Weedon Trail

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

One week to go until until we relocate to another place in Alberta.

If the weather is reasonable then we do a morning walk/ride by crossing over Hwy 22 and head west down Weedon Trail. Lorraine walks 4 miles and I ride 6 miles.

Most of the time the traffic is lite. Then other times it's heavy as the video below shows.

The big water trucks, we are told, are removing water from a local lake that has no natural drainage and is threatening the homes along the banks. The water is being taking it to a well site (fraking?) further North on Hwy 22.

So remember to "Discover It and Live It".

Waterton National Park

July 10, 2014 – Thursday - Truck Touring to Waterton National Park

 

       It was 9ºC, calm and sunny this morning. We packed a picnic lunch, filled our water bottles and topped off the truck with diesel. It was a full day ahead of us. The Destination, Waterton National Park in the southern part of Albert.

We drove south on the Cowboy Trail (Hyw22), through Bragg Creek, passing over Sheep Creek that had flooded last year and was now re-enforced with rocks. We drove through Turner Valley, Black Diamond, and Longview. We passed by Chain Lakes Provincial Park and arrived at the junction of #22 and #3 at 10:00am.

We stopped in Lundbreck looking for a service station and washroom, but could not find anything.

Passed over The Oldman River near Pincher Creek on #6 south where we stopped for diesel, coffee and The washroom.

There were many wind power turbos along the Alberta foothills in this area.

 

Before we arrived at Waterton National Park we stopped for a Waterton Park Front for a photo shoot of the valley, mountains and grassland flowers, which were of all colours and in full bloom.

We arrived at the National Park entrance at 11:00am. Many people were paying at the gate. We were able to used our National Park passes and drive through with a wave from the Park Warden.

On May 30, 1895, a 140 sq. km (54 sq. miles) area was protected by the federal government as a Dominion Forest Park, is now known as Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada. Waterton was Canada's 4th national park and is the smallest in the Canadian Rockies 505 sq.km (195 sq. miles). The park's name derives from the Waterton Lakes. This chain of lakes, named by Lieutenant Blakiston (a member of the Palliser Expedition), honours a British naturalist, Squire Charles Waterton (1782-1865).

Waterton is a small recreation town full of summer tourist and campers. The first place we stopped at was the Prince of Wales Hotel on the hill with a good view of Waterton Lake.

The Prince of Wales Hotel is located in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, overlooking Upper Waterton Lake, near the Canada-United States border. Constructed between 1926 and 1927, the hotel was built by the American Great Northern Railway to lure American tourists north of the border during the prohibition era. The hotel was named after the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), in a transparent attempt to entice him to stay in the hotel on his 1927 Canadian tour, but the Prince stayed at a nearby ranch instead. The Prince of Wales Hotel enjoys the distinction of being the sole establishment among Canada's grand railway hotels to have been built by an American, as opposed to a Canadian, railway company. The hotel was designated a National Historic Site of Canada by the Canadian government in 1995.

While Randal was taking pictures I wondered in the gift shop and purchased a biography of Robert Service. Randal did not know where I went and was watching for me to come out of the ladies room on second floor. He said he was worried!

 We check out the Waterton Townsite Campground www.pccamping.ca and were very pleased to see what was possible for us to come here for a couple of weeks or longer if that is possible. There are limited full service sites and do get booked up during July and August. We saw a few empty ones, so we may have a chance to get a site. There are good walking a biking paths there. The Townsite Campground is using the Parks Canada Reservation Service.

From there we drove to the Marina and watched the scenic cruise boat (the International) load up for the 1:00pm tour of Waterton Lake. This cruise takes place in Waterton Glacier International Peace Park. It has been in service since 1927.

Info from the brochure is cost $43.00/adult for a 21/2 hour trip with information and entertaining commentary from the tour guides. It takes 200 passages and travels south on one side and North on the other side of the lake, crossing the International Boundary to Goat Haunt, Montana. www.watertoncruise.com .

We walked over to the United Church because Randal wanted to know when Daryl Reine was booked as a guest minister for a week this summer. We talked to a church member who told us Daryl will be guest minister on Sunday July 27.

