Mile "O"

Tonight I am in Dawson's Creek British Columbia. More about that later. But first I promised you pictures so here they are:

I put this picture in to show how the glacier has shrunk. In 1890 when this glacier was surveyed, it was across the road and into what is now the parking lot. It has receded about a mile in 130 years.

 

 

 

•  My camp site at Wapiti CG in Jaspers NP. ( Slightly out of focus. )

 

 

I put this into to show the "watch out-Caribou crossing" sign. Unfortunately the picture didn't pick up the color of the Caribou, it is bright yellow.

    

 

As I re-read yesterdays blog it seemed that I was downplaying the beauty of the drive from Banff to Jasper. I didn't mean to do that. It is spectacular scenery!! You just get accustomed to it after awhile. I would like to get Marne to take that drive with me. But I think we'll skip the camper.

 

Today I drove from Jaspers, thru Hinton, north thru Grand Cache and then to Grand Prairie. It was a very pleasant drive with little traffic. The first half was like driving thru the Great Smoky Mountains. Lower, older, more rounded mountains covered with pine forests. The second half was like driving thru northern Minnesota or Wisconsin--only with very steep and long hills, all aspen and pine.

 

When you reach Grand Prairie after a pretty nice drive, you take a left and head west on Hwy 43, 86 miles to Dawson Creek. This was hot - mid 80s, heavy traffic and road construction. Not and enjoyable drive at all.

 

Dawson Creek was my target for the day. This is the official start of the Alaska-Canada Hwy. I had Cicely, Alaska (the tv show "Northern Exposure") or Ely in my mind. Unfortunately it is more like West 7th or Robert St in St Paul. All strip malls and heavy traffic. Not the wilderness feeling that I thought I would encounter.

 

I was going to take tomorrow off and spend a second day here. I got a commercial campsite with electricity, water and Wi-Fi, all luxuries. I'm also close to the highway and have no shade Now, I'm not so sure I'm going to stay. The primitive campgrounds, Provincial Parks, are more my style but you have to stop back into civilization once in awhile.

 

Thanks for reading! Happy Birthday, Allison!!