We thought it would be a shame to stay in Calgary and not see any of the surrounding countryside. Therefore, we have booked a couple of nights in Fernie, where Paul has also booked a fishing guide. Instead of driving directly to Fernie, we decide it would be good to detour to Banff and Lake Louise. Dan says Lake Louise has become a tourist mecca and should be avoided but we should like to see for ourselves. We set off in a sensible SUV this time. It is a Jeep Laredo and, after the Mustang, has the power of a snail and handles like a blancmange, but on the upside it is spacious. It also, we discover, has an engine fault which spasmodically limits any form of acceleration. No matter – it is only for 2 days and we do not have the time to waste in getting it sorted.
Initially the terrain is flat but then gives way to The Rockies which are quite splendid. The rivers are turquoise as a result of the mineral content in the water.
It turns out that Dan was absolutely correct about Lake Louise. Parking is almost impossible and the only way to access the actual lake is by the resort transport. We do not have the time for this so make do with just admiring the mountain terrain as we pass through. As we approach Fernie the sky darkens and we encounter heavy cloudbursts.
The temperature drops from 86F to 59F in a matter of minutes. Fernie is a lovely town. We have booked a ski apartment so shall be able to self-cater which will be a treat after the mainly very American and pretty unhealthy menu for the past few weeks. We stop off for provisioning at the supermarket. It does not sell alcohol so we also have to locate a liquor store. We buy adequate quantities of wine and as we leave the store the weather really deteriorates. The rain is torrential and huge hailstones deluge us. We park up as it is almost impossible to see the road ahead.
Next day we are going fishing on the Elk River. As we eat breakfast it is still raining and looks pretty unpleasant, but then the clouds start to lift and the rain abates. Nevertheless we put on lots of layers. It is still only about 60F but with a keen wind blowing.
We shall be fly-fishing from a drift boat. Our guide, Andres, tows the boat to our launch site and preps everything.
He then gives me a fly-fishing lesson and fully explains what I need to do. I am however rather apprehensive. I have only practised casting on the lawn with no fly and am concerned that I shall hook Paul and the guide. I am totally correct with this assumption and manage to catch them numerous times and find myself abjectly apologising throughout the day. For a novice the conditions were difficult with a strong wind and the river was fast flowing and interspersed with rapids that Andres skilfully navigated. There are loads of trout in the river and Paul seems to catch something nearly every time he casts. I find it more tricky, but I do finally land a large cut-throat trout as my first fish and it is the biggest one of the day at 19” long.
This was the only bad weather we had on the trip. When we get up in the morning the skies have cleared and it turns into a lovely day. We drive back to Calgary where we drop off the hire car and go to stay the night with Paul’s friend Dan, who has also kindly said he will take us to the airport in the morning. This is really kind of him as we need to leave at 04.30 a.m! He and his partner cook us a great meal and are excellent hosts.
We end our trip staying on the shores of Lake Michigan with Paul’s very good fishing friend Don and his wife Nodine. They ensure we have a thoroughly relaxing stay and our main pastime is visiting quirky bars and eating at excellent restaurants.
We visit the marina at Harbor Springs where we eat a superb lunch on the water’s edge and admire some very handsome yachts…
We visit Michilimackinac State Park and cross the Mackinac Bridge which is very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge…
…and test the beer at Legs Inn and the Micro Brewery in the tiny town of Cross Village where they live.
Don and Nodine are also lucky enough to have a resident chipmunk family and some slightly elusive hummingbirds.
All too soon it is time to fly home. We have had an amazing adventure and been hosted royally. We have driven 3700 miles and seen much of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Michigan. What a trip! We even have a great view of Chicago as we fly in from Traverse City.
