Last of the Mountain Parks

We finished off our visit to the mountain parks in Canada with some low-key walks. We visited some waterfalls and lakes in Yoho. It rained on us in Banff which kept us from doing much walking around, not to mention that Banff was much more touristy than Glacier or Yoho so parking at the trailheads was rather difficult.

We stopped in Calgary for a visit with Alan. We went to a local pub and tried to order food. Unfortunately it had started hailing. Really hailing. We went out to watch, along with the entire population of the bar (previously encamped on the rooftop patio), as ~2 cm diameter hailstones fell from the sky for ten or more minutes. It eventually deteriorated into some rain, but by then the roof of the pub kitchen was leaking and they were bailing the water out the back door. They said the food outlook was not so good, so once the sky stopped dropping rocks on our heads (poor Alan's car was dimpled), we went to find a place that was more structurally sound. Got some food & beer, went back to Alan's for more food and beer (this time from Yukon), and crashed for the night in the mead room. [I love the sound of airlocks burbling!] Thanks Alan!

Drove south from Calgary and stopped briefly in Waterton Lakes NP. Very beautiful, but also very crowded around the town at the center of the park. Passed back into the US at a deserted checkpoint--3 Canadian and 3 US border guards and only our car to inspect. Best border crossing ever, it took us only 5 minutes to get through. Stopped again briefly in Glacier NP in Montana. Would have liked to walk around more, but it was getting toward dark and we needed to get to Helena for our motel (no way we're pitching a tent after driving 500 miles!). Hit some insane bug action as we crossed over and over again the Missouri River. We actually had to stop the car at one point and take a wet towel to the windshield after the wipers refused to remove the bug sludge. Got to Helena at 10 pm or so. In the morning we left and drove southeast; now we're in Buffalo, WY. A bit rainy here again, which kept us out of the Bighorns for the night. We'll drive to the Black Hills tomorrow and look for a campsite near the Badlands.

The carwash didn't quite get it all, we'll have to try again soon.