Alberta – OldPlaidCamper

The mighty Peace

We haven’t had too much wifi connectivity the past few weeks, but when we have had it, scanning the headlines seems to indicate peace is very far from the hearts of so-called leaders… hey ho… we half joke that whatever apocalypse occurs next could take place and we’re so far away we wouldn’t know – at least, not until we return to “civilization” only to find a pile of smouldering ashes. Probably shouldn’t joke like that…

The mighty Peace River was a sight to see as we headed north, then more north. We stopped for a few days in the Fort Vermilion area, camping in a small forested site on the north bank of the Peace River, a few miles outside the hamlet of Fort Vermilion.

Sunny skies gave way to clouds, some rain and a couple of deafening, ground shaking thunderstorms! One overcast and stormy afternoon we wandered the south bank of the Peace, taking in some of the history and enjoying the river views.

In settler terms, this area is old, one of the first to be settled in the late 1700s, the Peace River being part of a network traveled by trappers, traders and voyageurs. The old Bay House has been renovated and preserved, an historic site of some significance. It appears very grand compared to other dwellings, and that was probably the point back when it was first built, conveying the power of the HBC. I liked the paint job…

Our campground doubles as a community gathering space, and what a surprise it was one Saturday evening when a large group of Mennonite families arrived to enjoy a campfire meal. Big pick up truck after big pick up truck, full of hungry people who worked quickly to set up the meal. (We weren’t staring or anything – our site was opposite the central meeting space so we couldn’t help but observe all that was taking place). Anyway, I’m not too sure about the men and boys wearing regular jeans and all while the women and girls all dressed in more traditional clothing, but that’s just my view, not really all that relevant, and anyway, everyone gathered was clearly happy and having a fine old time.

The following afternoon, a group of ten or twelve young Mennonite women met by the fire. We heard them laugh, tell stories and play games. It shouldn’t have been, (and says more about my own preconceived notions) but it appeared incongruous when several of the women, dressed in Sunday finery, wielded axes with precision, starting and maintaining a campfire – just the thing to keep the (not too bad) mosquitoes at bay. At one point, all the women stood as one and glided – I can’t think of a better word – as a group away from the fire and down to the river. To pray? Maybe? They looked happy and graceful and a world away from what we think of as the normal world… It was a peaceful scene, one of many by the mighty Peace!

By the time this is posted, we should be up into the Northwest Territories and find ourselves somewhere on the southern shores of Great Slave Lake. That’ll be as far north as we’ve ever camped in Canada – so far!

Onwards! (Hoping the sunny skies return…)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Lesser Slave Lake

Lesser? There’s a bigger one?! Yup – maybe we’ll get there in a few weeks…

Lesser Slave Lake is about 100km long east to west, and the widest point is about 15km across, north to south. We’ve had a mix of wildfire smoky days and clear blue sky days. On even the clear days, we were unable to see the far shore, so it feels more like being at the sea rather than on a lake.

Perhaps due to the fairly remote mid Alberta location, the lake and surrounding area is quiet in terms of visitors. The sandy beaches are pleasant, quiet, and the perfect place to sit and spot bird life. I’m not good at identifying birds, but the bald eagle was easy, along with the loons. We’ve seen other ducks – mergansers? – and a hawk or two, as well as terns, crows and those small birds that refuse to slow down so we can identify them! If you’re into bird life, then this is the place!

Mixed boreal forest kept us well shaded on the hot days, and the mosquitoes knew where to find us. Bug bite count? It’s gone up from two…

If you’re ever looking for quiet camping in a rugged location, and you don’t mind a bug or two, then Lesser Slave Lake might be perfect for you. We love it here!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Crimson Lake, AB

Tall trees, a large lake, big blue skies, a mysterious creature, and a few bugs – zero complaints!

Mysterious creature, surprisingly approachable

Enjoying the slow trip north, and, at the time of writing, only two mosquito bites. Will that number go up? No…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Mountain spring!

We mostly had a spring in our step, enjoying the fresh greens as we hiked in the foothills through stands of aspen and spruce.

Most days started sunny and finished cloudy, with temperatures below seasonal. Cooler conditions, fewer bugs! The big show was on our last night, featuring several thunderstorms with heavy rain and some hail, rolling through one after the other. We don’t mind that weather, but Scout isn’t a fan, trembling more than those aspens.

One morning, at second coffee o’ clock, a bear wandered by, just a few metres from where we were sitting. Scout, who always lets the deer and squirrels know who’s boss (don’t tell her, but they are) didn’t even look up. All that time she spends playing at being a wolf, and she couldn’t be bothered with as little as a token growl.

The bear wasn’t bothered, not by Scout, nor by us, and off it went in search of more wildflowers, perhaps hoping to be a step ahead of the many deer in the area. We finished our coffee and enjoyed a short loop hike above the Sheep River, close to our campsite, where we saw the clouds building up over the mountains nearby. We just made it back before getting a soaking. Phew!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Alberta cooler

We’re back on the road for the next little while, in fact we have been the past week. We trundled through the prairies for a few days, before heading into Kananaskis at the end of the long weekend. As we ventured in, we saw quite a number of campers leaving early. We wondered why?

