June 2000

On entering the west gate of Glacier our first stop was a visit to the tourist information office and find out what hikes were free from snow, look around the tourist shops, then we made our way to the very beautiful McDonald Lake, where we strolled along the lakeside, had our photo taken with the lake and mountains as a backdrop (it was quite a good photo), before returning to the truck and making our way to Avalanche Lake for a planned hike. A nice easy 2.9 mile hike that started through a forest of beautiful cedar trees which were worth a visit on their own. On this very popular path to Avalanche Lake we past lots of people making their return trip. Unknown to us at the time, we acknowledged a couple from New Zealand we previously met last November in California. It was not until our return to the truck that we were made aware of this. We found a note from Pam & Bryan advising us that they passed us on the trail but were not sure who it was us until they saw our truck at the trailhead - it really is a small world! They hoped we would all meet up again, but that was not to be!
Avalanche Lake is surrounded on three sides by tall snow capped mountains making this small lake well worth hiking too.

The weather was just perfect - sunny, clear and most of all warm which was ideal for a drive up the Going To The Sun Road. This is the most popular road in the park but also the last to open due to the evaluations and snow conditions. This year they managed to open it by the end of May, so luck was on our side once again. It really is as spectacular as we had been led to believe as it traverses the National Park's Rocky mountains. Wullie drove so Linda could film and photos on this steep winding and narrow road which is cut into the side of the mountain and gives views of numerous waterfalls cascading down the mountains into the deep valley below. Before our arrival at Logan Pass (which is the highest point on the road), we had to drive through a few snow cuts which towered well over the truck and also obscured our view below, drove through one or two waterfalls that came across the road, which made the drive even more exciting and beautiful.
Most of Logan Pass car park had been cleared of snow but the lodge was still closed and partially covered. This being one of the places most people make for some of the paths had been cleared to enable access to the large plains of snow that were still being used by skiers and Snowboarders.
During our short walk out we were up to our knees in snow a couple of times before returning to the warmth of the truck after taking more film. We then descended to the St. Mary Falls trailhead and hiked the four mile round trip. Most enjoyable with both St. Marys falls and Virginia Falls well worth visiting, not to mention the wildflowers along the way. We have noticed a lot of drivers in the USA have a habit of driving on or over the center line. On most of their roads it doesn't cause too much of a problem as the roads are ultra wide. The 'Going to the Sun' road does not come into the ultra wide category and with rock face one side and a steep drop the other can seem rather narrow. We had a few narrow escapes but eventually a truck, frightened of the steep drop, did not get back on his own side and our mirrors clashed. The glass popped out of our motorised mirror, we don't know what happened to his as there was nowhere to stop, and as a result we needed a new mirror.

We had been advised that Whitefish was our nearest location for a Ford Repair Centre, so we thought we would combine this with a visit to the Big Mountain Ski area as we knew of a hike where you ascend the mountain in the chairlift and walk down - sounds good? First we visited De Pratu Ford dealer to see if and when they could replace our mirror before we left the area in a few days time (we thought we may have to stay a few extra days while they ordered up parts and fitted us into their schedule). The guys at De Pratu Ford responded beyond our wildest dreams, they had a mirror in stock which someone had ordered months before, had never paid for and had not come to collect. 'You can have that one and we will fit the job in this afternoon'. Happy and with time to spare we took the drive to the chairlift thinking that even if we could not to the hike down we would take the ride up for the views. When we got there neither option was acceptable as the visibility for views was quite poor, and the hiking trail down was still partially covered with snow. We had a wander around the complex before returning to town for lunch which was taken in a memorable Sports Bar (Linda's addiction to Microbrew), before we returned to De Pratu to get the truck done. They offered a shuttle into town but we declined and walked along to the nearest mall. The cost of the work including parts was only a few dollars over our $250 insurance excess so we decided not to put in a claim. When the truck was returned to us not only was the repair complete but they had washed the outside and valeted the cabin. This is a Ford Dealership that deserves all the success available and we thank them for their courteous efficiency in getting us back on the road.

