Cold and damp. With the 100% humidity and the 50ºF temps, everything that gets wet, stays wet. Today’s No. 1 priority is to find an RV or Trailer shop to get the hitch ball straightened away. Then up to Canmore for beer, lunch, and maybe a brewery tour. Pat the bartender at Banff Ave. Brewing said I should seek out Matt or Fred.
Carpet in a trailer hides a myriad of problems, but it’s not cleanable on the road ;-( Most of the changes I’ve made have worked for the better, several of the changes the previous owner made don’t work so good. Carpeting was one of theirs. It was in the low 40s in the trailer last night, I was warm under the Trailer Quilt, the Rose comforter, and my sleeping bag. I might try it without the Rose comforter tonight.
Coffee done, I’m off to town to find an RV repair place.
I got the ball fixed at a local gas station / garage. I explained that I wanted to swap the lock washer from the 2” ball assembly over to the 1-7/8” ball assembly. The mechanic replied, “I can remove the nylon washer and move the steel washer to the bottom and tighten it so it will never come loose.” Let’s hope those threads are rated for 600 ft-lbs of torque.
From there I was off to Canmore. My first stop was the visitor info center for a map and a Wi-Fi connection. I checked email, emailed Cesar and Lynne and caught up on Facebook, on the phone.
Canadian Rocky Mountains
From the Visitor Info center, I went to Sports Experts in search of a new rain shell. I found a bunch, all in the $100 range and bought one made by North Face. It looks well made and I hope it remains leak-free.
From the sporting goods store, I went to the Grizzly Paw Brewing Co. I had a couple of names from Pat the bartender at Banff Ave Brewing, but when I got to the pub, the waitress told me that those guys were over at the other facility. They make the seasonal beers on the system in the pub, to keep their brewpub status, but because they bottle for distribution, all the packaged beer is made over there.
I had their four-beer sampler, then had a pint of the Nut Brown Ale, Then I had my growlette filled with their Dark IPA. The IPA has only 46 IBUs ! and I don’t think the Dark IPA has any more ;-) Most of their beers were down in the 10-20 IBU range, with alcohols from 4.6 to 6 ABV. The Red Ale is their best beer to my taste.
From the Brewpub, I was off in search of a view of the mountains. Driving along the edge of town, I found the off-leash dog park. Twenty or more acres of meadow, forest, and lake just below a mountain whose name was unpronounceable to me, and completely out of my memory already. A nice hike on the trails of the dog park got me some nice views of the mountain. I came for the mountains, and I found some.
Mountain above Canmore
Since I spent $50 for lunch again, I’ll be cooking dinner in the trailer tonight. I made hot wash water last night and it actually made cleanup easier. I’ll probably repeat that act tonight.