Alberta

While this page is titled Alberta, it starts with our first camp in Canada which was in the south eastern corner of BC. The scenery changed immediately after crossing the border. Green trees everywhere! After about 20 miles of riding, I saw a sign for a camp about 30 k off the hwy. Dirt road the entire way. Excellent spot with a fantastic view on Koocanusa Lk.
N 49* 07.675'
W 115* 14.054'

Click on thumbnails to see the real deal!

At this site, we met a couple or real hunters. The young 1 was 14. Very impressive young man. It was he who turned us on to where we needed to go the following day. His advice: You need to go to Tim Horton's & have a maple dipped dough-nut & a French-vanilla cappuccino. The second place we needed to visit was a Boston Pizza. We did both. The following day was rainy both in camp & in Alberta where we were going. It was supposed to clear up by the following day. Staying in camp was not a waste as we roamed around & visited other campers. Very few people were in the area so things were peaceful & quiet.

6/26/07

Every day is an adventure. This one was one of the best. Great scenery everywhere! Perfect weather. Grand vistas. Snow capped peaks. Rivers & wildlife. Camp was in the pass above the snowline. However, there was no snow where we camped. Surprisingly, not cold @ all!

Photos of the road to Jasper. An example of a Canadian rest stop. I was surprised by these spartan rest stops. As much water the is everywhere in Canada, they have no water of any kind. Glorified outhouse! The 3rd photo is to show why there are so many mosquitoes up north. Water everywhere @ just the right depth. If you stand long enough in 1 spot, water will seep into the depression made by your weight.

Typical station. 1 or 2 pumps. Usually regular gas & diesel are all they have. Note too that they all have dirt/rock drives. They are not slippery or muddy. Everyone I entered had a hard bottom to the road. Spruce trees galore. I don't believe that Beemer is quite as clean as it was the last time we checked. Doesn't look like there are any bottom oil leaks!

Looks like a satisfied customer! Camp in the Jasper area. N 52* 13.102'. W 117* 10.666'. 1 of many no named lakes in the area. Just gorgeous!

6/27/07

Left the camp in Jasper & headed to Hinton & Grand Prairie. This day we saw many animals. Bighorn sheep, goats, & elk seemed to be everywhere. Had to drive slowly & carefully to avoid hitting one. Several times I would go around a curve in the road & find an animal or a group of them standing in or crossing the road. Grand Prairie is located N 55* 10.210'
W 118* 49.524'. Be aware! Canada taxes... Dalton told us we needed to eat a pizza @ a Boston Pizza. We did. Ordered a great pizza & a pitcher of beer. After talking a bit, we needed another pitcher. Shock of the day. $78.00 supper.... This was when we found out that a pitcher of beer is $15.00. Later we found that a 6 pack is only $14.50! Guess they have to pay for all that free medical someway. The photos that follow are of some of the animals we saw on this day of travel.

Remember.... Click on thumbnails to see the "Real Deal"

Bighorn sheep on the hills. Elk on the side of the road. Nice looking animals....

Black bear doing what they do best. EAT! Every bear I saw was so occupied with eating that they paid no attention to me. Bighorn peeking over the ledge. The last 1, wandering around in the rocks.

6/28/07

Grand Prairie to Ft St John BC to Ft Nelson & the Alcan!. Rode the entire day in the rain. Had our first experience with metal grate bridges & wood bridges. This is vast, large country. Thick tree growth everywhere. More animals. Cow moose & several black bears made the day. Ft Nelson N 58* 48.181' W 122* 41.175'. Interesting to see how far north & west we progress each day.

These metal bridges are ok. Feel a little strange the first time you cross 1 but after that, just let the bike do its thing & all is well. Wood bridges are slippery when wet. Some are torn up & have many large menacing stobs sticking up. Never thought about getting a flat on a bridge till I saw these!

This pg is getting a little long for those of us with dial-up.

Continued on Page 3... BC & YT