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July 19
Camping at Niskonlith Lake, Chase B.C.
A father and son passed by our campsite and said, "How did a couple of Americans find a nice hidden spot like this, eh?" We said, "Ah, triple A."

July 20
Camping at Loop Brook Campground, Glacier National Park
There is a great easy hike here which was once part of the Great Canadian Railroad. There are old-time photos mounted along the trail and text explaining the history.

July21
Ate dinner in Banff this evening at Two Crows Restaurant. Great semi-Mexican / French combo. God, food tastes great after hiking in the woods. Also, we found out that Banff is the size of San Francisco and L.A. put together.

July 22
Lake Minnewanka backwoods camping
A beautiful turquoise lake. We hiked 8 km in to camp 1. There were pit toilets, fire pits and food storage. We saw much wildlife here, including some Canadian Ravens. These birds are majestic, huge and talkative (they cry out "BROCK!" in their almost human voice.) We then made a tough uphill climb to the top of Mt. Aylmer (about 4km straight up from camp 1.) From the top is a panoramic view of Banff and the haunted Ghost River Wilderness Area where the trees are sparse and crooked.

July 23
Lake Louise
We walked from the parking lot to Lake Louise and saw four billion tourists. We turned around and left. The town of Lake Louise is small, but we were able to find a camping spot. We set up our tent next to the outdoor auditorium and a nine o'clock they turned on a microphone and did a small wildlife show. Kids ran from all over the campground to see the show because they were having TV withdrawal and this was better than nothing. Oh, we also locked both sets of keys in the car. This is not recommended.

July 24
Lake Morain
Lake Morain is ten minutes from Lake Louise and a little less populated. We rented a canoe and circled the lake. We then took the Larch Valley Trail and, after two hours of hiking, found a private rock by a cold stream. We removed our boots and sat in the sun. This was one of our most favorite moments of the trip.

July 25
Jasper
Elk everywhere. A short thunderstorm. Crisp air.

July 26
Mt. Edith Cavell
This is a great hike, though a bit populated. They do staggered access, which means for an hour and a half people drive up to the parking lot and then for the next hour and a half, people drive down. The trail leads through four different eco-zones, eventually ending on a barren rocky peak with an amazing view.

July 27
North Jasper
White water rafting on Maligne River. (see vital info pages)

July 28 - August 1
Meandering Ride Home
Stopping in small towns. Smiling. A little groggy.