10AUG08 Canmore, AB - Waterfowl Lake CG, Banff NP, Canada

49 last night and nearly comfortable. As expected, traffic into the National Park quieted down quickly after dark. Wind-y road, wildlife, etc. I let Em sleep a bit and went to McD's for Breakfast. Saw a Harley Davidson on a trailer behind a pick-up, and asked a family guy inside if it was his. Yes (along with the 2 small boys; one on mommy's 30-something year old breast the whole time). She, it turns out, did time in Beeville TX (my wife's hometown of 15,000 in South Texas) ten years ago as a nurse. Small world. Em up and at it while I pack up. Lots of moisture, but with two of us we flicked the fly dry in no time. On the road by 0930. 30$ to ride the parks for 3 days.
Ok Need: fuel line, knife (hatchet for camping?), 6" or so Philips screwdriver, water 'jug', ditch the Soviet silverware. Tent set up getting better each time - need longer nails (spikes) and a couple more aluminum stakes for top. Pillow still an issue - maybe just a pillowcase to stuff?


Walked up to Johnson Canyon Falls. Em wearing lots of leg stuff - pants, mesh, AND toggs - couldn't bend over far enough to take off boots to take off mesh/toggs. Lots of Orientals, lots of kids (and strollers) and lots of dogs (on leashes). Not much trail etiquette. The strollers were double-wide on a single lane trail, and the dogs, being dogs, just couldn't decide which tree needed attention. Some older (British, I think) women came down in hiking kit complaining of it all. I interjected that the discussion could continue at my campfire that evening over a glass of Scotch. They laughed. One fat old photographer got out on the viewing platform for upper falls and spent as much time as he wanted adjusting his camera and taking snap after snap to get the shot he thought he deserved - never mind the line-up behind him.

. Lake Louise is both a body of water and a tourist village in the park. Stunning, just like the photo's, and full of folks walking about taking pictures, but Em didn't want to walk to the far end and back. Fair enough. Weather was peek-a-boo the whole day.

Next was Moraine Lake, with beautiful coloring. The Teal coming from the suspended rock flour created by the grinding glacier, suspended in the water and lit up by the sunlight. Juxtaposed with the white snow and unbelievably high/shear rock cliffs it was an awesome scene.

We pressed well into evening, then came upon Waterfowl CG. I let em pick the site (#27) and set up, then, since we were betwixt and between places, back to Num-Ti-Jah Lodge cafe for dinner (http://www.num-ti-jah.com/home.html). Well, the cafe turned out to be a full blown restaurant, with a 'sitting' at 6pm. Oh! That means $$$ (like 100 for 2). Very nice setting, sitting, ambiance, whatever, and I was proud of Emily's demeanor, but she wasn't too impressed with the salmon on weird, I mean, wild, rice, though I found my Elk steak delicious - both bites (a bit small portion for a Texan). Lots of talk over dinner about past, present, future, family, boyfriend, school etc.

I've got a young woman on my hands.