ALASKA; Day 17; July 31, 2013

There was a tour bus at our motel last night full of Asian teenagers and their chaperons.  They were to be partaking of the continental breakfast from 6:00 to 7:00, so we arrived at 5:50 to beat the rush.  We were on the road at 6:40.  It was 42 degrees under blue clear skies.

We rode north a short distance back north to Hwy 16 and then east through the Mount Robson Park into Jasper and Jasper National Park.  From Jasper we rode south on Hwy 93, also known as the Icefields Parkway, past the Columbia Icefield and through Banff National Park.  All of this is within the Canadian Rocky Mountains.  It was beautiful scenery and we made numerous stops for photos.view along Hwy 93Gary was in this area seven or eight years ago and he said the Athabasca Glacier has receded considerably in that time.

We tried to see Lake Louise.  The people were a-hole to elbow and parking was packed.  Folks were parking along the road a mile from the lake.  We decided to pass.  On the way  down from the parking area we did see another brown bear on the hillside.  Here’s some pictures of Lake Louise if you want to see it: http://www.google.com/search?q=lake+louise&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=S1r6UazBJef0iQKJ1YCwBw&sqi=2&ved=0CGMQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=685

Hwy 93 took us on south through some burned forest with an active fire where smoke was visible in the mountains.  We continued south to the USA border and made it back into the country with no hassle at all.  It is good to be back.

Carl made lodging arrangements the night before that ended up being the best lodging of the trip.  Tonight we are at the Riverstone Family Lodge on Hwy 93 just 3 miles south of the Canadian border in Montana.our cabinThe lodging consists of duplex cabins with porches, and carports.  It is great.  We enjoyed a picnic type dinner on the porch shooting the bull and solving world problems.  They will also provide us a continental breakfast in their lodge tomorrow morning.

It was a beautiful day of riding in great weather with temperatures varying from 42 to 86.  We rode 465 miles (451 according to Garmin).

It really is good to be back in the USA!  The Canadians were all very friendly.  It is just different and as Larry put it, “very inefficient”, compared to what we’re used to.

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/5906992227391784145?authkey=CNX8he7ek-GYRQ

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