Day 10 - Thursday, September 26

I'll start today's blog with dinner last night. Don't worry, it's not a food review, just a statement. I love to BBQ and I especially love to eat BBQ. 'Nuff said.  😊

We got an early start and as we left our cabin, on the road out, the fog had not yet lifted but we managed to see this little fella. Good start.

The Beaver Boardwalk is a big deal in Hinton. Their efforts to preserve the wetlands and protect the local wildlife (they were well preserved - we didn't see any) are presented beautifully and ever so slightly treacherously. At this early point in the day the boardwalk was extremely slippery in many spots as it was covered in a thin layer of ice. The temperature was about 3 degrees at this point. The sun shone through and by the time we finished footing was much more secure.

We were headed to the front ranges of the Rocky Mountain Natural Region, the hamlet of Cadomin and ultimately the Great Divide at Cardinal Divide. Well, that was the plan and you know what they say about the best laid plans. One thing was certain - this was a delightful, gorgeous drive.

The further south we drove the more snow appeared on the mountain-tops. Is that the way it's supposed to work?

If you know us you'll know a Whitehead vacation always entails some adventure, not always what people would consider normal. Our trip to Cardinal Divide was alas, once again not meant to be. The road to Cadomin is gravel and sand as you leave the main highway. That was okay with me, after all, it's a rental.  😅  About 20 kilometres in the road deteriorated to very sharp rocks and stones. It was an unassumed road to say the least so I knew CAA would not come to our rescue if we needed a tire change. Besides even if I did it myself that wheelbarrow replacement they call a spare wouldn't take us 5 kilometres. 

Our last kilometre had taken about 15 minutes and we still had 14 klicks to go. That was only part of my concern. There was no other way out so if we made it to the divide we would have to make our way back over this same road. We stopped to chat with a passing motorist (the only one we saw on this road). I asked what it was like at the divide. He smiled and said it was a pretty view, lots of snow on the mountains, a lot like what we had seen so far. As we talked he kept looking at our tires. We asked if he thought this car would make it. Again he smiled and said it depended on our confidence level and added you might need to change a tire. I feel it important to mention he was driving a full-size four wheel drive SUV, filled with camping equipment and about 50 gallons of gasoline in several jerry cans strapped to the back of his vehicle.

He added this was the good part of the road and there were sections ahead he had trouble with himself. As we parted company I thanked him and said we'd probably turn around. He seemed to indicate that was a sound decision as Karen chimed in we WILL turn around right now. We always like to take the road less travelled but this was a bit much.

About 10 minutes after we bailed the scenery made us happy we had, able to drive without worrying about how we'd get carried out.

We enjoyed a late lunch with a few mountain sheep then headed back to Hinton.

😎