Awoke to 46 degrees this morning.  We broke camp around 7:30.  It was overcast with spotty showers along the way.  We only encountered one section of a bridge where construction crews were replacing the decking.  The temporary lane was quite narrow for a motor home or large truck to get through but LeRoy did a great job of maneuvering the coach.

Welooked for rock messages that are spelled out along a section of highway.  The1990 Fort Nelson swim team started this. My favorite was "send money" . 

LeRoy saw a red fox but nothing else. Signs warned of caribou on the road but none were spotted.  We crossed the Continental Divide.  We stopped to stretch several times and each time at least five pesky mosquitos entered the coach.  So for the next 20 miles we swatted at mosquitos.  They are big but fast and great escape artists.

We stopped at Nisutlin Bay to see the longest bridge on the Alaska Highway.  Then we stopped at one of the original lodge locations on the Alaska Highway at Johnson's Crossing.  There was a lunch break at a deli and bakery for lunch...and another cinnamon bun.  Maybe we should call this the cinnamon bun tour as we scheduled another stop for buns on Sunday.
  
We are in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Today was another long day of travelling dow a two lane road but we will be here for 3 nights for some R&R.  We also need to figure out what is wrong with our jacks as they won't go up or down.  Average speed today was 54.4 mph. LeRoy thought travel would be faster than 50 mph but the grades and curves require us to slow down. 
Today is the last day of school for children in Canada. And they are all excited about William & Cate's visit here.  July 1 is Canada Day and it sounds like they celebrate just we do on the 4th of July.  
Tomorrow is a tour of the SS Klondike Museum and then a boat cruise.  It's LEO for dinner afterwards.



Wednesday, June 29, 2011
It was a short drive today...only 127 miles from Liard Hot Springs to Watson Lake. There were bears and herds of bison along the roadside. There are signs at reststops that warn you to drive slow on a 73 mile stretch of the Alaska Highway as bison are hard to see in fog and at night. Their eyes don't reflect the light as they keep their heads down.

Upon arrival in Watson Lake we headed for the Sign Post Forest, mimicked around the world. It all started in 1942 because a homesick GI who was working on the Alaska Highway put up a sign stating the miles to his hometown.  It has  grown to over 21,275 signs. Rib Mountain now has its own sign here.  It would be like going to Marathon Park and seeing signs from all over the world hung on 16 foot poles.  It is almost solemn as you walk through the rows upon rows of signs that have been hung here. 

We received "passports" for the Yukon Territory - similar to what our Visitors Bureau does along Highway 51 to encourage tourist stops.  A briefing at 5:30 and a LEO (let's eat out with the Wagonmaster). We were told that a head of lettuce in Fairbankscould cost as much as $20 and a bunch of bananas as much as $8.   Good grief, I don't think I will complain too much about prices back in the States after this trip.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011
It was 60 and rainy at 10 a.m.  We stopped at a really, really small log cabin diner along the Tetsa River that servesfresh cinnamon rolls that were as big as my head.  The narrow, winding roads of the Alaska Highway provided steep grades and sharp curves but we saw elk, bear, Stone sheep and bison along the highway.  We stopped at the Toad River Lodge to see their world famous hat collection.  They claim to have over 7,800 baseball caps hanging in the rafters.  Muncho Lake is another beautiful turquoise colored lake.  It is said the color is attributed to copper oxide leaching into the lake.

We arrived at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park where there are two springs pools with water temperatures from 108 to 126 degrees.  The water in the hotter areas smelled like perm solution from the calcium sulphate.  We have beautiful sites in this campground with a boardwalk that crosses an interesting wetlands to the hot springs.  The lush vegetation and warm waters in the surrounding marsh provide habitat for moose and birds. This is a world renowned spot and I heard soaking in the hot springs could shave 10 years off how a person looks so I stayed in an extra long time.  I think I may have found some British Columbia jade stones in the hot springs.

WHITEHORSE, YT

July 1,  2011

HAPPY CANADA DAY !!! Eh?

