Traveling with the Top Off!

We have finally received some resemblance of warm weather here in the Elk Valley today so after having lunch in Sparwood, Spencer and I took a "photo" tour of the valley. I took the top off the Jeep (after applying LOTS of sunscreen) to enjoy the beautiful sky and warm breeze!

Some of the more hidden mountains in the valley still have some snow caps on them. This peak is one looking off to the East coming up towards Elkford on Hwy 43.

This is the snowy peak just behind the mountain in front of Grave Lake... just a peak of course!

This is the mountain just behind the Coal Mountain mine coming up the valley.

One of my favourite wooden bridges over the valley's main river on Sulphur Springs Road.

Looking up river on the wooden bridge.

We drove up the mountain and to the viewpoint over Elkford. The snowy mountain in the back ground is one we see out the back of the house. The houses below are our little sleepy town...

We proceeded down the road and to the mine that Todd works at, Fording River.

We happened upon a mountain sheep on the side of the road right at the front gate. He soon scrampered up the hillside and up out of site.

This female elk was also within meters of the gates of Fording River. She wasn't too eager to move, even as many mine trucks and other vehicles passed only meters from her resting place. Judging from her belly, she's probably due to give birth any day now.

So after turning around at the gate, we drove slowly back down the Fording River valley towards Elkford again. I came over the crest of a small hill and on the right hand side, in a little swampy area right off the road was a MOOSE!

She let me takes some photos, pull off the road and walk back up towards her on the roadway before she got scared and took off into the trees again. So cool!

We've had a lot of cyclists in the valley over the last 48 hours. They are having a race called the Tour Divide. Riders start in Banff, AB (right above us here in Elkford... about 100km or so) and ride the Continental Divide to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Working last night, we had a very busy night with a store full of hungry cyclists! Some stayed the night in Elkford while others rode on farther to Sparwood and beyond! You see more of their cool route on their site, here. Some of the riders have made it past the US border already (in less than 24 hours). Most of the route between Sparwood and the border is mountainous terrain and lots of climbing and back woods riding. What an amazing journey these people are having!!!!