The Hole of Horcum

The Hole of Horcum
The Hole of Horcum and Levisham Moor, taken from the Whitby to Pickering road

Wednesday 31 July 2013

Alaska Highway Day 3, Fort Nelson, BC.

What a difference a day makes, this morning we woke up to blue skies and bright, warm sunshine, it was 17c. at 7:30, yesterday I don't think it went above 14c. all day. Writing this at 5:30 pm. and the ac. is on. Ruth sunbathing outside while I bash away on the macbook.
 
Are we in the same country, easier driving when the weather is like this.
 
This road just go's on and on and the surface is as good as anything we have driven on this trip. We were told by lots of people we met on the drive across Canada that we would need extra tires, gas cans etc.etc. so far not true, lots of gas stations - - maybe one every 50km or so - - we have some 10 litre gas cans for sale any reasonable offer accepted.
 
Another Oil/Gas encampment, not such a good pic. but you get the idea (will be having a word with the photographer later, after she has made dinner)
 For all the truck lovers out there, this monster had 30 wheels, 18 wheelers bah up here there known as minis' just like them funny European cars.
Change of photo, there are other things to see than road and trucks. We are approaching Fort Nelson and the scenery has flattened out. Farming again. 
We are parked up at The Triple "G" Hideaway RV Park, in Fort Nelson, Tomorrow we are having the truck serviced here, we have done just under 8000.km since taking delivery, and this V8 engine has to have an oil change and things every 5000 miles / 8000km.

Alaska Highway Day 2

Its raining, in fact it rained all day, which made for a difficult drive, the rain sometimes very heavy, other times just a drizzle.
 
This is a Oil/Gas workers village, there are lots of these work/rest places along the highway for the oil workers.
 
Dropping down to the Sikanni River, the grade was 9% for 3km;. we stayed the night at the camping on the side of the river.
 
Here we are parked among the puddles, grotty camping and no wifi (writing this in Fort Nelson) The rain let up just long enough for us to go on a short walk up the river.

 
Looking back towards the bridge, the original bridge was made of wood and was built in less than 84 hours by The 95 Engineer Regiment, all black African Americans.
 
These "cribs" were built just up stream from the bridge to protect it from ice flows and driftwood. The distance travelled today was 175km.



Monday 29 July 2013

North to Alaska, Charley Lake.

 Todays drive will be short 52 miles (back when the road was built Canada used miles, the milage markers are still used) around 80km. Tomorrow will be a long drive, so todays little hop will make tomorrow a bit easier.
 The photos show the different scenery as we drive along the highway, we are in the Peace River area.
 This is the top of South Taylor Hill which goes down to the Peace River, the hill is 6km. long at a gradient of 10%.
 Just over the top and starting to descend, using a combination of wheel brakes and engine brake to get down, don't like using too much engine brake, the fuel consumption is off the chart.
 Half way down, river just ahead, my combination seams to be working good. At the bottom all the photos Ruth took just show the rock/shale sides of the river, not very interesting.  Drive through Taylor and Fort St. John to Charley Lake and stop at the Rotary Campground.
 
 The campground is along side Charley Lake and this memorial is to 13 American solders who drowned when their pontoon raft loaded with caterpiller tractors and stuff capsized in a sudden storm
 Looking northwest up Charley Lake
 This one looking north east, its a big lake over 20km long
Change of subject. An electric car charging point, the second one we have seen on the Alaska Highway, would anyone attempt this journey in an electric car? Its a bit of a challenge with a petrol V8.  Tomorrow we are heading for Pink Mountain.

Sunday 28 July 2013

Dawson Creek, BC.

 
Leaving Grand Prairie after an enjoyable 3 night stay, turning right at this intersection towards Alaska.
 
Arriving at Dawson Creek, British Columbia a couple of hours and 135 kms. later.
 
Board at the information centre explaining the building of the Alaska Highway and here is mile marker mile zero, the official start of The Alcan Highway, which I understand is its official name.



















