O Canada! But First - Idaho

Idaho

Visiting Friends... 

We spent several days in Northern Idaho before our crossing into Canada. We stayed in Post Falls again with our friends Duff and Bonita, parking our trailer in their driveway. Duff has built a recording studio in his garage and was also hosting his friends, YWAM missionaries Art and Peggy. Peggy was working on a recording of Christmas music and let us listen to one of the tracks she had recorded. She is an amazing vocalist!

 

 ...and visiting Family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Grandson Jordan lives in Coeur ‘d Alene and we were able to spend time over two days with him and his girlfriend, sharing some meals, hiking Tubs Hill and enjoying a lake cruise. We had lots of time for visiting and it was a delight to meet Hannah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

O Canada!

First viewing of Lake Louise

 

Part One: Kootenay and Banff National Parks

 

After driving a little more than 100 miles from Post Falls we arrived at Eastport-Kingsgate Border Crossing behind just a few cars and RV’s. When we got to the Border Agent we just showed our passports, answered a few questions and were quickly ushered into Canada. We drove north with the Rockies on our right hand side for about another hundred miles to White Swan Lake Provincial Park, a remote campground about 12 miles off the highway on an unpaved road, which brought us higher up into the mountains to a beautiful wooded site beside a lake. 

 

We selected a site and set up for our first night in Canada. After dinner we enjoyed the sunny evening with a hike along the lakeshore. It rained overnight but seemed clear in the morning. As we started a morning hike, the rain resumed while we were on the trail. Rounding a bend in the path we were met with a deer on the trail, but we stood still enough that it kept walking toward us on the trail. As it got closer to us it left the path and headed upslope into the woods. 

 

We broke camp and headed back to the highway and our route soon took us through Kootenay National Park. The Park drive follows the Kootenay River through steep and forested mountains. 

 

 

Simpson River Trail

 

The first turnout we chose along the National Park drive was a trailhead where we crossed a bridge over the raging river and began a 1.5 km (each way) trail to iconic Red Chairs, which Parks Canada has placed throughout their park system, a little nod to Instagram!

The very narrow Trail, led through areas of previous forest fires. Rain and scattered showers left the trail muddy with some puddles covering areas of the trail and some challenging stream crossings over logs laid in the water. We had our rain boots on this time so we kept our socks and feet dry! It had been sunny when we started our hike but as we got to the turnaround point at the red chairs the rain returned and we moved as fast as we could to get back to our truck. The rain let up again about half way back to the parking area. We lingered at the parking area to enjoy a bite to eat with a river view!

 

 

Marble Canyon

A second area of interest in the Park Brochure was a 0.9 km out and back trail along and over a chasm carved through marble walls by the river far below. Bridges take the hiker back and forth across the chasm for views of the water rushing through the narrow gorge.

 

At the turnaround point of the trail the fast flowing river is visible upstream as is cascades down into the narrow marble chasm we had hiked along. This was a breathtaking sight! 

 

More Red Chairs. 

More puddles on the trail. 

More rain on the return portion of the hike! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Louise Campground 

After finishing the drive through Kootenay National Park we arrived at our next campground. Our base camp for the next 4 nights is centrally located to Lake Louise and Lake Louise Village, with views of the 10 Peaks of the area. 

Lake Louise 

 

After our drive day and dinner we drove from our campground a short distance to Lake Louise at about 8:00 pm. Small evening crowds made for a peaceful stroll on the boardwalk to enjoy the stunning views. We have about 16 hours of daylight here, so sunset is around 10:00 pm, which is great for adding time to see more of the area.

 

 

On our second evening we took advantage of the long daylight hours to visit Lake Louise again, this time walking the lakeside trail for views of the lake and back over the water to the grand Fairmont Hotel. The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff’s early years , building the Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff Springs Hotel,and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. And while million's still come annually, this is still a place to slow down and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Moraine Lake

 

We awoke early the next morning and took a shuttle from the campground out to the ski area where a park and ride is set up for the shuttles that take you to the Lakes. We boarded the shuttle to Moraine Lake for about a half hour ride on a narrow two lane road up to the Lake.

Rockpile Trail is a short but steep climb up rocky stairs with a payout at the end of breathtaking views of Moraine Lake stretched out into the valley below, with a series of mountain peaks in the distance.

 

In 1884 John Wilcox wrote of Moraine Lake, “No scene has ever given me an equal impression of inspiring solitude and rugged grandeur”, adding that contemplating the view from the Rockpile was the happiest half hour of his life.

We had to share this site with a lot of people, and I think we spent more like an hour here (and could have enjoyed staying longer), but I agree it is a grand and glorious place to linger.  

 

 

 

 

It is even the place to take wedding pictures, apparently! It struck me that the bride wore red, (it was Canada Day) and the groom on the left and the photographer on the rights were too busy looking at their devices to look at the gorgeous bride!

 

While on the Rockpile, Steve and I met Tamara, a Family Doctor from Ottawa,  who was quite interested in engaging us in conversation. She had offered to take our picture at one viewpoint and we met her again at another spot and continued visiting as if we were longtime friends already. 

 

 

 

The Lord worked the conversation to allow Steve to share his testimony and he was able to encourage her to seek the God who created her! Wow!

 

 

Tamara likes to take selfies with the people she meets on her trip, so we took a selfie for her and for us as well. We continue to pray that the Lord will use our conversation for His purpose in Tamara’s life!

These opportunities are why our travel blog is called SpeakGrace46, taken from Colossians:

 

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” ‭‭

Colossians‬ ‭4:6‬ 

 

 

After lingering on the Rockpile, we enjoyed a Latte and picnic lunch, followed by a hike on the lakeside trail through the trees, each bend in the trail offering new and stunning views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our last night in this area we had to take one last visit to Lake Moraine! We arrived just a few minutes before sunset to a traffic jam at the entrance to the parking area. A mama grizzly and her cub were feeding just beside the first few parking spots! 

 

Yikes, she was a big bear! We parked further in to the lot and went down the trail to the Rockpile for our last views of the Lake, watching for bear along the way. Fortunately the Parking Lot Bears were the only ones we spotted!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our  next blog episode we will tell you about our day trips on the Icefield Parkway and at Yoho National Park! Can't wait to share more of our Canadian Adventures on the Road with you.