My Journey

tgil.....thanks.....

Tadpole.....I couldn't agree more.....thank you.....




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Our next stop would be in the most appropriately named town of Golden, British Columbia (population 4,000). Golden is nestled between two of Canada's national parks, Glacier National Park of Canada to the west and Yoho National Park to the east, and is bisected by the most incredible Columbia River.....

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As I drove into Golden I almost immediately noticed the similarities between Revelstoke and Golden, and I liked Golden every bit as much as I liked Revelstoke.....

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Like Revelstoke, I would spend the remainder of the day walking the streets, checking out the quaint little shops, and just passing the time away.....

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And again like Revelstoke, Golden had some great trails that passed through the town and further out along the river.....

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The fall colors that surrounded the tall mountain peaks, also were seen here and they only served to enhance the beauty of this spectacular little town.....

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And while out walking I came across possibly the best mural ever painted on the side of a building.....

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The dogs and I were walking the streets of this idyllic, quaint mountain village when I was approached by an old man.....he had long grey stringy hair and a quite long scraggly beard, he was bent over, maybe burdened by the multiple layers of coats and sweaters that he wore, as now the nights could best be described as frigid. He asked for a ride to Calgary, Alberta and I replied that I was not headed that way on this day. I recall him only saying "oh" and then he shuffled down the concrete walk. Later that day I saw him pushing his "rig" down that same sidewalk.....and then I never saw him again.....

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And I thought about him that evening.....a lot actually. I wished I'd given him some money.....but he didn't ask. I wished I had taken the time to talk with him. I wondered how he got to where he was in life. A man's value is not defined by his possessions or his wealth. Had I judged this man by not engaging with him ? In retrospect I found it odd that he approached me, said little, and disappeared. The beauty, the splendor of where I was, had been interrupted by this "intruder". This was my reminder to never take for granted the gifts that I have been given, never to judge, and to always be willing to lend a helpful hand. It doesn't matter if it's a stray dog on the street, a Mexican family living under a tarp along the border wall, or an old man pushing his "rig" along the cold, concrete sidewalks of idylic little Golden, British Columbia.....
 
Ace.....seems as though I've given myself a nickname (which I like just fine).....



I decided to hang around Golden for the night so we headed into the forest.....

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.....and found ourselves a spot.....cold, quiet, and peaceful here.....

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We were camped fairly close to the Columbia River.....

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The three of us took a walk to the river.....

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We returned to the camper and Yukon settled in for the evening. Tanner and I weren't finished. We returned to the river, crossed the one lane bridge, and made our way along the shoreline. I'm always looking for signs of wildlife.....love the tracks that bear leave behind.....

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Just as night was falling over us, Tanner and I would take a last walk along the river.....it was pitch dark when we made our way home.....this place was just amazing....

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We were up early the following morning, crossed paths with a train, and then drove east into Yoho National Park.....

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Yoho National Park would be just as sensational as the first two national parks that we passed through previously.....

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Weather was beginning to become a factor in our planning as the huge arctic cold front that was on it's way continued to push south. The skies were a mix.....sometimes snow looked imminent and at other times blue spots would mingle in the mostly grey skies.....

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It seemed as though I had timed our visit nearly perfect (blind luck I assure you and nothing more) as each park we visited was still in full autumn bloom.....

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And just like the previous roads that we traveled, I often stopped along the highway to grab a picture of this or that.....

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I was walking quite a bit along the shoulder of the highway again.....the views along the highway were just remarkable......

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But I had a goal of hiking at least one trail in each park.....so when I saw a sign for a trailhead leading to a waterfall, we left the highway and got in a nice hike into the forest which took us to an incredible waterfall.....

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tgil

Well-known member
Timing is everything! I missed it by a week or two, here in Breckenridge, CO. Most of the leaves have fallen except those right along the Blue River, which runs right through town. Scout absolutely loves the snow!
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Sierra Valley.....I thought it odd that the fall colors in Montana & Idaho were several weeks ahead of these since we were way up north. I was really lucky to catch the fall colors with the snow capped peaks.....

tgil.....Scout looks just like Tanner except maybe just a bit lighter.....great looking dog with a great name.....




The short 2.4 kilometer hike to the falls was sooooo well worth the effort.....

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Arriving at the scenic viewpoint above the falls we had the entire scene to ourselves other than one couple far below.....

