Day 21 What to do today

random bear photo from day 17 because I didn't take any photos today.

Cartoon aficionados will get this:

Templeton: mom, what are we going to do today?

Me: the same thing we do every day, Temp, drive, stop for gas, and drive until I’m tired. LOL

253 miles today- Canyon Creek RV Park to Red Hill Rest Area. The first 90 were slow and challenging. Once again the rain was non-stop and the tire grooves full of water. So difficult! I can tell I’ve clutched the steering wheel a fair amount in the last 3 weeks by the calluses forming on my palms where my rings are! Good grief! LOL

Today’s drive was a repeat of last months drive up. My first stop was the Hixon gas station. I had a great chat with a young woman who grew up there. She said there’s a resurgence in the little community with dances and a parade and other activities. It was much more active when she was a kid (she’s in her early 20s, I’d say), then it became sedate. New people are moving in with new energy so that helps. They move in for the land and not to develop it- just to enjoy the space. As we were talking several guys came in buying beer- really at 9am? Hmmm…

I was stopped for yet more road construction. Most of it during the last couple of days has been paving. While sitting at this one I noticed they’re also widening the road. The sad part of that is it’s located right where a badger crossing sign is; the only badger sign on my entire trip. Bulldozers, backhoes, new side roads, the whole works. Probably can take that sign down.

The autumn colors are happening along this section of driving. They're once again a subtle gold of aspen and cottonwoods. The area has a lot of rangeland- basically parked out areas with large forested areas. Unfortunately, there were a fair number of cows, including some mucking around in several of the beautiful ponds. I also saw a small feedlot full of cows. I hadn’t noticed cows on the way up so I wonder if the cows were recently brought down from the high country? There were never more than 50 or so in a group that I could see.

I stopped at the 108 Mile Heritage House and rest area. There are several buildings from the 1800s that can be viewed into through wire mesh at the doors. It’s a great place to stop and stretch your legs. Templeton and I went into one of the little museum gift shops and I found some homemade apple-bacon dog treats. There were several other flavors but we chose that one. Yummy!

Tonight’s camp spot will be the Red Hill Rest Area- where I began this amazing journey. At least it won’t be 90+ degrees this time!

Every day is full of ravens. I’m going to miss them. We have them in Washington however, they aren’t found everywhere like British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Alaska. It's a mystical place when you can find them.

Random selfie from Day 13- Denali Highway. One of only 2 I took on the trip. The Alaska Range is behind me.

Wildlife- osprey, red-tail hawks, quite a few kestrels, bald eagles,  magpie, peregrine falcon, western meadowlarks, crows, brewers blackbirds. 

Lesson #21 Journeys are one big wonderful circle!

Day 20 Just Another Day

My exciting sighting of the day- bear poop in the campground!

NOTE: There will be at least 5 more blog entries and photos added (photos by the end of the month). So please check back throughout the month. Since this blog is also a journal of sorts I will also be editing and adding to each day's entries. I'm often writing at the end of the day when I'm tired or early morning when I need to get on the road so I want to clean up the entries.

260 miles from Tyhee Lake Provincial Park to Canyon Creek Campground RV park in Hixon B.C. I’m so glad today dawned cloudy with the sun peeking out now and again. It made for much easier driving. From the looks of the clouds and roads around Prince George, I just missed some pretty heavy duty rain showers. The campground host confirmed that it has been raining for a week and the rain has been heavier than normal.

Today was pretty much just driving down a typical two-lane highway. Too cloudy to see the mountains I read about.

Watched the bushes come alive at Lake Tyhee this morning as robins gorged themselves on red osier dogwood berries.  Once again I fell asleep and woke up to the serenades of common loons. I wish we hadn’t developed all of our lakes in western Washington and allowed motor boats on them. Maybe we’d still have some common loons nesting on them.

As I left this morning I found evidence of the bear that the little yellow signs throughout the campground warned of- a giant pile of fresh bear poop in the road!

I have been thinking about all of the wildlife crossing signs everywhere. They are warnings for deer, moose, elk, wild horses, sheep, bear, and caribou in the appropriate areas however, the only one slowing down or seemingly paying attention is me. I swear everyone else speeds up! I’m doing at least 60 mph and they’re going 80. I think the conclusion that these warning signs don’t work is evident here. And drivers here love to pass just before the no passing zone starts. People are crazy passers here. I keep an eye out for them passing the opposite direction in case they are still in my lane which has happened a couple of times.

Random thought- I’ve noticed that Canadians refer to bathrooms/restrooms as washrooms.

I have so much time to ponder. (Chuckle) This land feels only partially domesticated; other places totally wild. There are still large tracts of intact temperate forest, boreal forest, tundra, taiga, muskeg, lakes, ponds, and rivers. Most areas have small to tiny towns which all seem to have bear, moose, wolf, elk or some other truly wild wildlife roaming around. It’s not like western Washington where we have eliminated the habitat for all but the hardiest- coyote, raccoon, opossum, sometimes deer. It’s not a panacea here. There’s plenty of poverty evident, especially in the First Nations villages/towns. And the resource extraction for forestry, mining, and oil and gas is extremely damaging. Roads and towns have been built in wildlife migratory paths and reduced the population of those species, e.g. caribou. I like that there are less people here and I saw no major development anywhere- none. The wild places aren’t being swallowed up like what is happening in Snohomish County (third fastest growing county in Washington). There are tradeoffs but how much money do you need? Besides things in our state have become so expensive making it impossible to get ahead. Retiring here is not my choice because I won't be able to afford a house or food on a fixed income in 6 years. It’s finding the balance of what you need in your life to be safe, secure, and healthy with the sacrifices you’re willing to make (weather, grocery stores located farther away, etc.). Life-pondering stuff.

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Cache Creek area for my final night out on the road. Back to the rest area where I started this amazing trip. It's unlikely there will be wifi so the next time I write it will be from home, IF I can get through the border crossing!

Advice- If you ever travel the Yellowhead Highway #16, avoid the Chevron at Fraser Lake. This is the first time I’ve come upon such condescending and rude people. If I’d known there was another station just down the road I would have left. Based on his comments, I suspect it’s because I’m an American and a woman. Pretty good for 20 days and no other assholes, though.

Canyon Creek RV Park

Wildlife- several kestrels, bald eagle, black bear, winter wren, common loons, American robins, hairy woodpecker, black-capped chickadees, Canada geese, osprey, tiny frog (I missed him and so did everyone else if he kept his pace up), crows, coyote.

Lesson #20 Your happiness comes from within. Find your happiness spot and take it wherever you go.