During the next few days we completed a few reasonably strenuous hikes so we could get fit for our forthcoming visit to the Canadian Rockies. Trout Lake a stiff 10 miles with 1,920 feet of ascent in just 2.5 miles, then descended 1,230 feet to the lake, all done in thick forest with rare views of McDonald Lake. Lots of wild flowers lined the path giving some interest to the hike. When we finally arrived at the lake it really was quite ordinary and we had to hike to the far end before finding a place with a close view of the lake to eat a hurried lunch before the bugs ate us. The 1,230 feet ascent from the lake was painful and boring only alleviated by sighting a mule deer wandering through the forest in the opposite direction, (he wasn't stupid enough to be going uphill). It is not often that we say "don't do this hike" but this is an exception. Not only was it strenuous and boring, we also got eaten alive everytime we stopped for a breath. Six hours worth forgetting.

The more enjoyable hike to McDonald Creek was a fairly flat gentle path to lightly flex the leg muscles after the previous day. The McDonald Creek trail fulfilled that requirement very well as it meandered through mixed woodland and then hugged McDonald Creek for about a mile before re-entering the woods. A deer was wandering on our path until we disturbed him. We had lunch sitting by the creek and NO bugs for company while overlooking a waterfall. A hot and sunny day but relaxing and enjoyable.

We were in some ways quite disappointed with the hiking on the West side of Glacier NP, so now it was time to sample the Eastern side. We set off in wet miserable weather to cross the Continental Divide at Marius Pass to the east side of the Rocky Mountains. At the summit it was as if someone had drawn a line across the divide because the rain stopped and we were welcomed with clear blue skies yet again, although it was accompanied by strong winds. Highway 89 once again provided outstanding scenery. It's a great pity this road terminates on the Canadian border (we are going to miss it) but probably another almost as beautiful will take it's place. Chewing Black Bones RV site (couldn't resist that name either) on the shore of Lower St. Mary Lake, was our first choice but on arrival found to be closed down, (seems other people could resist the name?), so we had to back-track to Johnson's of St Mary's, a famous site! (so all the signs say).

Location - St. Mary's This famous! RV site is situated on an exposed hill high above the very small town of St. Mary's, therefore when the wind blew and the rain fell, which it often did during our stay, we had to batten down all the hatches. It did have an exceptional view of Lower St Mary's Lake and the mountain ranges, and was also an ideal spot for visiting the Much Glacier end of Glacier NP.
	Lower St. Mary Lake from our RV window.

As we neared the end of the forest there was a FRESH black bear print on the path. Linda took a photo with the digital camera for her collection. (I thought it was in case he attacked us we could give the Rangers a picture of his prints!). As the print was very fresh we reckon he had heard us singing, didn't like the sound so made a quick exit from path. It was a day of close encounters, and just shows the value of Wullie's awful singing voice if it scares the Bears away! They are lovely to see from the safety of the truck but we'd rather not meet one on the trail! All in all we had a terrific day out.

Thunder, lightning, high winds and sleet made this a good day for laundry, but the weather also caused lots of electricity cuts throughout the day, making this task last four/five hours. With the laundry in the machine and no power and not a lot happening it provided Linda with a golden opportunity to get to know the other people in the launderette, and come to realise just what a small world we live in. During our stay in Arizona in January whilst out walking we met a couple from New Mexico who spend a lot of time in Britain during the summer. We spoke to the Lindberg's for quite some time and agreed to keep in touch with E-Mail. We tried to meet again in the Tuscon area but our schedules didn't coincide. They were however the only people from New Mexico we had ever met. During the power cuts Linda got talking (there's a surprise) to a Gin & Robert Desjardin also from New Mexico and amazingly they used to work with the Lindberg's. The Desjardin's were also moving onto Waterton Lake NP the same day as us, so weather permitting we all hoped to do a hike together.

Continental Divide - This marks the point at which the rivers originating in the mountains flow to the Pacific Ocean (West) or the Atlantic Ocean (East). It mainly occupies the spine of the Rocky Mountains. When you look at a map of the USA you can see that the rain/snow falling on the eastern side of the divide has a much longer journey to the Atlantic than that on the western side has to the Pacific. There is one peak in Glacier NP called Triple Divide Peak- where the streams originating on the mountain travel to three different oceans, the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic. Wullie was keen to do the hike up Triple Divide Peak and see these streams dividing the three ways, but again the snowline was way too low to allow us to do it in safety.

