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So, we should have been writing to you from Banff this evening, things didn't go as planned. So here we are in Revelstoke!
We had another ridculously early start as we still haven't got to grips with the time difference. We were showered and had eaten breakfast by half past six. Although we didn't hit the road until eight o'clock when the sun had come up, and it was looking like a gorgeous day.
We knew today was going to be a killer of a drive. The distance we needed to cover was only 400km, but it was estimated to take a good six and a half hours.
The "wows" are coming thick and fast with the mountains and the change in the weather, I can honestly say I have never seen so much snow in my life! O yes that lovely change in weather, we are driving the trans-canada highway so that means a lot of big trucks and big trucks go slow in the mountains and in the snow! We dont mind cruising along though taking in the sights and me snapping photos out of the window! Our first standstill of the day was a 30 minute stop due to the road closure ahead, which meant time for another sandwich!
Onwards we went, 200km done past Revelstoke (yes the place we now are in!) we were making decent progress even though it had started snowing and we were heading to get to Banff around four! We spoke to soon, we slowed, we slowed then we stopped! Of course it was great timing for me needing the toilet! Olof got out to stetch his legs and was talking to a lady doing the same with her dog, very cute dog who was having the time of his life chasing snows balls into huge drifts, and a trucker. It was bad, Olof come back to tell me the trucker reckoned on it being four hours before the road was open, there had been an avalanche up ahead. While they were talking the lady had asked the trucker why they didnt use snow chains, he had just stared at her and said "does it look like I need more work" the lady told us later we'd met a proper redneck! After a small wait the rangers drove down the queue to tell us what was going on and moving all the cars back to clearings where we could park up. Now for us it was decision time. With the road apparently closed for four hours that would take us till five before we even got moving and we still had a hell of a drive infront of us even to make it to the next place we may be able to find a bed for the night let alone all the way to Banff. So really the answer was easy we turn around and drive the 50km back to Revelstoke for the night and continue in the morning! Luckily we did, as we heard on the radio as we drove in the road was closed due to an avalanche between Revelstoke and Golden in both directions and a opening time hadnt been given yet! We didnt really look around just chose the first decent looking motel as we thought they may start filling up!
I want to write how this amount of snow amazes me, sad I know but it is just so high, in the town it is piled in the middle of the road so you cant see over it and up to above the windows of houses!
The moto of the day is we could of flown across but this is character building, mmm yes I could think of better ways to do it than sitting waiting for hours for a road to open! An adventure all the same!
Enjoy some more out of the car window snaps and hopefully tomorrow we'll be writing from Banff!
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