when it works. Somehow, when I went to post my blog yesterday, the second half of it disappeared. I guess that means you have to read it in installments, rather like an old-time serial story.
Here is where we left off - We were leaving Edmonton and heading into the Canadian Rockies.We saw these guys when we got lost in Edmonton. Be sure to read the sign on the back.
We could see they were looking at us, so we waved, and the gun turret bobbed up and down in a wave back
Before we got to the Rockies we still had a lot of miles to go. The weather remained wet and rainy and at about this point I realized I no longer had dash lights or tail lights on the trailer or jeep. But I still had brake lights and turn signals, and since we were heading into the part of the world where day lasts for 18 hours or so, I wasn't really worried about it.
When we pulled over for the night and asked the man behind the counter for a tent site he said, "you know it's going to rain, right?" We did, so he offered us a teepee to sleep in instead to try and keep drier. It sounded like a great idea and he gave it to us at a discounted price. What could possibly be wrong with that?
I'll tell you what's wrong. Teepees leak. Yeah, I knew it had a hole in the top but what I didn't expect was for the water to drip down the supports and leak on me. It leaked on me the first place I put my bed, and the second, and the third. Finally, I got to a spot that appeared to be dry and then it stopped raining. In hindsight, Jake said, "We should have put the tent up in the teepee." It would have fit too!
Finally, we were headed into the great Canadian Rockies!
But first, we had to pass through Beaverlodge, Alberta. Home of the World's Largest Beaver.
The Highway is full of twists and turns, with few guard rails. Our progress was slow because going uphill I couldn't go more than about 45 mph and going downhill I could feel the trailer pushing me. I was very grateful that I had just had my brakes checked. We did finally get to see some wildlife, something that we really hadn't seen much of up to this point. I do wish I had stopped more when there were photo-op spots, but sometimes I just couldn't get to them, and always in the back of my mind was the thought that I still had soooo many miles left to drive. Here are some pics of the Canadian Rockies. The lakes and rivers were the most fabulous blue-green color. I couldn't get the color to show right in the photos. The copper in the mountains leaches into the water and just creates a beautiful science experiment.
Jake swears someone owns the horses, and maybe he is right. But I'm not sure who is heading up into the Rockies to round them up.
Once we got through the Rockies, a beautiful if white-knuckle type of drive, the landscape flattened out. We headed to Watson Lake, home of the Signpost Forest. The forest was started in around 1942 by a lonely guy who was working on the Alaska Highway. I didn't realize it, but people are encouraged to bring and post their signs. I'll be prepared the next time around.
According to the Milepost, there was a campground right downtown within walking distance of the Signpost Forest. Like most towns we passed through, everything was in walking distance. All of these little towns were pretty hard-scrabble. Rough looking. Rough roads, businesses closed. And right next door a brand new business would be being built. Watson Lake was bigger then most of the other towns. We could walk to the grocery store, the Signpost Forest, and the 5 other businesses in town. But it was the most disappointing of all the places we camped as it was really nothing more than a gravel, dust-filled parking lot. The Irish guy behind the counter warned me that there were no picnic tables in the campsite. But he lured me in with free hot-showers. Every other place the showers cost a "looney" for 7-12 minutes of hot water. What's a looney? A $1.00 coin with a loon on the back. Our campsite was in a back corner, but it was warm and dry giving us a much-needed opportunity to dry out the tent. At least for a few hours, because it rained again that night.
see the Jeeps lined up, ready for action?
I thought this was the most adorable camper
The ugliest campground, perhaps in all of Canada
Signpost Forest
Anguilla for my friend Terry
a Maine plate for my fellow Maniacs
A nod to the NY contingency
Packerbackers are everywhere!
The WI is scratched in under the Burlington part of the sign. Given the population, I think this sign is a few years old.
Our drive the next day took us through more spectacular scenery. And to the only campsite that really made me nervous.
I took this photo at a rest stop. There was a young couple who looked like they must have spent the night parked there. They had one pick-up pulling a second pick-up and a huge cat sat on the console in between the seats of the second truck. The young man was brushing his teeth with a bottle of water while the girl pulled out her yoga mat and went through her routine at the side of the highway. In front of this beautiful scenery, next to the outhouses and with all the truckers driving by and watching.
There is historical significance to this boat in Whitehorse. And I have no idea what it is.
Dirty Road Warrior!
We got to about 150 miles away from the US border and it started to rain. Again. I considered driving straight through, but it was almost 6 PM and I was concerned because I still had no dash or tail lights. Instead we decided to camp for the night. The only place we saw turned out to be a lodge that at first we couldn't tell if they were open or closed. The sign said RV park and campground, but I don't know when the last time was that anyone camped there. The sites were overgrown and the place was just desolate. The owners told us no showers, and no bathrooms after 9:30 PM because that was when they locked up. Since we didn't know what was up the road, we opted to stay. We didn't cook that night, and I wouldn't let Jake wander, something that I know irritated him, but this looked like the place a bear might just come and bite us.
This is an RV park?
This turned out to be the coldest night. We later leaned there was snow falling to the north of us. When we went to pack up the tent, the water from the rain during the night felt like an ice water bath to our fingers. I could smell a wood fire burning as we packed up for the last time, and I was delighted to discover that the fire was in the lodge. We sat down next to it, warmed up, and ordered breakfast crepes from the French Canadian baker. Breakfast was delicious. The lodge is in a great spot, so I wish this young couple the best of luck as they try and make a go of it.
Their view from their deck. If it ever warms up enough to sit there.
Finally, we were on the way for our last day. The rain stuck with us most of the drive back home.
Our last day will have to wait for tomorrow. It's late here, and time for bed. At least most of the tale has been told. I can finish the rest tomorrow. Good night for now.
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