Day 10 Drumheller to Medicine Hat, AB

May 29  

Drumheller to Medicine Hat

I thought today was going to be a terrible day.  It started raining after breakfast, 9 am, and was clouding over so we headed to Medicine Hat.  We've seen the Tyrell Museum, Hoo Doo's and did the driving loop the last time we were here so didn't miss anything.  It is the 100th Anniversary for Drumheller this year.  Shortly out of town it started to pour.  I felt sorry for the flaggers at the road construction having to work in those conditions.  But then I thought when you are able to travel, no matter what the weather and getting paid to do so without being at work, it is a great day!!! 

 

What am I??  Please post comment below.

 

We took a secondary highway hoping to see more wild life but the pouring rain put a damper on that.  Once we hit the TransCanada, blue skies.  We saw a herd of deer?? about 40.  I wanted pictures so Ross had to find the next U-turn on the highway since they were on the wrong side.  Back we went and as you can see I got some great shots.  

 

Pronghorn - Antelope family

 

After getting turned around and heading east again I saw the Pronghorn on my side of the highway.  So Ross had to come to a screeching halt from 110 km to the side of the highway so I could zoom in and get my shot.  We did see another Pronghorn on the other side of the highway but Ross wasn't going to turn around again!  If you see a brown Kodiak on the highway with BC plates, don't follow too close, we may come to a sudden halt if there is wild life near by!!

 

Kylie came by the campsite with Layla once we were set up then we went to Dylan's school to pick him up and surprise him.  Later Ross and I took Dylan with us to the bike shop to see about getting our bikes tuned and see what type of bike Dylan would like for his birthday on June 2.  Well we might have found a new one for me and a bright orange one for Dylan.  After saying good night to the grandkids, we headed back to the campsite for a late dinner.  No rain!  We got the bikes out and went for a ride right out of the campsite.  Saw more deer but plenty of time for more pictures of them.



 

 

View from the campsite about 9 pm.



 

Our first camping fire! What a great day!



  

Daily Stats: 
Today's distance:  261 km 
Weather:  Rain then sunshine with clouds; High: 21  degrees; Lo: 11 degrees
Wildlife:  Unidentified deer, Pronghorn deer, deer, Bunny rabbit, birds, geese and ducks.
Campsite: Gas City Campground, Site 46  $41.50/night
Bike: 10.1 km  1 hr 15 min (incl 20 min stop time to take pictures)
Sports Event:  Chicago Blackhawks beat Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 O/T

Day 9 Airdrie to Drumheller, AB

May 28  

Airdrie to Drumheller

Beautiful sunny day as we left Irricana to go to Airdrie about 30 km of country roads.  As we left we saw gophers, then 2 deer in the field and a short distance another 3 deer but too far to take a decent picture.  Lots of little Redwing Black birds near the ponds on the reeds.  I did want to get a picture of a hawk so Ross pulled over when we saw one near the road perched in a tree.  As I got close to him, he flew away so I got his rear end. 

 



After we got finished with the RV dealer, we headed to Cross Iron Mills to do some shopping but we were disappointed with the prices.  We thought they were normal or high so we had lunch and headed out.  It started to rain.  The clouds were very daunting.  The down pour started with some hail as we got to the north side of Airdrie so we headed east towards Drumheller.  

 

 

We almost had the pick of the campsite with only about 10 units camping here now.  Slow time of year I guess.  We got all set up in the sunshine and then it started to rain.  Lightly at first, but then the skies opened up and it just hammered the RV.  Of course, like all storms in Alberta, they pass.  Then everything smells fresh and clean!

 

After dinner we went for a walk past the info centre where the BIG dinosaurs are (if you've been here you know what I'm talking about) or the "?" on the map and followed the "Blue" trail with Morris the Hike-a-Saurus to the end then came back along the "Red" walk to the info centre, across the River and back to the campsite.

 

Pop Quiz:  What River flows through Drumheller?

 

Some of the inhabitants of Drumheller!
 