By 2:00 pm we walked back to where we parked by the marina and drove to the information center to make a pit stop. After leaving the park we stopped at the Buffalo Paddock. The paddock had a Texas Gate that lead to a one-way trail. We saw six or seven buffalo grouped by a pond and one laying down in a sand pit.

At Pincher Creek we turned east on Hwy 3 toward Fort Macleod, taking Hwy 2 north through Claresholm, High River, and then Calgary. Deerfoot trail by this time was very heavy traffic and slowed to a crawl. The GPS lady ask if we wanted to switch to pedestrian mode. At the north end of Deerfoot we took the Balzac exit to Rangeland RV Service Center. It was now 5:45pm and we had time to pick up a part ordered for the RV frig.

We were back at our trailer (Home) by 6:30pm, tired, hungry and feeling fully satisfied with the trip over 645 km and 300 pictures later.

So until next time remember to Discover It and Live It.

June Truck Tour

Truck Tour - June 21, 2014 - Weather was overcast 

We decided if the weather was going to be dismal, we might as well see some of the country side around us. So after packing a lunch, off we went. The rain started only a few Ks north on Hwy 22. At Sundre, AB there was a parade about to begin. The highway we were on was to be the parade route through town. Lorraine was busy giving her queen wave to everyone along the route sitting in their lawn chairs under umbrellas. The staging area was close to the west end of town. Old cars and young and old cowboys were mounting there horses and lining up for the wet ride though Sundre. 

Sundre is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Mountain View County, 130 km northwest from Calgary, along the Cowboy Trail in the Canadian Rockies foothills. Elevation: 1,097 m, Area: 11.16 km².

Next on the tour was Rocky as the locals call it. Crossing the N. Saskatchewan River, we arrived at the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site. The rain was letting up now and there were a couple of blue patches forming, so we dismounted and walk around the historic site.   

There is a buffalo paddock here and you can get upfront and personal with the herd if you like. We settled for a visit with a steel head instead.

  

Rocky Mountain House is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 77 km west of the City of Red Deer at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers, and at the crossroads of Highway 22 and Highway 11. Elevation: 989 m. Area: 12.99 km². 

Back on the highway we headed West on Hwy 11. 

Time was getting close to noon and we started looking for a place to stop and eat the lunch we had prepared. The sun was now out and we found a beautiful spot beside Abraham Lake. 

Abraham Lake is an artificial lake on North Saskatchewan River in western Alberta, Canada. Abraham Lake has a surface area of 53.7 km2 (20.7 sq mi) and a length of 32 km (20 mi).
History - It was built on the upper course of the North Saskatchewan River, in the foothills of theCanadian Rockies. It lines David Thompson Highway between Saskatchewan River Crossingand Nordegg.Abraham Lake was created in 1972, with the construction of the Bighorn Dam. TheGovernment of Alberta sponsored a contest to name the lake in February 1972, during the final stages of construction of the Bighorn dam. Students across the province were asked to submit names taking into consideration "historical significance, prominent persons, geography and topography, and the value of the lake." It was named for Silas Abraham, an inhabitant of the Saskatchewan River valley in the nineteenth century.Although man-made, the lake has the blue color of other glacial lakes in the Rocky Mountains, which is caused by rock flour as in other glacial lakes. - Wikipedia 

After lunch we arrived at the junction on The Icefields Parkway and turn south toward Lake Louise. We stopped at the Glacier Lake trail head to stretch and enjoy the sun and fresh air of the mountain area.

The Icefields Parkway (French: Promenade des Glaciers), also known as Highway 93 north, is a scenic road in Alberta,Canada. It parallels the Continental Divide, traversing the rugged landscape of the Canadian Rockies, travelling through Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. It links Lake Louise with Jasper to the north. At its southern end, the Icefields Parkway terminates at Highway 1. Highway 1 west goes to Yoho National Park in British Columbia and Highway 1 east to Lake Louise and the Town of Banff.

A second parkway, the Bow Valley Parkway also links Lake Louise and the Town of Banff. Known as Highway 1A, this road parallels Highway 1 and, at the midpoint, passes the Castle Mountain junction where Highway 93 south, or the Banff-Windermere Highway, branches southwest into Kootenay National Park in British Columbia.

