The weather was forecast to be great for the weekend, so it would have been pretty much criminal to stay home at this time of year, specially since I had done just that on my last set of days off when it was raining and cold.

A quick look at the map and it was decided that Revelstoke Lake, just north of the town of the same name would be a likely spot to spend some quality time.

The weather was a mixed bag on the way over, but I was confident that it was improving all the time. I had not been up the drive to the summit of Mt Revelstoke for years, so I took this opportunity to do so, as there was still enough hours of daylight. The drive is called the Meadows in the Sky Parkway, and it was much longer than I remembered, at 26km.


I took a couple photos on the way down before heading out to find a camp spot along the lake.

I had pre-scanned the whole area on Google Earth, so it was very convenient to check my location to see what was in the area, and where each road or trail went. Each new area discovered was photographed and documented for future use and enjoyment.

Revelstoke Lake is a reservoir about 150 km long, formed behind the Revelstoke dam, just north of town.
Day two:
It wasn't quite perfect. We had moved into the Revelstoke Lake area the day before, and found a nice quiet campsite right at water's edge. For mid-September, the weather was fabulous; warm, sunny, and calm.
We had spent the day looking for the perfect campsite and recording details on Google Earth for future reference. Carnes Creek provincial Rec area was beautiful, and had most of the attributes of a perfect camp.
But the site we had chosen, with the lake view to die for - didn't have any firewood :(
Last year, we had done our first tour of the area, and the gps held some locations worth checking out, so off we went; in search of firewood, and perfection.

The plan basically invovled checking out every side road and trail that led down towards the lake.
Finally, a small trail led onto a section of the old highway, abandonded when flooding of the reservoir raised the lake level and inundated major sections of the old road.


This trail opened up in both directions, and a short hike to the north found one campsite occupied.

But to the south was perhaps an old abandoned log landing that just about had it all;waterfront, great view of the setting sun, a firepit with plenty of firewood, and someone previously had even levelled out the site for the camper, so I simply drove onto the designated pieces of firewood and shallow depressions in the ground and the truck was level.
A good southern exposure ensured that the satellite dish would work if so desired. I quickly strung up a long line of cord across the area so Harley's leash and carabiner could provide him with the best possible mobility, and pulled the honda generator out in case power was required later. We were now getting close to perfection!A couple who were camped to the north came by on the water, each rowing little inflatable pontoon boats, and a merganzer was southbound along the shore, putting his eyes just under water as he swam like a snorkel to see what was below him. The fire was lit prior to sunset, and then it happened. The Loon call came warbling across the water of the perfectly calm lake. Now, perfection had been achieved!
A raven flew by patrolling the shoreline. Across the lake several glaciers beckoned, and the sound of the tumbling cascade from one could be heard in the stillness. The fire crackled as the sun dipped behind the distant mountains - and the hot dogs sure tasted good.

Morning! The forecast was correct, and the morning brought the predicted sunshine. I waited to step outside with my coffee till the sun just peeked over the mountain and began to warm the hills. It was calm; the lake fog hanging low, obscuring most of the far shore and the glaciers. Overnight, a few leaves had prepared themselves for the inevitability of the season, and, at the slightest breeze jumped from their tree limbs to find a winter home on the ground. The remaining leaves were like me, in denial, and remained steadfastly green. Harley came out for his morning stroll and sunshine, making a safety patrol to make sure the chipmunk was still following all predator safety protocols.
Just as the mists parted to reveal the glacier bathed in the morning sunshine, a lone bald eagle flew up the shore, wondering where his breakfast was. Only the sound of the lake ripples slapping against a driftwood log broke the silence. Time to dig out the solar panel and soak up some of these warm rays to be stored in the battery, so the furnace can keep us warm again tonight - not to mention charging up the laptop battery! Unfortunately, work still pays the bill, and they like it when I show up, so much too soon it was time to pack the camper up and go home. Besides, the new 5th wheel was in the city having some warranty work done, so I was keen to get it home and start getting it ready for winter.
Till next time.

As promised, an aerial view of some of the northern parts of beautiful Banff National Park.

