18 September 2016, Sunday From Kamloops (The name Kamloops comes from the Secwepemc word T’kemlups meaning “the meeting of the rivers.” Kamloops is on the meeting point of the South Thompson and the North Thompson Rivers which, together, create the Thompson River. This info is from a tourism site about Kamloops) we take the TransCanadian Highway, Route 1, west and then southward along the Thompson River Valley. The Thompson River eventually
17 September 2016, Saturday The rain is back. We have light but steady drizzle all night. Thankfully there is a lull in the rain when we wake. We wipe down the fly and pack the damp tent in its duffel. We return to the Lake Louise Inn to do some laundry. O goes to find some coffee. The Inn serves Starbucks. He requests a cup of coffee from the restaurant
16 September 2016, Friday Today is our last day of Canadian Rockies hiking. We have chosen the Helen Lake – Cirque Peak hike, again off the Iceline Parkway, but a much shorter drive. Mike meets us at the visitor center once again and off we go. The trail begins up a wooded pathway with many crossing roots which create steps. Very soon we can look out between the trees and
15 September 2016, Thursday It is another sunny day. The thermometer is reading just above zero this morning. It feels significantly warmer than yesterday. After breakfast we drive the short distance to the visitors center to meet Mike. To get to Parker Ridge trailhead we must drive about an hour north on the Icefields Parkway to Saskatchewan Crossing and then another 25 miles past there. We arrive at the trailhead
14 September 2016, Wednesday Subzero Celsius again! We have pancakes for breakfast and then take turns warming our hands on the hot frying pan as it cools. By 9:05 we are driving up Moraine Lake Road. There are still empty spots in the parking lot when we arrive. The lake is a jewel blue color. One of our hiking friends from Lake O’Hara told us we must “climb the rock
13 September 2016, Tuesday It is again below freezing this morning. Sleeping is fine, but getting out of the tent in the morning to cook is difficult. Our fingers freeze as we prepare our food. We try holding our hands over the Coleman stove, but it only helps a little. Our pour-over coffee carafe also chills quickly. After breakfast we go on a hunt to find something that will serve
12 September 2016, Monday The night sky remains clear, and it is a cold -4 degrees C overnight. We manage to keep warm, however. As we ready breakfast the sky is blue, and distant white mountain peaks are visible, but as we eat, mist from the river rolls in and the world turns gray. We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback. After breakfast, we finish reorganizing the car
11 September 2016, Sunday We leave our B&B and stop at the laundromat in Golden. We wait patiently for the 34 minutes it takes the washing machine to cycle through. When we remove our clothes they are slightly damp and just as dirty as when we placed them in the machine. We decide to just pack them damp and head to Lake Louise. Today is cloudy, but at least it
10 September 2016, Saturday Rain again. All night! It is still raining when we wake. Again we are the first ones at the cooking shelter. This time it is more difficult to get the fire going. All the wood is damp. O eventually succeeds. After breakfast we strike the tent. There are occasional patches of blue in the sky, but we have seen this before. We decide to take the
9 September 2016, Friday Spirits are high this morning as everyone prepares breakfast and readies for the day. Despite the sub-zero temperature the sky is blue and the promise of warm sunshine raises everyone’s spirits. O starts the fire in the cooking shelter wood stove as we are the first ones there. As others arrive they express their gratitude to the “fire-meister.” By 9:30 we are hiking up the trail