The caravan has jobs that must be fulfilled.  We have divided cooking, or meal planning between multiple groups so each member participates in the meal.  There are lead teams that leave ahead of the others to prepare the next camp spot with assignments, directions, etc.  And there is a caboose role that goes through the campsite we just left to ensure nothing gets left behind and that all members are happily on their way with no stragglers (vehicle or trailer issues).  

Kootenay Plains Group Camping

We were part of the lead team to our next campground in Kootenay Plains.  We would be dry camping for 3 days and I sure wasn’t aware of what we would find when we got there.  I was anxious for battery life (even though I brought my solar panels and generator), water, and all the other unknowns about truly camping without services. The nearest town was over an hour away.

As lead group members, we needed to show each member where to park on the grass and try to find relatively flat areas. Our campground was a group (only) campground that looked out across the plains to the mountains beyond.  It was to be our favorite camping experience of the entire trip! There was plenty of room and we got to spread out across the backdrop of a cliff wall with lots of trees and that amazing view.  There was a central hall area if it got too cold or rainy and central fire pit with plenty of firewood available.  We had a surprise birthday celebration for yours truly with balloons, a cake and singing.  A local RMCP officer came to discuss wildlife in the area and hiking options.

2 Athabasca Glacier

From the plains, it was an hour’s drive back to Highway 83 and up to the Athabasca Glacier and the Glacier Skywalk.  Two must see locations.  The Glacier interpretive center and tour is terrific.  Plenty of room to tow and park in the lot.  Ride the snow cat out to the glacier where the runoff water flows into 3 different oceans.  They take you out onto the glacier and you can walk around and sample the water.

Glacier Skywalk

The skywalk is something else to experience.  A glass-floor skywalk cantilevered out over a 915-foot-deep canyon.  From here you can see waterfalls, glaciers and a bunch of giddy tourists. You can’t drive here since there is no parking.  You have to buy tickets at the interpretive center and take a shuttle.  But well worth it.

Our 3 night boondocking stay was quiet, fun, and a great way to mingle with nature.  We had a BYO protein BBQ with potluck sides.  For happy hour, Susan brought out the prosecco and Aperol to make Aperol Spritz.  We had a brother/sister team on the caravan. She tried and little Aperol in her white wine, sat back and said, “Oh my God, I am in my happy place”.  When her brother came by, she didn’t open her eyes but just told him to go away.  Meanwhile, I brought out the bourbon I had made while in the Heritage Distillery Cask Club.  I poured samples and people kept coming back for more.  We were having a great time around the campfire.

We packed away the solar panels, the chairs and headed back up the Icefield Highway to Jasper.  It is a gorgeous, awe-inspiring drive past the rivers, through the canyons and below tall snow-capped peaks.  A true Canadian Rockies experience.  We had directions to the KOA in Jasper but the GPS kept trying to lead us NE out of town.  I checked the address and sure enough, we were not staying in Jasper but in the little town of Hinton AB.  This was an hour’s drive NE, past grazing mountain goats, large elk and grizzly.  All seen along the roadside.  This was our place to fuel up, hit the grocery stores, the Canadian Tire for camping supplies, and drive back into the Jasper area.

An Empress Gin cocktail with reflection in the back

Jasper had some of the best Rocky Mountain experiences not many people know about.  Sure, you must go to the Jasper Lodge, sit out on the deck overlooking the mountains and have a drink (which we did).  But we never heard of Maligne Lake, the lodge or the Maligne Canyon.  What a treat to find this amazing, cobalt and turquoise blue lake. Take a boat to the far end and take in the surrounding views.  This is another not-to-miss place.

Maligne Lake

The Maligne Canyon has a trail that leads you down a slender (6 ft to maybe 20 feet across) canyon filled with a raging river, waterfalls, boulders and limbs, across 9 bridges then back up to the top.  There are plenty of places to stop, rest and enjoy the sound of rushing water.  At the top is the Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen.  We found a great spot out on the patio, overlooking the canyon, had drinks and told stories.  Later, the lunch was delicious.

Maligne Canyon

On the deck of Maligne Wilderness Kitchen

Jasper, itself has museums, good shopping and pizza. Other than wandering for a few hours, we spent little time here.  That is, except for the trip back south to Banff.  We all prepared our exit from the KOA with the advance team leaving by 9:00 am.  We quickly got a group text from the caravan leaders to ignore the signage on the road in Jasper that the Icefields Highway was closed. Hmmm….  We waited till 10:00 am and headed toward Jasper.  We saw our other caravan member heading back toward the KOA, flashing lights and signally for us to turn around.  We got to the Ranger’s station at the park entrance where to sign showed the road closed.  The ranger said there was a fatality accident and yes the road was closed until 1:00 pm.

While ALL the others drove for hours, we waited

The Icefields Highway is the only North-South road in the area and our only options were to turn around and head 2.5 hours east toward Edmonton, then south to Calgary and back west to Banff.  A 7-8 hour drive through heavy rains and winds.  This would also require another fill up of gas.  Our second option was to wait it out.  So we pulled into Jasper to weigh our options and pulled up to the curb on a wide road with grass, a sidewalk, then more grass.  It was also very level.  Behind us another 2 members from our caravan had the same idea.  We discussed our options and decided since it was sunny and if we needed to, we could stay here for the night.  We all walked into town, had a pizza lunch, came back to our rigs and unpacked the chairs, sat and waited till 3:00 when they thought the road would open.  Ove the members was an ex-cop from Florida and he asked the local Mounties about plans to open the road.  So with that we headed back south and had no problems reaching Banff.  Actually, we saw no evidence of an accident.  In Banff, we got to our site, set up, then began to watch all the others arrive who took the optional road east and south.  Yes we felt smug having a wonderful lazy morning in Jasper and a leisurely drive down.  They told stories of heavy downpours, trying to find gas, and wondering if they would make it by dark.  

So here we are at Tunnel Mountain Village in Banff.  Next chapter is Banff, the end of the caravan in Calgary, and our way west to the Okanagan Wine Country.

Tunnel Mountain II Campground in Banff

Next: Banff and Calgary