The Canadians are thrilled with the Royal Tour.  The high today was about 60 degrees F with sunny skies after 9:00.  Our schedule took us to see the SS Klondike II. Steamships were used primarily to carry supplies and liquor to Dawson City.  It took a cord of wood per hour, or one 4 foot log every 30 seconds, to heat the water in the boiler to push out steam to produce steam to turn the pistons to move the paddle wheel.  Wood stations were located at many stops along the river.  The first SS Klondike sunk in only 6 feet of water when it ran aground on the Yukon River. The British Yukon Navigation Company salvaged the upper decks and all the mechanical parts for the SS Klondike II.  The stern wheeler could handle up to 300 Ton in only 4 feet of water.  The new and improved SS(stands for steam ship) Klondike II was a  carbon copy of the first riverboat and operated between 1937 to 1952.  In August 1955 the SS Klondike II came to rest at its current site. The seal oil they placed on the skids to slide the boat from the river was being licked off by wild animals and dogs so the riverboat was pulled down Main Street by two bulldozers and slid down the road by using 8 tons of Palmolive soap.


We took a boat trip up the canyon on Schwatka Lake for a relaxing (yawn) two-hour cruise to retrace the passage of US Army Lt. Frederick Schwatka and his small expedition that rafted down the Yukon River to the Bering Sea.  They had to pole their way through the narrow Miles Canyon channel and the Whitehorse rapids.  The rapids are now covered by Schwatka Lake which is a green turquoise color. 



Before lunch we decided to get some stamps in our Yukon passport books.  At the Old Log Church we were invited to make dream catchers which was really interesting.  We popped into the MacBride Museum of Yukon history and the Visitor Center to make sure we didn't miss anything entertaining.



We enjoyed fish and chips and an elk burger at Klondike Rib and Salmon BBQ while we watched the locals participate in Canada Day festivities.  The restaurant was constructed of metal siding similar to metal that forms culverts.  It is the oldest operating building in Whitehorse, YT.



On our way back to the Pioneer River RV Park we stopped at Yukon Transportation Museum at the airport where we saw the world's largest weather vane, a Douglas DC-3 that is mounted on a rotating weather vane, and the  and Beringia Interpretive Center that features a full size cast of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered in North America.

 
We were advised that Whitehorse is the last place to shop for food where the price of groceries is "reasonable." It is light out here until 11:30 p.m. so there are roughly only 4 hours of darkness.   We will be in Canada until July 6 when we arrive in Chicken, AK.

June 28, 2011

It was 60 and rainy at 10 a.m.  We stopped at a really, really small log cabin diner along the Tetsa River that serves fresh cinnamon rolls that were as big as my head.  The narrow, winding roads of the Alaska Highway provided steep grades
and sharp curves but we saw elk, bear, Stone sheep and bison along the highway.  We stopped at the Toad River Lodge to see their world famous hat collection.  They claim to have over 7,800 baseball caps hanging in the rafters.
Muncho Lake is another beautiful turquoise colored lake.  It is said the color is attributed to copper oxide leaching into the lake.


  
We arrived at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park where there are two springs pools with water temperatures from 108 to 126 degrees.  The water in the hotter areas smelled like perm solution from the calcium sulphate.  We have beautiful sites in this campground with a boardwalk that crosses an interesting wetlands to the hot springs.  The lush vegetation and warm waters in the surrounding marsh provide habitat for moose and birds. This is a world renowned spot and I heard soaking in the hot springs could shave 10 years off how a person looks so I stayed in an extra long time.  I think I may have found some British Columbia jade stones in the hot springs.

  







It was 60 and rainy at 10 a.m.  We stopped at a really, really small log cabin diner along the Tetsa River that serves
fresh cinnamon rolls that were as big as my head.  The narrow, winding roads of the Alaska Highway provided steep grades
and sharp curves but we saw elk, bear, Stone sheep and bison along the highway.  We stopped at the Toad River Lodge to see
their world famous hat collection.  They claim to have over 7,800 baseball caps hanging in the rafters.  Muncho Lake is
another beautiful turquoise colored lake.  It is said the color is attributed to copper oxide leaching into the lake.
pix
  
We arrived at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park where there are two springs pools with water temperatures from 108 to
126 degrees.  The water in the hotter areas smelled like perm solution from the calcium sulphate. 
We have beautiful sites in this campground with a boardwalk that crosses an interesting wetlands to the hot
springs.  The lush vegetation and warm waters in the surrounding marsh provide habitat for moose and birds.
This is a world renowned spot and I heard soaking in the hot springs could shave 10 years off how a person looks so I
stayed in an extra long time.  I think I may have found some British Columbia jade stones in the hot springs.
pix

 Inuk suk means safe journey and represents rocks that  were placed along travel routes.Here is one that I left in British Columbia.

Today we travelled from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson.  We are still in British Columbia and on Pacific time. 

It was another 300 mile day doing an average of 50 mph up and down winding hills with steep grades from 6% to 10% and shoulders in danger of being washed out with more rain. Today on the Alaska Highway you could see what appeared to be black spots on the road.  Nope, it turned out that they are chuck holes and the  water filling them from recent rains actually lets you identify them before you drove into them.

