Alaska 47 & 48. Road Warriors August 25 & 26

August 25

We took advantage of the showers at the RV park and watched church online before hitching up and heading out.

Today’s goal is Jasper and Banff.

I’ve been watching the news of Jasper ever since hearing about the devastating fire back in late July. Turns out the road opened to public just a couple days ago, so we are excited to be able to drive that route as originally planned.

We expected the drive to be kind of flat and boring, but it wasn’t. It was stunning.

I had been looking forward to the Jasper/Banff leg since first planning the trip. My family went to Banff many times and I have a lot of good memories. We never went as far as Jasper though. Dave and the kids and I did Banff in 2010 and it has even more good memories. I even looked up that Road Warrior series on our drive home and read some to Dave. Oh my gosh… so funny. I had SO MUCH MORE material back then! The posts are funnier and better, despite the fact I was 300% busier. I’m surprised anyone still talks to me…

Anyway, it was devastating to drive through Jasper after the fire. I don’t have any connection to the town (like I would if it had been Banff), but I can imagine how much harder it would be if you did. It’s crazy to see how the fire hit one building but spared the next. I would like to have seen what it was like (from afar). Not in a sick way, just because it must have been so powerful and scary. I think about those firefighters and the chaos and desperation. What a stressful and sad job that must be.

It was sobering. 

Eventually the burn gave way to green. The drive between Jasper and Banff is absolutely spectacular. We have been as farnorth as the Columbia Ice Fields and I remembered loving it, but MAN. I know I keep saying stuff like “MAJESTIC” but… just wow. 

We were DETERMINED to do a hike before hitting the campground that I had FRANTICALLY tried to make a reservation for on the drive during very sporadic internet. It was insanely and overly complex — like I was opening a line of credit instead of reserving a campsite. I did it because I was worried about trying to snag a site in Banff in August. My experience is that the place is a zoo. And it was…

I can’t quite articulate the experience of driving and driving and driving— for days on end — and not seeing many cars or people for the past couple weeks and then to go through Jasper, all burned out — a ghost town. And, like, NO ONE on the road (because it had just re-opened) and then suddenly coming around a bend to the ice fields and seeing HUNDREDS of cars and people. 

No bueno.

We are in RE-ENTRY mode.

Dave careened off the road at what looked like a trailhead. We knew nothing about it. Only that it had the fewest cars. We planned to walk for about 45 minutes, but it that is not how we do things.

When hiking, like driving, we tend to keep going. So we kept going to the top (after encountering a local couple who promised us that it was, hands down, the best overlook in all of Banff). It was 3 miles up with 2200 ft elevation gain. For these two sodden porkers it was a WORKOUT. But the view was, indeed, worth it.

Then back down and hustling to the campground so we could cook dinner, eat and go to bed.

That’s our life now: eat and sleep.

August 26

Our site at Two Jack campground (which SADLY I forgot to document) was annoying. We were almost sticking out on the road and so close to a huge puddle that I was almost splashed any time someone drove by. We didn’t linger at this sight any longer than we needed to, getting there late and leaving early.

We never unhitched the night before so we jut got up and left, driving into Banff for a hot Latte. It was only 9 am on a Monday but HOLY COW was the place a ZOO! Tour buses EVERYWHERE. Dave and I looked like something the cats dragged in (literally) while everyone out and about were all FANCY PANTS. It was disconcerting to say the least.

We stopped to get gas and I “timed things right” and went in to use the bathroom. I SHIT YOU NOT (sorry. Had to do it), the last station bathroom had a heated toilet seat and a bidet. 

And now I’m shopping for bidets on Amazon. 

Seriously. It was niiiiice. 

We stopped for lunch at some funky spot that Yelp rated 4.8. I have to say: we don’t agree, but it was a nice break to sit outside at a picnic table in the WARM sun (I have never been more pale in August…). 

Today the goal is Flathead Lake area. Dave’s parents had property on Finley Point on Flathead lake. It was amazing and hard to see it go. Finley Point has a road that goes around the perimeter, so the land was bisected twice, creating two lakeshore pieces and a large central piece where cherry trees were planted. Flathead lake cherries are famous delicious but also susceptible to freezing weather and hail. It’s mind boggling that they can survive here. It’s like a little micro climate, which still doesn’t make all that much sense to me because the lake completely freezes. Must be where the mountains are in relation to the lake? Anyone?

It was fun driving down memory lane…

Then on to Lolo National Forest and Rock Creek, which Dave had picked out in the rare time he spent in the passenger seat. He saw it on the map and it was right about where we were shooting for to put us in position for our final push to Coalville/Salt Lake City for the camper work.

Turns out the area is a MECCA for trout fishermen! Our hopes were HIGH!

We turned into Norton Campground and had the place to ourselves which was very nice. As usual, it wouldn’t have been nearly as nice if you had neighbors, based on the way the campground was laid out. 

Two more nights of camping, so we are in cooler clean-out mode. We had the old stand-by of Thai Green Curry with chicken and put a bunch of the veggies in it. We relaxed, checked out the river, made a fire and called it a night — being all nostalgic about the impending end to our adventure. It really has been fun.