Tips To Navigate The Awesome Rocky Mountains

By morning light we could finally see the snow covered mountains. They were hidden when we arrived.

John and I arrived in Kelowna BC yesterday. We love this beautiful city but more on that in my next post. The 17th June when we arrived in Calgary and onto Canmore, the rain was on the verge of very wet snow. The clouds remained low and the road was wet as we left the next day for Kelowna. We met two RVers who were bragging that they always drive with their units in cruise control and allow their coach transmission to do what it wants.

But it did not take long for the clouds to move in again.

'Kicking Horse Pass' and then through 'Rogers Pass', John found he was driving in second or third gear much more than normal. The climbs and descents are long and steep, but on top of that there were many stops and starts due to mega construction where they are building a very tall bridge that will cut out many of the ups and downs of 'Kicking Horse Pass' between Field and Golden.

It will be an easy drive when the bridge will be finished

I am not an expert in driving techniques, but those who do not gear down in this terrain will find it very necessary to over use their brakes. I know I would hate to be caught going down a mountain with brakes that fade before I reached the bottom. When we first became Fulltimers 22-years ago, a neighbour stressed we should always go down a hill in one gear lower than we used to climb it. By allowing your engine to do the braking, you can keep your foot off the brake pedal. I am happy we were not on the same stretch of highway that the RVers we met were on during their journey,

John found that by staying in fifth gear or lower, the Luxor also did not overheat even once. Just for info, RVers heading to Alaska can reach Prince George by following the more gentle climbs of the Yellowhead highway through Edmonton and Jasper, Alberta. They can avoid the route we took altogether. Safe travels everyone, Peggi and John McDonald,