Wednesday July 29th, 50.7 miles and 4780 accumulated vertical feet up.
As planned Celina’s dad met me at the hotel’s restaurant at 7:00am, they didn’t open until 8, we checked the Coal Miner’s Cafe, not open until 8. Paul suggested we go up to his summer house. It was a rustic homey bungalow with a two story attached barn, Celina summers in the upstairs apartment. Out back was a contractor’s wonderland of multi level decks, with a wooden hot tub. Paul recently bike packed in Vietnam (self planned and un supported), he had toured by bike in Africa, the Baltic Countries and too many other places for me to remember. For a while he participated in many of the M/S fundraiser bike tours anywhere in the US he found appealing. Awe Jeffery— he did the “Triple Bypass” a few years ago.
Paul spent his life as a building contractor allowing us to have plenty in common— we could have talked for a month! Anyway back to breakfast, he asked if Oatmeal (porage) was okay? Then asked would I like nuts and yogurt and red raspberries— how do these things happen!!? This is a combination of everything I normally eat for breakfast at home!
The Forestry Trunk Road has become my friend, it’s a well maintained wide gravel logging road that is also used to move rv’ers into and out of the amazing backcountry ( “the bush” as it’s known here) of Alberta. I have been on it for over 100 miles and it looks like I have another 115 miles before I turn off. The grades of the hills are low, guessing no more than 7% and I am assuming they are built that way because these logging and quarry trucks are so big, 61 ton limit on semis— the tractor has 3 rear axles and the trailers have 4. There are hardly any services along this road! There is cell service hardly ever. There are many beautiful places for people to camp. There are lots of campers out here.
Made some friends before dinner and after I ate I went to their campsite and had a beer and chatted. Very nice family staying through the coming up 3 day weekend (Civil Day?). They are from Edmonton and have been having their annual family vacation here for the last 12 years. They fish and walk/hike about the park. There was 5 adults, 3 young kids, 1 infant and 2 older teenagers.
Later this night I hear a car roll into the campground, probably about 8:00 I was about half asleep, well I sat up and saw them pull up to my site, some burly older women gets out and says I didn’t pay my $20.00…. Yes correct, I did pay it the previous nights but I’m out of Canook Buck 20’s… ok with her “just give me that 50 and I’ll make you a permanent “member””— hmmmm!!! Well she finally convinced me and asked me all the bicycle traveling questions she could and then moved on to interrogate occupants of the 5 occupied camp sites… actually a nice burly older women!!! She had a really cool paper map and was showing me where I was…
Thursday July 30th, 44 miles and 3700 accumulated vertical feet up.
Got out around 8 this morning after answering more friendly questions from another camper.
I didn’t see them there camping in their camper van until I got next to the water, immediately they invited me over to chat. They are retired and travel Alberta & British Columbia from the end of May to the end of September.
When the weather changes they travel directly South and spend some time at Havasu Lake. When they wear out their welcome there they finish off the winter camping around Texas.
Heather raised and trained & raced pony’s for “chuck wagon” events at Rodeos, John bred, trained, sold, rented and guided Standard Bred horses and apparently has a very good reputation. They have two grown sons. So, I’m sitting there listening and eating my beef jerky and dried Mango and I see Heather throwing 4 nice looking burgers on her griddle and grilling some onions and toasting 4 buns and getting out the fixin’s and before you know it I was enjoying an awesome lunch— by the way their dog got the same, he ate about 2/3’s of it and carried the rest away about 4ft and buried it, John says that’s his thing! I needed to make fast work of my story and hit the GDMBR…!
Ken's Adventures 
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