Note: A follow-up from the previous post. Judy Bales sent me an email saying the yellow-flowered
crop I saw in ID was canola. I will
share an interesting link she sent concerning the difference between canola and
rapseed. It is: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-canola-and-rapeseed-206047. Incidentally, I learned while here in Grande
Prairie that canola was developed at a nearby agricultural research station
west of town.
DAY 16, JUNE 14: It rained off and on all night but only
had light rain while getting ready to leave.
I got out of the RV park at 0830 and drove up through Kootenay Park on
Hwy 93. I then transferred to
Trans-Canada Hwy 1/93, then Hwy 16 to Hinton, AB. I missed the turn from Trans-Can 1 to Hwy
93North, so saw an extra 14 miles along Hwy 1 and into Yoho N.P. After 281 miles of driving, I am parked at
the Hinton/Jasper KOA—a park I stayed at in 2007 and liked. I still do, but they are having WIFI “issues”
in the part of the park I am located in which doesn’t make me happy. Speaking of reception, I am still getting
good Sirius Radio (satellite) reception here, so can keep up on the news in the
U.S. Weather up through Kootenay Park
was overcast and wet.
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| A WET DRIVE THROUGH KOOTENAY N.P. |
After crossing the
Continental Divide the conditions improved quite a bit—rain stopped and the
ceiling over the Bow Valley in Banff N.P. was high. However, the mountains were obscured until
about midday when there were breaks in the overcast and one could see the
higher mountains in places.
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| CROSSING FOR WILDLIFE TO GO OVER THE HIGHWAY |
Afternoon
thundershowers began building about 2:00 P.M. and I drove through intermittent
rain the last 1 ½ hours of the trip. One
thing I like about driving through the Canadian Rockies is all the wildlife you
see. Today, I saw grizzly and black
bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.
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| BLACK BEAR |
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| GRIZZLY BEAR |
Also, the waterfalls were really flowing due to the snow melt and
several very tall falls were tumbling straight down mountainsides for hundreds
of feet. The road to Jasper (Hwy 93) was
quite rough which gave me an opportunity to see how well everything is secured
in the coach for the roads ahead. It
rode pretty well—I don’t have to make many changes. But, and this is a big but, I sure do miss
the air suspension I had in the Journey while driving the rough roads!
Wildlife Count: 1 black bear, 2 grizzly bears, 3 bighorn
sheep, 3 groups of mountain goats-perhaps 15 in all
I didn't make many stops going through Banff and Jasper N.P. because I have spent quite a lot of time there before and because the weather wasn't conducive to real sightseeing. Here are some pictures from a previous trip showing the awesome country there.
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| ATHABASCA FALLS |
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| LAKE LOUISE |
I finished packing up, then found fuel, and a new linchpin for the car hitch at a local building supply store. Then, it was time to hit the Bighorn Route (aka Highway 43) to Grande Prairie, Alberta. The route is described in “The MILEPOST” as a “2-lane paved highway with moderate grades and curves and good mountain views.” “The MILEPOST” description is pretty accurate from my perspective. I drove the road 10 years ago and, although there are still some rough areas with narrow to no shoulders, it is in much better condition than what I remembered from the previous trip.
The route is anchored on the south end by
Hinton, AB, and by Grande Prairie (G.P.) on the north end. Grande Cache is the only other major
community on the 203 mile (327 km)
route. A driver does not stay on the
“straight and level” too long on this road and there are quite a few 6-8%
grades. However, it is a pretty drive
that opens up to the broad expanse of farmland that is the Peace Region just
south of G.P. I had heard of the Peace
River Country since I was a child and, although I have driven through here
twice before, I have not had time to delve into it’s culture on the previous
trips. With that in mind, I signed up
for two nights’ stay at the Rotary Campground and took a free tour of the city
during the evening that was offered by the local Rotary Clubs. The tour was well worth the time and the host
was excellent, offering a lot of history and information about the Peace
Country as well as about G.P. The
largest industries in the area are agriculture, oil and natural gas, forestry,
and tourism. The primary crops grown in
the area are canola, wheat, and barley.
Incidentally, G.P. hosts the third largest oilman’s show in the
world—behind Houston, TX and Calgary, AB.
It also has the second highest standard of living in Canada—and prices
are high. The city of 69,000 has one of
the youngest populations in Canada and is one of the fastest growing
communities in North America. I can
vouch for that—when I was through here 9 and 10 years ago it seemed like a
fairly small town on the prairie. My but
how the south end of town has changed—as has the Rotary Club campground! Shopping centers and businesses have filled
in for several miles since I was last here and the campground has made major
upgrades and improvements. The area is
definitely bustling!
Wildlife Count: 1 bald eagle (first one spotted on the
trip), 3 deer, 1 black bear
NOTE: Road construction through Grande Cache. Periodic road maintenance with some short
delays along the way. (These conditions
have been prevalent throughout the trip.)
DAY 18, JUNE 16: After working around the coach in the
morning, I spent the afternoon going through a local museum/cultural center
which really gave me insight into the Peace Country. It was all very interesting and well
done. I am still fighting electrical
problems with the coach. After setting
up last night, I tried to get over-the-air TV; however, there was no power to
the satellite receiver/transfer box. Oh,
well, I will look at it more when I have more time. I am still receiving the satellite
radio so I can keep up on the news from the U.S. It was very windy here today—30
mph (48 km) with higher gusts. Someone
asked me how light it is in the evening.
I will post a couple of pictures that were taken at 10:55 p.m. just after sundown—it was
still light outside when I went to bed at 11:30. A person almost needs an alarm to tell you
when it is time to go to bed.
DAY 19, JUNE 17: I decided yesterday to stay in G.P. an extra night and spent the day shopping for supplies, working on the blog, doing laundry, etc. The wind is blowing again today, although not as strong as yesterday. It kind of reminds me of Oklahoma. I had dinner at The Canadian Brewhouse and can recommend it. I learned a long time ago that brewhouses and brewpubs generally have good food at a reasonable price. This chain of brewhouses uses an inuksuk (inukshuk in English) as it’s symbol. I have seen several inuksuks the past few days which, again, make me feel like I am getting further into the “north country”. Inuksuks are human-made stone landmarks, or cairns, used by the Inuit and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. The structures are found from Alaska to Greenland.
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