May long weekend campers not bothered by wet spring weather
May long weekend means camping in Alberta, rain or shine — or snow.
Many Albertans have already set up in campgrounds for the first long weekend of the summer.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Anja Czypionka. "Rain or shine we're out."
Wind, rain and snow are no deterrant for the Czypionkas.
"We have a good trailer, it's nice to get out in the fresh air and the weather should be a little better out there," said Reiner Czypionka, as he checked the tires on his fifth wheel before heading toward B.C.
Just down the highway at Bow Valley Provincial Park, veteran camper Colin Fong was setting up his trailer at his site.
"Get a raincoat and if it snows, make sure you got a lot of clothing," he said.
The weather is expected to start clearing by Sunday.
On Friday, Parks Canada said reservable camping in Banff National Park was near 100 per cent full for the weekend and first-come, first-serve sites were filling up fast at Lake Louise.
"We just thought we would start the season off," said Dick Jarond, outside his trailer campsite in Kananaskis. "We knew that the weather was going to be bad, but I came out on Wednesday and got set up, my wife came out yesterday, and we'll stay and hang in for as long as we're comfortable. That may be tomorrow, it may be Sunday or it may be Monday. It's just the way it is."
Daniel Delapanche has developed a system over his many years of camping; he sets up a giant tarp that covers the yard of his campsite.
"It's a bit of a pain to set up at first, but once it's done, then we're outside, it's snowing and raining for sure but we're probably the only ones outside right now. And we're protected," he said, sitting with his feet by the fire and fully dry while the rain pelted his Kananaskis campsite.
"I didn't think about the snow, I just knew it was going to rain for sure, but with the tarp rain is never an issue and it's just kind of nice to be outside. You know winter's always long, so you want to be outside as early as possible so that's where we are right now."
Warren Bailey says he and his family booked their Bow Valley site in February. He says they won't be bothered by any snow or rain.
"We come prepared with games, and warm clothes and dry clothes and that's all part of it," he said.
