Thursday, May 22, 2014

Banff NP to Jasper NP

We enjoyed a wonderful 2 nights at the Tunnel Village I (dry) camping with options of fire pit, but a bit too tired at the end of sight-seeing that we opted not to have a fire here. Bathrooms are very updated and clean. Best showers I've seen yet! The village of Banff is modernized and very touristy. Lots of souvenier shops and restaurants. We drove the loops around town and the mountains (snow covered) surround us. Just magnifacient views. We walked around several streets and settled upon a tiny Greek lunch spot, Barpa Bills! Local write ups are posted on the walls, as it's one of the best! It had the best bison burgers with a greek flair and hand cut fries. The locals were inside and one of the fire officials biked up and ordered his lunch too! Bistro tables seat about 6 and counter seats another 6 perhaps. Take out is available of course. It was just a bit cool to walk away and eat it in the close by park. We arrived at a wonderful time as there weren't quite as many tourists as summer can bring. I have lots of fine mountain pictures but they just do not do the scenes justice. You will have to drive this one yourselves!
There are lots of areas where wildlife pops up just around a corner and we drive cautiously to help keep them safe.
As we drive the second day to Jasper we stopped at the Columbia Icefields and check that out. There are a lot of tourists here and they are waiting for the "bus ride" tickets are not posted but around $45pp, they sell tickets for a glass bottomed viewing the canyon area just a few KM up the road,$25pp (no thank you! Height sensitive!) and up in Jasper there is a gondola $35pp. (we've done that before and it was quite cloudy both days there so we sat a Whistle Stop Pub and had a huge sampler of wings, meatballs, nachos, eggrolls, pork bits with dry rub. (leftovers will be another supper!) Very Tasty with a local brew! Today we are doing laundry and have wifi while we wait. So I will now go back and try to post a missing blog of our adventures. (slightly out of order sorry.)We will head out north tomorrow and have a hearty breakfast in Jasper. We will go east on 16 a short way and pick up 40, towards Dawson Creek. (Camp Walmart may be timely there and we need to stock up on a few items at that spot.) We will cook in camp tonight. Salmon!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

National Bison Range National Park

North of Missoula, MT and half way to Polson,( near Flathead Lake) is the National Bison Range NP. It is a 19 mile driving loop and is a preserve for the Bison and other wildlife. We enjoyed the "free with senior NP Pass" trip and spotted several. Near the top of a peak there was a 1/2 mile (RT) hiking trail that lead out to wonderful views. I spotted a herd down below in the basin. It contained many large Bison, mostly mothers with their new born babies. The babies were all lying on there sides in the sunshine napping. What a sight!
They looked like specks below us from our vantage point and Bob hadn't even spotted then yet when I'd approached him after shooting pics of wildflowers.
The hillsides took on a yellowish edge as they were full of blooming yellow Arrowleaf balsamroot flowers.
There were pronghorn antelope and white tail deer too!
After the diversion we drove on up to Whitefish to check out where Aaron had spent 2 snowy winters, then just south to Kalispell for the local Camp Walmart!

