June 20th, 2022
Jasper, AB

After being rather skunked by weather in April in Washington and Montana, then not exactly blessed by gorgeous sunshine in May in B.C., I had high hopes for great weather in June in Alberta.  Hopes that were not fulfilled.  This from the morning I left.

The plan was to work my way north through Calgary, Edmonton, then NW and hook back south through Jasper and Banff national parks.  Early enough in the travel season to not be crowded yet late enough in Spring for perfect weather.  There’s an old military saying that no battle plan ever survived first contact with the enemy, and weather seems to be my enemy.

I have had many conversations with patients about the benefit of hearing aides.  My message is that while you may not need them, life is better with them.  This sign near Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, shows this Canadian company’s message is less subtle. 

Canada has a seemingly unique capacity to be beautiful, even in crappy weather.

Calgary was a cool place.  Vibrant, alive, with a very youthful feel.  The area where I stopped for lunch seemed like it should have been near a university, but was not.  I didn’t spend much time there as I plan on hitting it on the return trip.  On my way back to the van, I spotted an Urban Fare Market.  I had shopped at one of these in Kelowna, and they are excellent.  A very small Canadian chain of upscale markets.  I couldn’t resist a quick stop and there I saw something I had never seen before.

If not yet firmly under the impression that the weather hates me, the following conversation as I checked into the Lion’s Campground in Red Deer confirmed it.

Stereotypically friendly Canadian:  Okay, you’re all set.  You’re in site 39, right on the river, here’s your gate code and bathroom door code.  Phew, you lucked out.  We just reopened about 30 minutes ago.  They evacuated us at one because of flood risk.

Me:   Evacuated?  Flood??? 

SfC:  Yeah, the river’s near flood stage, but we got the All Clear.  Have a nice stay!

It has been suggested that perhaps not just the weather, but nature itself, hates me.  The jury is still out, but the evidence is mounting.

In addition to an excellent Saturday farmer’s market, Red Deer had a slightly cool interpretive site at the location of the original river crossing that was the reason the town was located there.  Fort Normandeau was the result of  troops taking over a former store and inn at the best crossing of the Red Deer River on the way from Calgary to Edmonton.  The reason for the troops was a rebellion by the local Métis.

The Métis are an interesting ethic group.  Canada’s constitution recognizes three groups of aboriginal peoples:  First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, the latter being the descendants of First Nations mixed with Europeans, mostly French.  There are still reserves (what we would call reservations) of Métis, mostly in Alberta.

Edmonton is a huge place and seeming quite nice, though I suspect I might feel different in February.  Other than lunch, my only activity there was a visit to the wonderful Royal Alberta Museum.  Downstairs was human history with some nice displays.  Upstairs was a really cool gallery on natural history.  It was here that nature struck again and I was eaten by giant Jefferson’s ground sloth.

As luck would have it, I made a speedy recovery.

The highlight of the museum, by far, was  the Bug Gallery.  Yes, an entire gallery full of exotic critters from all over the world.  Seemingly designed mostly for kids, all the adults in the room, including this one, seemed quite enthralled.  Stick phasmids, hissing cockroaches, Mexican tarantulas…way cool.

After a pleasant night at a gorgeous Lesser Slave Lake Regional Park near Slave Lake, I spent a day that provided for a navigational fiasco, but, in hindsight, some unexpected adventure.

I pay for cellular data by the GB and running Google Maps constantly uses data unnecessarily, so I tend to turn it off for spells between navigational decision points.  On this day, I missed at least two turns which put we way off course, but I wasn’t fretting.  Just more driving through the beautiful high prairie in northern Alberta. 

Then, suddenly, the pavement ended.  WTH?  I could not get Google Maps to give me any other route. Various stupid thoughts went through my mind.  What could go wrong?  Maybe it’ll be just a short stretch of dirt before hardtop again.  I’ll get cell signal back soon, I’m sure.

I mean, the weather isn’t too bad, yet, right?

In the end an adventure, with some nice scenery.

Two hours later, after ninety miles of dirt, rain, and mud, I emerged on pavement at Hinton.  The two roads I was on seem to have been to service timber, energy, and mining operations.  The energy stuff was either geothermal or natural gas, I couldn’t tell which. A short jaunt later I entered Jasper National Park, one of my main destinations.

The Whistelers Campground in Jasper is huge, beautifully laid out and has the nicest toilet/shower facilities of any campground I’ve ever seen.  Younger folks with children might appreciate the outdoor theater and playgrounds but, as a single old man, the crapper is of more importance to me. Also, unlimited free firewood.  You gotta love Canada! The town itself is pretty touristy, but that means lots of great restaurants within a 5-minute drive of the campground.  There is also a pretty nice little museum.

One of my planned activities in Jasper was the Jasper SkyTram, which looked to be quite cool and, at $30, not overly expensive.  Only when buying tickets did I discover it was $30 each way.  I didn’t do the hike from the top of the tram to the peak as there were still snow fields to pass through and I stupidly had worn sneakers.  It was pretty up there but, if up this way again, I would skip it.

From here I will continue South through Banff, Calgary again, a last night at a place yet to be determined, then home.