During WWII the Alaska Highway, known as the "Alcan Project" by the U.S. Army, was in response to a perceived threat by Japan.  The portion from Dawson Creek, B. C. to Delta Junction in Alaska, 1,522 miles, only took 8 months and 12 days.

Once we arrived at Fort Nelson, B.C. we toured the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum that had exhibits of photographs and a short film on the construction of the Alaska Highway, a trapper's log cabin, an albino and other stuffed animals.

Snacks and a briefing at 5:00 and we were sent on our way.  Tomorrow we drive to Liard Hot Springs, about 190 miles. There is a promise of cinnamon buns and fresh baked goods at a lodge on the Tetsa River.  LeRoy also made reservations for halibut fishing in Homer on July 19.

Another long day of travel.  We were out of the campground in Hinton, AB about 7 a.m. We have been rerouted on the bighorn route to Dawson Creek, the Scenic Route to Alaska and Caribou country.  We didn't see any caribou but we saw moose, a blacktail deer, and mule deer.

Once everyone arrived at our new campground, we were bused into Dawson Creek for a photo shoot of us at Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway.

The day turned out to be a beautiful one with a high of 72 degrees and no rain.  We are back on track with our schedule and we had a tour of game farm where we were fed wild boar, elk meatloaf and buffalo lasagna.

June 25, 2011

Bad news!!!!  With all the rain and mountain snow melt a bridge on our route to Dawson Creek washed out.  Our tour was rerouted and we had to backtrack almost 300 miles from yesterday.  Everyone was disappointed but there was nothing we could do.  Someone said the route we travelled two days in a row is considered the Serengeti of Canada.  At least we saw some mountain sheep.

 After at least five hours of driving, we arrived in Hinton, east of Jasper.  We had a 6:30 p.m. briefing on the new route to Dawson Creek and a campfire with s'mores.

Ahh! Finally an unscheduled day except for an hors oeuvres party.  It rained most of today.

Last night we went into Prince George for a steak dinner. Moxies was definitely a place frequented by a younger crowd.  We didn't hear much conversation at a table of 12 or so young adults who were obviously celebrating someone's birthday.  We chuckled when we noticed almost every one of them was holding some sort of blackberry and doing their own thing.

Travel to Dawson Creek tomorrow.

.  

June 23, 2011

It rained all night. Today is a travel day from Valemount to Prince George. We are driving on the Yellowhead Highway and saw a moose munching in the ditch and two bears along this stretch. At a rest stop we learned that the area was an ancient rain forest which contains cedar trees over 1,000 years old and plant species that are still being discovered by scientists.

Remember when I told you school was still in session until the end of June here in Canada? On our way to the campground we passed through a school zone. I thought there was a cop sitting near the school and saw the sign flashing our speed. The local constabulary stopped Dick and Sandy who were travelling behind us and gave them a lecture about going too fast in a school zone. Dick explained in the States the speed zone only applies when children are present. However, the constable was annoyed that all the earlier RVs passing through had accelerated before the end of the school zone. Luckily, Dick did not get a ticket.

Four more couples joined us at Southpark RV Park just outside Prince George. We had a social hour and were all invited to staff prepared hors d’oeuvres for the official meet and greet.

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June 22, 2011

It got down to 46 degrees in the motor home while we slept on the ice fields. I told LeRoy it was almost as cold in the refrigerator at 42 degrees.

We started out having a good day as we broke camp and saw a ram sheep atop a rocky ledge sunning himself and just around the bend another sheep. Down the road cars were stopped along the highway so we slowed down to see what they were gawking at. It was a small black bear that was feeding along the ditch. With all the commotion of the traffic, the poor little thing took off across the road on three legs.

Athabasca Falls was noted by the Wagon Master as a must see. It only has a 40’ drop but it funnels into a narrow gorge making it a thunderous experience.

We unhooked our car in Jasper and spotted a bull elk with antlers in velvet walking leisurely down the sidewalk eating the shrubbery in front of the houses. We laughed when it turned under the plant archway and into the yard of a residence, just like it lived there.

We took an aerial tram ride just outside Jasper to get a bird’s eye view of the area. The gondola is only 7 1/2 minutes long but it takes you to 7,500 feet into the alpine zone on Whistlers Mountain. You can see six mountain ranges, glacial fed lakes, the river and the town of Jasper. You could see quite a distance as the weather was sunny and 80 degrees. It was unbelievable how many people could fit in that gondola.
Into BC, British Columbia, the time zone changed from Mountain to Pacific.

