We left about 7:30 in drizzle (guess who’s driving) and it was thunder and lightning by the time we hit Canmore for gas and provisions.

Then, miraculously, the sun burst through and we could see the snow capped peaks of the Rockies all around us. The break in the weather sure made Joe happy and lifted our spirits as we pushed ahead.

The route took us through Banff Nat’l Park ($8 senior rate S.V.P.) and was mostly 2 lanes each way and 90 kph. Several times we had to divert around road washouts at 40 kph due to the recent flooding here and in Calgary that almost cancelled the Stampede.

Beautiful country as we speed by. Like the Kankamangus Highway on steroids.

The park had high fences along both sides of the roadway that safely funneled the local animals to these elevated crossings. Anyway that’s what Joe and I hypothesized after passing under these elaborate bridges with grass and trees on top. They had one every five miles or so.

But then the road transitioned to two lane blacktop with no passing lanes. Traffic moved briskly though, except when it piled up behind the inevitable clot of overloaded and underpowered campers. Passing was done with extreme caution and almost always downhill. Go little Forester!

Arriving in Jasper, we were still unsure of our best route north and sought advice at the Tourist Info booth. They helped us finalize a route with an eye to gas and motel availability. It will be Prince George, BC to Whitehorse, YK to Anchorage. We had lunch in a deli and left Jasper for Prince George.

Miraculously (and typically) the clouds broke and the sun poked through as soon as I took the wheel. We were told that this morning’s downpour was the last of the rain for a while so that thorn will be removed from Joe’s paw.

Well, the Rockies looked beautiful in the sun and clouds and we have the pictures to prove it.

Like this…

And this…

And this…

There were a shocking number of cyclists in the park, even in the rain. They were all heavily laden and, surprisingly often, they seemed to be in their fifties. I quickly went from admiration to jealous resentment.

And then…

We saw our second moose, who walked across the road about 100 yards ahead of us as I scrambled to slow down and point my camera. I did get this partial as she went across the ditch at the roadside, but she sure did look majestic as she sauntered across the road. You’ll have to take my word for it, I guess.

We finally arrived in Prince George, BC, about 5 pm, gassed up and hit the local Red Robin for dinner. While there, I called around to local cheap motels rated on Trip Advisor and settled on the aptly named Economy Inn.

Prince George, BC – 3,544 miles along the road.