We left Christina Lake about 0830, via Rossland and Trail, bound for Fruitvale. A long-lost Great Uncle was supposed to be buried in Fruitvale, but our search through the cemetery for his grave proved to be fruitless. Luckily, we had managed to find a phone number of his widow, who we phoned, and ended up having a very nice visit with Mona Casemore. She was a wealth of family information, and provided us with old photos, certificates, dates, names, and the location for her husband Bruce's grave - Nelson. So off to Nelson we went, where we found three more graves for our family history compilation. Then northbound, along the western shore of Kootenay Lake to a ferry, which took a scenic half-hour trip across the lake for a continuation of our journey. Back southbound on the east side of the lake took us to Lockhart Provincial campground for the evening - a very picturesque spot with a sandy beach access. We managed a short hike along the lakeshore, watching a pair of falcons soaring, and ate our dinner beside a hypnotic fire.
A Sasquatch sunning herself by Kootenay Lake!
Next morning found us southbound into Creston, and then a bit south of that into an old Pioneer cemetery in Lister, where Bruce Casemore's brother is buried. We managed to find the cemetery and his grave, but were unable to contact his widow in Creston, so headed eastbound again, with a few rainshowers spattering our windscreen (first rain since we left!). It was also encouraging to note the gas prices starting to drop. We stopped for a visit to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, and then continued across the Crowsnest Pass into Alberta, turning south to visit the Waterton Lakes area. Quite a spectacular area, on the edge of rolling plain and steep, snow-capped Rocky Mountains, we found a campsite just a few feet below the snow level. Because of the cooler temperatures, strong winds, and the rain showers still following us around, we decided to try the Plan B mode for camping.......the back of the SUV. It took a bit of reorganization to get it into "Camper Mode", but ended up being quite comfortable, and everything fit! All around us at the campsite were little furry critters, Columbian Ground Squirrels, chirping and flitting around.......almost like Tribbles (and yes......the Star Trek movie was playing in the town, but we didn't go). We took a brisk, invigorating walk through the townsite, where mule deer were munching on people's lawns and gardens......a lot like home, but with bigger deer. There is a water tour around the lake, but the price was prohibitive with our strict budget.
The Magnificent Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Park.
This morning we had a leisurely breakfast at the camp under sunny skies and slightly warmer weather. Spring has almost arrived at Waterton, and the trees are budding, but not yet in leaf. We drove to several trailheads, gawking at the majestic scenery, looking out over frozen Cameron Lake, and the Red Rock Canyon. The Prince of Wales Hotel, near the townsite, is a spectacular place. On the way out of the park we spied a few Big-Horned Sheep to add to our collection of viewed wildlife. We also decided to purchase a combination pack from the National Parks people, which allows annual entrance to all the National Parks as well as their Historic Sites. Expensive for now, but in the end, it should pay for itself as we will be crossing the country twice.
Out of Waterton, we stopped at a museum in Pincher Creek, to see if we could discover a bit more family history information on Alex McKinnon. It turned out to be a good stop, as the curator was extremely helpful in copying information on this branch of our family, and also led us to the Pincher Creek Pioneer Cemetery, where we found several more family members. By this time it was late afternoon, so we turned eastbound again, and drove on to Fort MacLeod, where we now sit in a campground with internet access.
So now it is the Day of Reckoning: We have travelled 1300 km, spent $184.00 on gas, $101.00 on food (we had brought some from home), $145.00 on accommodation, and "Other" wins the prize at $267.00 (mainly because of the BC Ferry ($72.00) on day 1, and the National Parks deal at $169.00. That means that with seven days, we spent $698.00.......$2.00 under budget!!!! I'm almost tempted to go buy an ice-cream cone to celebrate, and take us to the even $700.00. Tomorrow we will be off to visit our friends/cousins in Calgary, then there is a lot more of Alberta to see.
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