Glacier NP and dry camping in Montana

Definately off the grid! We have been spending all our nights in the camper "dry camping" and on Friday spent the day in Glacier. We did some small hiking along Cedar Creek Trail in the Avalanche Lake area. It is as far north from the western glacier gate that you can drive on the "going-to-the-sun" road. We thought about the hike to Avalanche Lake but as it was getting late we decided to return the next morning to do that one. We took lots of pictures, and have found my camera to be "exhausted" at times. Missed a few but have etched those in the far reaches of my mind.
We drove out of the park for the afternoon up the west side to Polebridge,MT and stopped in to visit with John and Joyce, (who are partnered with Bob and Cathy at the Northern Lights Saloon and Cafe) only to find they won't be opening for the season until next Friday! Darn! However the building next door is the Mercantile and that opened this week! It is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year. The Saloon was the original homestead of the owners and it is just a couple of years older. A genuine log cabin and a beautiful rustic bar. It is reputed to have wonderful food and beer. My son, Aaron also totes the Kettle brewery's local Cold Smoke beer and I had 2 at the Moose Saloon and Pizza bar down in Kalispell. It too is very rustic but the food and beer were great! Thanks for the tips Aaron. John clued us into camping for the night 1 mile north of the saloon at the edge of the river next to the bridge leading back into Glacier Since it was early (around 4 PM) we drove the recommended 6 more miles north into Round Prairie and view the wildlife. We saw several white tailed deer and 3 elk. Several birds and gophers. We had to stop when we entered the forest again with a gate across the dirt road. Closed for the season still, and only 22 miles or so from the Canadian Border. We returned the way we came and passed out of the park gate over the bridge and camped at the primitive site along the river. Free! It rained lightly for a short spell. (we have had just wonderful weather, even a little snow is refreshing!) In view of the snow covered mountains across the river we also saw the muted colors of the sun setting below the clouds. It remained softly colorful well past 9:30 PM. We are at the western edges of the Mountain Time Zone. During our travels up through Canada we will again cross back over the Continental Divide and time zones twice before settling into the Pacific Time Zone in Alaska. We were nearly alone in this spot as after the rains we noticed a lone woman parked a bit away and perched her tarp and hammock sleeping bag under it for the night and enjoyed her campfire. She was deeply asleep when we quietly pulled out at 8 AM to enjoy fresh brewed coffee and warm pastry at the "Merc" Off we went back down the gravel road towards the Park (half of which is paved and in very good condition) All along the way we viewed the amazing views which had opened up in this forest as it had "suffered" from a devastating fire in 2001. The area is now covered in many dry tall pine poles(former trees) and rich green new growth trees about 5 to 6 feet tall. With all the signs of burnt vegetation I kept thinking I could see a bear here or there but none were apparent. We drove along the east side of Lake McDonald again towards Avalanche Creek and Lake areas. The lake now showed a mirror image of the mountains and tree stubbled slopes as the water was smooth as glass without much of a breeze. We gathered our gear for the climb/hike uptrail which included bear spray, and poles and headed off on the 2 miles to Avalanche Lake. It was a fairly easy climb and children also did the trail. There was a glacial stream with high stone curves and rushing cold waters. Patches with emerald green moss covered stones and fallen trees. It was quite apparent where the more recent avalanches were as we passed along. There was still some snow and ice nearer to the lake itself but with care it was a very doable climb. When we reached the lake there were some log benches. (the park is very well maintained) We sat and ate our snack of granola and water and took out the binoculars. (camera was exhausted here!) and viewed several white mountain sheep, one with a small young one!(I have a pic from the Boone and Crockett Club we toured I'll slip in here as it will be clearer than what I would have taken if my camera had "juice")
Suddenly we heard an avalanche!!! but all eyes were on the mountain (there were 4 or 5 other small group/families there at the same time as us) and we discerned that the slide was just on the other side of the peaks we were in the basin of. I thought of the Glacier Park snow plows on the other side and hoped they too were safe! After returning down the 2 miles back to our camper we had a light lunch and walked along the river. I spotted 2 fore-paws from a former snowshoe hare. All that remained of it. It is a wild world we live in. There are Bear warnings all around and we keep on the alert. We drove south along Lake McDonald again and back up the west side. Checked out what was available for camping in the park and as it was $20/night, primative and not any sights were available on the water, we again headed out of the park. We came about half way up towards Polebridge again and turned west towards Big Creek USDA National Forest land and got the senior rate discount/(national pass) and were able to camp along the river (Big Creek) for $7/night. It was very peaceful. Lots of track viewing along the river, including some recent deer, geese and small birds. We spotted 2 ducks floating in the water heading downstream at about 30 mph with the current. They looked like they were enjoying the ride! This morning we headed down the half gravel road to Columbia Falls and gassed up. We headed west again into Whitefish and I found the local Kingdom Hall just in time for Sunday Meeting. Wonderful people, and great topic for discussion. Very uplifting. Just around the bend south of that is the Whitefish Lake State Park and we were able to get a night here for $23 plus $5 for firewood. It sits on the lake and we ate lunch at the beach overlooking the ski area on the opposite side. Thunder!!! is very loud when you are in the mountains and there are several around us. A small shower cleansed the dust (we do need a good hosing down soon) from the air and this spot has a lot of smooth pavement and level sights. There is a railway on the western edge and frequent short trains whistle as they pass by. Not an issue but nice to know about. Tomorrow we will be heading north into Canada and will have to wait to publish when I have wifi available again. Wishing you all are well and enjoying your days too!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Snow in Denver in May!

Well it's May 11th, 2014 and Mother's Day for some, Paul's 30th Birthday too and the day before we head further north. We have done all of our chores, Stocking up on supplies and food from Whole Foods and Walmart, topping off our Water Tanks, Propane and Gas Tanks. Did the Laundry and yesterday when it was much warmer we even took the camper into a tall car wash and cleaned off the bugs! We've been going over our maps and re-routed our route due to some road closings. We've decided to travel up I-25 to I-90 and with more highway time may save a bit. Since the South Gate of Yellowstone is still closed and Major Plowing out is taking place in Glacier NP, we decided to do Glacier and Banff on the South bound trip from AK. We will be checking with friends and family along this new route to see if a quick visit can be arranged. In the morning we will check road conditions and accident reports to see if the way is clear to head north. If not we will postpone until Tuesday. It was a restful day checking in with family and friends on the phone. Thinking of you all.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Golden Colorado: Coors, downtown Golden and Rockies Baseball!

