Yoho National Park – West Canada
We drive again on hwy 93 toward Bow Valley Parkway
Canada is a mega big country, but comparatively doesn't have as many roads as in the Netherlands. We drive the same hwy 93 back to Banff National park. At Vermillion crossing we stop for breakfast and then drive to Castle Junction. There you can drive either left (to Lake Louise) or right (to Banff) on the Bow Valley parkway. On this road the traffic speed is much slower, you have a chance to spot animals and you drive continuously among the forests.
Part of this road was closed until June 25. Since we are here now, we decide to drive the entire Bow valley parkway. Along the way we encounter some beautiful wild goats and many viewpoints. We hesitate for a moment to drive to Lake Louise, but it is already late in the afternoon and it starts to rain. We skip Lake Louise this time.
Morant’s curve
Morant’s curve is een mooi uitkijkpunt om de grote Canadese treinen te spotten. Robert herinnerde zich dat we hier in 1995 (!) ook waren gestopt en toen kwam er net een trein aan rijden. We zien vele treinspotters staan en besluiten ook te stoppen. We spreken een vrouw die ruim 30 minuten aan het wachten is en ze vertelt dat er elk uur een trein aankomt. Een half uur wachten, vinden wij prima!
After fifteen minutes it begins to rain and thunder. We decide to continue waiting in the camper. The woman remains standing without a coat, not wanting to leave, as she has been waiting so long. In the end, she does leave. We stay, have some lunch and watch the train tracks in the meantime. Eventually we leave too: no train seen!
Via Kicking horse pass to Yoho National Park
We zijn nog nooit in Yoho National Park geweest. Als we via de Kicking horse pass, een grote bergpas tussen Banff National Park (provincie Alberta) en Yoho National Park (Provincie British Colombia) Yoho binnenrijden, dan zie je toch dat elk park zijn/haar eigen charme heeft. We rijden naar onze camping Kicking horse en komen eerst langs de Spiral tunnel, dat is een treintunnel. De treinen zijn hier zo lang, dat je de trein door vele openingen via de spiraal ziet rijden. Er zijn wegwerkzaamheden en er lijkt geen plek voor de camper. We rijden door, want we hebben ook het gevoel dat vandaag genoeg op een trein hebben gewacht.
When we arrive at the campsite, we discover that we are in an open field - surrounded by mountains, it is a beautiful picture!
Emerald lake
There are many lakes, waterfalls and places of interest. We decide to choose two: Emerald Lake and The Natural Brigde. We set out early and park the motorhome at Emerald Lake at 8:15 am. There are already more visitors, but it is not so crowded yet.
Er zijn meerdere wandelpaden en wij besluiten om de route rondom het meer te lopen. De route is vlak en voor bijna iedereen goed toegankelijk. We beginnen aan de linkerkant van het meer. In het begin staat er een klein beetje wind, dat er net voor zorgt dat het meer niet spiegelglad is. Het is evengoed prachtig. Op heel veel plekken zijn banken en kun je naar het meer lopen om foto’s te maken.
The way back you walk through a beautiful forest, where sometimes you can see the lake. Also in those places the lake is very photogenic. The light makes the water even more turquoise and in some places you can even see very beautiful turquoise stripes. We take lots and lots of pictures....
The Natural Bridge
Op de website van het belangrijkste plaatsje van Yoho, genaamd Field staat over deze brug het volgende vermeld:
"Natural Bridge is an impressive natural rock formation that spans the flow of the Kicking Horse River west of Field, where the slower flowing waters of the Field valley begin to descend through a gorge to converge with the Amiskwi River. The Natural Bridge overlook allows visitors to view the formation from several vantage points, with explanation boards about the physical processes taking place here. The bridge is easily accessible by car just 3 km from Field on Emerald Lake Road.
The Natural Bridge was formed by the erosive forces of flowing water over what was once a waterfall. It is a powerful reminder of the great influence water has on the formation of the landscape. Softer rocks beneath the Natural Bridge's hard limestone band eroded faster and the fissures in the rocks widened until water flow was diverted beneath the spur.
The overlook also serves as an access point for the Kicking Horse Fire Road trailhead, which leads to the Meeting of the Waters where the Amiskwi River and Emerald River meet the Kicking Horse River. The fire road is popular with cross-country skiers and skiers. Hikers with luck may also find the mineral lick, which attracts elk, deer, moose and other wildlife."
Relaxing
We travel at a leisurely pace and enjoy spending several days in one place. We don't feel like we "have to" see everything; that's impossible anyway and pursuing that also seems very tiring. Because it is high season here now, we have reserved a few campsites in recent days. On our travel between campgrounds you will see some nice things, because you have another reservation at another place a few days later.
We enjoyed Yoho with the beautiful Emerald lake, the natural bridge, the campground and the beautiful road that runs through this special park.
De reserveringen zijn nu “op”. We rijden nu naar Jasper National Park en zullen zien of we daar een camping kunnen boeken. Er zijn overigens ook vele -first come first serve- campings.