Tuesday June 22, McDonald River, Northern Rockies, AB
Miles 170
This morning as I was checking emails at the information centre in Fort Nelson I picked up on my friend Jenny’s blog. www.dontputmustardinthecustard.blogspot.com
Jenny is a fellow photographer from Rotorua who is traveling with husband Mark in Europe, they left a week after we did. Their style of travel is at the opposite end of the spectrum to ours, a fascinating journey through foreign countries on public transport. Take a look at it, Jenny is an amazing writer as well as a photographer.
Woke to rain this morning, but it soon eased and looking out the window I couldn’t see any mosquitoes. We put on our walking shoes to check out where we were and try and find the river that was supposedly nearby. It wasn’t long before the army of mossies discovered us again, we gave up on the walk and headed through the trees back to the van, they were keeping up with us as we quickly got into the screened comfort. Close call.
The hours drive into Fort Nelson was along a great stretch of road, edged with trees and very flat.
Fort Nelson with a population of about 5000 is really a service centre for the oil industry and forestry. The thing that we notice the most is the mud on the vehicles and the very dirty dusty streets. Workers come into town and their trucks are absolutely plastered with thick mud after yesterdays rain…it is inches thick. No frills or fancies to this town, but found an extremely helpful girl in the information centre who also has a team of huskies and is a musher. She was able to tell us about the roads in the Yukon and Alaska that Ian was wanting to drive on but a little concerned, evidently we will have no problems, especially after the years we lived in the Wairamarama driving the narrow gravel roads.
Continuing on with a lunch stop in a road side quarry, we climbed up into the Northern Rockies and the scenery changed dramatically. We had heard that this section was one of the most beautiful on the highway and so far it has been very picturesque. No sign of wildlife as yet.
We had heard about the famous cinnamon buns at the Tetsa River Campground, so we needed to call in. This small centre is a fuel stop with cabins and camping and they bake their own bread and buns…we had to buy one for desert….they are huge…we will share! The site is run with electricity from a generator and solar power, just loved the wiring in the shop…you will appreciate the photo Dean!
Read in the Milepost of an “informal” campground on the river, no road signs round here, but following our speedo we spotted a little narrow track heading down by the river. Hopefully we could turn around at the end! Saw fresh bear scat on the track so obviously a bear area. We found this great spot right beside the braided river bead, old campfires showed that it is a popular site…..and not many mossies.
Ian had the fire going before long and it is just magic with the snow capped mountains rising up from the river floor. This is the wilderness Canada that we love.
10.15pm…..We were sitting outside by the campfire enjoying the long evening when I noticed the sky turning pale orange in the west. Looked up at the mountain (yet to find out its name!) and it started to light up….just brilliant. I grabbed the camera and tripod and moved out onto the shingle bed of the river and for 5 minutes the brilliant sunset projected onto the mountains. During this time I noticed a moose crossing the river from one side to the other. I had my wide angle lens on and couldn’t get close enough, but what a beautiful sight. This was one of those magic moments that photographers live for!
This morning as I was checking emails at the information centre in Fort Nelson I picked up on my friend Jenny’s blog. www.dontputmustardinthecustard.blogspot.com
Jenny is a fellow photographer from Rotorua who is traveling with husband Mark in Europe, they left a week after we did. Their style of travel is at the opposite end of the spectrum to ours, a fascinating journey through foreign countries on public transport. Take a look at it, Jenny is an amazing writer as well as a photographer.
Woke to rain this morning, but it soon eased and looking out the window I couldn’t see any mosquitoes. We put on our walking shoes to check out where we were and try and find the river that was supposedly nearby. It wasn’t long before the army of mossies discovered us again, we gave up on the walk and headed through the trees back to the van, they were keeping up with us as we quickly got into the screened comfort. Close call.
The hours drive into Fort Nelson was along a great stretch of road, edged with trees and very flat.
Fort Nelson with a population of about 5000 is really a service centre for the oil industry and forestry. The thing that we notice the most is the mud on the vehicles and the very dirty dusty streets. Workers come into town and their trucks are absolutely plastered with thick mud after yesterdays rain…it is inches thick. No frills or fancies to this town, but found an extremely helpful girl in the information centre who also has a team of huskies and is a musher. She was able to tell us about the roads in the Yukon and Alaska that Ian was wanting to drive on but a little concerned, evidently we will have no problems, especially after the years we lived in the Wairamarama driving the narrow gravel roads.
Continuing on with a lunch stop in a road side quarry, we climbed up into the Northern Rockies and the scenery changed dramatically. We had heard that this section was one of the most beautiful on the highway and so far it has been very picturesque. No sign of wildlife as yet.
We had heard about the famous cinnamon buns at the Tetsa River Campground, so we needed to call in. This small centre is a fuel stop with cabins and camping and they bake their own bread and buns…we had to buy one for desert….they are huge…we will share! The site is run with electricity from a generator and solar power, just loved the wiring in the shop…you will appreciate the photo Dean!
Read in the Milepost of an “informal” campground on the river, no road signs round here, but following our speedo we spotted a little narrow track heading down by the river. Hopefully we could turn around at the end! Saw fresh bear scat on the track so obviously a bear area. We found this great spot right beside the braided river bead, old campfires showed that it is a popular site…..and not many mossies.
Ian had the fire going before long and it is just magic with the snow capped mountains rising up from the river floor. This is the wilderness Canada that we love.
Comments
No sunset here,absolutely p---ing down.
Oh well,we did want the drought to break!!