The weather has not been too kind too us on the eastern side of Glacier NP, in fact the 'Going to the Sun' road was closed once again because of fresh snowfall at that altitude. Lets hope it is better on the Canadian side where the National Park changes it's name to Waterton Lakes NP. Some Americans here on site are telling us how tough Canadian Customs are when crossing the border - they remove everything from the truck and RV!. We find that difficult to believe but are keeping an open mind. Crossing International borders, (with no boat or plane involved, we just drive!, is a luxury for us!), will necessitate some clerical chores.
Crossing the Border preparations - We did have a few things to look into before the crossing:
1. We did not envisage any problems with our AT&T Internet access as we have a 1-800 number, but this proved to be optimistic and wrong on our part.
2. On our cell phone we need to have Canada added to our AT&T phone plan so we can make and receive calls during the next three months, and since we won't be in the USA for three months we thought we could change back to a Regional plan as that is $30/month less expensive. We called AT&T who advised us they had a promotion on if we change our Phone Plan we would be credited with $50 ('the lucky Keir's', "money goes to money" - we can here you say). We query this as it seems too good to be true but are assured it is right. They will also add Canada calling for an extra $19.99/Month, a total cost of $49.88 monthly. When we received the first bill a month later we came in we realised that we had been given duff information.
On the positive side we are excited about entering Canada as they have Weetabix & McVities Digestive biscuits, two things we have been missing and dreaming about for the past 14 months - will they taste as good as we remember!.

We had an early start on our day of departure from St. Mary's, and as we were not interested in the duty free shopping we chose the nearer and quieter border crossing at Chief Mountain, which was a total journey of less than 40 miles into Waterton National Park .
Before we left America we made inquiries about our return visa and were advised to hold onto the letter we had received from the INS in case it was needed on our return. It was a very quiet 9.30 a.m. when we crossed into Canada - no problems, they never even looked inside the RV or truck, just asked to dump the firewood were were carrying into a bin as it cannot be taken into Canada in case of tree disease, they stamped our passports and wished us an enjoyable stay - and that was all there was to it!
We are planning on staying about three months, taking in the Calgary Stampede, touring/climbing some of the wonderful Canadian Rocky mountains we have read so much about. So much to see in such a short time.

Before we entered Canada we had taken care of the important aspects of crossing the border, but we were to find out over the next couple of weeks that being in Canada was going to give us problems with our phonecard, mail and to our surprise we lost our Internet Provider as soon as we crossed the border. The reason for the lateness of this publication

Phonecard - Our USA phonecard cannot be used from a Canadian call box but can be used on our cellular phone as that is a USA number. However as we thought we were now on reduced minutes with our AT&T phone plan we needed something to use from a phone box as most of our calls are to friends back home. We purchased a local card, one which you can top up by phoning the card company and adding time (money), but this card is nowhere as good a deal as the one we use in the USA. We decided to keep paying the $16 monthly charge on our USA phonecard as we could use it from our mobile, and when we do get back into the USA Linda can do what she likes doing the most - talk at great length.

Mail - We use a company called SNC Travelers Club in Eugene, Oregon as our mail forwarder. They are really excellent. No matter where we were in America our post hardly ever took more than three days to arrive at our requested location, and we are nearly always out in the sticks. All we do is phone the staff at SNC, give them a forwarding address, and they send it by priority mail to us. Our first mail delivery into Canada took nearly two weeks to arrive, and after making inquiries why, we found out was to be the norm as International mail needs to go through customs if over a certain weight, which on occasions ours may be. This was now going to take forward planning on our part so we could get our mail delivered to the local post office, General Delivery, in the area we were going to be.

Internet Provider - Our Internet provider is AT&T in the USA and we use a 1-800 number for access. We believed all 1-800 numbers were valid in Canada and the USA but apparently this is only true 98% of the time and our AT&T number is one of the 2%. We phoned around Canadian providers and AOL look promising (strange as they were a real problem to us in the USA). It was not until we were staying in a motel in Calgary the we got access via AOL for 24 hours (just enough time to upload May's Web page), but then they cut us off because although our credit card is valid and they are willing to accept a Hotel as our Canadian address, our credit card was not issued to that address. In spite of begging, pleading, "I am a visitor to your country" etc. etc. they do not yield. It seems that the Internet revolution suffers somewhat from old fashioned bureaucracy if you are a long term traveler in a foreign country. During our 3 months in Canada we will have to rely on local libraries for E-Mail & Internet access. That is why this month's Web Page has taken so long to arrive!