Wagon Master warned that BC stands for “bring cash.” Fuel prices are even higher in this province. We drove past Mount Terry Fox, the peak named for a cancer victim, who in 1981 raised $25m for cancer research during his attempt to run across Canada. We were viewing Mount Robson from the BC visitor center when we saw a bear run between the meadow and the woods. Upon learning this, some woman with camera in hand immediately walked over to photo the bear who that disappeared into the woods.

Arrived at our campground around 3:00 to setup for the evening followed by a barbecue put on by the Adventure Caravan Wagon Masters and Tail Gunners. A short briefing about our travel day tomorrow was followed by an invitation to join in Chicken Foot or Mexican Dominoes.

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June 21, 2011

Last night the power went out at the campground in Lake Louise. I kept hearing a beeping noise in the middle of the night only to check on it and found out the refrigerator was off power. As we left Lake Louise we saw the power company replacing a transformer.

Today we made our way to the Columbia Icefields. First stop was a park pass check point. Dick and Sandy pulled away first so they got to lead today and the lucky ducks got to see a bear running into the woods We pulled into a road to Bow Summit with an elevation of 6,815 feet, the highest point on our caravan. Thankfully, another caravaner reminded those with Sleep Comfort beds to reduce the air in our mattresses or they could explode in the high altitude. We pulled onto a road that would take us to the top and bypassed the auto parking lot for buses and handicapped parking farther up. Oh oh, it was meant for tour buses. Duh!! Luckily, the tour bus in front of us pulled out as we were strategizing what to do next about our little predicament.

We drove past a weeping wall where melting snow finds its way through cracks in the mountain wall to emerge as a series of waterfalls. Also stopped at the Bridal Veil Falls lookout and could see the switch backed road we just drove.

We met up with the caravan in the parking lot at the Columbia Icefields’s Center. The Columbia Icefield is the largest body of ice in the Rocky Mountains and includes eight glaciers. It has a has a depth up to 1,200 feet and covers almost 202 square miles. We were bused to the ice fields just across from our camping area and then had a ride on a snow machine that had six foot tires. These “ice explorers” are found no where else in the world. It took us down a 30% grade (now that is really steep) to access a road on the Athabasca Glacier itself. We were invited to step onto ice over 400 years old and taste the ice cold water from a living glacier. Unfortunately, the Athabasca Glacier retreats about three feet each year as the summer’s melt is more than the winter’s accumulation. I am glad I am living in a global warming period rather than another ice age.
We had a potluck after we returned from the ice fields.

The Wagon Masters fed us chili in a bag — a small bag of crushed Fritos with a scoop of chili right in the bag. It was actually good.  Tonight on the parking lot in the ice fields we have no electric, sewer, water, TV, radio or Internet. But no worries, we have a big generator that will keep us warm and provide lights. Tomorrow we are off to Valemount in British Columbia.

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June 20, 2011

Today was a travel day. We left Cochrane after going to the local IGA, hardware store and a bank. Only I was successful at the grocery store. Wow—the prices seem high and they don’t like to make change for US $100 bills. Dick thinks he needs a part for his propane tank but could not find the thing he needs and LeRoy needs his dollars converted to Canadian but the banks didn’t open until 9:30 a.m..

The road to Banff on Hwy 1, the Trans-Canada Highway is fenced and divided. The government is in the process of building arched bridges over the highway with trees and grass growing on them. These cross over bridges are for wildlife only and allow bears, elk,deer, cougars, wolves, moose and other 4 legged critters to get to the other side of the road without getting hit by a vehicle. You can see them at this website www.pc.gc.ca/transcanada. Praise the Lord, no detours today.

We entered the Lake Louise campground and were told a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs were spotted near here. This area is the home of the grizzly bear and the campground follows the ‘bare” campsite program — store all food and food-related items in vehicle when not in use.  We unhooked our rig at the Lake Louise Campground before heading up to see Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau. Train tracks are about 250 yards from our camp site and we can see and hear the train go through every once in a while. This is
the first campground where we stayed where one rig faces one way and another rig faces the other on one site. No TV or radio stations but I picked up Internet just long enough to get news of Wausau and Rib Mt.

