Letter 19: Canada!
From the Traveling Harrington’s.
Please email Olivia@bobheck.com or fredharrington@yahoo.com with comments.
Friday, July 18, we killed a bear! No, we crossed into Canada! We had been anticipating crossing the border for so long, it had become a big thing. Sure enough they asked about 10 questions and said have a nice trip. Whew!
We found a place to drop the trailer north of Abbotsford and went into town in search of gas ($5.50/gal) and a bank to change our money. We found out about Canadian “Looney’s and Tooney’s.” The Looney’s are $1 coins with a loon on the coin and the Tooney’s are their $2 coins. The smallest paper money is the five dollar bill. We found this area around Abbotsford had a lot of fruit and veggies. This river (Frazier) reminds us of the Columbia River with roads and rail roads on each side. We bought blueberries, raspberries (huge and sweet) and tomatoes! We froze most of the raspberries and dried more than half the blueberries, then froze the rest. Fred visited with an Abbotsford teen while both were refueling and found he is a pitcher for the Texarkana Junior College baseball team! He said he likes the warmer climate and has adjusted well.
We missed our turn near Hope, BC and ended up going north on Hwy 1 instead of our intended route. After several miles of not being able to turn around we decided to travel this road instead. Yes, it is a few miles out of the way,
but it turned into being a beautiful drive up the 
Frazier River and canyon. We found a provincial campground east of Lytton. We were told by camping neighbors this is the hottest part of the province. Today’s high was in the mid-eighties. The campground is on a hill in the pines. With a paved road and sites, mostly level. Very well cared for and $19 cash! By sunset the breeze picked up and it cooled off.
Saturday, July 19, we followed the Thompson River – a very large branch of the Frazier, driving by the rushing river then the land opened out of the mountains and the terrain looked like New Mexico, Sagebrush and sand, except for the huge river in the middle. The pine beetle has been very active here and there are many dead pine trees. We paid $5.49 a gallon for gas then headed to Kamloops, named for the Indian words for “where the rivers join”. We stopped in Kamlooops at Safeway and Wal-Mart, both of which would not take Olivia’s debit/credit card. We will need more cash from the bank. North of Kamloops it was greener with much truck farming and “hay ranches.” The Thompson River is very wide and HWY 5 follows it all the way to the Rockies where we turned off to head east to Jasper.
The Thompson River Campground was our destination and we pulled in about 4:00 pm. It was still! It was HOT! About 80 degrees. We sat outside until we had cooled off then had a cold salad for supper. 
After eating we walked the river trail and coming back we saw two trailers coming in searching for a spot. Sure enough they took the double spot next to us and we enjoyed watching them park. The spot was T shaped. The first one pulled straight in, then proceeded to park on the right of the T. The second one pulled straight in and put his truck behind the other’s trailer forgetting one of the picnic tables. They will share the one between the trailers. Somehow they appear to be level even though they didn’t seem concerned about it. After they parked the wives stood with their hands on their hips looking at the situation. You would have to have seen this to believe it. We said, “Who needs TV when you have entertainment like this!”
Sunday, July 20 we pulled into Clearwater, gassed up, asked about Methodist Churches (there were none), then
headed to Spahats Falls. It was quite a surprise to us because we didn’t have any clue there was a drop off. We are not use to looking at a waterfall from above and this water falls 900 meters, OK do your math, that’s over 2700’. It was spectacular! Fred refused to take the loop around the falls – it required crossing a foot bridge over the narrow, deep canyon. Olivia took the loop by herself! This is part of a large provincial park called Wells Gray and might be interesting to explore, however we have bigger fish (mountains) to fry.
We met a couple from Iowa and as we walked to Rearguard falls they told us when they left home they were thinking of trading up from their 30’ fifth wheel, but because of the problems they had getting into campsites because of their height, now they were ready to downsize.
Rearguard Falls is the last climb Salmon have when they swim the Thompson River to spawn.
We were amazed they could fight the force of this strong water.
Summer has finally caught up with us. It is really warm and we hope the other side of the continental divide is cooler. All of a sudden Fred said, “There was a bear!” right on the side of the road. He only caught a 55 mph glimpse with no chance to turn around for Olivia to see. Of course the trailer blocked her view from the Suburban.
We crossed the 53rd parallel which is our furthest point north this trip and stayed at Mt Robson Park. This mountain is beautiful. Olivia had to have a site close to a view, so she could sit at the edge of the camp road and look at it.
