1,634 miles round trip to Canada and back

[Old Henry]

My wife, AnnaRae, and I first saw the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada almost 40 years ago. We took a detour there on our way home from her roommate's wedding in Lethbridge. It went immediately on our bucket list to stay there some day. Although we'd returned to the park several times again over the years we always had a van full of kids pulling a trailer and just camped instead of staying in the hotel. But this year, now that the kids are all gone, we set our sites to stay in the hotel for our 40th anniversary. By the grace of God and help from many we did fulfill our dream. This is our story.

We started out heading to Jackson, Wyoming where we stayed our first night. The next day we traveled through Teton and Yellowstone National Parks on our way north to Canada. Scenery hadn't changed from when I did that trip with just "Old Henry" and Pepe (our 6 lb. Chihuahua) a year ago. For some very nice pictures of that scenery view that thread here: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864 .

This story really starts as we exit Yellowstone through the old original archway at the north entrance near Gardiner, MT built when the park was created in 1872, the first national park ever created.



Then it was through the "Big Sky" country of Montana.









While AnnaRae did what she enjoyed - embroidery and holding Pepe.



Some video of driving through Montana here:http://youtu.be/cdl2o1XpVG0

After staying in Bozeman, MT for the night we headed for our next destination of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta. As we approached it we got into a terrible wind and rain storm. Of course, we were climbing while trying to keep the vacuum operated wipers going which, as anyone with such set up knows, is very challenging. Here's just a snipit of what was it was like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-8N0...m-upload_owner Eventually, the wipers just quit oscillating at any speed below 50 mph even with full vacuum and AnnaRae had to "manually" operate them by turning them on until they swiped up when vacuum was available them off until they swiped down again when vacuum was available. Pretty challenging. To top that off, I'd left the thermostats out when we left home in 90° temperatures but it dropped to below 50° and we needed the heat and particularly defrost. So, in addition to running the wipers AnnaRae had to keep squeegeeing the inside of the windshield so we could see what little we could see when we had a moment of vacuum. The one thing that really saved us in that storm was the RainX I'd applied to the windshield that made the rain drops into tiny little things to lessen their obstruction of our view.

Eventually we arrived at Waterton Lakes National Park and got our first glimpse of the Prince of Wales Hotel perched high upon the hill above Upper Waterton Lake.



And shortly thereafter pulled up for our dream stay.



Our room was the top two windows in the top of the center gable on the right side. Here's are a couple of videos of getting up to our room on the 5th floor. First the ride on the old manually operated elevator up to the 4th floor. http://youtu.be/cfGlpxb0zDo . Then the hike to the 5th floor that was added after the building was almost complete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRAg3...m-upload_owner

The Prince of Wales Hotel was built over the winter of 1926-27 in what was then a very remote location with a very poor road from Cardston over which much of the building materials had to be hauled or drug by mule teams because the road was so often impassible. Just the story of how it came to be and its construction is very fascinating: http://www.glacierparkinc.com/prince_of_wales.php

The one downside to the hotel was that they did not allow any pets in the building so poor little Pepe had to sleep in the car that night. It was 45° in the morning but he was cozy and warm in his little bed when I peeked in the window in the morning. Here are three photos telling the story of Pepe on the trip. The first is him looking at me through the window when I came out in the morning that he stayed in the car over night. The next is his most calm position while riding - jammed between AnnaRae and the center console with his front arms folded praying for it all to end. He wasn't sleeping. He never slept while the car was moving. He was actually panting with his mouth closed. The third picture is what his expression was much of the rest of the time - anxiety to the point of panic.


See any resemblance to the desperate squirrel in the movie Ice Age??
Pepe's not coming again unless we find a doggy Valium that works for him.

Well, back to the hotel. The view of Upper Waterton Lake from the window of the hotel lobby was just breathtaking.



While in Waterton I found a gravel parking lot to drain enough water out of the radiator to put the thermostats back in so we'd have some heat and defrosting for the rest of the trip that turned out to be quite cold until we got back to Utah.

Eventually it was time to depart from our beloved hotel and leave it once again perched high upon the windy hill.



Our next goal was to drive Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park that is the southern section of the Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park that spans the border of Montana and Alberta. It was not scheduled to be cleared of snow and open until June 21st but we thought maybe it opened a day early so we drove there to see. It was still not scheduled to be open until the next day so we got a room at a motel there in St. Mary's and headed back to Canada for the day, this time to Cardston. It's always fun to cross the border and see the speed limit sign that says 100.



