Saturday 9 January 2016

Bow Valley Parkway January 3, 2016

Highway 1A is the old highway. Highway 1 is a modern four lane highway that stretches across Canada. The area depicted is just west of Banff, Alberta in Banff National Park. I love taking the old road from just outside Banff up to where it rejoins Highway 1 at Lake Louise. If you ever take Highway 1A through the parks you will need a parks pass, Parks Canada does check for them. If you are driving straight through on Highway 1 you will not need one. Myself, I just buy an annual pass.

Something else to mention is not to speed through the national parks, they are heavily patrolled in this area, and there are lots of speed traps. Another good reason not to speed is the road can quickly transition from bare to icy at this time of year.


Highway 1A is the more scenic route and the speed limit is a lot lower. If you take this section of road you shouldn't be in a hurry anyway.


At one time there was a World War I internment camp here. All that remain is a historical marker. From 1915 to 1917 it housed about six hundred men who built roads and bridges. It was a good location for this kind of camp. Back then if you escaped there really is not any place to go, you are right in the mountains far from the nearest town.


There is a cross country ski trail just a little further through the trees.


A wall of straight pine trees line the road.


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