As we described our route to people, those familiar with the area would inevitably gush about the drive to Banff. We had found the Pacific Northwest and northern California so beautiful that halfway down the road on our arrival in Kamloops, we wondered what the big deal was. That all changed on Day 8. Leaving Kamloops for the rugged peaks and glaciated valleys of the Canadian Rockies, we realized what all the fuss was about. We ended up likening the setting to the jagged peaks of the Colorado Rockies combined with the evergreens and lakes of northern New York, but even that doesn’t do it justice.
After making our trip westward five years ago with only a CD player, we’re now entirely indebted to our iPod. In addition to an extensive library of music, our companions thus far have been David Sedaris and John Hodgman. The latter and his audio book The Areas of My Expertise are a near perfect expression of Phil’s sense of humor. He advertises the work as the compendium of his “complete and total world knowledge,” including long dissertations on hobo matters, the nine presidents who had hooks for hands, and short words used by submariners to conserve oxygen.
We had been lucky to have perfect weather through the Pacific Northwest, but our streak ended upon arriving to light showers in Banff. The rain picked up through the night; our tent held up admirably, but was a little sloppy to pack in the morning. Our car, filthy from 3000 miles on the road, got a much-needed rinse.