Chapter 07 - Bad News

Travel Directions:
At the northern end of Spray Valley Provincial Park, just south of Canmore. The easiest way to access the site is to follow Hwy 742 and park at the Goat Creek Picnic Area. Walk south along Hwy 742 for approximately 200 meters. At the point where the utility lines cross Hwy 742 you will see a gravel road to your right (west). Turn right and follow the gravel road approximately 0.7 km downhill until you reach a clearing. Turn right and continue across the clearing, passing the “Get Goin’, Cowboy” Hillside (Fight Hill), and the Dozy Embrace site. If you encounter temporary fencing in this area, go around it to the right. As you approach Goat Creek, you will see the familiar pole bridge and campsite. For pictures taken during a hike to this location, see “Hike to Campsite #2” in the Albums link.

To reach Hwy 742 (also known as Spray Lakes Rd. / Smith-Dorrien Rd.): From Hwy 1 (Trans-Canada Hwy), use Exit 91 “Hwy 1A - Canmore.” Follow Bow Valley Trail 2.2 km, turn left (northwest) onto Railway Ave. Proceed 0.5 km and turn left (west) at Main St. (also known as 8th St.), go 0.6 km and turn left (south) onto Bridge Rd. (also known as 8th Ave. / Rundle Dr.). At the “T” intersection, turn left (south) on Three Sisters Dr., proceed 0.6 km and turn right (west) at Spray Lakes Rd. (also known as Hwy 742). (Or simply follow the helpful “Kananaskis Country” signs throughout Canmore.)

Remarks:
A sea of ink has been expended in analyzing Joe Aguirre’s initial visit. Did he watch the boys with disgust or excitement? Perhaps this was not the first summer that things had turned out this way. Who knows, perhaps he was reminded of a Brokeback experience of his own?

Where the film is ambiguous, the story provides some clarification. “They believed themselves invisible, not knowing Joe Aguirre had watched them through his 10x42 binoculars for ten minutes one day, waiting until they’d buttoned up their jeans...” [1]

Quotation:
“Bad news.”

[1] Brokeback Mountain - Story to Screenplay by Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (Scribner) ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-9416-4, page 7.

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DVD capture

Contributed photo