May 30 - Jun 1
Well, we were delayed by a week because our dear sweet pug dog Stella was sick. She was diagnosed with liver failure and we had hopes that, with some treatment, medication and a change in diet, she would pull through. Alas, on May 27, it became clear this wasn’t going to be the case. Consequently, on May 29 we had to have her put down. It was a devastating day but we can’t say enough about the vets and the staff of the Animal Care Clinic in Williams Lake. They were kind, compassionate, patient, understanding and accommodating and they made the best of a truly terrible situation for us. By the end of that day, we were emotionally exhausted so we took an extra day to pack (May 30) and we finally left on May 31.
May 31
We travelled through 100 Mile House and down through the Interlakes to Little Fort. The weather was perfect (28 degrees) and everything is so green right now, it’s heavenly. One of my favourite views through there is Lac des Roches from the pull-out at the top of the hill. On this day, it looked magical with it’s curvy shoreline and little islands, emerald green in the deep blue sparkling water. My sister Anna is in Ireland right now and on this day, Lac des Roches looked like one of her photos from Donegal. Stunning.
In Little Fort, we fueled up and had an enormous burger at the High 5 Diner which has been there since the 60s. It’s a bit of a landmark in this area and definitely worth the stop.
Heading north, we carried on through increasingly deep valleys and the mountains on either side became bigger as we worked our way into the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Range. We made a quick stop in Clearwater to see Lynn’s son-in-law, Mark, who is working in the area. After a quick visit, we continued along through Avola, Blue River and into Valemount. We skirted the eastern edge of Wells Grey Provincial Park and remarked that we will have to come back some time and spend a week or so in this area. So many hiking trails, waterfalls and spectacular views to explore. Some of the mountain peaks were high enough to still have some snow.
In Valemount, we stayed at the Yellowhead Campsite and were lucky enough to score a lovely little spot right on the river. We weren’t even off our bikes yet and a neighbour came by - a friendly fellow from Australia who was fascinated to see how our pop-up tent trailer worked. He chatted with us for a minute and asked if he could video us set it up. Sure - why not? So we and our little Lees-ure Lite will be immortalized in some stranger’s home videos somewhere in Australia.
June 1
This morning, we were packing up when another camping neighbour, (ALSO from Australia) came by and asked if she could take pictures of our bikes. Apparently, Harleys are really popular down there and she said her brother will go crazy to see her pictures. She was thrilled when Lynn offered her to have a picture of herself sitting on his trike. And so, we’ll be part of someone else’s photo album down there too.
On our way, we turned onto Highway 16 and shortly, we were floored (once again) by the spectacular vista of Mount Robson. Seriously - it never gets old. Every time we go through there I’m blown away as much as I was the last time. Today was picture perfect - Mount Robson was unobstructed by weather (which can often be the case.)
Off we went to Jasper where we stopped for a look around and a coffee.
We had GREAT coffee and fresh pastry at the The Spice Joint Jamaican Cafe. We chatted with the owner, Dwain, about the unbelievable amount of beetle kill in the area. The entire valley is red with dead pine and spruce. Having been in the epicentre and come through the awful 2017 wildfires in central BC, we are particularly sensitive to fire risk and Jasper looks to us to be an inferno waiting to happen. Dwain agreed and said it’s the topic of conversation amongst the locals continuously. It’s really sad to see that the damage is so extensive.
We had GREAT coffee and fresh pastry at the The Spice Joint Jamaican Cafe. We chatted with the owner, Dwain, about the unbelievable amount of beetle kill in the area. The entire valley is red with dead pine and spruce. Having been in the epicentre and come through the awful 2017 wildfires in central BC, we are particularly sensitive to fire risk and Jasper looks to us to be an inferno waiting to happen. Dwain agreed and said it’s the topic of conversation amongst the locals continuously. It’s really sad to see that the damage is so extensive.
Heading towards Hinton, the valley widens and, on either side, towering mountain ranges jut up into the sky like giants’ teeth. Several are clearly striated and you can see how the molten rock roiled up into the formations they’re in today. To me, these ranges bear resemblances to Tombstone National Park in the Yukon and the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.
By the time we reached Hinton, we were out of the Rockies and out into the beginning of the Alberta prairie. The land flattens out and mountains turned to rolling green hills, beautiful in their own right. The highway straightened out and we were able to set out cruise controls and make some good time. Today, we came as far as Wabamun Lake where we’re camped at the Provincial campsite. It’s a pretty big campsite - over 270 spots - so it’s a little like urban camping but it’s heavily treed so it’s fairly private.
Fun Fact - Lynn shared a trick with mosquitos with me today.
Lynn: See that mosquito? Watch.
Me: Um... OK.
Lynn: Watch this. Wait until he’s got his beak sunk right in...
Me: You mean you’re going to willingly let it bite you?
Lynn: Yah - just watch... OK. See how his beak is sunk right in? Now - if I take a couple of deep breaths and hold it in, he won’t be able to back out...
*Lynn takes two deep breaths and holds it and then pokes the mosquito who CANNOT BACK OUT!!
Kathy - Mind blown. :O
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