July 31, 2013: Icefields Parkway to Canmore, AB

Still worried about the batteries, we decided to try to get a campsite a few miles away in Lake Louise where there are electric sites so we could recharge the batteries.   The electric sites are usually reserved months in advance, but we wanted to try anyway.  We stopped at the check-in, and they said they expected four sites to open up and to return in a half hour. 

 We drove a few miles up to Lake Louise, one of the postcard places that IS the Canadian Rockies for many people.  The place was mobbed with folks, many from the multitude of bus tours trying to capture the morning sun on the mountain behind the lake.  We had been here before and the crowds were oppressive, so we did a short stroll around the base of the lake, took a couple of photos and returned to the campground to see if a spot had opened. No luck.  He said return in another half hour.  We drove down to the tiny shopping center, walked around a bit and returned to the check in.  Still nothing and return in 15 minutes.  We simply turned around and got at the back of the line of RVs waiting to check in.  Again, nothing.  Did it again, but nothing available yet, but the ranger was going out to do a spot check to see if there were any open sites.  Jack had enough, so we decided to drive south about an hour out of the park to get a site at a commercial campground in Canmore. 

We relaxed in the campground, letting the batteries recharge.  Late in the afternoon, we did some grocery shopping in the downtown and back to the campground for the evening.

July 30, 2013: Icefields Parkway

 We left our campground just south of Jasper and headed south on the Icefields Parkway, route 93.  We took a byway up to Mt. Edith Cavell and Angel Glacier.  The drive up to the mountain was spectacular as it took us right to the north face of the mountain.

Mt. Edith Cavell

 

  

We made the short, very steep hike up to Angel Glacier, named because of the "wings."

Base of Angel Glacier with mini-icebergs 

 We returned to the RV and drove a few miles south to Athabasca Falls.  Incredibly powerful waterfall.

 We stopped at a turnout to have lunch and continued south, stopping at viewpoints along the way to get photos of the magnificent scenery.  Where there was no place to stop, we resorted to taking photos out the window or even through the windshield.

 

 

 

We did another short, extremely steep hike to Emerald Lake with the most beautiful color water I have ever seen.

 

 

We saw three black bears and got a photo of one, but missed the shot of a bear and her cub.



Columbia Icefield.  The size of cars and people walking on
the path illustrate the immense size of the glacier.

Next stop was the Columbia Icefield glacier for a quick photo.  We did not make the steep walk up to the glacier or take the specialized icebus ride ON the glacier because we had done it last time we were here.

We stopped at a small campground with no electricity, water, internet, phone or TV, but we got a site right next to a babbling brook.  We sat in the warm sunshine, had appetizers and enjoyed the setting sun lighting up the mountains in orangesand pinks.

Just as we were getting ready for bed, we couldn't get the water pump to work because the deep cycle batteries died with no warning.  Our panel just an hour earlier said the batteries were fully charged. 

A sleepless night worrying that the refrigerator would quit or that the temps would go below freezing, jeopardizing the plumbing with no way to get any heat without battery power. 

July 13, 2013: Olympic Peninsula

When we left the Mt. Rainer National Park campground yesterday, our panel showed the batteries were depleted and there wasn't enough power to run the water pump correctly.  We had a Camping World look at it earlier in our trip, but we didn't trust their judgment that the batteries were fine, but the truck needed a new alternator.  We had let it go because we had electric in most campgrounds and it was only a problem if we wanted to camp without it for more than one night.  The owner of this campground used to have his own RV repair service, so we asked him to diagnose our problem. Turned out to be a bad cell in one of the batteries, but you cannot replace only one because the older battery will pull the new one down.  He called a local guy who happened to be in on his day off and we ran over so he could put in the two new batteries.  Relatively easy fix and a lot less expensive than we had paid for batteries in the past.

While doing laundry, I noticed a sign that one of the folks in the campground washed and waxed RVs.  I had done it before we left and we had stopped at a couple of do-it-yourself places with the extra tall bays to get off the worst of the bugs and road grime, but it was in need of some spit and polish.  They did it in a few hours for $100 - another great bargain, but an expensive day!

I made homemade red gravy (spaghetti sauce) with sausage and meatballs on our outdoor cook stove. 

This maintenance day was good for Jack because he had hurt his foot and hopefully a day of rest will help it heal before we get to Olympic National Park where there will be a lot of walking.