When we first took our kids into Canada with the van and trailer they thought we could then go 100 mph. We had to explain how we were in a different country that didn't use miles but used kilometers instead that were only 2/3 of a mile so that 100 km/hr was only 67 mph.

We spent a few hours doing church service in the temple of our church there in Cardston.



This temple was dedicated in 1923 and is a most interesting architectural and interior design very reminiscent of the Egyptian décor of many of the ornate movie theaters built in the country at that time. More here: http://www.lds.org/church/temples/ca...ng=eng#gallery=

At the restaurant that night we heard rumors that because of the very severe storm Going to the Sun Road may not open the next day. We were very anxious as we pulled up to the entrance station the next morning and very relieved to be informed that the road had just been opened for 45 minutes. So, away we went.

The east side that we went up was much sunnier and warmer and the mountain peaks rose up majestically.



Logan Pass at the top was only 6,646 feet high but the northern latitude makes it seem much higher. At the top we stopped for a photo next to one of the 33 30's vintage White busses that were all refurbished and powered by Ford about 10 years ago.



Then we headed down the "dark" west side where it was overcast and raining a little. But the scenery on that side is fantastic as the road was carved into the side of the mountain by C.C.C. completed in 1933.










Here's a 4½ minute video of driving "the road". http://youtu.be/Ia37dOshzv8 I apologize for the sound track. Youtube wouldn't upload my original sounds since I was playing copyrighted music on the radio. It was either no sounds or these original compositions of mine composed for my wife.

From there on it was headed home. Took a couple more days. Friday night we decided to stop over in Deer Lodge, Montana. It was a lucky idea as the town had some very interesting museums that were all open for free the next day including this 3000 volt electric locomotive that ran the Trans-Siberian Railway in the U.S.S.R. beginning the year "Old Henry" was born - 1947 to 1948



and the old State and Territorial Prison and a 120 car museum of classic cars from the early 1900's to the present.

So far we had had no car troubles whatsoever and were holding our breath as we pulled into the driveway at home. Then AnnaRae could not get out of her door. Yup, sometime between our last potty stop and pulling into the driveway the mechanism that opened her door broke and the door couldn't be opened. Since we did not discover that until we actually arrived at home and it did not impede our trip in any way we count the trip totally successful mechanical wise without any car trouble at all. I think that was a first.

Total miles: 1,634. Total gas consumed: 117.798 gallons. Total paid for gas: $438.42. Average price for gas: $3.72/gal. Average mpg: 13.87 mpg. That's up 19% from all previous trips when I was using size 51 jets in the 94 carb. I switched to 47's for this trip and got this increase. Good news.

Prior road trips:

Monument Valley in March 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99523

Bryce Canyon in February 2013: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97822

Milford, Utah in December 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93137

Nevada and Idaho in November 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89080

Rocky Mountain National Park in September 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83966

Yellowstone National Park in May 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72864

Death Valley in February 2012: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62705

Pike's Peak in July 2011: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19141

Route 66 in April 2010: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57511

[Fibber Mcgee]

You really know how to break in a new engine.

[B-O-B]

looks as tho you both had a fine trip & thanks for the pics. Suggestion,the next time you need some heat you might want to cover a bit of the air flow to your radiator like we did in the olden days. Just got back from a 2000 mile round trip to L A Roadster show. Had pretty much the same type of weather down & back. Extremely high winds, rain & hail & very cold in an open car. Non eventful trip tho in the 32,sorry no pics.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by B-O-B

Suggestion,the next time you need some heat you might want to cover a bit of the air flow to your radiator like we did in the olden days.

Dumb me! I knew that. I've done that before. So, why did it never enter my head that day???

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Dumb me! I knew that. I've done that before. So, why did it never enter my head that day???

Or maybe start looking for a gas heater as the next project.
Remember years ago when I had my '40 conv. that it was the best thing that I did to get rid of the water heater.

[PeteVS]

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Originally Posted by Old Henry

It was a lucky idea as the town had some very interesting museums that were all open for free the next day including this 3000 volt electric locomotive that ran the Trans-Siberian Railway in the U.S.S.R. beginning the year "Old Henry" was born - 1947 to 1948

The "Little Joe" electric locomotives were built by GE for Russia right after WWII, but the heating up of the cold war stopped their being shipped out of the country. So, they were "regauged" (They were originally built to 5'-0" gauge for the Russian railway system.) to 4' 8-1/2" gauge for American use. Most wound up on the Milwaukee Road and I think that two? of them went to the Chicago South Shore and South Bend? railroad.

