Revelstoke_Banff 2025
The next week plus was spent visiting with family in Revelstoke with the last few days in Banff.
From Rossland, BC, my route traveled north to Revelstoke, east to Banff, then south through Helena before arriving home into Longmont.
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Revelstoke Loop 2025
Revelestoke and Banff 2025
The next week and half was spent in Revelstoke and Banff. There are several highlights.
Northeast from Rossland is the original mining town of Nelson, a popular tourist destination during the summer. Not much exists to do during the winter. Apparently there is a local ski area. The museum is worth a visit with a single room filled with indigenous cultural and history displays and explanations about the mining development of the area by Europeans. I had an awkward opening encounter with the docent, a late middle aged cute woman. Once I was able to stimulate her talking she took off with a suggestion to see the 'bunker' next door and made phone calls to friends trying to address my inquiring about a proposed driving route to Revelstoke. My proposed route was apparently not a good way to drive even during the summer.
The 'bunker' had to be seen because what use is a bunker in such an isolated part of the world? It was built during the height of the cold war (late 50's and early 60's) along with 52 other bunkers across Canada for the Prime Minister if a nuclear war should start. The docent of the small bunker was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I politely extricated myself after almost an hour of explanations and facts as he dived into showing us individual pieces of clothing with the story of each one.
I elected to travel through New Denver and rode the car ferry across Upper Arrow Lake before continuing on to Revelstoke. The week in Revelstoke was quiet with morning coffee shop visits. Theone and I skied one day with moderate conditions. We skied past the location of my crash of last year but couldn't find it exactly. On Valentine Day we rode the gondola up to enjoy the infamous hamburgers and watch one of the couples being wed on the mountain.
Bobby made it home from his counseling job near Kalona and we headed to Banff. The first stop was at the Lake Louise ski area where Theone, Robert and I attempted a full mountain tour. Conditions were poor with exposed earth and icy conditions. We took a ski out to the base along a route I wouldn't recommend in the future as it required a bit of poling.
We skied Sunrise west of town. It involves a 2.8 mile gondola transport up the valley to arrive at the base of the ski area. Fortunately the skies were blue so we could take in the spectacular vistas. A citation was posted on my windsheld back at the car. Turns all the ski areas and the town of Banff are part of the Banff Provincial Parc and all guest are required to pay $11CAD per day; I paid the fee back in the town of Banff. We took in the Banff Upper Hot Springs with what seemed like half the tourists in Banff that evening. The next day we toured the Bow River falls and drove up to the Norquay ski area for a looksee. Theone and family drove back to Revelstoke and I wandered the town and visited one of the museums in town; they had a wonderful photo exhibit of the regions glaciers and mountains.
The next day I drove the Helena, MT, were I visited my second cousin, Cheryl, and her husband Dan prepared a nice dinner.
Awaking the following morning early, I traveled for 13 hours to arrive back in Longmont completed this year's IKON loop.