Today will be a short day of about 250 kilometres. We would have pushed on to Golden, BC, but every motel we checked was either sold out or priced in the $300+ range. Too rich for our blood. We found a room in Invermere but as we found out later, what looked like a great deal on Priceline was too good to be true because it was, unbeknownst to us, priced in Us dollars which upped the price considerably. There is a notice on the page but it is near the bottom of the page after the prices are listed, and it is in very fine print. Needless to say, I have learned to lessons from this. First, never use Priceline even if you are directed there by your search. Second, check toward the bottom of the page to see what currency the room or flight is priced in. It can mean up to an unexpected 25% extra cost in Canadian currency.
The day started off with some clouds but quickly cleared for our ride to Cranbrook. The scenery once again is stunning. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, in my opinion. Sometimes it's hard to keep my eyes on the road.
We stopped for a butt rest at Yahk, BC, which is just northeast of the Kingsgate crossing where the CPR crosses the border into the US. Prior to entering Yahk we saw a CPR grain train heading south. I took some photos of the small yare there before continuing on. We saw two more trains sitting in sidings waiting the signal to head west and south before we reached Cranbrook. This is a real CPR town. The railway supports a lot of the economy in Cranbrook. There is also an incredible railway museum in Cranbrook, but we didn't stop to visit it.
CPR train waiting to go south near Yahk, BC
As you leave Cranbrook, the highway splits with Highway 3 continuing on the Fernie, and Highway 93/95 heading north to Golden, BC. The routes are well marked but it would be easy to take a wrong exit if one was not focused on which exit to take. We did manage to sail through it comfortably. As we entered Cranbrook, we could see the west face of the Rocky Mountains. The highway north through Forst Steel and Canal Flats runs parallel with the mountains so they are in sight for the whole ride to Invermere.
Rocky Mountains across the Kootenay River
We stopped a Columbia Lake for a rest and I was able to take some photos. It seems like I haven't been stopping a photographing as much as I usually do. I'll have to think about that. The road north of Fort Steele runs quite straight with a few curves, but the straight stretches go on for kilometres, so it is not a particularly interesting highway, ride-wise but again, the scenery is incredible. It should be, in my opinion, a requirement, a rite of passage, almost, for every Canadian to see the Canadian Rockies.
Rocky Mountains over Columbia Lake
Several years ago Jim and I did this same ride. As we approached Timberlane Resort, (I think) we were stopped as a funeral procession entered the highway. We were first in line so then the end of the procession was on the highway, we were cleared to go and followed it the six or seven kilometres into Invermere where the procession turned off to go into town, presumably for the cemetery. I wonder if any people in the procession were wondering who the two guys on Harleys in the procession, were.
The time changed near Cranbrook so we are now an hour later than in BC. We tried to check in at 2:20 but were told to come back at 4:00, so we rode out to Tim Horton's, had ice caps, sat in the air conditioned comfort of Timmie's for an hour, then went back to check in. The room is good, the weather is great, the roads are fun, and I'm on an adventure with a very good friend. What more could anyone ask for on a road trip?
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