Leaving Alberta
Sun Peaks, British Columbia
The beautiful clear night that bewitched us with stars has turned into a crystal clear morning so we decide to go for a run around the lake, somewhat unprepared for the drop in temperatures.
With mist curling above the lake we set off but manage only a few hundred metres before coming to the conclusion that we are in fact idiots and a t-shirt and pair of shorts is nowhere near enough clothing for the freezing mountain conditions. We return and head for the warmer climes of the little gym where we huff and puff some warmth back into ourselves on the treadmill.
After breakfast we pile our luggage back into the car and head into Jasper’s cute little town centre in search of decent coffee, finding Coco’s café, run by the slowest hippies on earth. When our coffee eventually arrives it’s sadly not worth the wait, but at least we’re ready for the drive ahead along Highway 16.
Mount Robson National Park
The weather is amazing, the scenery as spectacular as ever, with mountains and lakes gleaming in the bright sunshine. After about 30 minutes we enter British Columbia and Mount Robson National Park, needing to set our watches back an hour to Pacific Time. With brief stops at both Yellowhead Lake and Moose Lake to take photos, our first real break comes at Mount Robson itself – a truly stunning sight; the snow-topped peak framed against a clear blue sky is spectacular, and we enjoy the view whilst tucking into a huge tub of black cherry and vanilla ice cream.
After we turn off Highway 16 onto Highway 5 the landscape changes. Rather than the pine forests and bare rock majesty of the high Rockies, the mountains are now covered in lush vegetation and a much greater variety of trees with deciduous trees mixed in amongst the evergreens. In another month the changes of autumn will make this route even more colourful, but framed against the bright blue sky it's still jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Slowly clouds and distant smoke appear as the terrain changes to more farming country and homesteads appear in the hills and valleys. With a brief sandwich at a roadside pit-stop, we continue on down Highway 5, through the town of Clearwater and slowly the smoke in the air becomes more and more noticeable. The wind has obviously changed bringing the haze of distant wildfires ever closer, turning the sky a slightly yellowy shade of cloud.
Picnic at Mount Robson
After about five hours of driving our sat nav directs us to turn off the main highway. Somewhat unsure we follow its advice and sure enough we soon see a little sign for the town of Sun Peaks, our destination for the night. However, the sign is a mere little post pointing down a dirt road and with smoke closing in and at least another 30 minutes driving indicated we’re bemused and slightly worried.
Half-joking that we may end up on a news bulletin as two tourists burnt to death when their sat nav directed them straight into the path of a forest fire, we gingerly continue on past remote farmsteads and through beautiful little valleys, climbing into the Okanagan Mountains, the scenery vastly different and full of beauty, but the odd farmer we see wondering what on earth we’re doing on these backroads. Eventually we turn onto a paved road and 15 minutes later arrive into Sun Peaks – one of the most bizarre places we’ve ever stayed.
The whole town is a skiing destination, modelled on a European Alpine village, but all newly built and deserted. The slightly unearthly yellow smoke haze lends everything an air of unreality and our hotel – the enormous and swanky Sun Peaks Grand, with a slight air of The Shining about it – is almost empty of guests with the exception of ourselves and a few other souls. Apparently the summer season ended yesterday with Labor Day and it will remain under-populated until December when the snow starts in earnest.
We have a splash in the hot tub and try out the sauna but it’s all a bit weird, so we head back to the room, tuck into the red wine we bought in Banff, and head down to the hotel’s bar and restaurant, Mantles, to enjoy a surprisingly good red Thai curry. Who knew a deserted hotel in a remote part of Canada could make such great Asian food!
