From Castle Provincial Park, Beaver Mine Lake campground, Alberta to Gladstone Provincial Park, Christina Lake, Texas Creek campground, BC.
Yet again a beautiful sunny day for driving. That makes it 7 days in a row. It is great for the pugs because they walk and explore during the early morning and evening but sleep in the air conditioned car during the heat of the day.
On this day: Cows Coal Mine.
* We visit Mongoose the Daschund.
*Getting an extra hour with the Pacific Time Zone.
*Waiting for the ferry to Nelson
*Pet Beach swim
*Driving music: I decided to go with piano. Somehow piano music and the drive through the Rockies seemed appropriate. Spotify playlist – 88 Keys
Beaver Mine Lake in the pre-dawn light. I wanted an early start so decided not to wait for the dawn. Spot the black pug.
There were warning signs on the way out of the campground to watch for cattle crossing the road. We didn’t encounter any but did see herds once we got to the highway. Turns out there is a long tradition of raising cattle in this area.
This area was under provincial jurisdiction in the 1920s. The cattle ranchers reached an agreement to raise cattle using responsible grazing practices to protect wildlife habitat. From June to October the cattle roam their area. In addition to cattle, coal mining was also part of the history of this area. There is a memorial setup dedicated to this community.
Coal mining started in 1902 and flourished with a town of over 1,000 people. There were a series of strikes in 1912 which hampered World War Two production. In 1917, the trestle bridge the trains used was condemend. The trains stopped coming to Beaver Mines and the tracks were torn up and used for the war effort. It is now a small hamlet supported by tourism.
We headed to the Crows Nest Pass to cross the Rockies. We stopped to view the famous rock slide. As you drive into Crowsnest pass you see these immense boulders on either side of the highway. There was a massive landslide that wiped out the town of Frank. The pugs provide perspective.
Further up the road is Crowsnest Lake. There was a turnoff so we stopped for a little walk around.
A friend of mine who I met in Toronto, moved to Fernie, BC.
We passed through Fernie so stopped for a visit. She is companion to Mongoose the Daschund Mongoose took an instant liking to Raisin. Fernie is a ski attraction, located in the middle of the Rockies. The Fernie Alpine Resort is one of the largest in Canada.
We stopped for a rest at a mountain vew point. A couple of English gentlemen stopped just after us. He kindly took a photo of us. He did comment that the pugs were better smilers.
Another rest stop. We are on our way to Nelson. The highway 3a is one of the most fun drives I’ve ever had. Just one curve after another – going downhill all the way. It’s between the Rockies and Kootenay Lake. We stopped for a break at Kuskanook Harbour.
We got to the ferry to take us to Nelson. However, the summer schedule had not started. The hour I gained with the Pacific time zone was lost as I had to wait an hour and a half. We got slotted in behind the bikers.
Raisin was her usual charming self with the bikers. One guy really enjoyed her charms and he took a picture of us.
We arrive at Christina Lake. One of the reasons I booked this was because it was described as one of the clearest, most picturesque lakes. Also, they had a Pet Beach. Named after the daughter of a fur trader who ran the Hudson’s Bay post in the 1850s.
The Dewdney Trail and the Trans Canada Trail meet at Christina Lake making it a major attraction for hikers.
Got Eve and Raisin into their PFDs. They looked so happy. Little did they realize what was to come next. In fact, there are a set of stairs to get down to the beach. The next day Eve would not go down them because she new what was down there – water.
The end of the day. The lake is in the background; Eve is in the tent ready for bed. Raisin and I hang out in front of the fire. The scent of pine in the air. Had a can of soup and some bagel for dinner.