It grew distinctly cool as the weekend progressed – more snow anyone? Yup, that happened. Thank goodness we didn’t have to worry about keeping our evening beer chilled. Who needs ice or a cooler?!

By the time this is posted we should be somewhere in BC, searching for some warmth and a little less snow…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hoodoo?

We do! If you ever have the opportunity, traveling the Hoodoo Trail in the Drumheller, AB region is an interesting way to discover some amazing geological formations in an arid location.

I imagine it gets pretty busy – and very hot – in the summer months, but we were lucky enough to stop at the formations shared here on a relatively quiet and pleasantly warm midweek spring day. Early in the season as it was, it felt hot after the long slow start to spring – no complaints!

It always amuses me that the area is known as the badlands, and I understand why, but they are some of my favourite lands to visit, with such a different geography and geology. Dinosaur territory if that kind of thing interests you…

We ended our morning with a fine lunch and cold pint at the Last Chance Saloon in nearby Wayne. As with the rock formations, if you ever have a chance to visit, it is great place to stop and cool off.

One of my finest photographs ever, taken through a dusty windshield

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Prairie time, and about time

At last! We’re camping, and it’s spring! No, not the spring found on the calendar but it’s still snowing outside – instead, it’s the real and actual spring where the sun shines and snow is a distant memory (just over a week ago, but it’s gone now…)

We’re out in the prairie badlands (bad? good!) a couple of hours northeast of Calgary. Spotty wifi but lots of wildlife, so more to share at a later date.

In the meantime, thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Red Deer River far below Dry Island Buffalo Jump

Spring forward!

Longer daylight hours, the soft warmth of springlike days, and the promise of a cold drink on a sunny patio – sure, let’s spring forward!

Might have to wait a little longer for some of those springing forward benefits around here?

In the meantime, we don’t have to dream of the beach to visit the beach, not here!

Oh well! Glass half full, it’s almost spring, or soon will be, and in the meantime, we’re off to the mountains for a few days, to enjoy the rain, and maybe even the snow, if our cabin is at a high enough elevation…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

On the edge…

…of the city, there is a small wilderness area squeezed between the southwest city limits and the boundary of the Tsuu t’ina Nation. It’s mostly a wooded wetland, located on the north side of the Elbow River, with pathways weaving along and between narrow waterways and tiny ponds.

We were there this week on a bright March morning, enjoying blue skies and temperatures that quickly climbed above freezing. There were hardly any other park users – a few other dog walkers and a jogger who jingled past laden with bear bells. I imagine the bears appreciated the heads up, delighted to hear lunch was approaching? We didn’t see bears or any other big creatures, but there were many geese overhead, and chickadees were our almost constant companions in the sunnier spots. Every now and then we heard the distant tapping of a busy woodpecker.

There was some snow on the ground from a heavy fall a few days earlier, but it was melting away in the strong sun, and, in these bright March days, it feels far more like early spring than late winter, so I guess we’re headed in the right direction!

The park isn’t huge, but it’s more than pleasant enough to be in the almost wild for a couple of hours on a midweek morning. We’ll revisit again when it is spring proper, check out the new greenery, smell the sap, and give the mosquitoes something to feed on.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Thaw freeze thaw

And so on. It’s winter. It’s spring (sort of!) No, it’s winter again. Thaw-freeze-thaw! Or is it freeze-thaw-freeze?

As I write, it is more springlike, although the forecast is calling for snow by tonight and through Friday. We’ve gone from wearing our warmest coats to beat the -25C last week, to not needing a jacket at all today for +9C! March is about to roar in like a confused polar bear (I think that’s the saying in these climate change challenged times?) and we’ll aim to enjoy it either way.

Minus 25C on the wobbly bridge over the Bow – but where is everyone?!

Much of the warmth has come from repeated chinooks, and, for out this way, that’s not unusual at all, although the frequency is irritating if you like the snow… I took a snap of part of the chinook arch stretching across the sky to the west of the city yesterday. The wind was barreling in along the Bow valley, warming everything up. Slush city!

The birds definitely enjoy the warmer weather – the moment the temperature goes above freezing and the sun beams down, you can hear the little brown birds singing in the shrubbery, flitting from bush to bush and asking is that it for winter?

Geese, chilling out last week – honk if you’re feeling the cold

The resident geese on the river look a bit happier than they did last week, when they sat huddled and shivering in the arctic temperatures. Midweek, we saw a bald eagle fly over the bluff and turn to head west along the Bow. I’m guessing it nests somewhere on the edge of the city? We’ve seen it a few times this winter, and it’s quite the sight with the high rise blocks in the background!

As for beer choices, with the topsy-turvy temperatures, do we go with a darker winter oriented beer, or a more suitably springlike sipper? Decisions, decisions… I know – how about both?! Freeze-thaw-freeze, thaw-freeze-thaw, and so on!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

	plaidcamper on Lesser Slave Lake
	Bob Stanton on Lesser Slave Lake
	Jane Lurie on Lesser Slave Lake
	plaidcamper on Lesser Slave Lake
	plaidcamper on Lesser Slave Lake