When we arrived at Waterton Lakes National Park we decided on investing $70 for a years parks pass, as we intended to go in and out of as many parks during our stay. This is a very good investment not only financially but it means we could just show our pass at the entrances and miss the queues.

Location - Waterton Lakes NP - Waterton Village. Situated in Waterton Village at the head of Waterton Lake this made for a beautiful setting for a RV park. Within walking distance of the village is something we rearly have, also the Prince of Wales Hotel where we can take the traditiional 'high tea' if we have time. It also gave us easy access to all the places we hoped to visit during our stay. Due to the "British" type weather we encountered we extended our four day stay to six days so we could do some of the hikes we had planned.

Prince of Wales Hotel

It was not until we arrived in the park that we noticed how different they are from the American National Parks. Canada allows private ownership inside the park where as America does not. It seemed strange to drive through a small town with privately run hotels, shops restaurants etc. as soon as we were settled we wandered around town, visited the 'Prince Of Wales Hotel' but decided against the '$30 High Tea" as we have a bone china tea service in the RV, and Linda said she would cut the crusts off the bread for a small fee, also the cream cakes are not good for you. It had nothing to do with the price! We also visited the Rangers Office and obtained a local update on trail conditions and buy a hiking book called 'Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies" which turned out to be a very valuable hiking bible for the next few months. Last but not least we visited the local supermarket, while Linda was looking at things to go with a meal, Wullie spied DIGESTIVE BISCUITS. We didn't even look at the price of these, just went to the check out then hurried home for a quick dunk!.

On wet days when we had to stay home we were entertained by the Colombian Ground Squirrels which had their houses around our RV. They come out of their burrows, sit on top of the nearby mound looking for intruders. If one came over the boundary the defended their territories with vengeance. We reminded them that Waterton Lakes is an " International Peace Park" and that sort of behavior is not tolerated. They paid no attention and continued to defend their patch against any and all invaders.
Another of those wet days we took a drive to Cardston (small town) in the hope that one we could get a ATM that would like us, unlike those in Waterton Village who simply refused to cough up any cash at all. We strolled through town and at the first bank we came to found an ATM that liked us so much it gave us a few hundred dollars. The highlight of our day was discovering Weetabix in the the local supermarket (can't wait for tomorrows breakfast).

Kootenai Lakes - Sun was almost shinning when we woke so we decided to do the planned hike to Kootenai Lakes with Robert & Gin the couple who followed us from St. Mary's. Moose frequent this lake which Gin was excited about as she really wanted to see one. The Waterton Ferry took us the length of the lake to Goat Haunt Ranger Station. This is actually in Glacier NP in the USA. No customs made our entry easy and when we arrived the sun started to shine in the direction of our hike. This 5.6 mile round trip follows a path in deep forest and is home for a million and one mosquitoes. Covered in repellent we made our way to the lake which was unfortunately free of the moose we had all hoped to see. We got a glimpse of two swans but could not identify the species. Not giving up hope of seeing moose we retraced our steps to the path junction hoping we could get to the other end of the lake. No such luck, although we watched two Mule Deer feeding in a forest clearing, so back to the lake before returning to catch the 5.15 p.m. ferry. Two Mule Deer did appear on the path as if they had come to see us off on the ferry. On arriving back at Waterton the heavens opened just as we docked. We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely hike with good company. In the evening Robert & Gin visited for a beer and a blether (chat). They were moving on in the morning so we promised to keep in touch.

