Day 11 - 14, Sunday thru Thursday afternoon

Ronald, one of the last people left on the boat after going home from the Celebration

up in the icefields.

obligatory glacier pic, I think it is the Athabasca

I am McD's in Banf, but forgot my journal .... oh well.  Got off the boat in Prince Rupert and have made my way to Banf.  This has got to be the most awesome little (tourist) town I've ever seen!  Absolutely over the top. I'll post some pics of it in a few days.

Met a guy named Ted at the campground in Smithers - was was there waiting for a couple guys and then they were going to head north. He was telling me about this guy who rides his motorcycle from Florida to Alaska every year, and low and behold, about 2 or 3 hours down the road, I met the guy at a gas station. He  had come by the way of Colorado this year and already had 7,000 miles logged for the trip!

Ted's bike

Tara

In met Tara at a gas station after I left Smithers.  Probably just about the coolest girl on the planet (legal disclaimer: after every other female that I know, am related to, or otherwise)  We had a breakfast of tater wedges, hot chocolate, coffee and a pastry. Yeah ... the pastry was mine, but that was the first junk food I've had in a couple weeks! She was coming from Washington state back to her home in Fairbanks.  I'm usually in a rush to gas up and get out quick, but we must have talked for 45 minutes. We swapped some stories and then I took this picture and told her I'd post it.  I gave her the url, now it's just a matter of how good her memory is. We'll see ....

The further up north you are, the more likely it is you will bump into people you met earlier, because there just aren't that many roads!  I met and spent 3 or 4 days with these guys on the ferry, because they too had been cornered in Haines due to the road washouts. They are from Germany and had been ALL over. The one guy, Allen I think his name is, sitting on the red bike, is going to tour Novia Scotia next and then do the African continent. Man, if only!!

don't know if you can even see it, this is a picture of his phone where they had to do some off-road work to get around a tree that was blocking the road the night before.

I'm in Banf, it's getting late and I have to head out. Not sure which way I'm headed from here, but it will be south and east I suppose. Bye for now.