Words by Sanny
Pics by Sanny and Mark
“I wonder if the strip lighting and lack of windows is a deliberate tactic to unsettle and make you feel really uncomfortable?” I pondered; our Canadian adventure hanging somewhat precariously in the balance. This was not the welcome which we had been expecting.
Our epic Rockies road trip couldn’t have happened without the support of our amazing sponsors
Things had hitherto gone like a charm. A long-haul flight had passed in what felt like the blink of a very relaxed eye; my time filled with good old Canadian hospitality and several shows from a certain fruit-based entertainment provider. However, for me, Mark and MJ, the serious tone in the voice of an immigration officer bought us crashing back down to earth. “I need you to go down that corridor and wait until you are called” she dispassionately instructed us, our passports no longer in our possession.
My mind started to race. Were the Tunnocks Caramel Wafers and Logs in my bag going to see us straight back on a plane to the UK? Had I filled in my entry form in incorrectly? Had the rules changed on entering the country on business? This was not good, not good at all. And so we waited in quite the most uncomfortable plastic seats as we watched other bewildered travellers face questions from immigration officers.
As my bum gradually went numb, the initial adrenaline hit subsided and I dozed intermittently while MJ and Mark faced a series of questions about what we were doing in Canada. An ashen faced MJ informed us that he had filled in his reason for visiting as leisure instead of work. As the person who arranged the logistics of the trip, his work was indeed done. He was here to act as photo monkey but this did not appear to go down well.
Things were looking grim but armed with a copy of the magazine in his hand, Mark saved the day as he calmly explained that we were effectively on a business trip with Air Canada and the three tourist boards in Fernie, Rossland and Revelstoke. Recognising Singletrack, the Custom’s Officer demeanour changed and after MJ got something of a dressing down, we were good to go. “Just as well this is Canada, eh? You boys would have been facing a cavity search and a long stretch in some faceless detention centre had this been the US!” I quipped, as soon as we were out of earshot, my companions laughing as the tension visibly lifted. “I’d have felt bad leaving you guys but you know, it’s Canada and I have a feature to write.” I am nothing if not practical.
Sphincters mercifully unpuckered (Not something you hear every day – Ed), our chariot awaited – a Ford F150 pickup truck.
As something of a country fan, I was definitely living my best life. Trucks are an ingrained part of the country genre; there is a whole working class, agrarian identity tied up with driving one. Getting behind the wheel of what is ostensibly several tons of gas guzzling anachronism that simply would not fit UK roads felt like a guilty pleasure. Unless you are using them for work, they just don’t make sense and yet despite that, I had a massive grin on my face as I ended up designated driver for the entire road trip and started referring to it as “my truck”.
Loading up, we headed for a hotel on the outskirts of Calgary nestling beneath the ski slope that Eddie Edwards made famous at the ’88 Winter Olympics. Looking at the slope, you cannot help but marvel at the dedication and commitment that it takes to go off it. At the time, some of the press and the ISF treated him as something of a joke but in reality, he was anything but.
After a fitful, jet lag fuelled sleep, we loaded up (saddled up?) the truck and made our way down the gloriously scenic Highway 22 that is the Cowboy Trail. Starting in the flats of Calgary and passing through ranch land, it offers the traveller the opportunity to take part in western themed experiences and get their Yellowstone jones on. However, for us, we had an appointment with the Rocky Mountains and as the countryside went from flat to rolling to ever more pointy and tree lined, our anticipation grew. We were on a road trip and no mistake; our first destination, Fernie.
As we passed through increasingly impressive scenery and even happened upon the largest truck ever built (trust me, it is worth stopping for), we were three middle aged men who were almost bouncing in anticipation of what adventures lay before us.
The Route
Three Destinations: Three Adventures
Nestling in the heart of the Elk Valley, Fernie is the only city in Canada that is fully encircled by the Rockies. It is nothing short of spectacular. Step out of your hotel room and the scale of the surrounding landscape is almost overwhelming. From Mount Fernie and the Three Sisters to the north to Fernie Ridge in the east and then to Morrisey Ridge and the Lizard Range in the south, you can almost taste the adventures which await you. Read more…
Nestling high in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, I will hold up my hands and say that I had never even heard of the place nor the Monashee Mountains where it nestles. Being about as close to Washington State as you can get without being in the US, I would probably have confused it with Roswell in New Mexico, such was my ignorance. Read more…
Revelstoke has an enviable reputation for being the snow capital of BC. It regularly gets some of the biggest dumps of snow in North America and lies on the banks of the Columbia River. To the east lie the Selkirk Mountains and Glacier National Park while the Kootenays and the fabulously named Mount Begbie nestle to the south of the city. Read more…
