Wireless free and twitching

It wasn't until I tried to send a text message to make arrangements for birthday phone calls for Rick at bedtime that we realised there was no mobile signal. So after an interesting chat with our hostess Abi at breakfast we motored to the highway and used the internet facility at the Shell gas station. Received and sent a couple of emails in case anyone was worried and then headed off for Cranberry Marsh. The previous evening I had read that it was a good place for spotting birds and or Moose. The interpretive board said we might even see Beaver. Would our luck with wildlife spotting continue? Sorry to say - no. We headed north down the road to the information centre to pick up any leaflets that might give us directions to Rearguard Falls where I had read you had a chance of seeing Salmon leaping the falls from mid August.

Chinook Salmon, Swift Creek

While we were there we decided to use the picnic tables (it was 1.50 pm by then) which were right by Spring Creek. People were congregating on the bridge and peering into the water and an interpretive board told the story of migrating salmon. We joined the crowd and peered but saw nothing and started to walk back up the hill when Rick spotted a hand made sign saying 'Salmon Spawning Now'. Was it worth a walk back and further up the bank? Well yes it was. We say several huge fish about 2 feet in length on the river bed. Rick saw a female laying eggs and she was shortly joined by another female and then a darker coloured male. What a sight. We must have stayed there for over an hour.

Rearguard Falls

Hopped back in the car for the drive to Rearguard Falls just north of Tete Jaune Cache on highway 16 towards Jasper. It was a short 15 minute walk down to the falls and just as we caught our first glimpse of them lo and behold a salmon jumped out of the water. We made our way down to the viewing platform where several people were lined up with serious camera equipment waiting for that moment of the leap. Despite staying there for a good half hour with cameras poised and seeing about 5 jump we weren't able to capture the moment. I don't think the guys with the huge lenses did either so I guess it was asking a bit much to expect to get a shot ourselves. We did however capture some white water rafters. I wouldn't have the bottle these days and it really didn't look as though there was anything attaching them to the dingy should they tip out – but there I always have been a bit of a scaredy cat!

Mount Terry Fox

On our route back to Valemount we stopped to view Mount Terry Fox named very shortly after his death in 1981. A couple of miles later and Tom Tom directed us off the main road to Summer Solstice our next B & B. What an amazing spot. We were greeted by the owners Lenerya and Giriish Bromley with their new baby daughter, six days old. They started the B & B just over a year ago having completely refitted the original building. It is a log cabin beautifully finished inside with modern furnishings and a huge front deck with panoramic views of the mountains.

We thought a lot about Papa today, especially when watching the Salmon!

We finished the day with a super meal at Cariboo Lodge, watching the sun sink over the mountains - what a day!

written by

rickandsuejohnson on August 13, 2010 from Valemount, Canada

from the travel blog: Go west, then go west some more.

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Glad you had a lovely birthday pops- thinking of you xxx

written by Zoe Manley on August 14, 2010

i can see where oliver rhymes get his journalistic flair from.i'm so glad that u r having a great time with our favourite colonial cousins.god save the queen.

safe travels for the last few days of your visit and see you soon

you favorite son in law and alfie grandson in chief trying to tap the keyboard

written by Neil Manley on August 14, 2010

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