We departed Crowsnest pass in mid-afternoon, after an obligatory stop at the local swimming pool. We drove about 40km up the Kananaskis Highway and found a provincial campground to spend the night at. The road is good with some corrugations and passes through very beautiful countryside.

Along the Kananaskis Highway

Cattle guards are “Texas Gates.” There’s not much culturally different between the US and this part of Canada, so I have to point out the little things. No offence to any Canadians reading this.

The next morning we again headed north – the map shows a couple of routes that meet up with major highways west of Calgary. After an hour of driving, we came to an intersection. Unfortunately, both of the roads leading onward were closed. We drove back down the road to where we had seen some people fishing. They told us that both roads were closed due to the recent flooding in the area.

We headed south the way we came for about an hour until we found a road leading out to highway 22, the main route to Calgary. On the route north we could see the devestation caused by the flooding. We arrived in Calgary at around four pm. After a couple of tries at commercial RV parks just outside the city, we eventually found a provincial campground about half way between Calgary and Canmore. Like many of the campgrounds, it had a playground and so was a big hit with Quinn.

The next morning when we woke up it was cold and overcast. The grey skies kept us in bed, and it was almost 11:30 by the time we were packed up and headed out. Driving up the valley into the Rockies along Alberta Highway 1 is stunning, with granite peaks towering over the lush green valley. We spent the afternoon in Canmore at their excellent new public recreation center and pool.

Yes, it really is that cold.

Sometimes I think we’re doing the swimming pool tour of North America

We drove to Banff to find a camp site for the night. It’s still cold and a little rainy, which has dissuaded us from taking Quinn on his first whitewater rafting trip. Instead of cooking breakfast we drove into town for an excellent breakfast.