Banff National Park Canada

This was a really odd day.. can't say I wasnt' warned!!

I've left Glacier Park and need to travel through a bit of another Indian reservation.. I'm traveling now through the land of the Blackfeet tribe toward the Canada border and I saw this red band around a tree.  I wonder what it means... red is for warning, right?

Well the border crossing was a breeze, knock on wood, as usual.. no worries.  Welcome to Alberta Canada!

If you ask me, the oddness of the day crossed the border with me! Pink horses???

Now that I know why I see pink everywhere, turns out this town is in great support of breast cancer.. ok, not so odd, good on 'em!

Later on down the road,  oddities arise again.. This farm, very large farm.. has a hat on every single fence post.  ???????  I followed it for such a long time until the hats went up a driveway.

This is where the hats ultimately live.. is it a way to help grandpa find his way home?  Or just a hat 'enthusiast'??

I find a provincial campsite tonight on a beautiful lake.  It's such a gorgeous spot for an organized government campground, it's the weekend, and there is only one other tent here.

My campsite tucked in the trees

I got really worried, even if it wasn't so pretty, it's the weekend, and it's warm and sunny, where is everybody!  I rode the bike into town to get something to eat and asked a couple people if there is something I should be worried about due to the absence of people.  Like did a bear kill somebody there recently?  They say no..  it should be a safe place to camp..  Okay, so I head back, meet the other couple in a tent and tell them that I am worried, something is not right and if they hear a loud air horn in the night, it is me (and a bear or whatever).. they chuckled and agreed to come to my rescue.

On the notice board posted in the park, during my wander before sunset, I notice that a big notice is placed right in the center that says, "This park is experiencing an unusually high amount of theft, please keep your belongings locked in the vehicles, during day and night"..  Hmmmmm.

So I go back to the couple and tell them this, they were surprised.. A small 4WD had since come back to our area, just sat in the car and left it running for the longest time.  I am getting a bit nervous, but I decide to wave at the single man to let him know that we see him if he needs anything.  After 20 minutes or so, he drives away, and I leave the security of my new friends out here.

During the night, around 2:45 am, I woke up hearing the wheels of a car going ever so slowly across the gravel on the road above our tent sites.. it was so slow, and the hour, I knew something was not good.  I had my trusty tire lever in one hand and my leatherman knife in the other, and thought to myself, "here we go..."

Then in the distance I hear another car come barreling down the gravel road.. top speed.. I think this must be the bad guys back up?  We're outnumbered, what would the natives do???

Then I hear the "blip blip" of a police siren... oh thank goodnes.. How did they know???  Whatever happened happened, I didn't leave my tent, I just listened and hoped for the best.. and they both left.

Eventually went back to sleep, never needing to use my air horn.. but to this day, this is the worst experience I've had camping.. not from bears, but from humans... however, no harm to me, thank goodness. It was just a scary night.. can't say I wasn't warned.... still!

The couple up the hill came to see me at first light and we both pack up our tents to get the heck out of there.. Now I know why the campground was empty on a weekend!

Next stop, Calgary.  Time for a nice big service to the bike as I am about to head into Yukon Territory and Alaska.. want everything in good shape as population dramatically dimishes soon.

While I'm hanging around the shop, typing away on my computer, this guy comes in the door and walks up to me and asks, "Are you Sherri Jo Wilkins?"  I think I just looked at him with my mouth wide open, like. who are you and how do you know me and how do you know I am here........???"

He says he recognized my head lights.. "I'm like, what??  Should I slap this guy??" Desperatly wanting to put my jacket on.. Ohh, yeah, he's talking about the headlights on my bike which is parked outside.  Duh...  I guess these custom lights are a bit distinctive to my KTM.  So he's cool now, and introduces himself and all is well.. He had been following Walter's blog and recognized from there.. gee whiz!  And has done lots of RTW travel himself! 

Me and Corey Hanson

Okay, that was just the tenth odd thing to happen in the last two days.. so now that the bike is fixed up, time to go see the pretty stuff.  On to Banff National Park!!

Glaciers are everywhere!. Granted they are severely retreating, but still here and I feel an honor for me to see them..

This one is Crowfoot Glacier, really cool!

Loving the color of glacial silt water...

I came to Lake Louise because many years ago I saw this hotel on a travel program and it looked so pretty, I remember saying waying back then, "Someday, I want to go to Banff and Lake Louise".. So!  Here I am!

 Lots of ski slopes behind the hotel

Do you think I'm going to STAY in this hotel!?  No way, didn't even bother to enquire about it.  It was $35 to get a campsite, let alone a place with a bed.. too much.  I did love my campsite, can't believe I don't have a photo of it, but the campground here is surrounded by electric fence to keep the bears out, so at least tonight I can sleep with less worry for once.  AND, it doesn't cost anything to wander around the hotel.. so I got my money's worth.. ;-)

I..... think it's a bit beautiful around here!!!!  See you..