Gallatin River, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton

From Belgrade, we took route 191 that follows the Gallatin River up to it's headwaters and then down the other side into West Yellowstone.  It was a beautiful day for a trip up a river and mountain pass.

Up toward the top, we moved through some localized fog.  With the various shades of yellow and browns set against the bright blue of the river and the green of the trees, it was very pretty.  Photos, at least mine, don't do it justice.

We turned east to turn into Yellowstone National Park.  It's just an amazing place.  Here you can see the fumaroles and volcanic activity from a distance.  The only thing better would be a foot of snow!

We took a hike up to a ridge above Yellowstone Lake with the Absaroka Mountain Range off in the distance.  Other than the huffing and puffing from the altitude, it was great fun.

We kept going into Grand Teton National Park and the headwaters of the Snake River. 

Belgrade, MT - Casino time

We stopped in Belgrade, Montana, just outside of Bozeman.  We had a great meal at the "Mint Bar and Cafe."

Just across the street was this casino.

"Lucky Palms"?  In Belgrade, Montana?  Not only that, you can get a fine can of Old Milwaukee for pretty cheap.  Of course, not as cheap as I used to get them (another example of old age remembering) - a whole six pack for 99 cents. 

Lake Louise to "back in the U.S.A."

We had never been through Kootenay National Park in Canada.  Now was as good a chance as any.

This was a really pretty falls along the way.  Note the romantic shadows on the right!!











The road winds through the mountain passes and comes out in Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia on the west side of the Canadian rocky mountain range.  From there, we turned south along the headwaters of the Columbia River and interrupted a boring day at an isolated border crossing and then into Eureka, Montana.

Jasper to Lake Louise, Alberta

Another great drive is Jasper National Park to Banff National Park - or vice versa.  At first you follow the Athabasca River all the way to the Columbia Icefield.  The color of the river is just too pretty for words, backed up by the spruce trees and the granite mountains in the background.

Here's another photo of the same river. 

 Along the way we were lucky enough to see a black wolf and a bear.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of the people animals taking copious photos of the bear.

The bear didn't care about us - he or she grazed around and then took a swim in a little pond and wandered off.

I had remembered that we had hiked "Wilcox Pass" when we drove our Toyota 4 Runner up from Tampa in 1999.  Hannah read Harry Potter books and slept the whole way.  We camped out at Wilcox Campground and I hiked up without the girls and saw a dozen Dall Sheep right next to the trail.  I made them walk up, and they were (fortunately), still there.

Anyway, ML and I walked up again.

This photo looks down on the Columbia Icefields (glaciers) from Wilcox Pass trail.

We're up walking through the pass.  No sheep this time, but it was still worth it.  I always like walking up through the last of the trees and above the treeline.

Now we're past the Icefields driving toward Lake Louise.

We didn't really want to stay in Lake Louise, but ML copped us a nice room with a view of the mountain behind Lake Louise.  And the price could have been worse.

Smithers, BC to Jasper, Alberta

The closer you get to Prince George, British Columbia, the more boring the landscape.  It's always interesting to me what happens as you get older.  Lately, I've been feeling more like my parents generation, who "remembered when."  ML and I were talking about how we "remembered when Prince George was just a sleepy little frontier town" when we came through the first time in ML's chevy pickup truck with 170,000 miles on it (we were told clearly the odometer had not turned over, but I'm sure it had . ..  ), all our stuff in the back and a black lab and us in the front.  Now Prince George is overrun with Safeways, Home Depots, and you can picture it already, I'm sure.

But, the road between Prince George and Jasper is isolated and fun to drive.  We stopped at an "Ancient Forest," which turned out to be a rain forest in a dry area.  There were huge red cedar trees.  This is, of course, ironic, because Sitka is a rain forest.  The vegetation was the same, but it was fun to see the big cedars.

Mount Robson, the second highest mountain in North America, is rarely seen like this!  Not a cloud around it.  

It's really pretty on the other side of Mt. Robson with turquoise lakes nestled in granite mountains.  The fall colors, which this far north are pretty much all yellow, stand out against the green spruce trees. 

Nice.

Across Canada

I think it's the first time we visited Prince Rupert that it didn't rain.  Nice.

Route 16 across northern British Columbia makes for great travel.  Not too crowded, nice scenery. 

The Skeena River comes through a mountain gorge and the road follows the river most of the way.   The Skeena is a big powerful river with lots of life and salmon running up it.  This is a picture from an earlier trip from a rest stop on the road - I just took it because it's so impressive. 





For some reason, I didn't take any pictures across the Bulkley River valley.  There are isolated farms, but for the most part, it's an isolated area.  We stayed in Smithers, one of the many self-proclaimed "mountain bike capitals of the world."  Maybe we'll rent a bike and find out another day.

When I drive the road, I often think of Bob and Glenda bicycling it from Jasper to Prince Rupert towing the dog.  Impressive.

The Ferry! Or, The "Alaska Marine Highway"

Does this picture make you want to take the Alaska ferry, otherwise known as the Alaska Marine Highway?

Luckily, it was taken while we were at a port - which means cell phone service and entertainment.  The cup, if you were to see inside it, would contain wine.

Actually, it's not that bad and I paint an inaccurate picture of what ML really thinks (maybe).

I really like it - what can be better than enforced relaxation?    Plus, there are things to look forward to!  Like eating!   And looking out the window!  And sleeping!  And no-one will be knocking at the door when you are reading the best passages. 

We had great weather this time - unusual for late September.  Usually it's raining and blowing 30 knots.

We're going through the Wrangell Narrows south of Petersburg in this photo.  Note the moon in the center of the picture.  What a beautiful evening.

 

Petersburg, not our most favorite town, is pictured behind the tents.  If we were more on the side of "roughing it," you would see our tent.  Alas, we did our time on the solarium for many years.  Now we get a stateroom and are happy to have it (see photo on the top for the comfy bed - but you do get your own tiny bathroom!)

ML may differ, but I can't wait for the cafeteria specials of the meal.  Most of them are quite good and as close to a home cooked meal as you're going to get.  Like everything else, prices have risen - but I think it's a great deal.  I just love to anticipate for hours what the choices might be!!!  What fun!  What entertainment!

You can pretend!  Make your choice.

P.S.  We both chose the halibut and we're glad we did.  One halibut meal cost $16.  Enjoy.