Samsquanch!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

START:  Jasper, AB - 10:30 a.m.

STOP:  Overflow campground (quelle suprise), Banff, AB - 6:45 p.m.

WEATHER:  Cloudy with sunny breaks; then CHILLAAAAY and rain once we hit Banff

Being in an overflow campground with no water hook-ups and an empty water tank proves pretty difficult when trying to cleanse yourself.  Mike was the only one in desperate need and proceeded to grunt and holler like a caged animal while dumping cold water over his head out of a jug over the sink basin.  Upon coming out of the bathroom and seeing that I had not yet completed the transformation of turning HIS bed back into the table - Mike:  "You gotta earn your keep!"  Giiiiirl...

After passing through the picturesque downtown Jasper, we had another scenic ride toward Lake Louise and Banff, stopping every 20 minutes to get out and take pictures.  Apparently all the wonders to be found out here can also be seen from the comfort of your Timmins homes as Mike frequently declared things such as, "Reminds me of Bob's Lake" or "Reminds me of the hills behind the resource centre" or "Reminds me of the power lines on Ray Hill."  Hahaha.. so there you have it.  We stopped at Athabasca Falls, which was swarming with tourists not unlike ourselves and took in the sights.  Mom:  "I'd like to try going over the falls in a barrel."  Unfortunately, we forgot our barrel at home.  Maybe next time, Maw.

We had a few tense moments trying to power up some never-ending mountain inclines but slow and steady wins the race, and Beuls is always kind enough to pull over and let her irate followers pass.  We checked out the Columbia Icefields and stopped at a river where there was a little walking path and bridge and the water was so freaking blue it could've been Kool-Aid - the blue kind.  It was at this very same river that we had our first SAMSQUANCH sighting, as you can obbbbviously see above.  Mike just so happened to miss all of it .. and you can do with that information what you will.  Before leaving, Mike launched Dad's new-found walking stick back into the bush - Dad:  "You're gonna gouge somebody's eyes out."  Mike:  "Gouge and scram."  Hahaha..  If you haven't caught on by now, we like to '_____ and scram' a lot.

We bypassed Lake Louise and it's 'narrow mountain road not recommended for over-sized vehicles' for the time being and kept going towards Banff, spotting six big-horn sheep just munchin' away on roadside greens.  Eventually, we made it to Banff and attempted to find the only RV-capable campground in the area and quickly aborted the not-so-swift maneuver down the narrow downtown streets and the trail of torn off side mirrors that would have been left in our wake.  Of course, we arrived (after pulling another Bert Perron over four lanes of traffic) only to be REJECTED and banished to yet another overflow campground.  Luckily, our water tank was full this time, so a $9 'campsite' wasn't such a bum rap.  We pulled in and Dad chatted up the Ministry man to see what the deal was:

Ministry man:  "Just so you know, there's a liquor ban all weekend."

Dad:  "We can still drink in here though, right?"

Ministry Man:  "Technically no, but no one's going to come and knock on your door."

Dad:  "Well, we only have three beer left.  Where's the liquor store around here anyway?  You know, for tomorrow."

Hahaha, so smooth.  So here we are in overflow with the rest of the motards for at least the next two nights.  Tomorrow we head to downtown Banff to get our tourist on.

Letting the good times roll,