I’ll be crossing the border in an hour or so at Sweet Grass, Montana. Spent four days and nights with Canadian wilderness but once you get back out onto the plain, it’s just watch road signs and keep between the lines. The Cassiar Hwy. frames you in a remote setting and it’s certainly worth the drive. But my overall impression is that it was oversold, overrated. I had some really, really high expectations. The countryside and scenery were awesome but views were mostly obscured by roadside forest.
The drive from Prince George to Banff was a pleasant surprise. It puts you back in touch with civilization and the views are rich. It’s first cutting time and hay fields were either in wind rows or dotted with big, round bales. I got started taking photos of green and gold hay fields against mountain sides and blue skies and couldn’t stop. Jasper, Alberta to Banff was through their national park with it's wonderful, ice field-scenery. The nuisance of swarming tourists, strategically placed gift shops, roads clogged with rented motorhomes is the price you pay to be there. Maybe that’s how you transition back into the consumer culture.
This trip is for the most part, in the can. I need to drive the last few legs, finding ways to make familiar sights and uninspiring views, inspiring. Marcel Proust said, adventure doesn’t require travel to exciting places, just seeing with new eyes. So I’m dialing in new eyes for the rest of the ride.
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