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The dogs and I waited patiently above to capture the perfect picture as this couple below took pictures of each other with the waterfall in the background. It appeared that they took pictures with one hand in the air, two hands in the air, standing on one foot, standing on one foot with one hand in the air, and on and on and on. Then they took pictures together assuming all the same poses using their cameras timer (I logically assumed). I guess we waited 15 minutes for them to leave as I also wanted pictures of this wonderful place but without them in my pictures. ....

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And I guess maybe my patience wore thin.....I don't understand the need for so many pictures of oneself.....sometimes it's just so difficult not to judge even though I just posted about judging ? I wondered if this was the influence of Instagram or Facebook ? It was once unusual but not so much anymore.....

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I got my pictures by strategically blocking them out with the trees of the forest.....and then I, the grumpy old man traveling with his two always accepting never complaining dogs, returned to the truck and continued up the road.....

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People are wonderful.....people are a challenge.....and none of us are perfect.....

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We had yet one more waterfall to check out.....

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Arjan.....yet so simple.....



Next up was the Takakkaw Falls.....the second highest waterfall in Canada.....

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Prior to stopping at the Yoho National Park Visitors Center, I had never heard of these waterfalls but the woman at the center said that they were a must see and so it was that I saw.....

She wisely recommended that I leave the truck & camper behind so we unhooked the Jeep and headed for a "freeze your butt off" ride to the falls. The switchbacks were significant.....

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.....and sure the falls were magnificent.....

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.....but anytime something is described with "est" at the end of the word (such as highest, longest, etc.) you can expect significant crowds of people.....

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And so it was that even though I was visiting in the off season, the place was packed.....

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We did not stay long.....

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There's just so much else to see.....

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We continued east, left Yoho National Park behind, and immediately entered into Banff National Park. That night we stayed at the Lake Louise Campground.....it's mandatory in the national parks.....just like in the good ole U.S.A. There were few campers here now as it was really, really cold and a big snow was in the forecast beginning the following day.....

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We awoke to snow flurries in the early morning and I was at a point in the trip where I had to make a big decision. My thoughts since leaving the Northern Lite factory were to go north.....maybe even way north. I bought this used book in a small library in Nakusp, British Columbia and just reading it inspired me to continue going north.....

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But now here in the mountains the forecast was for up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of snow beginning late in the day. Locals said I should get off the mountain as the road north would get treacherous. I delayed my decision and visited Lake Louise.....just a short drive from my campground.....

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The lake is amazing as you clearly see in the pictures.....

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But here the crowds were huge.....

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Directly behind me, from where I took these pictures, is a huge resort with two massive hotel buildings. Condominiums lined the road all the way to the lake.....

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I had to work hard to get pictures without the large groups of tourists.....

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And finally I decided I needed to leave the mountains. The risks were just too high.....this is my home as well as my vehicle.....I decided it wasn't worth the risk. The plan now was to reevaluate after the storm had passed.....

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We drove east soon to be leaving behind some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world.....

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Next stop.....Banff, Alberta.....

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Revelstoke was a friendly little community and I had the good fortunes to spend some time talking with a few of the local townsfolk.....I liked Revelstoke quite a bit.....

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I decided to stay for the night so we had plenty of time to visit the little shops and chat with whoever had a bit of spare time.....

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Walking trails criss crossed the town and we walked as many as we could. Just outside of town we came across this one lane bridge.....

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Bridges crossed what would now seem like the never ending Columbia River.....

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And it's here at Revelstoke that the big mountains begin.....

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And this would be our last encounter with the north / south flowing Columbia River as here we turned east and began our trip into the lands of the national parks of Canada.....

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It had rained all that night and well into the morning.....the roads were still wet when we left Revelstoke and the clouds laid low along the highway.....

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The highway first passes along the southern boundary of Mt. Revelstoke National Park and then continues east and runs through Glacier National Park of Canada. Now it was time to make a stop and purchase our national parks pass.....and get on with some exploration. I bought an annual pass, good until October, 2020.....we have no idea how long we are here.....nor exactly where we are going.....

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Last time I was in Revlestoke was about 1990. They had two giant Martin Mars flying tankers anchored out in the lake. Also saw a train engine that the whole front end was a giant snow plow. Beautiful little town. Now that I’m retired and trave, it’s on my list to return!
 
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