From Kingsgate to Radium Hot Springs

Friday -- Jerry took Collins and David down to the lumber mill this morning to see the stump stoves, since they missed the tour yesterday.  It's raining again, so Joe had to wear his yellow slicker as he hooked us up.  I helped myself to some lilacs for the road, and we headed out just before 10:00 a.m.  We drove through beautiful country again.  We are actually on the western edge of the Canadian Rockies, and there's lots of snow on their tops.  Everyone assumes they got more snow up there last night, while it was raining on us.  We drove past several rivers and lakes.  This one, the Columbia Lake, almost looks turquoise.

I saw 8 deer on the road today, and when we drove around looking for a place to stay for the night, I spotted 9 bighorn sheep. We are in the Redstreak Park, on the edge of Radium.  There is a hot springs in this town, but I don't think we are going to get to use it.  It took us so long to find a campground (the first one was full, the second was too pricey, then we unhooked Marilyn's car and drove to 3 others.  Of them, the first one was closed for renovation, the second one would have been ok but had no hook-ups, so we ended up in the third one, Redstreak Nat'l Park, but by then, it was past our "getting off the road" time, even though we only drove 139 miles). Too late to check out the hot springs. This campground is real woodsy, and Dave even built a campfire tonight.

They have national campgrounds in Canada, and provincial campgrounds (similar to our state parks, but since they have provinces instead of states, they call them "provincial" parks. At one spot where we were stopped for road construction, Joe spotted some rhubarb growing beside the road, and there was a sign of a farmer's market (we are leading again), so he reported it on the CB, and Collins pulled off beside the road so Marilyn could walk up and see if she could buy some.  It took a while for her to find somebody, and then they wanted her to walk on up to the barn.  She told them she couldn't because they were parked along side of the road, so the gal called someone at the barn who came down and took Marilyn out to the field so she could pick her own.  They did charge her, but it was much cheaper than in any store, and it was certainly fresh!!

Marilyn's brother-in-law is in the hospital with heart problems, so she is going to drive into Radium tonight to call and check on him.  If I can find Wi-Fi anywhere, I'll try to get my last few days posted.