Transcontinental

The towering Rockies of the west have turned Canadian. A wall of peaks shines ahead of me as we head west from Calgary toward Banff.

We spent the previous night at Ghost Lake Provincial Park which was more or less like sleeping in a parking lot on the edge of the water. But sleep was all we did and from the curtained walls of our home, the outside panorama (or lack there of) didn't matter. At 7:30 the next morning, the fog was just fading from the lake when we drove off.

When we drove into the town of Banff I was a little disappointed. Banff is a town that caters to the tourists looking to unload their wallets on Benetton and Ralph Lauren. But I must admit that the backdrop of the mountains against the city streets is beautiful and the feeling is clean and friendly.

Bob at the 'one hour photo' was more than willing to give us advice on which trails to hike. First he asked us if we had our gear. John and I looked at each other, shrugged and said "sure." Then Bob laid out for us two expert peak-climbing expeditions, a three day 25 mile hike through back country and a dangerous but well worth it mountain scramble. We didn't have the heart (or guts) to tell him that "gear" to us meant a pak-a-potti, raingear and sun screen, so we thanked him for his suggestions, took dutiful notes on the guide books he recommended and left.

The Springing of Banff

Banff's history lies deep in the cracks and pours of Sulphur Mountain. Two miles below the surface lies drops of rain and snow that have bypassed the Bow River and been heated to to what early settlers may have called gold. As radioactive decay within the earth heats the water, the water boils and seeks a route back up. When it does it bursts forth as Hot Springs.

The Banff Hot Springs were discovered by three railway workers in 1883. They followed the hot water's trail up the mountain and then down through a hole to a cave. Hot water in the 1800's was precious and immediately plans for a bathing resort began. But ownership of the Springs escalated into a legal battle and in 1885 the Government was called in to settle the dispute. They did so by declaring that the springs belonged to all Canadians - as part of Canada's First National Park.

In 1887 the Canadian National park was formed. Originally as a Resort Spa for the privileged classes, it has turned from an "island of civilization in the midst of wilderness" to an "island of wilderness in the midst of civilization."

Dinner?

One pot meals have become our specialty on this trip. A one burner propane stove demands it. And while most have been wonderful and full of nutrition, tonights was a bit of a disaster. We had steamed vegetables in a tarragon mustard yogurt sauce over couscous. Sounds delectable. Unfortunately the implementation fell short. I have included this journal entry as a reminder to myself never to 'cook' yogurt again.

Tomorrow morning John has promised me pancakes, no fancy names, just pancakes. They will undoubtedly be delicious.

P.S. - They were.