Day 5: First Full Day in Canada

Good Morning! Our first night in Canada proved to be a chilly one. Although only dropping under 50, it was different than the nice warm rooms with beds we had slept in the two nights prior. Stacy was quick to get out and pack up, while I found posing for pictures a bit more important. Soon we were back on the highway, chasing photo opportunities. Our destinations for the day included Calgary and in to Banff and Jasper National Parks. It was difficult to judge just how far we would be able to reach from the map, so we just hoped for some sort of a campsite at days end.

The country side flattened a bit just north of Waterton, but it did not slow our picture taking. I also used this opportunity to continue my book on CD that I had started the day before. My mother had packed two books for us to listen to for the trip. Brilliant! One was titled Odd Thomas, a murder-mystery by Dean Koontz. The other was Ken Burn's book, Jazz, and narrated by none other than Levar Burton, that's right. Immediately, I was transported back to my Reading Rainbow days. I loved this book, "but you don't have to take my word for it."

After more gas, we approached Calgary. Admiring the skyline, and adjusting to city traffic(this was the biggest city we would see the whole trip), we managed to make a wrong turn which allowed us an insider's view.

A quick double check on the GPS and a u-turn later, we were back on track. Just outside of Calgary to the west was the Olympic Park. Calgary played host to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, and the ski jumps stood like tall skeletons waiting for winter snow. Just next the man made slopes were the toboggan runs from the luge events. Instantly, I cheered out to

Stacy, "Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Gear on up! It's bobsled time! Cool Runnings!" The single greatest bobsledding movie of all time still brings joy to my heart.

Once again, the Canadian Rockies came back into view as we approached Banff National Park. They looked even more majestic than our night before, rising up from out of nowhere. My mindset had changed drastically of the mountains first seen in Wyoming. Before, I would wonder, 'How am I going to get around these?' The new attitude quickly shifted to, 'You mean, I have to get over these?'

The going was slow, climbing up winding, steep roads that slowly lead us to the eventual downhill coasts, only to send us right back to the bottom of another upward crawl. The feeling is similar to riding on a roller-coaster(not only physically, but emotionally, I might add). I have to admit, I am an aggressive driver, safe(mom), but aggressive. I am the passer, NOT the pass-ee. Forced to let so many cars pass by, I would find it humiliating and by the end of the day it became exhausting.

And gas, ugh! Here I am, enjoying, to the fullest extent, filling up my tank the second of three times that day.

Oh! I almost forgot! Okay, so we were in the small town of Banff, just inside the park and we had filled up with gas. On our way out, Stacy stopped at a stop sign, I didn't. Feeling two thuds, my front bumper against her back fender, and then my heart hitting the soles of my Patagonia shoes, I couldn't believe it. My eyes were off the road for two seconds as I was crunching Old Dutch Jalapeno Cheddar chips, and I go and bump into my own girlfriend's month-old Volkswagen! Luckily, German engineering allows for minor collisions like that, as it didn't leave a hint of evidence. (Napoleon Dynamite) "Aghh. Idiot!"

After many apologies and some deep breathes, we continued on. I took refuge in Levar's voice painting pictures of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and the whole evolution of Jazz music.

The clear blue skies and sunshine we enjoyed all day ended after Calgary. It quickly turned to cold, low-lying cloud, misty-fog

atmosphere that made Banff National Park seem like a world of its own. The return feeling of intimidating beauty, overwhelming greatness, and God-is-great awesomeness, surrounded us once again, as we crept into the park. The clouds could not hide the monstrous mountains that lingered like stone giants standing guard. Along with these breath-taking views of mountains, came my first views of glaciers. We stopped at one in particular, Bow Glacier.

Bow Lake, just beneath it, was the bluest body of water that I had ever seen. Our pictures, although foggy, seemed better than most post cards could capture.

The mountains continued throughout the park and before we knew it, Banff National Park somehow turned into Jasper National Park. With nothing less to offer, Jasper continued with the sawtooth, glacier mountains, and corresponding lakes. By the time we had reached the town of Jasper, on the northern edge of the park, it was time to find our campsite for the evening. After scoping out the small touristy village, we decided on a site by the name of Wapiti.

Only after this photo, which was taken at the park's entrance, did I find out that Wapiti is a native word for 'elk'. After the park attendant assigned us a cozy site,(there were over 150, so we just trusted her) we parked the Subaru and headed back into Jasper for jalapeno crab dip, buffalo burgers and beer at the Jasper Brewing Company.

We were past due for a good cold beer and the greasy meal tasted good after a couple long days of driving. It was easy to fall asleep back in the tent. The day was full of many firsts; our first car accident, our first big city, my first glaciers, and my first buffalo burger.

When we planned this trip, Stacy and I knew the places where we could base some of our stays up to this point. There were many different ways that we could have taken, though I think our route has been the best. We now faced a different journey for the remainder. There is really only one way from this point to our final destination in Anchorage, Alaska. Only this second half we really didn't know where we would be staying, or even what we would find along the way. No longer where there Yellowstone's or Bad Lands, or even national parks to plan on. No, the Alaska Highway would be our tour guide for the next four days.