The Canadian Rockies. Wow!

Today’s ride is less than 200 miles, the shortest on this trip. What it lacks in length, it makes up for in beauty.

We’re on our way to the Canadian Rockies – Rocheuses canadiennes, to our French-Canadian friends.

The Canadian Rockies contain some of the most famous national parks in Canada, including Banff, the oldest national park in Canada. We’ll visit Banff tomorrow.

But first, we’ve got some climbing to do from Clearwater, which sits at 1,500 feet in the Thompson River Valley.

Leaving Clearwater, Dave is dressed for rain. It was dry all day!

The ride north from Clearwater to Valemount is 122 miles along the Southern Yellowhead Highway, which mostly follows the North Thompson River. The highway is named after an Iroquois fur trader and explorer named Pierre Bostonais. He had yellow streaks in his hair, and was nicknamed “Tête Jaune” (Yellowhead).

A female tête jaune.

Two hours after leaving Clearwater, we roll through Valelmount, a village of about 1,000 residents in the Robson Valley, on our way to the Canadian Rockies. With a motto of “Let the Mountains Move You,” we know we’re on our way to somewhere special.

Valemount, with an annual snowfall of 550 inches, is one of British Columbia’s premier mountain sledding destinations. Snowmobiling is an integral part of Valemount’s economy.

We encountered a lot of slowing, and stopping, for road construction.

For more than 40 years, Valemount has been celebrating Valemountain Days every June – with a parade, a pageant, and a barbecue competition. Valemount loves to have a good time. Its slogan is a good clue: “Come for the Mountains, Stay for the Party.”

Party on, Valemount!

How do you party when you’re stopped for road construction? That’s Jim behind me, searching for ”parties near me.”

***

Dave makes a pit stop at the Tim Hortons in Valemount.

In Valemount, we roll past a Tim Hortons.

In Canada, that’s not unusual. There are more than 4,300 Tim Hortons in Canada, spread over 957 Canadian cities. More than 92 percent of all Canadians, aged 18-34, have visited Tim Hortons.

When in Canada, do as the Canadians do.

What’s up with Tim Hortons? Is it more McDonald’s, Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, eh?

Coffee and a donut. Must be Tim Horton’s.

Tim Hortons is known as the king of Canadian donuts. Founded in 1964, the company became a multi-million-dollar company within less than half a decade. As of today, it’s Canada’s leading restaurant chain, with more than 5,100 establishments worldwide.

The restaurant was named after its founder, the legendary, fiery-tempered hockey player, Tim Horton. Horton played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for close to 20 years, scoring 115 goals with 403 assists in the regular season. He played on the NHL’s All-Star team six times and on was on four winning Stanley Cup teams. Horton was known for his spleen-squeezing bear hug, which he would wield against opponents who were trying to waylay him with erratic haymakers and uppercuts.

In the middle of his career, the hockey pro decided to open a donut shop in Hamilton, Ontario – about an eight-hour drive from where he grew up in Cochrane. Unlike hockey players today, back in the ’60s, these hard-skating athletes didn’t make nearly as much money. Horton always had an interest in the food-service business, so he decided to give it a go.

The concept was simple: delicious donuts and strong, freshly brewed coffee that was affordable, served hot every day and would keep the shift-workers at the local steel factories buzzed on caffeine all day long.

Dave photobombs Randy at Tim Hortons, as Randy snarfs down a smore, to go with his caffeine buzz.

***

From Valemount, it’s just 10 miles to Tête Jaune Cache, which sits at the confluence of the North Thompson and Fraser Rivers. Tête Jaune Cache has a year-round population of about 500.

Here, we turn east onto the Yellowhead Highway, and follow the Fraser River past Rearguard Falls Provincial Park. The 113-acre park has a viewpoint for travelers to witness the end of a long journey by the Chinook, the largest of the Pacific Salmon. These fish have survived several years at sea to return to the river of their birth, the mighty Fraser.

Rearguard Falls, a salmon hot spot.

Now that we’re in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, there are towering peaks everywhere – named and unnamed.

Two directly ahead of us are worth noting: Mount Terry Fox, and Mount Robson.

To our right is Mount Terry Fox, 8,694 feet. In 1981, the previously unnamed mountain was named in honor of Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete, humanitarian and cancer research activist who died that year at the age of 22.

In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to osteogenic sarcoma just above his right knee, Fox dipped his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s, Newfoundland, embarking on an east-to-west run across Canada, to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest in Winnipeg after 143 days and 3,339 miles, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy.

Terry Fox was an inspiration to all of Canada.

At the time, I was living 20 miles from the Canadian border, in a market dominated by Canadian events. Terry Fox was front-page news throughout his run. I was moved to tears almost daily by his “Marathon of Hope,” which brought an entire nation together.

Fox was named Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year in both 1980 and 1981. Considered a national hero, he has had many buildings, statues, roads, parks and mountains named in his honor.

Mount Terry Fox Provincial Park, established in 1982, is about a mile from us.

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That’s Dave, on his trike, approaching Mount Robson. It’s hard to miss.

As we continue along the Yellowhead Highway, we pass a number of places with the Robson name: Mount Robson Rafting Company, Robson River Campground, Mount Robson Visitor Centre, Café Mount Robson, Mount Robson Provincial Park.

The Mount Robson Visitor Center, which we stop at briefly, is the farthest north we’ll be on this trip: 53.0355 degrees North latitude. Each degree of latitude is about 69 miles, so we’re about 276 miles north of the US-Canadian Border, which sits on the 49^th parallel.

Mount Robson, a few miles to the north, is the highest peak in Canadian Rockies 12,989 feet. Its south face is clearly visible from the Yellowhead Highway, and is one of Canada’s most photographed scenes. It may be to Canada what the Maroon Bells are to Colorado.

Mount Robson: the Canadian version of Maroon Bells.

Mount Robson is believed to be named for Colin Robertson, a Scotsman who worked for both the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company at various times in the early 19^th century. 

The Fraser River empties into Moose Lake, the only lake along the course of the 854-mile-long river. The lake is filled with wild native Rainbow Trout, fattened on freshwater shrimp.

Soon, we cross Yellowhead Pass, which marks the Continental Divide, and the provincial boundary between British Columbia and Alberta. The pass, at 3,711 feet, is designated a Canadian National Historic Site.

From Yellowhead Pass, it’s only 17 miles to tonight’s destination, Jasper.

With a population of about 4,700, Jasper sits in the Athabasca River valley and is the commercial center of Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, and home to the Columbia Icefield.

Jasper also marks the beginning of the Icefields Parkway, tomorrow’s journey, and the highlight of this 24-day trip.

Icefields Parkway: tomorrow’s destination.

***

To view today’s route in Google Maps, click here.

My number today: $850,000,000 (funds raised, to date, for cancer research by the Terry Fox Foundation)

What’s your number?