 

Daily Stats: 
Today's distance:  163 km 
Weather:  Sunshine, cloudy, thunderstorm, a bit of hail; High:  16 degrees; Lo:  12 degrees
Diesel Price: Airdrie AB, $1.169    Gas Price:  Reg $1.319
Wildlife:  3 gophers, 5 deer, Redwing Black birds, Magpies, and lots of hawks or prairie falcons
Campsite:  Rivergrove Campground, Site 76
Walking:  7.5 km, 1 hr 30 min
Today's news event: 
Sports Event:  LA took out the Sharks

Quiz answer:  Red Deer River

Day 8 Revelstoke to Irricana, AB

May 27

Revelstoke to Irricana

Left Revelstoke after picking up coffees, and Greg and Sandy have already been at work for a couple hours.  Thanks again to Greg and Sandy for letting us camp in their driveway also Cynthia for camping in her backyard.  What a spectacular sight along this part of the highway.  Roger's Pass coffee shop and view area is still boarded up.  I'm always amazed at the pioneers that must have come through here.  What were they thinking??

Pop Quiz:  How many National Parks are there in BC?



 



 

Just outside of Golden we spotted four Big Horn Sheep but this guy was just staring at us.



I took about 30 or 40 mountain pictures going through Glacier and Yoho National Parks.   The Spiral Tunnels are amazing especially if you get to witness a train winding its way through them.  A train had just come through them but we caught it going through a slide tunnel and a snow shed.
 

 

Across highway from Spiral Tunnels

 

 

 Mountain in Banff National Park

 

In 1999 when we traveled across Canada, the out skirts of Calgary were still undeveloped.  That city sure has grown.  We were going to stop just north of Calgary in Airdrie but the campsite there is right on the highway so we drove 30 km east to the little town of Irricana.  A great little municipal campground with power and water for $23/night; free showers and sani dump.  To finish off the evening and after our walk, we had a thunder and lightning storm with pouring rain for an hour! 

 



 

Daily Stats: 
Today's distance: 427 km 
Weather:  Clouds with sunny periods; High: 21 degrees; Lo: 10 degrees
Diesel Price: Golden $1.309
Wildlife:  Big Horn Sheep
Campsite: Founders Park Campground 
Walking:  5.72 km 1 hr 20 min
 
Educational:  I believe there are 6 National Parks:  Gwaii Hanaas (Morsby Island), Pacific Rim, Mt. Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho, and Kootenay.

Day 6 and 7 Visiting in Revelstoke

May 25 & 26   Visiting in Revelstoke

Saturday

Light rain this morning so not too energetic.  Headed to the Farmer's Market.  Not too busy but while there, Revelstoke residents had a protest parade against Monsanto and their monopoly on genetically modified seeds and their grip on farmers all over the world.  (There is your lesson for the day)

 

 

In the afternoon with a light sprinkling we went for a walk along the Illecillewaet River to the Columbia River greenbelt.  Very nice for walking, running or biking. 

 



 

 

 





Sunday

Sun is shining a great day to go for a bike ride.  The guys rode from the house, along the Greenbelt to the park. Sandy and I drove to the park to load their bikes on the rack so we could drive up to Mt Revelstoke to do the 5 km loop.  Last time in 2007 I rode this trail, I completed most of it.  This time I had to push my bike up the hills, I could have walked faster!!

Other Louttit's in events today:  Kylie did the a 10 km run in Calgary, Dylan and Layla completed 1.2 km run;  Gary and Amanda did a 25 km Iron Knee Trail Run in N Vancouver.

 

 

Mt Revelstoke 5 km Loop 





Our campsite 

Daily Stats: 25th
Weather:  Overcast to rain; High:  17 degrees; Lo:  8 degrees
Walk Distance: 6.75 km Along the Columbia River Greenbelt by the Illecillewaet River
Walk Time: 90 min
Campsite: Greg and Sandy's
Today's news event:  Monsanto Protest March against GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)


Daily Stats: 26th
Weather: Sunny periods   High: 20  degrees; Lo: 10 degrees
Bike Distance: 9.4  Mt Revelstoke 5 km loop
Bike Time: 90 min
Campsite: Greg and Sandy's
Today's news event: 

Day 5 Summerland to Revelstoke

May 24

Summerland to Revelstoke

Left Summerland in the sunshine.  Crossing the new bridge into Kelowna.  Heading to Vernon to visit Ron Epp and Fran MacLeod.  Worked with them at Atom Motors in Kitimat until 1993.  Great visit, its been a few years since we've seen each other.

 



Water levels are definitely up especially near Sicamous on Mara Lake.  The lake is high and creeks are running full.  All the house boats are lined up and ready for the summer season.  The highway from Sicamous to Revelstoke is quite scenic especially when the sun is shining.  Three Valley Gap is a great place to stop on the way to Revelstoke; a restaurant, museum, hotel and helicopter rides.  Turning a little grey but no rain.  

