Heading off into the rocky mountains of Canada…

Almost didn’t make it after a few dramas with the car hire. Second time we’ve had issues with Hertz and their crazy rules.

First meeting is in Revelstoke with a doctor from the Rural Coordination Centre so headed straight out there through one of the main entrances to Banff national park so some amazing scenery…

Revelstoke is a gorgeous little town popular with tourists and also has a lot of Aussies working there doing the ‘ski season’ in winter. Today was Saturday so after our meeting we strolled with the drs family through the lovely markets they have full of fresh fruit, produce and on every Saturday. They also have free nightly music concerts in the town centre all summer.

One of the kids said they’d always wanted to go to Australia to hold a koala so lucky I had a corny but cute little clip-on one to give him.

Made a last minute plan to book a hotel because I was a bit worried about Ron being tired with all the driving and the late night transfer we’d had. But this is peak season and there was nothing in town available. Ended up at Mulvehill Wilderness Inn which wasnt super-budget but it was also super good value for what it had! Had its own private lake access with crystal clear water, free paddle boards, canoes and fireplace by the lake. Multiple walking tracks through forest and its own beautiful turquoise blue waterfall which had powered a hydro system for the property 70 years ago. Also had a yummy all-you-can eat brekky sitting out on a deck overlooking the lake.

Sadly no wildlife as they had two big dogs, one was a big lump who did nothing and the other one fought bears and killed coyotes. Not so sure about that bit! But it was meant to make us feel safe that we wouldn’t get attacked by bears in the yard! Personally I wouldn’t have minded seeing a bear in the yard ( from the safety of the deck).

Revelstoke had a ‘bear problem’ a couple of years ago and it was so bad they got sick of relocating them so they shot 32 bears!

The owner and his extended family were funny and up for a good yarn. They told us quite a few good stories including about the bear that comes to the edge of their yard in autumn to eat the mountain ash berries. Apparently they ferment and make the bear drunk so he showed us the tree with the drunken swaying claw marks up its trunk.

He had us in fits as he described one autumn walking out of the pub drunk down the street and he saw a drunk bear- he was swaying one way and the bear was swaying the other.

One of the other guys told us about the history of this lake when it was first made by flooding good farmland with a dam for hydro. It destroyed a longstanding farming community and was the only good land in the area. Human greed strikes again.

Lovely people here but can’t help thinking they remind me of a TV show I used to watch called Beverley Hillbillies….

The lovely lady who runs the BnB side said when she lived in town she had bears every summer in her yard for 25 years. She only got scared twice. Once when an 800lb one came in her yard and she called the bearcatchers for that one! And the other time when she opened her door and found a bear cub on her doormat- she screamed but then the cub was as frightened as her and took off! I’d be more worried about where mama bear was!

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Drove on to the cutely named town of Golden, stopping to do several small but pretty walks.Hemlock grove and Giant Cedar walk showcase rare old growth cedar forest. Magic and peaceful and spotted a number of pretty birds and the telltale rectangular holes made by woodpeckers in the trees.

The skunk cabbage walk is a rare wetland environment that hosts several migratory bird species and is also pretty.

We tried a few campgrounds but all were booked out. We had to stay flexible because of changing interview schedules but if coming here in summer I think you really have to book!

Ended up car camping at Bear creek falls. This has a lovely unmarked short steep hike to the falls on a very pretty creek. The name made us nervous about winding windows overnight and we were trying to measure if a bear paw could get into the gap! I’m sure locals would think we were being ridiculous.

Had a wonderful and informative interview with the doctor in Golden. She invited us to her house and spoiled us with homemade wild huckleberry scones and jars of fresh raspberries with yoghurt. She has a beautiful garden with a rushing crystal clear waterfall coming down the mountain at the back. Her husband was telling us that bears regularly visit with him painting a funny picture of bears in his garden laying on their backs shoving his apples in their mouth!