Golden sure has grown since our last visit nearly 35 years ago! The Coors plant tour has changed too, self audio tour had nothing on the old "executive tour" we shared with Rick and Jo years ago. One of the guides stationed throughout for questions had no real knowledge of the old copper taste testing bar. But the (3) 10 ounce samples were cold and tasty!
I especially enjoyed walking along the shops and riverwalk. There are large cast metal sculptures of life in the area. Some depicting large trout swimming along the rive, a mother bear and her 2 playful cubs, deer, butterflies and the like. As well as a group of musicians just outside a hotel/restaurant that looked like it was about to host a wedding party! All along the main drive there were metal figures of Cowboys, Cowgirls, and Flyfishermen. At the intersection of the main drive and the road leading to the Coors plant is 'ol Adolf Coors himself.
Here is a gold prospector holding a large nugget!
And a friendly macaw also visiting and taking a break on the walkway. It was apparent that some of the walkway has been repaired from the flooding last fall. This is our son Paul, an avid hunter/fisherman.
We ended the day at Coors Field back in Denver, and saw an impressive Rocky's/Mets game which came down to the wire! The Rockies were behind 3 and 0 in the first, In the third the Mets scored an additional 3 runs, in the 5th the Rockies came back with 8, thanks to a grand slam by Arenado. The Mets tied it up in the 6th. Rockies went ahead by 1 run in the 7th. Mets tied up again in the 8th, and went ahead top of the 9th. But at the bottom of the 9th, the Rockies had 1 on base and then scored the winning HR for a final Rockies 11 over Mets 10.
What a game!

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

On Friday we headed off to explore the Garden of the Gods and had a great morning hiking and checking out the impressive stone formations. As we arrived the Wounded Warriors were just entering the park on bikes.
Some in homemade versions of adaptive bikes to assist with their abilities. With the inclines straining their muscles it was impressive to see everyone "being there" for each other. Wildlife abounds, saw deer "bouncing" through the fields.
And several birds, I have yet to identify one with black and white and irridescent patches with long tail feathers. The day was a beauty with warm sunshine. I was surprised with the numbers of people checking everything out on a friday. There was a girl scout troop and several families as well as a few "mommy outings with babies in strollers. It is a park that is free and open to the public, on donated lands.
This formation is called "kissing camels".
a snow covered Pikes Peak is in the distance.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Long road thru Texas

We crossed the Mississippi River at Sunrise and headed across Louisiana. I saw one armadillo lying on it's back with a black raven contemplating dinner. The road was rolling hills and traffic was light. We drove all the way from Natchez MS to Wichita Falls Texas! Straight thru Mississippi! 575 miles for the days driving! We stopped for a picture in Paris Texas.
We found the Eiffel Tower complete with a large red cowboy hat on top! There was a very large veterans' memorial just beside it which included veterens from the whole state, and several conflicts which Bob checked out. The School Civic Center was on the opposite side. With a long ride ahead we headed off to Wichita Falls and called ahead to the CrackerBarrel which does allow campers to overnight there, but upon arrival saw that the Walmart was better situated behind it and further from the highway/road noise. We had our 3rd consecutive night dry camping there. There were several other overnighters but is was nice and quiet. The temperature when we left Florida on Monday the 28th, was 93 for the high. on the highway, this day (On Tues, April 29th) it was high in the low 60's. When we awoke we put the heat on to take the chill off! It had dropped to 40, with a windchill of 37. Frost was warned just north of us, but none seen. The day warmed to upper 50's and briefly hit 61 when we decended in elevation. We had a very easy time heading off this morning onto 44 for 1/4 mile and exiting on 287 which we drove all the way thru the rest of Texas, Oklahoma and into Colorado. Our best gas price was $3.39/gal and just missed the $3.31/gal in Walmart, Wichita Falls. $3.49 in Springfield, CO. Roads are lightly traveled again, but lots of trucks and wind gusts. Bob is keeping both hands on the wheel! A lot of the road is just 2 lanes with oncoming traffic traveling at 70 to 75 mph. (that's the legal limit anyway!) We are only doing 60 to 65 for the most part due to the strong head and side winds. Oklahoma was only about 30 miles wide in the panhandle where we crossed. No Welcome Center there or in Colorado on 287.
These trees were nearly the only ones saw, and they were in the dry river-bed of the Cimarron River in OK. The area is desperately in need of water/rain. We saw the occasional red dust devil. You can see 360 degrees around for miles and miles. There were small cacti along the side of the road and seen in among the dry grasses. I saw two areas of the field fencing completely covered in Dust Dunes. But there were several rich green fields of grasses that had been recently irrigated with large sprinkler systems too. The landscape was quite flat then slowly changed from a mesa with canyons and dry creeks to the piedmont of Pikes Peak and a range just west of Colorado Springs
We are heading north tomorrow towards Denver. Can hardly wait to see Paul and Stephanie. Again dry camping at a Walmart. Hoping to check out the Garden of the Gods just west of Colorado Springs and perhaps a climb of Pikes peak tomorrow morning. Expecting the high temp to reach 30 at Pikes Peak and 70's at it's base areas. We shall see what we have time for. There are a lot of interesting sights here. It was a long day driving 12 hours and 600 miles then had a bit of computer issues so calling it a night. Tomorrow is another day!