 

 

Mara Lake too bad I didn't get pic of all the house boats lined up.

 

 



 

Three Valley Gap

Daily Stats: 
Today's distance:  261 km 
Weather:  Sunshine with clouds; High:  19 degrees; Lo:  8 degrees
Diesel Price:  Sicamous $1.329; Vernon gas $1.449
Campsite:  Greg's driveway
Today's news event:  Art is 65 today!!  Hope he's enjoying his surprise in Vegas!!
Sports Event:  Ottawa Senators lost to Pittsburg Penguins!  Boo Hoo

Day 3 & 4 Visiting in Summerland

May 22 & 23  Visiting in Summerland

Visiting Ross' sister Cynthia.  The view is usually spectacular but now it is socked in.  Tomorrow should be better or back to normal for Summerland.

The weather at home is the best in the whole province!

Campsite in Summerland on Tuesday

 

What a difference a day makes!

 

Steak & pecan salad with grilled pears, candied beets and blue cheese dressing!

Black Iron Restaurant in Penticton

 

Sailing on Okanagan Lake!

 

 

Daily Stats: 22nd
Weather:  Rain; High: 11 degrees; Lo: 8 degrees
Walk Distance: 4.5 km
Walk Time: 60 min
Campsite: Chuck's place
Today's news event: Flooding concerns

 

Daily Stats: 23rd
Today's distance: Summerland to Penticton for dinner
Weather:  Cloudy to sunshine; High: 17 degrees; Lo:  8 degrees
Walk Distance: 5.5 km
Walk Time: 75 min
Campsite:  Chuck's Place
Today's news event: I5 Bridge Collapse


Day 2 Prince George to Summerland

May 21  Prince George to Summerland

Poured last night and made the mistake of leaving the heat on in the RV so it was coming on every 20 minutes or so it seemed.  On the road by 08:55 in the rain and 7 degrees.  Outside of PG it stopped raining and was nice until we got to Williams Lake.  Quesnel being the hot spot of the day at 10 degrees, double digits!!  Not much for wild life with all the rain except a couple hawks, eagles and the usual cows, horses, sheep and llama. 

Williams Lake the rains began.  Reports were calling for hail and thunderstorm.  Luckily we didn't see any of that but the clouds were pretty low and socked in.  We stopped for a late lunch in Cache Creek at the Bear's Claw Lodge.  In the lobby we literally ran into Sherry and Adolfo Pereira on their way to Kitimat. 

I wanted to travel to Summerland via Vernon but Ross wanted to take the Coquihalla.  He said we wouldn't have time to visit anyways.  Leaving Kamloops we drove through the clouds and could barely see any vehicle in front of us.  The clouds lifted coming into Merritt but then it was onto the Coquihalla connector!  At the Pennask summit, 1728 m or 5670 ft, it was 1 degree and the rain turned to slush.  Small scattered snow piles on the shady side of the highway.

Okanagan Lake in the distance coming off the connector!

Mobile Tim's 

Daily Stats:
Today's distance:   741 km
Weather:  Overcast to rain; High: 10 degrees; Lo: 1 degree
Diesel Price: Quesnel - $1.289 Kamloops - $1.349
Campsite: Chuck's place
Today's news event: Senate Reform

Day 1 On The Road Again

May 20  Kitimat to Prince George

Overcast and 7 degrees, we are hooked up and ready to start our big trip.  Traffic jam near Cedarville on the highway.  Not an accident just a Kermodi bear and everyone stopping to take pictures. Skies got bluer as we got closer to Smithers, the warmest temperature of the day 11 degrees. The closer we got to Prince George the greyer it got.  Near Bednesti it started to rain.  Stopped for the night at Blue Cedars campground across from the Bon Voyage.  Went for a walk in the rain to stretch our legs and headed behind the Bon Voyage into the residential area.  You never know what you will find when you snoop!!  Internet connection intermittent, very frustrating trying to set up my blog!!  The rain is here for the night.  Sounds of pitter patter to sleep to.

Daily Stats:
Today's distance:  630 km
Weather:  Overcast to rain; High: 11 degrees; Lo: 7 degrees
Diesel Price: Burns Lake - $1.299/Lt
Walk Distance: 3.8 km
Walk Time: 55 min
Campsite:  Blue Cedars Campground Site 27 $35.00 full service
Today's news event: Oklahoma tornado

On the road again

Saw this guy on the side of the road munching flowers.

Seven Sisters Mountain range near Hazelton.

Prince George