© 2011 Lydia Hinshaw
Orange berries for breakfast
BANFF, AB -- Working in northern Montana is dangerous for me, particularly with our four-days-on, four-days-off schedule. Banff and Lake Louise are a tantalizing 300 miles away.
I think the Canadian Rockies are the most beautiful place I've ever visited, and I've been fortunate to come here multiple times. Each trip, I'm amazed all over again. And so here we are, exporting all the money we made last week.
We drove to Banff Tuesday, greeted at the Canadian border by a disconcerting hail of gunfire. Seems the Canadian border guards have a target range just off the road at the Roosville crossing from Montana into British Columbia, and a few officers were practicing.
Our first task was to get through BC without buying anything. BC, locals have told us, stands for "bring cash." There is a 12 percent tax on anything you buy.
So we headed north to Radium Hot Springs and then northeast across the continental divide into Alberta, where sales taxes are a more reasonable eight percent or so and gas costs about 17 cents less per litre.
Early Wednesday, we left our Banff campsite and headed north toward Lake Louise on the Bow Valley Parkway, a prime road for wildlife sightings. On the way in Tuesday evening we'd seen several bighorn sheep. Wednesday we saw two bears, several miles apart, both scarfing down berries beside the road.
There weren't enough cars out yet to create a traditional bear-jam. There also wasn't enough light for decent photography. Out of 100+ frames I shot, this one is the best.
When we'd shot enough bear, we checked out Lake Louise (stunning!) and Moraine Lake (almost as stunning!) We had lunch at a favorite Lake Louise restaurant, and then set out to find a coffee shop with wi-fi.
We have another day to enjoy Banff and Yoho National Parks before we head back to Montana Friday, to start another work shift Saturday.
Life is good.
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