Today started the culmination of Olivia’s goal of seeing the Canadian Rockies and Mt Robson was a good way to start. It is the highest peak in British Columbia. It was hidden by other mountains until just before we arrived
and then 
OH MAN!
Olivia started planning this part of our trip about 30 years ago when her parents were traveling. She wasn’t able to leave because of work obligations until retirement this year. Now this four month trip has come to the climax! Just wait until you read the rest of this Canadian part of our trip!
Monday, July 21 we drove over Yellowhead Pass into Jasper National Park. At the border we were stopped to gain entry and decided to buy their yearly pass since each day has an entry fee. We planned to be here at least 7 days so it was cheaper to get the annual pass. This is the first National Park we have been in with a city in it, complete with schools, library and municipal government. The landscape surprised us a little as there are no huge mountains in the immediate area, but after choosing a place in Whistlers Camp Ground, (for future campers, if you know when you will be here by all means make reservations in this campground and get full hookups. Of course the hookups cost dearly. We were only able to get in a site with a table which is ok with us. It was still $28 a night.) Whistlers, by the way, has 781 campsites, but only 177 with any hookups. After making camp, we drove to
Medicine Lake. It is a very peculiar lake. The Maligne (ma leen) River flows in but there is no surface outlet. Instead the water flows slowly underground for many kilometers, emerging in such places as Maligne Canyon. By the end of winter the lake is completely drained. All that is left is a large marshy bowl. Then when spring melts begin, the lake re-fills. It’s drainage is one of the largest underground river systems in North America. Fred wished for Dennis Swartz (Duncanville City Engineer) to show him this natural retention pond! and
Maligne Lake which is the largest and deepest lake in this park. There is a boat trip to go to the other end of the lake and we were tempted but decided against taking this ride. Maybe we should have.
Then we walked to Maligne Canyon on the return trip.
Oh boy, this incredibly narrow and 50 meters deep canyon
Had lots of swift water
And canyon environment. Fred took one look from the first bridge and said, “I’ll meet you at the car.”
It was awesome.
The mountains in this area were formed from one hellasious uplift. No telling how long it took to lift, but they are gigantic. 
It took a mighty powerful force to lift like this.
Olivia tried to capture the awesomeness of these mountains.
Tuesday, July 22 we went back to the library to use their internet then on north to
Minette Hot Springs for a dip in their 104 degree water. The drive was nice and the pool was really hot. Notice the steam rising from the water and the life guard wearing long pants and a jacket. Arriving back at Jasper we gassed up, .40 cheaper a gallon than in BC, then visited their grocery store. It was packed and very few people were speaking English. There are lots of foreign tourist here and not many from the states.
While in the Jasper area we have seen many “wildlife jams”. We have seen Bear, Elk and big horn sheep. And the drivers totally go ape. They forget any and all traffic laws. They stop on the highway with an 18 wheeler behind them. They walk in the road to take pictures. Just be careful and watch where you are going, you might run over a person. The animals are totally safe!
By the way, firewood in the Canadian National Parks is included in the campsite fee. There are piles of it available near the restrooms.
Wednesday, July 23, we ventured out to see the site on the north end of the Icefields Parkway. Our first stop was at
Mt Edith Cavell, named after a British nurse from WWI. She was some great mountain.
We saw 3 glaciers, Ghost Glacier the little one to the left and the Cavell Glacier at the bottom
And Angel Glacier named for the shape of 2 wings and her dress.
While we were on the trail, Olivia heard a noise like a jet plane going over, when she turned she saw ice falling from the lower right of the angel's skirt.
This day proved to be Mountain and Falls drive.
We saw Athabasca Falls and the narrow canyon cut in a very hard, quartz-rich rock.
We went to all the bridges and platforms
To get better vantage points.
Even walking down an old chute of the waterfall.
Then we saw a string of mountains and Olivia really liked the square one,
To the north Fred viewed the next ones.
Sunwapta Falls tumble into a limestone gorge like Malign Canyon.
For other travelers, in the town of Jasper there are lots of B&B’s as well as nice hotels including the Jasper Lodge, we walked around in the main lodge and enjoyed seeing their menu. It is a beautiful place if you have lots of $$$.
Back to the campgrounds in Jasper National Park, firewood is included in the price of the spot. There is an area by the showers with lots of wood, already cut up, just help yourself. How nice! In the states the campground hosts are allowed to sell wood and it is usually $4-$5 a bundle. They are not large enough for a decent campfire.
