7/21
Finished up Montana today and got to Claresholm, Alberta, about 550 mi.
We're in a campground. I guess I was looking pretty dangerous at the border
because I was sent into the building for further questioning and then my
van was searched. Of course, Angel was frightened to be taken out of her
nice comfy van and held in a waiting room, but Jascha was fine with it.
The waiting room was nicely air conditioned, and it was 90+ outdoors today.
Of course, no contraband was found and we were sent on our way. |
7/22
A beautiful, cool day, with a nice refreshing rain in the morning. Our
longest day yet, at 625 mi. Alberta is such a vast unchanging prairie, it
gets tedious, so I was hoping to reach British Columbia, and that's what
we did. We're camped for the night just across the BC border at the Swan
Lake Provincial Park. Jascha enjoyed a long walk by the lake, and even Angel
got to play outside at the campsite. |
Two scenes from the campground:
A reflection on one corner of Swan Lake
Some sort of aquatic flower covered one area near shore |
|
7/23
British Columbia, in sharp contrast to Alberta, is a place of stunning,
ever-changing scenery, much like Alaska. This is also where I've seen the
most wildlife. Today there were Stone Sheep, caribou, moose, buffalo, and
a fox. With all the twisty mountain roads we couldn't get as far as yesterday,
but went a bit over 500 miles. Weather was cool and mostly overcast, very
pleasant. We've stopped for the night at Laird Hot Springs Provincial Park. |
Photos from 7/23 in British Columbia:
Early this morning we were back on the Alaska Highway, in
Dawson Creek, BC
A scene with several of the Northern Rocky Mountains and
a valley
A Stone Sheep ewe with her little lamb
The Stone Sheep ram was nearby
Muncho Lake late in the day |
7/24
It started out cool this morning, and as we went further and further
north, the temperature dropped lower. Tonight it is downright cold. There
was some rain during the day but it's nice and dry now. Today we crossed
the continental divide and moved into the Yukon (which is every bit as beautiful
as BC.) Passing through Whitehorse, I didn't hear any suspicious noises
from the van (wheeew!) so I just gassed up and got a salad, then hit the
road again. We went 540 miles today, and are about 200 miles from the Alaskan
border. |
7/25
Cool temperatures and rain continued most of the day. During breaks in
the fog and rain, I could see small impressions of the magnificent vistas,
and then the weather would close in again. This is the worst stretch of
roadway on the AK Hwy, with potholes, frost heaves, pavement breaks, etc.
so slower speeds are advisable. We crossed the border without incident;
the customs agent even gave the dog a treat. Stopped for WiFi in Tok, and
went on in to Glennallen to visit Shana and Kurt. We went out for a meal
and had a nice visit before I pushed on toward Anchorage. I've stopped for
the night in a pulloff not very far from Glennallen. 430 miles for the day.
Almost home... |
Pix from the Yukon today:
It was great to see this beautiful light colored Grizzly
Bear early this morning
The low cloud ceiling hangs over this floral scene with
Kluane River
A huge "garden" of Marsh Fleabane covered this
small pond and stream
A closer view of the flowers |
7/26
WE'RE BACK!! It was a terrific trip! I've put about 10,000 miles on the
odometer. :-) Today was foggy, raining, gray... not so nice for photography,
but good travelling conditions. By early afternoon we were back home and
all the kitties reunited. Everyone seemed glad to see Angel and Jascha again.
And I've had a little pack of cats following me around since our arrival.
From what I hear, it's been cold and rainy most of the summer, so I picked
a good year to leave town. |
