19th Day 08/08/2016 Athabasca Falls, Yoho NP - sun & rain

We woke up well-rested and enjoyed the tranquility of the campground. It promised to be a sunny day and after breakfast, we continued south on Highway 93A.

Our first destination was the Athabasca Falls along the river of the same name. The parking lot was moderately filled, and we set off on the short walk to the waterfall. The paths were well-maintained, and we could admire the falls from different perspectives. However, we were not the only ones there, which took away from the atmosphere. As we headed back to the camper, the first tour buses arrived.

We then turned onto Icefields Parkway 93 and headed towards Lake Louise. After about 10 km, we suddenly saw a black bear on the left side. We pulled over to the right side of the road and stopped. The bear was unfazed by the traffic and was busy eating berries and grass. After about 5 minutes, it left the roadside and disappeared into the forest. We took some photos from the car and continued on our way.

We had a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains, providing a different perspective than on the way there. The traffic was light, and we drove comfortably, only taking 2 short breaks. However, the weather started to deteriorate, and we noticed that the sun was only shining to the north, meaning we were heading into bad weather. Just before Lake Louise, Icefields Parkway ended, and we turned onto Trans-Canada Highway 1 heading west. After a mountain pass, we entered the province of British Columbia and arrived at Yoho National Park. This smaller park is located west of Banff NP and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Banff, Jasper, and Kootenay NP. The Canadian Pacific Railway runs through the park, traversing the Kicking Horse Pass. This railway connection is also responsible for the creation of the small town of Field, with around 170 residents.

We stopped at the Tourist Information Center of Yoho NP in the early afternoon. We checked our messages and inquired about an available campground. We were informed that there might only be a few spots left at Kicking Horse Campground. So we immediately drove there and managed to get one of the last spots on an open field without any partitions or privacy, but with a beautiful view of the nearby mountain. Since the weather was bad and didn't show any signs of improvement, we only booked one night. We then drove back to Field and explored the town along the railway line. It was really small, but at the end of the town, there was a small market square with a hotel and a small café, which was very crowded. As there was a short rain break, we took the opportunity to have some fries and coffee outdoors. Then we returned to the camper and drove to the campground. Anne and I tried to find the hiking trail along the river, but we failed. After struggling through the woods for about an hour, we returned to the camper and spent the rest of the day reading. Since we planned to start early the next day to visit Emerald Lake, we went to bed early.