Welcome to the Wild West

It's been almost a week since I packed up my life in Vancouver to begin my three months of travel. The first leg of my journey has been through some of the most beautiful parts of the country, and I gotta say, Canada is a gorgeous place. I feel so privileged to live here.

I played the navigator for this road trip but I did do some driving (over 300 km in one day!)  My friend Carsen and I set out from Vancouver around 1pm last Tuesday, August 5 with the goal of making Cache Creek by dinnertime. We made our goal and drove a bit further to Juniper Beach  provincial campground. The site was so warm, windy, and sandwiched between two rail lines. This campground is in the rain shadow of the interior where prickly pear and rattlesnakes live. It feels like being in Nevada actually.

Unfortunately for us, the trains were only about 100 feet from our tent and ran all night. So after a noisy sleep, we packed up after a  quick breakfast and confirmed on the map our next destination goal: Mount Robson. This was the day I did the most driving.

Mount Robson is stunning. At over 4000 m, it's the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. The visitor's center staff were friendly and helpful. They pointed us across the road to the Robson Meadows provincial campground. The campground is unique in that it is a giant spiral. We scored ourselves a good spot and then proceeded on our short hike. The hike followed a trail to a small waterfall (Overlander Falls) and a big arching path back to our campsite. The hike took about 2 hours all told.

Next day we packed up and (Thursday) drove into Jasper national park and into the town of Jasper proper. The town is cute with historical notices posted about. It's also incredibly touristy. Lots of people from all over come to Jasper and to see the icefields. The last time I was in Jasper, I was six years old. It was nice to go back as an adult because I don't remember much from when I was six.

After some food and some shopping, it started raining, so back in the truck we went and drove straight to Pocahontas camping area, with one detour/stopping point - goats. Wild mountain goats were perched high on a bluff overlooking the Yellowhead Hwy (16). We had to stop and take photos, and we certainly weren't the only ones.

Pocahontas campground was somewhat of a disappointment after Robson Meadows. There was no attendant on site, the woodpile was uncovered (and the wood wet). The operator on the phone could only take payment for the campsite but not the wood.... And worst of all, it poured rain in the morning and we had to pack everything up wet. The only redeeming feature was the campground's proximity to the Miette Hotsprings (17 km drive up a windy mountain road). The Hotsprings are similar to Harrison in that there is a resort and also a public "pool" to enjoy the warm waters. The views are spectacular. We went at 9pm and stayed just over an hour. It was also our first opportunity to shower, which we enjoyed after the dirt and woodsmoke from camping.

Friday morning we headed out in the pouring rain and spent about two hours eating and playing boardgames in the Smitty's dinner in Hinton, Alberta. We had a good breakfast as we couldn't make breakfast in a downpour and got gas, which we badly needed. It rained all Friday as we drove to Winfield to visit my birth-mom and family out on their farm.

I've been helping out with chores on the farm... but mostly I've been looking after my four year old nephew, which has been a joy, if a bit tiring. I'm writing this blog post on my phone in a hayfield right now. The loudest thing is the wind blowing and the flies buzzing around. The skies are so clear, I've been enjoying looking up at the supermoon the past few days.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow we drive back to Calgary and I'll be prepping to leave Wednesday evening to cross the pond to England and Ireland. It feels surreal that it's happening at all. And yet here I am, suitcase packed and tickets lined up. Wish me luck on the next part of my journey... I've been feeling some trepidation around it. But I know that once I'm there, I'll be able to plug in with my new surroundings. I'm glad I took this road trip first, it's given me a chance to get my bearings and also decompress after a very stressful month.

Onwards!