Overpriced in Banff

We just can't resist coming back here because it is so incredibly pretty. It's worth putting up with the Parks Canada nonsense just for the environment and scenery. But it's also getting to be friggin expensive to stay here - $41 per night for electric-only if you want to have a campfire. Mind you, that includes unlimited "free" firewood but still ...... $41 per night is roughly twice what we like to average. We rolled in here last night followed shortly afterward by Al & Camiel, had a great supper of pork ribs grilled over the open fire and then sat up drinking and talking way after our bedtime. Camiel and I were determined to get our money's worth out of the campfire and by god we did get our money's worth. Of course when I went to bed I couldn't sleep anyway, having gorged myself on pork ribs and baked potato.

This morning Al & Camiel had to leave because they got a chance to show a house that they are trying to sell. It might have just been that they didn't want to spend the weekend with us but I don't think so. You never know though.

We moved ahead becuase I had a devil of a time aiming the internet dish yesterday and ended up with it located in Al & Camiel's site so rather than trying to re-aim the dish it was easier to move the bus. Anybody who has ever camped in Tunnel Mountain will know that the sites are really just wide spots in the paved roads. In this section we're actually looking uphill to the south so getting over the treetops isn't possible. That means that we have to shoot through a gap in the trees and the dish site on the other side of the road has to align with gaps between the RVs which really just means that there are damn few places to set up the dish. Some people would doubtless say that we don't really need internet access everyday but that just seems silly.

When it warms up this afternoon I'm going to crawl underneath looking for air leaks. My new relay valves have cured the suspension leaks but the tanks still drain over night. So now we stay up on the airbags but the gauge reads zero by morning. That narrows down where the leaks have to be but probably won't make them any easier to find.

Marilyn is gone into Banff right now to wash the truck and try to get a second vehicle pass out of Parks Canada. I didn't feel that I needed that level of frustration in my life so I stayed home. The 8-92 has a habit of decorating the side of the truck with 40 weight oil that it throws out. Marilyn is picking up her sister at the airport tomorrow and I think she was embarassed to pick her up in such a dirty vehicle. I regard it as rustproofing. These old Detroits are like a stray dog - they like to mark their territory with oil.