Roadtrip 2007

So I took a week and a half off of work and went on a roadtrip halfway across Canada to visit some friends that I hadn't seen in a while. The "while" ranged from a couple of months to 10 years. Thank you facebook. I've posted some pictures here, and facebook has more.

I discovered how devestating the pine beetle is. The green forests are turning red, as mountainsides of trees are dying. eeek!I drove through a lot of prairies....they're still flat.


As soon as I got to Winnipeg Myron, Don and I left on a camping trip on the Mantario trail.
The logistics required that we would have to do some night hiking.
The only thing about that is the trail is less obvious at night. So we got lost.
Actually it wasn't our fault. A beaver flooded the trail. Thank you beaver. Oh well, it was late so we hiked up a hill and camped on a giant mossy rock. It even had a half decent view (the other half was not a decent view--trees). AND as a bonous, we saw some awesome northern lights!!

What was not obvious at night was the fact that the trail did a jog and then crossed the beaver dam.
After a couple more hours we reached our destination, and our source of water, Caribou Lake.
When I asked about water purification before the trip, Myron and Don told me they had a "system". What I didn't know was part of their system involved using a sock as a filter--which later I found out was a sock that Myron had been wearing all day. But it was ok, Myron assured me, because he only used the leg part of the sock.
The second part of their system was adding 2 chlorine tablets to the water, which put the flavour somewhere between swimming pool and hot tub. But I wasn't complaining, I was too thirstly for that.

Our lunch attracted attracted whiskeyjacks. And so to affirm their presumption that humans=food, we fed them.
We had perfect weather. A wonderful hike.
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I visited the Lussier Hot springs on my way back. On the way out I met some mountain sheep on the road. The experience didn't have a very natural feel to it though, since all the sheep were wearing giant tracking devices around their necks. Must we tag everything?

When I think back on this trip...
This was the first time I had a place to stay every night of the trip. I'm so glad I went to Bible school, cause it's great having friends all over the place! Thanks to Fat Tony, Lyndon & Anita, Don & Steph, Steve, and Cory & Lisa for putting me up for the night. And honourable mention to Myron and Cyndi who fed me (steak!). It was good seeing you guys, and Michael, Andrew and Joel too.

I think it will be a long time before I take the crowsnest highway again. By my watch, it took me 15 hours from Lethbridge to Abbotsford. It's only 10 from Calgary to Abbotsford. So when travelling West from Lethbridge, as counter-intuitive as it seems, it's faster to go North to Calgary, then West, then South, than it is to go straight West. I think the problem lies in the fact that the crowsnest highway is anything but straight West.


Roadtrip Stats:
Total distance: 5800km
Total fuel bill: $337.68
Farthest destination: the Mantario Trail (on the MANitoba-onTARIO border).
Most expensive gas: Golden, BC 115.9
Cheapest Gas: Abbotsford, BC 91.4