Day 5
We couldn't fully exit the Banff region without seeing Lake Louise. The crystal clear blue lake situated in the middle of the rocky mountains makes for a postcard picture no matter how many times you look at it. This was my second time at the lake and though the awe factor wasn't quite the same, my deep appreciation for God's beauty remained.
By the way, if you can't make it to Lake Louise, there is a lake with a similar light blue colour near Petroglyphs Provincial Park (north of Peterborough). Without the mountains, you'd think it was Lake Louise.
We pushed south-west from Banff to Chilliwack. As we got close to the border to British Columbia, not only did smoke cover the sky in the distance but the fumes were so strong that you could smell them inside of the Dodge Journey. As we began heading South from Revelstoke, the smoke was less pertinent, but it still proved to be enough of a barrier to slow down traffic.
Last year I traveled through Western Canada during the aftermath of the Fort McMurray Fire and this year following the largest B.C. wildfire in history. I can't get over the news story of the man who lost his home in Fort McMurray and now again in British Columbia.
Our plan was to arrive in Chilliwack by early evening so that Brad could get somewhat settled in his new home before dark. I convinced him to detour through Kelowna so we could get a glimpse of the Okanagan region. After traveling through B.C. last year this was one area that kept popping up in conversation, but that I never reached.
Our entourage made the Myra Canyon our destination (just south of Kelowna). Eventually we noticed that our GPS was taking us down some rather rough dirt roads. We had been led astray. Fortunately, a kind helicopter operator, whose number I stumbled upon on Trip Advisor, helped re-direct us and we reached the Canyon.
Despite the extended time it took to find this Canyon, it was my favourite stop on the trip up until this point. Train tracks run along trestles and through tunnels in the mountains for 12 kilometres of what was preserved from the Canadian Pacific Railway. I enjoyed the history almost as much as I did the hike!
The last leg of the drive from Kelowna to Chilliwack descends deep into the valleys. The mountains appear even grander. Excitement began to build as we neared Chilliwack. Reality was sinking in for Brad. He was finally at his new home after travelling for five days over 4000 kilometres.