With the promise of a lovely sunny day, just what we had hoped for after booking in for a further two days we could at least do some hiking described in our guide book. Rowe Lakes is a popular hike which unfortunately we could not complete due to fresh snow still covering to the higher elevation paths. What we did see made us hope to return one day and complete the hike. Although a lot of this hike was through forest it had lots clearings/meadows, with a great variety of wildflowers, lovely views of snow capped mountains and Rowe Creek. On arrival at Lowe Meadow (as far as we felt it safe to travel without ice axes and ropes) we were welcomed by a meadow of wildflowers watered by Rowe Creek. It was surrounded by a wall of rock and we could see a faint trace of the upward path covered and surrounded by snow (prime Avalanche conditions). We had lunch before returning on the path to visit Lower Rowe Lake. More photos were taken before we headed back to the truck. We continued on the road to Cameron Lake a very popular and pretty lake. This small lake has boats and peddalo's for hire which makes it a very attractive place to visit in the warm summer months. Quite a few fishermen were out including a gentleman from California, whose family have a 'cottage' in Waterton village. We asked how much a fishing licence cost and he replied an awful lot less than in Scotland. He has visited a few times for Golf and Salmon fishing, and on his last visit he rented a stretch of The Dee for a couple of weeks. He must have a penny or two to spare.

As the weather was cloudy, blustery and generally looked untrustworthy we took a drive to Red Rock Canyon intending to hike to Blakiston falls or further if the weather held up. However unknown to us we took the wrong trail (again I hear you say!) and when we still hadn't reached the falls (1 mile) after one hour and not knowing where we were headed we turned back. We then realised we had hiked part of the Goat Lake trail. This wide track is used by mountain bikers as well as pedestrians and is in quite a wide valley giving some great views of the surrounding mountain ranges, lots of wild flowers and numerous butterflies feeding on the flowers. When we arrived back at Red Rock Canyon carpark we took the trail to the waterfall which had been our intention. Inevitably the rain, which had been threatening all day, came down heavily which made us head back quickly to the truck.

Moved to Skookumchuck, BC - a 190 mile drive from Waterton Lakes. We managed to leave Waterton just before the rain arrived, lets hope British Columbia is drier & warmer. The rain caught up with us when we were about five miles out and accompanied across the Rockies and well into BC, so heavy that at times we thought night time had come early. This is the heaviest rain we have encountered while traveling. Once we crossed Crowsnest Pass (the Rockies) from Alberta to B.C. the weather seemed to brighten, and by the time we arrived at Skookumchuck the sun was shining and it was into the 70's. We cleaned the RV to get rid of the rain generated grime it had acquired (and invoked good 'spirits' to keep the rain away?).

We needed some parts to modify the plumbing which allows mains water to be connected to the RV so headed for Cranbrook the nearest large town. Stopped at Wasa Lake Provincial Park and took a walk by the lakeside before inspecting the RV Park. Called into the provincial park headquarters and collected some valuable maps and information (which we referred to on numerous occasions over the next few months), from the very helpful staff. Our next stop was Fort Steele Heritage Village - we were very disappointed in what was supposed to be a re-creation of a turn of the century town. It seems they forgot to imbue it with some life (BUZZ).
Done a bit of shopping in Cranbrook including the RV plumbing parts and followed the salesladies tip for our evening meal in the Bavarian Chalet restaurant - highly recommended. Both Cranbrook and the neighbouring town of Kimberley have a Bavarian theme. Kimberley is the smaller of the two but seems to have a lot of budget accommodation. Returned home via Marysville, visiting a pretty waterfall, and Kimberley.

Another bright sunny day with very few clouds so we took a 32 mile drive deep into the Rocky Mountain range, although a rough Forest road it was well worth the effort. We were seeing these mountains from a completely different angle, and they are so beautiful. It took us an hour and a half to reach the trail head of Top of the World Provincial Park. The hike to Fish lake (el. 1768m) was mostly in deep forest but the reward when we got to the lake was well worth it. We had part of our lunch by this small lake which is surrounded by mountains and numerous waterfalls, also the clouds were also arriving and getting thicker and thicker by the minute. A helicopter kept us company most of the afternoon, ferrying supplies and building materials to the Ranger station as that was just opening for the season. There are backcountry campsites (walk in only) and a 'bothy' like barn for backpackers. Once again the snowline prevented us from venturing above the lake on one of the many trails. The helicopter on the positive side helped to keep the Bears away but on the negative side kept away all the other wildlife we had hoped to see. The rain arrived before we got back to the truck but did not last too long before allowing the sun to become dominant once again. On the way home we called in to see some 'free' public hot springs where people were relaxing in the Sulphur spring water running down the mountain and gathering in pools above the river. Another thoroughly enjoyable day.