We drove through some magnificent scenery from GP to Dawson Creek, the weather was'nt kind to us today. None the less a couple or 3 pics. of the journey up here.
Tomorrow we go up the highway Fort St. John and Charley Lake where we hope to stay the night.

Saturday 27 July 2013

Grand Prairie, Alberta

After leaving Whitecourt we had a short drive of 173km. to Valley View a nondescipt sort of place, motels, gas stations and not much else excepting a great camping a couple of ks. down a dirt road. We thought of staying here 2 nights, we evan had wifi, but on checking our emails found we had one from our friend PM in Ottawa telling us some mail would be arriving at the UPS depot in Grand Prairie on Thursday morning. So Wednesday morning we unplugged and drove the 120kms. to GP.
 
As you can see we had a cloudy morning but they soon lifted and by the time we reached GP. we were in bright sunshine.
 
We are in the Rotary Club camping in the centre of GP. that little footbridge crosses Bear Creek which runs into reservoir which is surrounded by a park. The park runs through the centre of town, very picturesque.
 
We have stayed an extra night here, doing some shopping and getting ready for the hop over to British Columbia, tomorrow we go to Dawsons Creek and mile 1 of the Alaska Highway. Another stage of our big adventure. Lots of trailers and motor homes here at the camping, either just arrived from Alaska or like us about to set off.  I have spent most of the afternoon washing the trailer and truck and watching all these campers arrive from the north all dusty and dirty, well at least we will be setting out clean.
 
I wonder if these will be the only bears we see on this trip? Last time we were in BC we watched a mother bear and youngster cross the road, the traffic stopped to let them cross, I think they have the 
right of way.
 
Last photo of Muskoseepi Park, Grand Prairie

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Whitecourt, Alberta

A good 3 hour drive from Gibbons to Whitecourt, all set up at the Lions Club Campground for 1:30 pm After a late lunch. we visit the information centre which is next door to the camping, get fixed up with a trail map and set off on another nature walk.
 
We have moved out of the prairie and are now in forest, the big change is the light and not being able to see the big sky.
  
We are now in bear country, this worried us a bit as we have no bear spray, the lady at the info. centre said there had been no bear sightings this summer,  the cougars were the problem and what do you do if one of those takes a fancy to you - - we set off into the woods a little worried
  
The trail we walked, not a sight or sound of bears, cougars or any other wild life except for butterflies, which quite pleased me as I like watching them.


  
I dont think we have seen this one before, I have no idea what its called, pretty though.
 
Two for the price of one, and they are different.
 
This is the last butterfly pic.
 
So I thought how about another bug. thats it folks another great day on the road, todays milage 187km. To morrow we go to Valley View.

Monday 22 July 2013

In and around Gibbons Alberta.

We have been here at the Longriders RV Park for 4 days enjoying the area and making new friends.
On Thursday morning we went into Fort Saskatchewan to visit the old Mounted Police Fort and Museum; an interesting tour, especially the court house with all the original furnishings. all the different "Mounty" uniforms from the 1870s, the only common factor being the tunics which have always been red.
During the afternoon Rodger, who we met at happy hour at our neighbours on Wednesday night, took us on a trip to Edmonton to show us around and buy some steaks and beer for a BBQ Friday night.
 Blair, our neighbour, getting the campfire going for the BBQ.
     Steaks Alberta style                                                                      
Friday we went into Edmonton and visited The Royal Alberta Museum and spent most of the day viewing the exhibits, mostly natural history and first nation culture.
   Saturday was a lazy day, chatting with Rodger in the morning watching Blair cut grass. Shopping in Fort Saskatchewan in the afternoon.
 Sunday, we went for a walk along the Sturgeon River in Gibbons a couple of km. down river from Wednesdays hike.
 Lots of birds and bugs and wildflowers.

I think this little fellow is a woodpecker, at least he sounded like one, pecking away at the tree.
 I have no idea what this plant is called.    



Looking ahead up the trail.