I was nine hours into the drive before I realized that Cline River isn’t actually a town and, instead
, is a simple outpost in the Alberta wilderness that offers a motel, a campground, some old-school gasoline pumps, a small convenience store and, a restaurant . . . and nothing else.
The restaurant was key because I wanted to get something good for a birthday dinner. I figured there would be several options in Cline River and hadn’t stopped at Fairmont or Radium Hot Springs, nor Lake Louise—all offering excellent dining—to do so. Wanted to get where I was going, find a solid campsite, and then relax with a dinner and a beer.
Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed and the convenience store was soon to be. So I hustled in, got a bag of Doritos and a half-pound jerky, plus a twelver of Alexander Keith, and called it a party.
I don’t know which lake I camped next to. I just backed up so the bed of my truck faced the water, and popped open a beer. The lake was milky, glacial fed for sure, and I doubted a Continue reading