Lake Louise Alberta

Still not on the bicycle.  Telen has given me strict instructions to keep off the bicycle.  She said my epiglottal spasm was “incompatible with life”.  That sounds ominous to me. What this means is that we had the option to change our course of direction and see something interesting.   So we went north through the Yellowhead pass instead of over the troubled Rogers Pass and Kicking Horse pass.   This way we got to see Mt. Robson and some moose and spent the night camping in Jasper.   Today we drove down the Icefields Parkway.   In spite of the wet and miserable weather it is still a beautiful drive.  However, we did see a number of cyclists riding the parkway and Telen cheered them on and I thought to myself…”I could take them!”

 The level of the rivers is a bit alarming, however.  There were a few places where the water was up to the road bed and actually running over it.   With the amount of water coming from the sky and the water already on the ground I thought we had actually taken a wrong turn and were driving down the Saskatchewan River.   We did see some wildlife – a few trout, and couple of lost-looking salmon and a Russian submarine.

Because of the heavy rain and the heavy chest we have only camped twice.   Once in Merritt and once in Jasper.  The rest of the time has been in guesthouses, cheap motels and hostels.  We found that having a river running through the tent was “incompatible with sleeping”.

All this means is that we will be arriving in Calgary quite a bit earlier than anticipated.  Apparently the car will travel faster than my bicycle.  I am hoping all the people we are hoping to see in Calgary will still be available for a visit.  It also means that we can spend more time there and, perhaps, head out for points East when the weather “is more compatible with riding”.  Telen will be so happy that I am on my bicycle again and not in the car with her since I am the worst backseat driver in existence.