Grain, gas and oil

We haven’t had WiFi for three days ; so, this will be a compilation of our last three days on the road! We will be going to Longmont on Saturday as Archie has a Birthday on Monday and we want to be there for that. 

Our last three days have been driving through some of the biggest fields we’ve even seen. Saskatchewan farmers have huge fields and the implement dealers who supply them are gigantic! Field upon fields of grain or fallow were all we saw for miles. We found Moose Mountain Provincial Park for camp on Wednesday. It was HUGE. Then, starting on Thursday we came face to face with the climate debate. We saw THOUSANDS of pickups and 18 wheelers as well as miles of pipe being laid with the multitudes of oil or gas wells operating. Just as we had experienced in Alaska regarding the gold rush, the Bakkan oil/gas rush has brought 10s of thousands of folks up here. So, the oil/gas rush is obviously a big economic boon to the area, but will it last and will it have a positive or negative effect on the environment up here. We saw many businesses linked to the boom, but didn’t see a lot of evidence that the local farmers/ranchers were benefiting. No new pickups or home improvements at the ranches we passed. There are, literally, areas as big as the gold rush towns popping up all over to house workers and/or store equipment. We also wonder if, just like the gold rush, if the billions of dollars of equipment would be left in the fields to rust away as the gold miners did or if it will all be carted away when they are finished with it. Then, we were blessed with a campsite in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We had wanted to stay there on our way out, but it was snowing; so, we took a different route! Seeing Teddy’s cabin as it was in 1884 was a real treat. 

We’ve had a tremendous experience this past month and a half. We hope you’ve enjoyed following along. Ken has a thousand pictures that he has to peruse and Bonnie’s iPhone is almost full, as well. Her journaling each night will help to keep track of all of it.

Thanks for the opportunity to share an opportunity of a lifetime! 

As Always, Ken/Bonnie 

June 25th

Ken wasn’t feeling well this morning; so, we got a late start. As we were breaking down camp in Whitecourt, it poured and that was the case most of the day. We talked to a guy in Whitecourt who said it had been raining for a week. We believe him. In fact, we couldn’t decide if we had rain with intermittent sunshine, or sunshine with intermittent rain. The good news is that we’re in Riverside, Saskatchewan and it’s beautiful this evening. A little chilly, but a light coat makes the chill disappear. These northerners are in shorts and tees and we are wearing long pants and jackets🤔. We saw the 2nd longestwooden railroad trestle in the world today. 😲.  Other than that, we felt like we were driving in Nebraska. . .during green season. Although maybe even a little more green here! Our campsite is beautiful with lots of nice green grass and street/path lights!  So cool!

Hope All is Well! 

K/B

Rain all day.....

But, we made good time as the roads have smoothed out now. We think we’re no longer on permafrost. Makes a big difference! And, yes, it rained all day. If it ever quits raining, we’re going to need a WASH as the crust on the pickup and trailer is growing! We stopped by the obligatory signage (even though we’re doing it backwards)in Dawson Creek and headed down the road. We’re in the Whitecourt Lions Club Campground. Great idea for a service club. They support many folks through their proceeds. We’re sure they have their share of hurdles, but the idea is kinda unique. Alberta tonight; hopefully, Saskatchewan tomorrow........

As,Always, K/B

On the Road Again

We traversed the Alcan through more of beautiful BC today and stopped at Charlie Provincial Campground about 50 miles from Dawson Creek, the official start of the Alcan.  We had two “ahha moments.” One, it really is a lot more fun headed to Alaska than it is headed away from Alaska! Two, you know you’ve been to Alaska when you don’t stop to take pictures of black bears #19, 20, & 21! 😉 Lots of rain today. 

We also noticed a LOT campers headed to Alaska. Glad we went early! 

All for now......Dawson Creek and more, tomorrow!

K/B

R&R&W

Rest, relaxation, and wildlife. We’ve spent two days here. We had been told that this RV Park, beside a lake, was a good place to view moose and a loon.  Right! We haven’t seen a loon, but we saw a lot of different birds as well as the moose and her two calves. We’re headed back on the Alcan today after taking a day to just sit back and smell the nature surrounding us. 

Hope all is well with you and yours.

K/B

Back in Beautiful British Columbia

We drove the Alcan again today. It rained on and off all day which really created a pleasant driving experience. It also washed off most of the mud we accumulated yesterday. Crossed the YT/BC border SIX times. We are “resting” at Toad Lake. Bonnie is tired of riding in a car (truck) and we have a long way to go yet! They have fantastic WiFi here; so, we’ll get the blog up before lightning strikes.....

We were delighted to be blessed with many wildlife sightings today.  In fact, probably more than we’ve had on any given day since we left Kearney. We also took a short hike to a little waterfall and saw so many scenes that we’d like to share.......you’ll just have to do this yourselves! We saw a caribou, three dall sheep, a moose, 5 black bears (the 14th-18th), and three wood bison, two loons, and scores of ravens. On the lake at our RV park, there is a pair of trumpeter swans with three cygnets. We don’t have pics of all of them, but are sharing what we do have. One more note: the rivers here are HUGE! Makes us want to be back in our canoeing days. 

Hope the rain in Kearney lets up soon. 

K/B

Summer Solstice

Not sure what summer solstice means when there’s only 4 hours of darkness anyway, but it’s a big deal up here and there will be all kinds of celebrations. We spent most of the day in Whitehorse! Lots to see and do. We spent time on the S.S. Klondike, a stern wheeler that moved freight and folks 460 miles from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Its amazing machinery, ingenuity, and labor were on full display. Originally built in 1929 then re-built in 1937 and operated until 1955.  We also toured the McBride museum which told the tales of First Nations people, the “Klondikers,” as well as the army and all involved with the building of the Alcan Hiway. After that, we had a lunch break next to the Yukon River, a canoeists’ dream,  and then drove the Alcan to Watson Lake where we are sardined on a gravel lot.......😉. Camping at its finest. 

As Always, K/B