Helicopters had been chartered on 'minimums' to ensure availability for forest fire control.
But with the contracts coming to an end, and no fires to fight, we had to make the best use possible of the remaining hours.
The work we were doing today involved getting much needed supplies flown into remote backcountry patrol cabins.
This often meant feed for our horses, but also some firewood in areas where natural supplies are unavailable.
In some cases, we were able to bring along other park staff, and show them the country!
A lot of very remote, wild terrain.
Glacial carved valleys.
Turquoise lakes!
Bonus. Two videos at the bottom.

Waskesiu trip (Sask.) continued ...

While still in the Waskesiu area; after my truck got mugged (or hugged?) by the bear, we took in some more of the sights. One of these is a public viewing tower that you can climb to get a look above the surrounding trees. You see, they are 'mountain challenged' in this area :).


I think the surrounding trees have grown somewhat since the tower was built, but it still gets you up high enough to appreciate the divide between the watersheds of the Saskatchewan and the Churchill river systems.

This structure has been here for as long as I can remember, but I can't imagine that it has been maintained in a usable condition. Especially by Parks Canada, which is infamous for rotting infrastructure and facilities closed due to neglect. But here it is, and it is fairly dang impressive.
After leaving the park, I spent a couple days just to the south at Emma Lake, attending a family gathering. The camper was parked just behind the waterfront cabin, and evening found us sitting on the beach around the fire watching (and participating in) the impromptu fireworks demonstration/competition from other cabins surrounding the lake.


There were at least eight different sources of fireworks visible from our vantage point.
No children or pets were seriously hurt during this demonstration. That we know of!


After that it was time to turn the paw-printed truck in a homeward direction, so as not to be late for that occupation that still pays the bills.
Heading west - into the sunset across the flat portion of Alberta.

Collecting bugs on the windshield, and keeping away from the oncoming trucks.
Both directions, it was a convenient stop at a little regional park at the edge of the Alberta badlands (ie Drumheller). I think it was called Morrin Bridge Provincial recreation area?
It tried to rain in the morning, but Harley got out for a quick check for local 'prey', while I cleaned the windshield and enjoyed a morning coffee.

Remember - you can click on any photo for a much larger view (of Harley), or click on the Google map at the top and zoom in or out to your hearts content.
A northward looking shot from Google Earth shows the spot.

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Next entry?

Hmmm, how about a tough day at work, flying around the north end of Banff National Park by helicopter. Preview below!

August has arrived, and it was time to take a road trip!
Saskatchewan was the destination this time, and as we crossed the border from Alberta, we realized that it is rather - flat!

But soon we headed north into the lake and bush country and entered Prince Albert National Park.
Paighton beach was looking as good as ever, on the south shore of Waskesiu lake.
We checked out the scenery in the townsite. The weather was fairly warm, so the scenery was good - and the beach was busy.
We camped out at the Narrows campground, and found the fees to be typically high. They wanted $21.50 for a campsite and another $8.80 for a fire permit. No electricity, no water, no showers. Compare that to an Oregon state park at Beverley Beach where for $18 I got electricity, water and sewer hookups, fireplace, free showers, and - cable TV! Hmmm?
The next day we toured up on the north shore of the lake into the Kingsmere Lake and Grey Owl Wilderness area.
For the first time, I got to hike the Narrows Penninsula trail which leads out onto the point opposite the Narrows campground.
Although it threatened to rain, it stayed dry and we had a good hike with only a few mosquitoes and some inquisitive loons for company.

Harley had forgotten to pack his harness or leash, so we had to buy a new harness in Prince Albert on the way up, and utilize some oversize rope to keep the park wildlife safe!While napping on the roadside in that general area, we had an early morning visitor. I heard some sounds that I attributed to other vehicles pulling up to view the lake. But whenever I looked out, I saw none. The vehicle moved a little, but there was some wind, and Harley rocks the camper when he jumps to the floor. There were some scratching sounds, but that is often from ravens landing on the roof.
When I finally got out to look around, I heard crashing off into the trees across the road, and found sandy paw prints all over the truck!

On the hood.
The front bumper.
The driver's side.
The side mirror.
And this curious black bear had even tried to sample one of the tires!
To be continued ...