Kootenay Pass and beyond

We got up at five this morning, with the intention of beating the traffic through the Park. Yesterday, we had trouble finding a motel room because of all the traffic coming into Radium from Calgary, and had also noticed the steady stream of RV's and large pickups, most with Alberta licences. Barry and Nancy had driven up to the summit in the Park to check out the trip, and had trouble with the amount of traffic that was present. So we got up early, had our breakfast, and of course then went to a coffee shop for our morning jolt.

Finally on the road about 7AM, and began our climb. We had a few rewards for our efforts. First, we met with a small group of bighorn sheep just outside of town, and got some lovely pictures. And second the traffic was very light. Hurray!

The Sinclair Canyon was spectacular, and the trip up the mountain was not as bad as I had feared (and as I remembered from the trip down with Patrick four years ago). The view from the top was phenomenal (see picture), as we looked down into the Kootenay River Valley, having crossed the Kootenay Mountains. We have only one more chain to go, and we are over the Continental Divide, and when we pee it will end up in Hudson's Bay.

Barry and I got separated at one point, and I was steaming ahead thinking that he was ahead of me when he was actually behind me (having stopped for a view of the river). I stopped for

a view of the mountains, and stopped to take a picture of a bear at the roadside. And finally, a kind motorist stopped and told me that Barry was actually 3 km behind me, not in front of me as I had thought.

Re-united, we went on into the Valley, and then up into the Vermilion Valley. Nancy met us at about the 57 km point, when we had lunch and decided to call it a day. We are back in Radium again tonight, and will pick up in the Vermilion Valley tomorrow morning, on our way over to Banff.