Family Hunger Genealogy

© Copyright Todd Neel

9/2/2024 Monday –

Woke up approx. 6 am, took shower trying to get my money’s worth. Felt I had to be quiet as there were tent campers all around me and the residents still sleeping.

Headed north through Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs, paid day fee for entering Banff and Jasper National Parks, but not bad for about $10. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!! Mary and I had been to these national parks previously, sleeping in the back of my pickup truck but we were younger then. Columbia Ice Fields seemed smaller than my memory, and there were markers showing how it has been receding over the years.

Heading further north I entered the area where the forests had been severely burned this summer.  I entered the town of Jasper, some of which was devasted by the same fire. News reports said that 30 to 50% of the buildings were destroyed, and by my view it appeared accurate. I was video recording the destruction as I was driving until a police officer came up beside me at a traffic light telling me to stop recording while I was driving or he would give me a ticket. (Note: if you can view this video of the town of Jasper it is 2:18 in length)

I left Jasper National Park through the northeast entrance and found a small side road off the highway to camp in the woods for free. Perfect! (This was along a narrow dirt road on the way to the Burle Lake Campground if you want to try to find it on a map, or in person if you’re in the neighborhood.)

Drove 350 miles today.