[Henry/Kokomo]

PeteVS - The CSS&SB did have at least 2 "Little Joes" May have been a third one but I'm not sure. Pretty "high performance" locomotive at the time built.

[Lawson Cox]

Fascinating thread. I would have loved to make the trip. Beautiful country and a dependable flathead.

[Mike in AZ]

great trip with beautiful scenery.....thanks for sharing the story and pics....Mike

[41ford1]

Nice engine break in trip. Old Henry looks to be up to the task of more road trips. Too bad you broke Pepe. Sleeping in the car was not for him.

[oldford2]

Thanks for sharing Professor. What's next on your bucket list? I hope it involves Ol Henry. We are off next week for a short 500 mile (r/t) to Cape Cod in our 46 and will be in the Orlean's 4th parade. Will be on the interstates for a while so our Mitchell can just loaf along. Lobsters, clams, oysters, the ocean. Maybe some beer and a cigar. Hey, I am a member of the Cigar City Flatheads so just keeping up the tradition. Fun.
John

[mrtexas]

I spent many summer vacations a few miles from Deer Lodge, MT as a kid. My dad was born and raised there until he went off to work for the Boeing Co in Seattle in 1944. There is a reason they call Montana the "big sky" country and they have no speed limit, not much but big sky and not much to stop for besides the beautiful scenery. I spent a week last summer at Flathead Lake at my cousin's lake house.

As kids we always used to be fascinated as the electric trains of the Milwaukee Road sped by my grandfather's home in Gold Creek, MT. No more Milwaukee Road and they even pulled up the tracks. They used to be a competitor of the Union Pacific with tracks very close. The trains pulled juice going up the divide and generated going down.

[Thaplumbr]

Man that looks like a lot of fun,love to see your updates and trips!!

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by oldford2

Thanks for sharing Professor. What's next on your bucket list? I hope it involves Ol Henry.

Hope to get to the top of Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America, 140 feet higher than Pike's Peak, this summer. Then Mesa Verde, Durango, CO and points north of there.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by Lawson Cox

Fascinating thread. I would have loved to make the trip. Beautiful country and a dependable flathead.

The newly rebuilt engine ran beautifully except when it was trying to run below 100 deg. engine temperature in the cold weather before I put the thermostats in. It didn't run so well at that low temperature. There is definitely a good reason for thermostats.

[PeteVS]

Originally Posted by Old Henry

Hope to get to the top of Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America, 140 feet higher than Pike's Peak, this summer. Then Mesa Verde, Durango, CO and points north of there.

Went to Durango last year to ride the narrow gauge. Told my wife that if anything happened to her, that's where I'd want to go. Then, I found out that it's all full of Californians and now they legalized smoking that stuff. Think I'd rather stay in New Jersey

PS: Does it take a long time to get reservations at the hotel or is it far enough off the beaten path to visit without planning a trip months in advance?

[Randy in ca]

Looks and sounds like the weather you had wasn't the best, but it easily could have been a lot worse. About the same time you were there and not far north of Cardston (in the High River, Calgary, Banff area) heavy rains combined with the mountain snow melt to produce record streamflow runoff and historic flooding. The No.1 Trans Canada highway is still closed in the Banff area west of Calgary.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

Does it take a long time to get reservations at the hotel or is it far enough off the beaten path to visit without planning a trip months in advance?

At least at the time we went one did not really need reservations. I just made mine a week before but some of the campers evacuated from the campground came over and got a room for the asking.

[Old Henry]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

The "Little Joe" electric locomotives were built by GE for Russia right after WWII, but the heating up of the cold war stopped their being shipped out of the country. So, they were "regauged" (They were originally built to 5'-0" gauge for the Russian railway system.) to 4' 8-1/2" gauge for American use. Most wound up on the Milwaukee Road and I think that two? of them went to the Chicago South Shore and South Bend? railroad.

They were nicknamed "Little Joe" from "Little Joe Stalin's" locomotives. They were highly efficient as they returned power to the power station when using the motors to brake and going downhill. After two years in the Soviet Union this locomotive came back to run from Harlowton, MT to Avery, ID from 1950-1974 when Milwaukee stopped using electric locomotives and replaced them with diesels.

[35fordtn]

Beautiful Pictures!!