The Icefields Parkway, 230 km (140 mi) long, was completed in 1940. It is named for features such as the Columbia Icefield, visible from the parkway.
The parkway is busy in July and August with up to 100,000 vehicles a month. The parkway is mainly two lanes with occasional passing lanes. It minimizes grades and hairpin turns but travellers must look out for wildlife, and vehicles stopped on the shoulder. Snow can be expected at any time of year and extreme weather is common in winter.
A Canadian national parks permit is required to travel on the Icefields Parkway; stations near Lake Louise and Jasper enforce the law. Commercial trucks are prohibited. The speed limit is 90 km/h (55 mph) although the limit is reduced at Saskatchewan River Crossing and the Columbia Icefield area. In winter, chains or all-season radial tires are required by law and road closures are not uncommon.

I had to get a shot of one of Banff's iconic mountains, Mount Rundel. On the right in the picture below.

We made very good time when we got onto the Trans Canada Highway back two Calgary. At Morley we got onto hwy 1A then turned North on Grand Valley Road and arrived home after 8.5 hours and 500 Km.

So until next time remember "Discover It and Live It".

Touring Foothills

Wednesday May 21, 2014 Sunny and Warm

Randal and I went for a drive and photo shoot in the foothills of Alberta.
 

 
 We drove down 567 west and turned onto Horse Creek Road and followed it until we arrived at Grand Valley Road.

This road made many turns through grid roads, trees, evidence of a little snow in the shaded areas.

We passed the road leading to Triple Diamond RV Resort; a Boy Scoot Camp; Water Valley; and an active operating sand pit.

We turned on TWN #290 and wound our way back to #22, 20 km north of Spring Hill.

More homes were nestled in the trees and the farms were being seeded.

We were out for an hour and a half and enjoyed the warm weather of 22C.


So, until next time remember to "Discover It and Live It.

 

Travelling Through Texas

On February 18, Tuesday when we left the KOA in Scott near Lafayette, Louisiana. It was an overnight stay at the KOA we had stayed in 2013. Our goal was to get through Texas as quickly as possible. It took four travelling days on I-10. From Feb. 18th to Feb. 22nd.

 

Travel Day 1 - Wednesday Feb 18, 2014
We traveled in fog the first day. Randal had to turn on the truck fog lights. It was well noted how many other travelers do not even put on their lights.

The traffic was heavy and the many large trucks with wide loads heightened Randal's focus with his driving.

Before we left this area of Louisiana there were rice fields.

Cajun Country Rice is a true product of Louisiana. Our rice is grown on Louisiana soil, by Louisiana farmers and milled and packaged at the historic Falcon Rice Mill in Crowley, Louisiana. Cajun Country Rice is a Louisiana original- and the only rice to use for authentic Cajun dishes and southern soul food because at Cajun Country we make good food great. 

As we traveled into Texas the speed limits increased to 75 mph. and then increased again to 80 mph.The highways were generally good, but there where sections of cement rough spots. Many were three-lanes especially as we neared Houston. We drove over Bayous Rivers and the Galveston Bay.

Finding Service stations to pull our trailer through was tricky. The large truck stops we preferred the best but sometimes the only choice was a small station. The cost of diesel ranged from $3.71/gal to 3.89/gal.

The area around Huston is flat country of farms and ranches but becomes hilly and curved highway.

Houston is stretched out with hundreds of pass-over bridges throughout the city. I-10 runs right through the middle but was pretty straight forward for Randal to drive while I snapped pictures. It took nearly an hour to drive through it.

  

 

Our first destination in Texas was Houston West RV Park in Brookshire, TX. on the west side of Houston.

It is a Good Sam Park and we arrived at 1:30 pm and were told there was only one back-in space available. We had not pre-booked this park but we stayed for two nights. The RV Park was filled with long-stay residents many of then workers that left early in the morning and returned at night. As well, there were other traveler like our selves who were just passing through.

The Ram's air conditioner has not worked since we left Canada. The weather in Texas being generally hot and muggy we had to drive with the windows opened. The trailer's air conditioner came in handy for our comfort once set up in the campsites.

