Weyburn to bassano

On the road again.  This is written from perhaps the dumpiest motel I've ever stayed in, but it was time to upload some pix.

Last night I (or rather Ginger) made the acquaintance of Barrie and Janice, campers who reported to me that there was a very odd fabric kennel propelling itself down the road.  Hysteria ensued.

Turns out that they lived in Alberta, and she had been raised in Weyburn where we were encamped.
They were also kindly and knowledgeable people who not only gave me a detailed history of Weyburn and it's hospital for the insane, but also provided some hinds on the "scenic route."

Pix may be seen here .

This morning the weather turned bad, but it made for very interesting play of light and shadow and color.  Good thing, because the drive itself is straight, 70 mph over 2-lane road, and nerve wracking ... particularly with a 30 mph side wind / head wind urging you to kiss the semi coming at you ....

I've uploaded a handful of pix covering ND and Alberta.  These are rough-edits only, as my laptop is not calibrated and appears to be very contrasty.  So I can NEVER produce even semi-finished work on this machine.  But enjoy the pix.  Here's just one to get you going:

I've driven 1900 miles in 3 days and am beat.  Tomorrow I'm off to Jasper, where I'll spend 2 days photographing wildlife and glaciers and bears, oh my.

Keep on checking; I'll update as often as possible.

So far, so good

I'm writing this from a campground in Weyburn, Saskatchewan.  Made it here after 1400 miles in 2 days of driving.  Car is loaded to the gills, but still legal.  Got about 27 miles per gallon yesterday, 24 today (more start-stop).

Scenery has been very interesting ... play of light on fields of brilliant yellow canola seed against vivid green hillsides, isolated farms, etc.  Tomorrow it's on to Calgary, then to Jasper.

Campground is owned by the city, and the folks who manage it are very nice indeed.

No pix downloaded yet.  Maybe tomorrow.  Watch this space.

Who gives a damn, we're on our way

Just about ready for Monday departure. Yesterday signed both general and durable powers of attorney over to my wife, reworked the platform holding the Expedition Box, and worked on loading.  Since putting a restraining bar in to keep crates from sliding onto Ginger, eliminated 6 of space, had to re-think the whole loading plan.

Not ideal, but it will work -- most likely.  Today is a massive picnic for the Ohio Valley Camera Club, then sort out the camera gear ... wouldn't want to forget some crucial bit, and it's been known to happen.

Here's the route for the first week of the trip:  Cinci to Minneapolis, on to Calgary, Alberta, NW to Banff (beautiful and costly) and Jasper (less so, but spectacular scenery), and north to Enterprise, Northwest Territories.

Why Enterprise?  The road from Jasper to Enterprise presents great wildlife and waterfall viewing opportunities.  But mainly, Enterprise is where I hang a left onto the Mackenzie Highway for the REALLY backwoods route leading to Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, and the Klondike Route.  But more about that later. Meanwhile, here's a link that tells you what to expect from the point you enter the Northwest Territories (NWT).

For the pitiful handful of followers who actually track this blog, you should know that I'll try to provide updates on my trip as access to the internet provides opportunity .... and that will be limited.  But at least you'll get to see where I am via the satellite-driven map at the top of the page.  It can load slowly, so be patient.