lovely rock flowerbeds, still with spring tulips in bloom! 

 

 

 

  But looks can be deceiving – when we stepped outside, very chilly. But not the bone-chilling, damp chill that’s typical of early spring in St. Louis.  It has a distinct mountain air feel to the chill . . . hard to describe unless you’ve experienced it.  But somehow serves to invigorate, rather than deplete.  We both took a fairly long walk outside with Pappy as soon as we got things set up.

     Then had the remainder of our spaghetti & fresh garlic bread for dinner.  I couldn’t believe what time it was when I asked Bill as I put the spaghetti on the table – felt & looked like around 7 or 7:30.  It was 9:00!  Didn’t get totally dark til 10:30.  Beginning those long summer nights!  

     Tomorrow we should arrive at Prince Rupert and the ferry terminal by late afternoon or evening.  Plan to stay a day or two to give us time to find out everything we want/need to know about the ferry, and to do some sight-seeing things around town.  Also to just relax!  This is the first RV trip we’ve taken where we’ve been vagabonds – long drives during the day, and a new place to get set up at nearly every night.  We’re handling the routine very well.