We're BACK!!

Hi Joe & Joyce!!! after all they did say why don't you stay longer! We left Abby around 2:30 pm and were in Sicamouse by 8:00 pm after having dinner in Kamloops. Another warm welcome by the Kendals. 8:30 am and we are on the road Alberta bound. The weather was a little uncertain when we left so we put on our rain gear not knowing that 50 kms down the road we needed them for sure. It POURED all the way. When we left the temp was around 20 C. and by the time we got into the pass it was down to 5 C. BRRRR!! We fueled up in Golden, both the trike and us and left again in the RAIN!! Next stop for fuel was Canmore, AB and we decided to continue on and take Hwy 22 south. BIG MISTAKE!! The weather turned REAL UGLY. We got into the worst Hail, Thunder & Lightning storm that we had ever been in and we had not yet reached the Hwy 22 turn off. There were so many vehicles pulled over and so much lightning around that I felt safer trying to reach our turn off. Lightning was striking all around us within a few hundred yards and our communicators were just skuealing, TIME TO GET OFF THE HWY. As I turned onto the off ramp the hail was about 1-2 inches deep and we were spinning our tires trying to drive up the off ramp. We got into the Petro Gas station and waited for the storm to pass. At this time we had had enough! Time to take a Motel. We asked where the closest one was and it was in Cochrane about 10 min away, what a relief. It is an unscheduled stop in a motel but well worth it. Got dry and warm. Onto Lethbridge tomorrow.