Location - Radium Hot Springs Mountain Shadows Resort a small compact site but once again situated quite near to the highway. We were allocated a pitch quite near to the road before accepted it we checked out the traffic noise level - well not only for us but for our friends from Ontario who were coming to stay with us for two weeks. It was not bad so we hooked everything up before taking a quick drive into the town for a bite to eat. This site was also the nearest to Kootenay National Park where we fancied a few hikes.

It was clear and sunny day for our first drive through Kootenay NP. We saw Mountain Goats near to the park entrance, a deer near to a "deer warning sign", stopped at numerous viewpoints then our wildlife highlight of the day - a fairly large "black" bear grazing on flowers very near to the roadside. We got a good video of him before he wandered off into the woods then continued the short journey to Stanley Glacier trailhead for the start of our hike. . This hike is recommended in our new hiking bible, and we certainly were not disappointed. The 5.5 mile round trip had great views of the high mountain peaks that surrounded us for most of the way. The view of Stanley Glacier was exceptional. Deep snow overhanging the mountain tops kept creaking, making us wonder if we were going to see an avalanche (from a safe distance), but no such luck. Yet again lunch was taken from our restaurant with a beautiful view. On the way down we noticed quite a few different flowers to add to our collection, that's when we have time to peruse the guidebook and identify them - retirement is so hectic.

Stanley Glacier

It was time to drive to Calgary to meet our good friends from Ontario. Another bear sighting in Kootenay (there becoming common), then onto Banff NP where we stopped in the town of Banff and had Lunch in an "English Pub" where Linda discovered a new Microbrew called Traditional by the Big Rock Brewery of Calgary, a name you are sure to hear again and again. we got booked into the Quality Inn near Calgary airport to await the arrival of John & Joyce the next morning.

Next morning we were all excited as we made our way to the airport in the hotel courtesy bus for the arrival of our friends. They arrived early, we got them booked in before celebrating with a Scottish tradition - a welcoming drink - well it was 2.0 PM in Ontario! Took a drive into the centre of Calgary to see some of the sights. Had lunch in an Irish pub - Linda is on the draught Kilkenny, we could have trouble tonight!. Shared a 18 inch pizza for supper and after a nightcap had an early night because of the time change.

Had a leisurely drive back to the RV. On route we visited Canmore a small and pretty town just outside Banff NP. John & Joyce had friends here, a fellow Fife miner (Hugh Stewart) John worked with in the Aitken Pit before emigrating to Canada. Hugh had died since John & Joyce's last visit and Ann had re-married. Joyce called on the phone and arranged to visit in the afternoon. Had lunch in the 'Grizzly Paw' brew pub in Canmore. Ann Stewart is a delightfully interesting lady from Glencraig who has been living in Canmore since 1957 when they emigrated. She has the best Glencraig accent outside of Glencraig Wullie has ever heard! We don't know if Wullie's accent brought out Ann's but it was like she had never left Fife. Her new husband must have wondered what was being said as the conversation was mainly in broad Fife accents. The hour we spent in their company just flew in. This very interesting lady, now in her 70's has written a book about emigrating from the Fife coalfield to this then tiny mining village in Alberta, which at that time did not even have pavements. It has been published in Scotland and with the help of a friend back home we will be ordering up a copy. Happy we completed our drive home via Banff & Kootenay NP's.

During the next few days we visited Invermere on Windermere Lake a really charming little town. Obtained some provisions from the Supermarket, had a picnic by the Lake after Wullie & John had sneaked a Beer at the lakeside watering hole. Utilised the local library facilities to send E-Mail messages to everyone advising them about our Internet & E-Mail problem.
Drove to Fairmont Hot Springs to visit the expensive but very attractive golf courses. Had a BBQ supper and a few beers to finish off a relaxing day. We also took a drive into Kootenay NP hoping to show Joyce a black bear and the other wildlife we had already seen, do a short hike and have a picnic. The weather turned wet so we had our picnic in the light rain, standing by the truck. Only wildlife on view was some Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep by the main gate. By the time we reached the RV the sun was shining and it was sufficiently warm for a few beers outside.

This month we travelled: 2,262 miles

Accumulative miles: 27,600

Interesting Hyperlinks:

Glacier (USA) National Park

Waterton Lakes National Park

Kootenay National Park

Parks Canada Information

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