[HillbillyInBC]

I just woke up in my hotel room here in Kamloops, the first stop on my trip to Alberta and the Canadian Rockies. I completed the three-hour run up the Coquihalla last night, and the Focus performed beautifully. Zero drama from the transmission, steering rack, or MyFord Touch (aside from my own difficulty in pronouncing "Kamloops" to its satisfaction). I'll be spending the next eight days in Yoho, Banff, and Jasper national parks, taking tons of photos. I'm sure the Focus will pose for a few along the way. []

 

[SydneyRoo]

Can't wait for the pics!

 

[bcrows]

I'm jealous. I was there 20 years ago and want to go back some day. The drive from Jasper to Banff is the most beautiful drive in North America.

 

[CalgaryDrummer]

I hope you enjoy it out here. I do feel spoiled that said drive is an hour from my driveway!!!

 

[HillbillyInBC]

It's been a great trip so far. I've already seen two bears, a moose cow and her calf, two deer walking the streets of Banff (clearly city deer, as they were correctly using the crosswalk), and two bull elk fighting.

The Focus has performed admirably, and I've had no further issues with MyFord Touch since switching from a 2006-vintage click wheel iPod to a 2nd-gen iPod touch.

I've seen a bunch of 2012 Focus rental cars around here (easily identified by the barcode sticker in the aftmost driver's-side window. I spoke to one woman staying at my lodge in Yoho about the silver Ti hatch rental she and her husband were driving, and they were really impressed with it. She said they were seriously considering getting one once they got home, and confessed to checking mine out in the parking lot. And she told me "You definitely got the right colour", adding yet another data point for my "Chicks dig Blue Candy" theorem. [hihi]

First Focus photo of the trip, from Two Jack Lake near Banff:


_MG_3554.jpg by HillbillyInBC, on Flickr

More photos here:

Banff

Yoho

 

[Strix]

... she told me "You definitely got the right colour", adding yet another data point for my "Chicks dig Blue Candy" theorem.

Confirming this. Have received more compliments on the paint/color of this car than any car I have owned.

And what excellent pictures! That's a lovely trip you're on. I am jealous.

 

[bsp_53]

Me too, jealous, definitely jealous...good for you!!!! I have friends that mountaineer in BC every 3-4 years. They claim it is simply a wilderness paradise.

 

[2012silversel]

Beautiful pictures, especially the first one with the golden grass, water and mountains. All the pics are nicely framed and composed, the car looks good too.

 

[HillbillyInBC]

I'm back, after three days completely off the grid. And I do mean off the grid. The lodge where I was staying has no Internet, no TV, no mobile phone service, only one phone line, and generates their own electric power.

Thanks for the praise of my photos. Here are some more, starting with a shot of the Focus enjoying the view (and comparing shades of blue) at Bow Lake.


_MG_3722-Edit.jpg by HillbillyInBC, on Flickr

Icefields Parkway photoset

 

[HillbillyInBC]

Focus party at Maligne Canyon!


_MG_3744.jpg by HillbillyInBC, on Flickr

 

[HillbillyInBC]

Back in the Lower Mainland, after 10 days and 2780 km (and countless natural wonders viewed). I'm not home yet, but that's by design. One more night in a hotel, this time near work. I figured after 750 km from Jasper today there was no point in driving past my workplace for another 60 km just to turn around tomorrow morning and backtrack.

Final stats:

2780 km
Almost exactly 40 hours drive time
6.5 l/100 km (aka 36.5 miles per US gallon) average fuel consumption (confirmed by hand calculations for two tanks)
735 photos
One MyFord Touch glitch (didn't shutdown properly when I opened the door, closing and re-opening fixed it)

One last batch of photos from Jasper National Park:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillbillyinbc/sets/72157627693785824/

 

[2012silversel]

Incredible photos, all of them. What type of camera did you use? Are you a professional photographer or a photo enthusiast? Your composition and use of shutter speed is perfect. I'm glad to hear your Ti ran so well and that's excellent mpg's for mountainous terrain. Did you use the Select Shift or rely on the automatic driving in the mountains? I will be driving to my place near Phoenix in January, I hope to get closer to 40 mpg when I get into warmer temperatures and on the flats of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. My drive won't be nearly as scenic (really boring and flat across the plains from Mpls to New Mexico) until I get into Western New Mexico and Arizona. Thanks for the pics, once again, very beautiful.

 

[HillbillyInBC]

Incredible photos, all of them. What type of camera did you use? Are you a professional photographer or a photo enthusiast? Your composition and use of shutter speed is perfect.

Thanks. I'm no pro, just a long-time enthusiast (dating back to a Minolta XG-7 I received as a graduation present more years ago than I care to admit). I'm currently using a Canon EOS setup, with 5d, 7d, and Rebel XSi bodies and a wide variety of lenses and filters.

I'm glad to hear your Ti ran so well and that's excellent mpg's for mountainous terrain. Did you use the Select Shift or rely on the automatic driving in the mountains?

I used the SelectShift a lot in the mountains, particularly so going downhill. I've been really pleased with the behaviour of the transmission thus far. I get an occasional shudder on acceleration, most often when accelerating from a nearly-but-not-complete stop, but it's been well-behaved in general.