From Alberta to the Yukon

June 27-29 we traveled long and hard, sometimes 9 hours a day to get to Whitehorse. No more just looking around; we wanted a destination to set up camp for 5 or 6 days, so we covered some ground. We took the Alaskan Hwy starting from Dawson Creek in Alberta, Canada. Parts of it were great, other parts were really a pain and/or nuisance. Some days we saw nothing but heavy forests, gravel roads, no wildlife and even rain. Yesterday, was our best day and we saw bighorn sheep, 4 different black bears, a mother moose and baby, numerous buffalo on and beside the road and even loose horses. Some photos were good and we got video of most of it. Rocky Mountains come and go in the distance and the drive ranged from steep grades and twists and turns to long rolling hills. Rain and mist come and go and so does the heavy wind. Temperatures are great, ranging from low 40's to upper 50's, depending on altitude. We are at Whitehorse, Yukon Territory now, about 40 miles from Skagway, Alaska. We plan on staying several days and moving around the area doing all of the touristy things we can. More on that part of the adventure in a few days.

Alberta, Canada riding

After we cleared the national parks we found an RV park outside of Hintson, Alberta. Close by was a trailriding stables, and we were the only ones there to ride. It was just the guide and us and was about the best ride yet. My palomino Morgan, Utah, hadn't been out on the trail for 10 days and was really feeling good. We could have made the trip in half the time, but he was very well behaved. Ken's horse, Chance, liked to lag back and then trot to catch up and would have liked to lope more also. Our guide, Mark, was really terrific with local and Indian information and had a great sense of humor. Mark realized we could ride so we had some trot and lope opportunities through beautiful forests and up and down some great inclines and declines. We came out on a beautiful overlook of the river. The barn was really intriguing with the floor made of 4x6 fir planks placed on their sides. Ken found an opportunity to keep his barn tending skills polished.

Banff and Jasper National Parks

June 24, 2009

Left Fort Macleod and headed north to Banff and Jasper National Parks. The view was tremendous of snow topped mountains with glaciers and occasionally Alpine lakes. The rivers/creeks that ran along the roadside were so clear we could see the bottom from the highway. We braved rain and mist and heavy winds along the way and then the sun would suddenly light up the mountains. Through Banff we saw 2 black bears and the second one we got a chance to photo and video him feeding along the roadside. Traveling through Jasper National Park we videod young big horn sheep, elk and almost videoed a coyote, but he was too quick. We are very pleased with how the truck and trailer are working out. We had a few anxious times going up some really loooong, steeep inclines, but everything went well. Temperatures are still 50's and 60's and the wind seems to continually follow us. Still having an amazing time.

June 26, Alberta, Canada

June 24th left the USA into Alberta, Canada. Customs was easy, to our relief. Topped the first hill into Alberta and had to slow for a cattle drive coming up the side of the highway. We stopped at Fort Macleod for the night and visited "Smashed-in-head Buffalo Jump", a United Nations Indian Heritage Site. This is an archeological find where the Indians, before they had horses, actually ran the buffalo off a cliff to kill them. It was a great interpretive site and museum. We learned many new details about their hunting strategies and lifestyle.

Glacier Park, Montana

June 21, we went to Great Falls, Montana to get prescriptions refilled. Thanks to Walgreens computerized system, we had no problems. We moved on to Glacier National Park and were amazed by more magnificent scenery. One day sight seeing and wildlife; we saw a grizzly bear loping along the roadside and heavy brush about a mile from where we were camping. The camp hosts live there and had been seeing a grizzly and a mother and cub black bear at their pond on several occasions. Can see snow capped mountains from camp. We lost $26 at an Indian gambling casino. So much for gambling. At the Glacier National Park interpretive center the Blackfeet Indian Nation was having its tribal conference, and we saw several of their chiefs in full headdresses and beaded vests before they entered the conference meeting. Suzy rode for 4 hours on horseback from Many Glaciers Park on a nice black horse named Hoback. About half way through the ride in heavy brush and forest, we looked up and watched a black bear waddling down the trail. He looked over his shoulder at us, hurried a little faster then headed up the mountain ahead of us. At the top of the ride we stopped for a break and got great photo shots of the mountains and area. Later as the ride returned home, I spotted a young male moose grazing among the trees, so we stopped for a quick photo shoot. Heavy winds; temp. 40's & 50's

Lake Fort Peck, Montana

Arrived at Lake Fort Peck, Montana, June 18, at the end of a 27 mile long rough, twisting, gravel road. Lake is located in a semi arid, rugged, desert/canyon country, amazing terrain. We enjoyed bird watching, spotted numerous wildlife, deer, an antelope who went swimming in the lake, osprey flying and nesting and photographed porcupine. Found a few ticks also. Fished for two days with minimal success. Saw several trophy fish caught including a 12 lb. walleye, but not out of our boat. Moving on to Glacier National Park for a change of scenery.

June 18, 2009 Medora Riding Stables

Suzy rode today for 3 hours through the Badlands of North Dakota. Our guide Mat just finished college as an elementary teacher. We have come across so many in the field of education. Mouse, my horse, was a good boy; the ride was uneventful but the scenery was really great. We had lunch at an overlook of Medora. Ken is always welcome at these stables, but really confuses them when he asks if he can help scoop poop. He's keeping up his skills.

June , 2009 Devil's Lake, ND

Fished Devil's Lake with guide Mark Bry and had a great time. We caught lots of fish and then headed to Medora, ND.

June17,2009 Medora, ND

Arrived in Medora and visited the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame, really some impressive pictures, equipment and Indian information as well. In the evening we enjoyed a pitchfork fondue which consists of cooking steaks on impaled on pitchforks and plunged into vats of hot boiling peanut oil and served with all the sides, baked potato, garlic bread, beans and listened to a live band as we are. We met some really nice ladies from Grand Rapids and shared tales and another couple who winter in Texas down in the valley, "snowbirds". The view was incredible. After dinner we attended the Medora Musical which mostly honors Teddy Roosevelt and the development of the community of Medora. It is mostly historical community with terrific little shops and restaurants, but not school and not even a barber shop. The Medora motto is, "everyone in Medora is headed somewhere else". The usual population is about 100 and most of them are gone off and on during the winter.

June 12, horses in Minnesota

I did get some riding time with a short trail ride. We saw also some training of pulling horses and the actual use of a team plowing a cornfield. Ken is keeping in practice scooping poop. You should see the expressions when he asks if he can have a turn. Mr. Squirrel got his picture taken at the corral with my guide.