At Lake Louise we had to drive around the large parking lot twice before we found a parking spot.  And then it began to rain. It does a lot of that here in Alberta. A short hike down a trail and we came upon this gorgeous turquoise colored glacial lake. Runoff from six glaciers above Lake Louise feed the lake. In winter the ice can be more than a metre thick and in the summer the water is less than 50 degrees - COLD! The lake is 70 metres deep. The glaciers grind the rock beneath them to a powder called rock flour. Runoff washes this powder into the lake and the result is silty water that absorbs all colors except a striking turquoise and vivid blue that reflect back in the eyes of a person. It is a place of spectacular beauty! While there, one of the glaciers calved and created a loud boom, similar to a sonic boom.

May 19, 2011 marked the 100th anniversary of the world’s first national park system — now called Parks Canada. Originally Banff was preserved as a forest park in 1892. Lake Louise became part of Canada’s first national park in 1902. This is another one of those World Heritage sites. It was known to early inhabitants as “Lake of the Little Fishes” but was given its present name in 1880 to honor one of Queen Victoria’s children. There are several resorts along the road up to Lake Louise but the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is beautiful. Wonder how much it would cost to stay there?

We followed the Bow Valley parkway, the alternate to the road we took this morning ,as it is between Lake Louise and Banff and we could count on seeing wildlife from the road. We did see a marmot (like a prairie dog but skinnier), a mule deer and 4 grazing bull elk and a few bikers. We also saw the Bow Glacier Castle Mountain, Castle Cliffs, and the site of a WWI internment camp. Had a quick dinner in Banff after catching a view of the Banff park Museum which is now a national historic site. It has been restored to its original splendor in 1903 and is western Canada’s oldest natural history museum. Just out of Banff we saw another small herd of bull elk right along the highway peacefully chewing their cud.

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June 19, 2011 Happy Fathers Day!

We have a full agenda planned for today. We are taking a Calgary city bus tour, going to the Olympic Park and then downtown to the Calgary Tower observation deck. Our chair lift ride was cancelled due to fear of lightning. When we arrived at the Visitor Centre we had an early lunch and explored the Olympic Center and Park. The International Flag Court displayed flags of all countries that participated in the 1988 Winter Games. We saw the ski jump towers, a really small museum of memorabilia, and the winter sports areas. The facility continues to function as a multi-purpose competition, training and recreation area designed for year-round use by the public as well as by athletes. I climbed into a bob sleigh for a photo op but —YIKES - no seats, just metal.  LeRoy and I pinned Rib Mt on the international map that was on display. We saw the actual sled used in the Disney movie “Cool Runnings” filmed here at Canada Olympic Park.

I was disappointed by the size of the alpine competition area. Rib Mountain could easily host a future winter Olympics as the ski hill didn’t seem that large to us. Calgary added several attractions to generate revenues after the Olympic Winter Games such as a zip line ($60), a Spiderweb attraction where you crawl through a series of webs to reach the top of the tower ($10), bungee jumping $10) and a climbing wall ($10). I envisioned potential money makers for the Town, especially when we left and saw hundreds of vehicles swarming into Calgary’s Olympic Park. And it was already 1:30 so I didn’t think they were coming for the Fathers Day brunch.

Next stop was the Calgary Tower. It was completed in 1968 for a cost of $3.5 million. To build it today would cost $35 million. We took the elevator up about 52 floors to get a view from the observation deck. It compares to the Needle in Seattle and the Arch in St. Louis.




Returned to camp early. Had a briefing about Lake Louise, our next destination.

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June 18,2011


Last night we had reservations for the Great Canadian Barn Dance held at our campground. It was a beef and chicken buffet followed by a two-hour musical performance. This talented musical family prepares the food, serves the food and then puts on a stage show. The musicians include mom and dad, both of their dads, a paternal uncle and two sons, Ronan 13 and Rylan just 21. I think the sons are extraordinarily musical and both attend the music conservatory. Luckily there wasn’t any dance floor so we could just enjoy the entertainment. The family owns the Barn and campground but would prefer to sell the campground and just lease the Barn.

We gathered for coffee around 7:30. Today we have a stop en route at historic Fort Macleod, the original headquarters of the North West Mounted Police. We saw a short film depicting how the North West Mounted Police eventually became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Displays focus on uniforms worn by the mounted police, weapons, tools and other items they used each day.  Fort Macleod was established in 1874 and built on an island. After 9 years, and with flooding of the island for six of those years, the fort was relocated to higher ground.  It was in 1868 a supply route was open from Montana to Fort Macleod in Canada. This encouraged the building of whiskey forts / trading posts and gave this particular fort the name Fort Whoop-Up. Traders who eagerly swapped firewater for furs soon found themselves in need of protection from patrons who felt they didn’t get a square deal. And alcohol was having a negative impact on the Indians.

