Clouds were overcast and it was more comfortable this morning than yesterday, making the drive easier on all of us. But as we approached US89 and started meandering around the hills of the national park, the more I wanted to pull over and hike. I found a a gravel road on a ridgeline off of US89, parked there, and decided here is where I was going to hike my two miles o/w, or until mud or snow or ice held me back. Elevation here was 5981'. Elevation at the turn-around was 6799'.
We were walking into a former burn zone, a fire from July 2006 called the Red Eagle fire that burned mostly on the eastern slopes on the rez. Dead stumps still stand here, with younger krumholz growing nearby. Lots of low wildflowers in yellows, deep blues and whites dot this landscape. The road I was on led to a hilltop weather station, but the road near the top was too muddy and snowy for me to maneuver safely. The views from here were stunning, though. The low hills of the Great Plains collide with these glaciers.
I met two women driving up the same road as I was walking back down. Perhaps they were from the rez as they told me this road is normally covered in snow in Junes. I was carrying some discarded beer cans that I had picked up to throw away later when I talked with them; they probably thought I'd been drinking while walking. No, I said, this was trash that does not belong in these mountains. Unfortunately there was more trash off the road than I could carry.
There were so many forest roads off US89 here going in all directions. One wouldn't need to pay the fee to enter the park to enjoy the mountains, but I'm sure the locals know this. The soil was still very saturated from recent snow melt. The town farther north, St Mary's, does allow for access to the park, but I didn't stop. It was approaching 10am and I wanted to get into Alberta. The mountains north were shrouded in grey clouds. I pulled over to get my documents together and drove right up to the booth agent. He asked me a few questions about firearms and alcohol (I have neither), looked at my passport and the dogs' health certificates, asked me how long I would be in Alberta, and then wished me safe travels. His questions were far more short and concise than when I drove into BC last summer to check out Vancouver. As soon as I got on the Canadian side, I lost my phone service.
I was now on ALB2 going north. The glaciers continued northwest and I was going north, over gentle green hills and speed limit signs in the metric system. Small chipmunks kept scammering around the road playing chicken with me; a few didn't quite make it and were food for the magpies. The land looked no different than the land west of Shelby. The only difference is the much higher price of gasoline (sold in liters), anywhere from $.99 to $1.07.9.
Traffic around Calgary was another issue altogether. With no phone service now, my GPS wasn't working properly. I will have to stop and study the map a bit more. I need to make sure I stay in a northwesterly direction and don't accidentally travel 2000 miles the wrong way. I'm still getting Sirius radio, though, and get to hear all about the Comey hearing before the Senate.
I needed to get to CND1A going northwest, and from there on ALB22. ALB22 is a two-laner going mostly straight north through small towns. Gas and lumber are the primary industry and there are RV parks everywhere! I stopped to walk a Nature Trail in Cremora, Alberta, a linear path created by mowing along the edge of a marsh and grassland. Poplar trees lined the path. A red fox ran across the path but it was too fast for me to photograph, but I saw plenty of very tame deer resting in the grass off the road, with not a care in the world.
I made Rocky Mountain House my destination for the night. I walked part of the Big Rock trail off ALB11, a paved multi-use trail, as my final walk with the dogs for today. Both did so well off-leash and there were plenty of people walking the trail. There were also more deer resting in the grass, cautious of the dogs. Zeke was tempted to give chase but heeded my stern command to heal by my side. Tomorrow I will explore the historical fort and hang around town a bit before heading toward Grand Prairie. But how far I make it depends on the weather. Rain is now forecasted for northwestern Alberta through Saturday morning.
As soon as I got the dogs back into the van after the Big Rock walk, it started getting dark from north-moving storm clouds. A storm was coming up from the south. When I got back to the center of town, it began to rain hard, with thunder and lighting and flash floods in the streets. I was already inside a McD's using its WiFi to post this when the storm blew overhead and then lingered for several hours. Customers were in the dining area watching Canadian TV (CTV) that was discussing the Comey hearing from earlier today. I joined in to listen to the local news: southern Manitoba is suffering from a severe drought/water shortage that's keeping the crops from growing, Ontario has authorized extra funding for autism, Gabrielle Dabrowski is the first Canadian woman to win the Grand Slam, and the Canadian military will start using armed drones in combat.
Miles driven today: 400.
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