There were times we have trouble finding a good grocery store and end up driving a longer distance to find something. The GPS doesn't always brings up what we need. Most time it will give us directions to conveniences stores that sold junk food. When I mentioned to the cashier of our difficulty in finding grocery stores she said that most people eat out and do not stay at home to cook for themselves.



Travel Day 2 - Thursday Feb. 20, 2014
At San Antonio, TX, the Highway Loop 1604 took us around the city. We traveled for some time behind two small buildings which moved at a good speed of 80 mph, passing under bridges and even passing a slow-going cement truck.

An 'Escarpment' is marked on our map in this area with an elevation as high as 2275 ft. We were back onto I-10, just passed San Antonio. As we came closer to Junction, TX. we noticed many dried up rivers and creeks and more cactus were growing.

This time we called ahead and booked Junction North Llano River RV Park (Good Sam) for one night. We were greeted by the Park Assistant who showed us right to a site. We are situated under leafless-pecan trees. We left the truck hocked up for this one night stay.

At the service station while Randal was filling up with diesel I was intrigued with the outdoor BBQ overs at Cooper's Restaurant so went over to talk to the man managing them. He was cooking pork ribs and beef brisket today.

Junction TX is named for its location at the confluence of the North and South Llano Rivers. The community was founded in 1876 after the organization of Kimble County earlier that year. Notable highways serving the city include I- 10, US #83, US # 377 .

Travel Day 3 - Friday, Feb. 21
On our forth day,the over night temperature was 0º C however it did warm up to 23º C by the afternoon. We left Junction I-10 was very quiet for traffic, it seemed we had the road to ourselves. A tourist attraction near Sonora are the Caverns.

The Caverns of Sonora, a National National Landmark is a unique cave located 8 miles (13 km) west of the small city of Sonora, Texas. The first quarter-mile of the cave was known to local ranch-hands by the early 1900s. The cave is formed in 100-million-year-old . The formation of the cave itself probably occurred between 1.5 to 5 million years ago.

We drove on top of a plateau at 2480 ft. near Ozona and Sheffield. We passed farms and ranches, windmills and oil fields. On the map was marked 'Stockton Plateau'. We were going up and down the valleys of the plateau.

We noticed that the dried waterways-drain areas were called 'Draws'. There were several with names and bridges over them. We also noticed there was a single two-way paved roads running parallel beside I-10 which ended at 'dead ends'. We were curious to what purpose they had and we came to the conclusion that the severed as entries to oil areas, ranches, communication towers as this was an Interstate Highway with limited access.

After Fort Stockton there were a few State Parks and the terrain was rugged, hilly with a mountains along the south. One was named Black Mountain at a 7550 ft. I-20 converged with I-10 near Kent There was a rail line now that ran parallel to the Interstate.

This the Texas Mountain Trail

The Texas Mountain Trail is an adventure route through the tallest region of Texas. Along the Trail rising land thrust 90 peaks more than a mile high. This remote region of stark majesty awaited discovery for countless centuries before it became a home for nomadic Indian tribes who drew from it a meagre life. To Spanish adventurers it was a formidable barrier that tested their stamina. Prospectors discovered the land, and some gouged great wealth from its hidden recesses, but not without effort, for mountains yield their treasures grudgingly. The same dramatic vistas on today’s Mountain Trail unfolded for labouring wagon trains, and the ghosts of those sturdy pioneers often intrude into modern man’s consciousness, demanding recognition for taming the primitive land.

The Texas Mountain Trail visits secluded canyons, unspoiled parks, and weathered sites of living history.

The elevation was 4414 ft. as we neared Van Horn. We arrived at the Van Horn KOA by 1:30 pm. The office was closed but the management had posted our reservation info on the door. We guided ourselves to the designated site and set up. The KOA Kampground was in the desert with, cactus and trees that had painted trunks.

We noticed that a few trees had buds on them, spring is here. Van Horn is very small with very few small businesses and many closed business. The large truck service stations are situated at the intersection of I-10.



So remember to "Discover It and Live It".