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“The Arrow Lakes Ferry Service offered by the Provincial Government of British Columbia is a free service to the travelling public.” – Arrow Lake Ferry
This time we took the ferry from Galena Bay to Shelter Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
The view from the terminal was stunning, despite the overcast conditions.
“The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare, and is interspersed with rocky headlands and steep cliffs. Mountain sides are heavily forested, and rise sharply to elevations around 2,600 metres.” – Wikipedia
“The M.V. Columbia runs across Upper Arrow Lake, 49 kilometres south of Revelstoke on Highway 23, between Shelter Bay (west side) and Galena Bay (east side).
"Ferry capacity is 80 vehicles and 250 passengers.” – B.C. Government

People build inukshuks on the beach while waiting.
By the time the ferry arrived, the rain had returned.
Even though we had rain gear, we didn't bother getting out of the car because it was cold, and we had taken the ferry before. We had front-row seats in the truck.
"The Arrow Lakes route for motorcycles is a scenic loop through the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada, offering a blend of natural beauty and historical charm." AI

When we got to Alberta, the weather began to improve.
“…a wildlife corridor is a protected route that allows wildlife to move safely between areas of suitable habitat. In the Banff area, corridors are typically narrow, funnel-shaped tracts of land between the developed areas and the steep mountain slopes.” –Parks Canada.
“The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers)[3] in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Canada, to New Mexico in the Southwestern United States.” Wikipedia

Snow-capped mountains are a common sight in Banff National Park during the summer months.
"World-renowned for its turquoise-hued waters, Lake Louise is set against a breathtaking backdrop of mountain peaks and the Victoria Glacier, which feeds its glacial waters."- Rocky Mountaineer.
"The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) in Banff National Park was built in the early 1950s as a scenic, low volume, two-lane highway. Stretching from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, the TCH is 7821 kilometres in length, making it the longest paved highway in the world. It has since developed into a major commercial highway and an important trade corridor connecting eastern and western Canada."- The Trans-Canada highway





A peek into
"Slocan Lake is a lake in the Slocan Valley of the West Kootenay region of the Southeastern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. With an area of 69.29 km2 (26.75 sq mi) it has a maximum depth of 298 m (978 ft). It is fed by Bonanza Creek and drained by the Slocan River.
In 1947, a Canadian Pacific locomotive was lost in the lake when a barge on which it was being carried sank. The locomotive was located in 2020. The largest community on the lake is a village known as Slocan City."-
"Beautiful Slocan Lake occupies a scenic portion of British Columbia’s Slocan River Valley. This natural undammed lake is unusual as it has no major rivers running into it. Instead, a number of small streams bring water into the deep and cold 20-mile-long lake which drains to the Slocan River. Nestled between the West Kootenay and Valhalla mountain ranges, a large portion of Slocan Lake’s shoreline has steep slopes rising above it, making development difficult. The mountains, large conifer forests, and distance from large cities have saved the remote, 17,100-acre lake from over-development, providing beautiful views of mountain peaks, glaciers and wilderness. Those who discover Slocan Lake are rewarded with a wide variety of recreational opportunities geared to outdoors fans."-
"Pictographs on the cliffs above the lake’s shoreline show evidence that First Nations bands called this area home long before European explorers arrived. In the late 1800s, silver-lead ore deposits brought a rush of miners to the area. Railroads built for hauling ore provided access to the area, and a number of villages grew up along the shore and near the many mines." ...more


Rosebery Park 
New Denver 2016
Canadian Pacific Railway # 6947 was originally #1737 of the 2-8-0 Consolidation class built at the Montreal Locomotive works in 1908 for the CPR.
"One CPR Locomotive #6947 (originally #1737) can still be admired in Sandon. This train was built at the Montreal Locomotive Works for the CPR in 1908. From 1926 to 1928 it worked in the CPR’s Kootenay Subdivision. After that it was converted with a different engine, renumbered to #6947 and served the CPR in the Winnipeg and Moose Jaw yards until 1959. Then it was sold to the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Coal Company hauling coal from the mines. It was retired in 1967 after six decades of steady work in Western Canada." - 

The
Some of the restored or preserved buildings that contribute to Sandon's unique character and historical significance.
Considered as being one of the true classic ghost towns of west, Sandon is the focal point of B.C.’s famed Valley of the Ghosts.At one time boasting a population of 10,000, Sandon was the prime mineral (silver, lead and zinc) mining community in the valley, five miles off the main Highway 31A” –
“The town of Sandon was born April 7, 1892 when J.M.”Johnny” Harris uncovered a fabulous vein of silver. He was born in Virginia and spent his early boyhood in the tobacco and cotton fields. Still only a boy, he left Virginia and wound up in Idaho in 1884 where he worked in the gold mines.- Read more at
“In 2001, hundreds of them were slated for a scrap heap in Richmond after the auto parts yard they had sat in was sold.” More at –
“Sandon, located between New Denver and Kaslo, was once the centre of commerce in the region, but was largely abandoned after a 1955 flood.’ More at
"Sandon, BC, is a historic community located in the Slocan Valley of the West Kootenay district, 13 km east of New Denver. Known as the "Silver City" or the "Heart of the Silvery Slocan," it was the center of what was the richest silver-lead producing region in Canada. Set in a narrow gulch, it is split by a fast-flowing creek and surrounded by high, steep mountains."-


Ghost buses, in a ghost town.
"A half dozen Brills were shipped up here, and more soon followed from various cities. In the 2000s, a plan was hatched to restore the buses and repaint them in various colours to represent the provinces. But that fell through too, and today they are just a curiosity in a small town, off the beaten path.
The ghost buses of Sandon have driven their final mile. Tourists come and go, snapping selfies for their Instagram pages, making a stopover on their way to Nelson or Nakusp or some lakeside camping spot in the Kootenays.
But if you sit quietly, you can still sense the thousands of travelers these machines carried. The ordinary lives they were a daily part of, rain and shine, winter and summer. The gliding to a stop. The clunk of the doors swinging open. A friendly nod to the driver, and out you stepped. Home again."- 


A Chevrolet pickup truck.
The Carpenter Creek runs through Sandon.
We had coffee at the coffee shop. 


Jack watched 
Sandon Ghost Town 2015