The North West Mounted Police was created in 1873 by an act of Parliament and were modelled after Irish constables and the U.S. army’s mounted rifle units. The purpose of the NWMP was to create a national police force and to bring law and order for a legitimate supply route in the area known as the North West Territories. The Canadian government recruited 275 men with the promise of $1 per day, a horse, food and a guarantee of 160 acres of land after five years of service. Of 310 horses taken on the “March West”, 82 of them perished on the journey, to say nothing about the sickness and physical condition of the men.
By the way, the son of author Charles Dickens served in the NWMP although not in the original 275. Imagine having your father calling you “chicken stalker” as a kid and then having to live with that nickname while in the service of the mounted police.

This morning we had mostly sunny skies and 60 degrees Celsius. We had lunch in the city where the community restored and preserved historic buildings on its main street with The Empress Theatre being “the jewel of Main Street.”

Back on the road to Calgary and the skies turned cloudy and the rains came again along with windy conditions. No more events planned for today. In Canada they don’t call the naive-people Indians— they are called First Nations. The US dollar is only worth 94 cents here in Canada. Tonight we went out for dinner and the restaurant did not take dollars, only CAD. We will have to stop at a bank as we will be in Canada the whole month of June.

Le Roy and Dick stopped at the Air Museum in Nanton. LeRoy was disappointed that it was mostly British engines and WWII aircraft. We arrived at our next campground in Cochrane about 30 miles from Calgary. We are here for two days.

June 17, 2011

Got canola? Canola is a major oilseed crop here in Alberta,Canada.  It is called rapeseed, or woman in oil.

Today we are off to Cardston to see the Remington Carriage Museum voted #1 indoor attraction in Canada. In 1954 Don Remington restored a cutter (sleigh) to escort Santa into town. He paid for his hobby by ranching. When he died he had 48 carriages which he gave to the government with conditions the collection not be split and a place would be built so others could enjoy. The museum of horse-drawn vehicles is the largest in Nor Am. Fay Wray, the actress in the 1933 movie King Kong, and George Wolf, the jockey who road Seabiscuit, are both from Cardston.

We saw a 14 minute film that showed how the vehicles affected daily life, particularly in large cities in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We saw all kinds of horse-drawn vehicles including a sheep wagon, King George IV’s carriage, a Sherlock Holmes type taxi, a funeral hearse, a Vanderbilt personal taxi, a Conestoga, lumber wagon and a “princess” carriage. There are over 250 pieces in the collection. Many of them were made in the US. Ever hear of Studebaker?

The Blood Indians have the biggest reservation in CAD. Many of the elderly natives are still mad about their mistreatment generations. It is against their law to leave a primary road while on the reservation. Native Americans don’t have to go thru regular customs at the border like we do.

Hutterite colonies are made up of Germans who migrated to live in this area. They are awesome tradesmen and craftsmen. This is a religious group similar to our Amish and like them they stay away from worldly things like TV and radio.

The restoration tech in the shop made each of us gals a ring fashioned from a horseshoe nail. I got to climb into a stagecoach used by Jackie Chan in Shanghai Noon and Tom Selleck in Crossfire Trail. I felt just like Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke until LeRoy told me it was not an authentic stage coach. Rather it was made of fiberglass and only made for the movies. Interesting that there were no springs on a stage coach, rather they were on long strips of leather to take the bounce out of the ride. However, it made the coach rock back and forth from front to back throughout the ride. Tour guide said movies made it look like the coaches travelled fast but in reality the ride was slow and long.

Before leaving we had a buggy ride pulled by 2 horses that loved to trot. One could also tour the restored log home of Charles Ora Remington, the Mormon leader who founded Canada’s first settlement in Cardston in 1887.  The Blood Indians have the largest reservation in CAD. Many of the elders still are made about their mistreatment from generations ago. It is against their law to leave a primary road while on the reservation. Native Americans don’t have to pass thru customs at the border as we do.  Hutterite colonies of farmers who migrated from Germany own a lot of land in southern Alberta. They are all amazing craftsmen and tradesmen. Similar to Amish, they avoid modern conveniences. However, they have the newest and most up to date farm machinery. Children are only schooled to 8th grade. At 15, they go to work with Mom or Dad. In addition to farming, they own a mill and a tannery.

Speaking of school, the CAD schools are open until the end of June. Another community near here, Glenwood, survives on agriculture but they now have a plant to make powdered milk.
On our way to Had-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump we observed many wind turbines (wind mills) that supply Alberta’s power. There are many horse, cattle and buffalo ranches.

Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump is a world heritage site which preserves the area as an ancient hunting grounds used by Plains Indians for over 5,800 years. The buffalo hunt was always held in early morning when the sun was bright and always in fall. The braves would stampede a herd of about 100 buffalo over the sandstone cliffs to their death and the hunters butchered the kill at their campsite below the cliffs.
According to Blackfoot legend, a young brave stood under the ledge of the cliff to watch the buffalo as they fell past him. It was an unusually good hunt that day and as the number of carcass multiplied his skull was crushed as he became trapped between the animals and the cliff.

Our tour guild told us when the elders come here they say the hunt wasn’t even done here. He also conceded that the name Head-Smashed-In is only used as a gimmick to attract attention to this area. Believe it or not.

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June 16, 2011   TODAY IS THE DAY! PINCH ME!

We departed today around 9 a.m. after a scare with one of our jacks. One of the front jacks wouldn’t retract all the way. It must have gone down crooked on the pads as the site at Dick’s was so uneven. We must call the TG on the CB radio to tell them of our departure. Adventure 2, this is Adventure 1. We are departing with lights and seat belts on, passports ready and our trip meter set to zero. We stopped at a rest stop to make sure our bubble wrap was still taped to the headlamps and fog lights as we were warned of tiny pea gravel and rocks that can break lenses and windshields. The sign warned to stay off the grass there as rattlesnakes were spotted in the area. We went past Brady, MT with the Rocky Mtns as its backdrop. Fueled up inn Shelby, MT the last fuel stop in the US. Diesel was $3.89 with a discount for cash.
At the border crossing we had to shut off the engine, provide passports and answer questions like where are you from? where are you going? what is the purpose of your trip? How long will you be in Canada? do you have anything for sale or resale? do you have alcohol? how much? do you have tobacco? Do you have firearms. Well, “that was easy.” Or so we thought until one couple reported they were pulled inside a large garage to have their entire fifth wheel camper inspected. They said it took 1 1/2 hrs but the guards were respectful of their belongings. The couple said he had permits to carry guns on his passport and they probably thought he had some aboard.

Distance in CAD (Canada) is measured in kilometers and the US dollar = .96 CAD. Roads in CAD are not always the same as on my GPS. We missed a turn at St Mary’s Reservoir and thought we would turn around in Cardston, about 12 miles down the road. It turned out we weren’t really that lost after all. We had a great distant view of the eastern Canadian Rockies that are still covered with snow. Lots of it.

It was sprinkling while en route this morning which turned to rain this afternoon when we turned on the road to the Great Canadian Barn Dance & Family Campground. The ground is rain soaked and the wheels sunk in a couple of inches. We are here for 2 nights. We had another briefing on tomorrow’s planned events and were invited to eat leftovers from last night. No cooking again tonight. A full day is planned for us tomorrow with Saturday being another travel day.

June 15, 2011

Today was a busy day for us. We were invited to the Wagon Master’s for coffee and goodies at 8 a.m. Eventually everyone from the caravan showed up. They served delicious scones and a danish puff pastry with almond frosting. As usual, the gals sat around the picnic table and the guys stood around by themselves.
Another caravaner told us about more falls in the area. Even Lewis & Clark only expected one falls but were delayed several weeks when they had to portage around FIVE of them. So we headed out of town 7 miles to see Ryan Falls. Our elevation dropped over 350’ as we descended to the hydroelectric plant. The volume of water over the spillways was unbelievable. With all the flooding in this area the force of the water roared as we approached the dam. We had to cross a suspension bridge to cross to an island where we could view this powerful surge. Only six were allowed on the bridge and the sign said no swaying on the bridge. With four people with different weights and gaits you can imagine that ole bridge started swaying once we got out of step and at least once I reached for the rail for balance. We reached the island where they had electric stoves in a little building just for picnickers. They certainly had plenty of electricity for everyone that close to the dam. The electric stove kitchen was originally built to demonstrate a “new” way of cooking food. Then we say the warning sign: Evacuate the island if you hear 8 short blasts! I assumed the island was up high enough but with the raging waters from the swollen Missouri River it could be possible that those waters could swallow us up. As we walked on the viewing trail we could feel a heavy mist coming off the turbulent water. Back across the suspension bridge to head further downriver to Morony Falls.

