Fire and rain

As soon as we reached the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains we encountered heavy smoke from the numerous fires in British Colombia and Alberta, the largest of which was 450,000ha. It also rained for 2 days and the thermometer on the van didn't get above 12 degrees.  And the fires continued burning. So, on the trip south from Fort Nelson to Hinton, we couldn't see much more than the road ahead. It was a little surreal actually. Thick smoke, rain and mist all at the same time.

The smoke finally cleared when we entered Jasper National Park, although cloud and light rain lingered. I walked the Sulphur Line Trail while Annie soaked in another hot spring. The trail followed a creek and then a ridgeline to a stunning lookout over the Fiddleback River. The last 400m was loose and exposed, each side of the trail fell away on very steep sides. It was like walking along the edge of a giant stone axe.