Banff and beyond

Jasper was the furthest point we got into northern Canada. We did a wonderful bike ride and got a lot of great interactive views of elk, who have moved into human areas in order to avoid predators. (Now, in Banff, the park officials want to try out giving them some pesticide that works as a birth control… the elk create a huge liability since some tourists appear to think you can walk right up to them.) We also camped up by Pyramid Mountain and Lake, well above the town. There was rain at night and sputterings during the day each day but it didn’t start to rain in earnest until we had started south back through the Rockies again. We encountered snow in the high country for two days and the peaks all either disappeared or were swathed in clouds.
When we got into Banff we headed directly to the hot springs with a few hundred other tourists. This made the experience a bit less wonderful than challenging but at least the rain didn’t feel so cold when we left the hot springs. The difference between us and the other tourists is they all went somewhere else that night. We stayed in the parking lot, high above the valley floor. We both agree that aqua centers are a far better deal than commercial hotsprings. We went to the aqua center in Jasper, as well as in Revelstoke, and think one would be a great addition in Chico.
This morning we did laundry and aired out the camper which had really started to have a condensation problem. Now, in the sunny afternoon, I’m ready to go take a bike ride (while, guess what?, Michael processes veggie oil.)
I’m wearing my ”Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam” teeshirt for the benefit of all the polite citizenry. Banff is beautiful but too rich for my blood and too crowded, swollen with us tourists.
I'm distressed that the town of Peace River is gladly welcoming a "mystery" buyer to put in a nuclear power plant on the Peace River, apparently one of the most beautiful places there is.
The radio presentation is very unquestioning, parroting that a poll says the people want it and that it is "clean" power... I hope this reverses.
Not able to download pictures!!!! Darn~! We have such good ones. Onward, al sur.