5 September 2016, Monday

We went to bed last night hoping the clear skies would persist into morning so we could pack the tent dry, but it is drizzling when we wake. We pack up the inside tent contents and go to the shelter to cook breakfast. We are the first up, but other campers soon emerge. There is friendly chatter all around.

By 9:30 we are on the trail for our last 7 km. It is raining of course. The trail rises and falls gently. We pass many hikers going towards Berg Lake and answer their questions about the hike. We assure them it is worth the effort. By 11:10 we are back at the parking area.We both have food on our mind. We drive back to Valemount only to discover that all of the restaurants are closed. Today is Canada’s Labour Day holiday. As we drive around town trying to decide what to do, we pass by the Three Ranges Brewing Co. The sign on the door now says ‘Open.’  We park the car and head in. Their beers are excellent. We sample their Pilsner, Red Ale, Brown Ale and IPA. Along with the beer we have a Hunter’s Platter: sausage, ham, cheese, hummus, and veggies, along with some bread and jam. This should hold us until Caribou Grill opens later for dinner. Next, we stop at the grocery store, ostensibly to pick up cookies for our Yoho trip. But, of course, we decide we must sample the cookies to make sure they are chocolatey enough.

We still have about an hour before we can check into the B&B. There is a bit of sunshine so we pull into an empty parking lot and take out our soggy gear so it can dry. We have the tent fly draped over the top of the car, the tent itself over one of the doors and the footprint on the other door. Everything is quickly dry in the breeze. We pack away the tent and take out the tarp. A thin grizzled-looking man rides by on a bicycle and stops to see what we are doing. He is a native of Valmont and has just moved back to the town. As we talk, another younger man, who appears to be First Nations, stops by and jokingly asks if we are parachuting as the green tarp billows in the wind. He tells us his history. He was adopted by his great grandparents as a baby and lived in another town. His great grandfather died recently and he decided to return to Valemount with his wife to seek out his father’s side of the family. He is happy to tell us that both he and his wife are employed and doing well. They are seeking a place to live. He recently found members of his father’s family here. He learned his father had died, but the family had saved his ashes in case his son ever came back so they could have a ceremony. The younger man mentions his father’s name. The grizzled man on the bicycle says they grew up together! The two men hug and begin talking about other family members. The older man suggests some apartments the younger man can look at. All this because two men decided to stop and see what a couple of Pennsylvanians are doing in a vacant parking lot! We all finally part ways. O and I go to the B&B for showers and then have a very satisfying dinner at Caribou Grill. We return to Rose Cottage, clean some of our camping dishes, and flush our water filter. Tomorrow – on to Golden, BC.