At the Morony Falls the water gushed over the spill ways and bounced off the rocks to explode in geyser like formations. Only one 2-story brick building remains of a construction community of 400-600 people who resided there while the dam was being built in 1928. Ragtown was a neighborhood of family-owned shacks. One could imagine a ramshackle workers camp filled with makeshift structures where mothers tended young children and sent their husbands off to perilous dam-building jobs. The dam operators replaced the construction workers and the shanty town was abandoned.

Next was the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center operated by the USDA Forest Service. It had exhibits from the 1804-06 Lewis & Clark expedition, particularly the portion that took place in what is now Montana. We will miss the Great Falls 3-day Lewis & Clark Festival in late June where they have re-enactments and demonstrations. Lewis and Clark were very different from one another. Clark drew maps of the land and river routes while Lewis described hundreds of plants and animals new to science and accounts about Indian customs and life styles. They were able to share leadership of the Corps of Discovery. Sacagawea found vegetables and roots for the men to eat while she travelled with her baby. The L& C Expedition was the brainchild of President Jefferson. He charged Captain Lewis and Capt Clark with fostering peace and finding a navigable passage to the Pacific ocean through the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. Congress originally appropriated $2,500 for the expedition but the final cost was closer to $38,000. It just doesn’tchange.
We had an orientation at 2:00 followed by dinner at 4:30 and then went to Wal-mart for supplies. Without the GPS or vicinity map we almost got lost. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY. I blogged and blogged until midnight only to lose everything due to connectivity problems.

June 14, 2011

Today we went to the C M Russell Museum. He was a cowboy artist who was attracted to the exciting life of a cowboy. He had great admiration of Native Americans. There were five galleries in all types of media from his watercolors, sculptures, oil paintings and illustrated correspondence to historical photos of the Old West. Charlie lived in Great Falls, MT until 1926. His home and log studio are next to the museum and are also open.

After lunch we visited the Rainbow Falls area along the Missouri River where there was a lot of water flooding over the spill way. LeRoy said they are putting in a new draft tube where water runs through the hydro plant to the generating wheels.

There is still a lot of snow in the mountains and people here are not optimistic that water in flooded areas will not even start to go down until the end of the week. There are many wash outs on the edges of roads and we saw streets with standing water across them.

At the campground we can occasionally see and hear F-15s fly over from the Malmstrom Air Force Base located just out of town.

June 13, 2011

Today we relaxed at Dick’s Campground. Our Tailgunner came over with a checklist about the condition of our motor home. He grilled LeRoy about the tires, suspension, brakes, and even our fire extinguisher. Following him was Ann, the Wagon Master’s wife, who reviewed our route itinerary. She gave us our two bibles for this adventure, The Milepost and a trip book. We had a social hour at 4 and met many of the other caravaners from all over the U.S. Only one couple cancelled so far. We are having a get acquainted cookout on Wednesday and leaving here Thursday.

June 12, 2011

We travelled Montana Hwy 200S as we were told it was a good road and we would not have to travel through many mountains. It was posted as the “Lewis & Clark Old Wild West Trail.” The road was an old two-lane road with soft or no shoulder for at least 120 miles. With a 70 mph posted speed limit, no shoulders, the cruise control on despite spotty rain showers, and a realization we had no air bags, it turned into a hair raising ride until LeRoy slowed down. We stopped for a breather and learned that the first Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton came out of this area in 1902. In fact, one-half of the 30 some Tyrannosaurus found in the world are from this area.

Big sky country did not disappoint us with expansive prairie grasslands, cattle and sheep ranches, and beautiful mountains in the distance. We arrived at our rendevous in Great Falls, Mt.

June 11, 2011

Recent heavy rains in North Dakota prevented us from entering a rest stop as the bottom of the ramp was flooded with a foot or two of water. We stopped at the Painted Canyon entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park to view the ND Badlands colorful buttes and gullies. Our 26th President, Teddy Roosevelt, is known for his contributions toward the conservation of our nation’s natural resources. As we travelled through the National Grasslands you almost wanted to break out in song “Home on the Range”. Late afternoon we circled the wagons in Glendive, Mt, known as the “Paddlefish Capital”.” They are boneless, bottom feeding fish, nothing you would want to eat. 75 mph speed limits in ND and MT.

June 10, 2011

Let the adventure begin. We are on our way to Great Falls, MT to meet up with Adventure Caravans for our trip to AK. We hit the road armed with trip-tik, tour books, maps and gps but even before we got out of WI, we took a wrong turn. I claim driver error but LeRoy said it was a short cut. We drove until Ashby, MN where the temperatures haven’t been this cold for over a month.