Canadian Journey

In the middle of October I ventured north to Canada, making an epic drive to Alberta and back with dogs as my copilots. It was a relaxing and fun trip, and I did stop and take a few pictures along the way.



By the time we got home, we had logged over 1600 miles, and crossed the Rockies 4 times in 1 month!

We drove through FLAT Eastern Washington...



We crossed the border at Eastbrook. This is the scenic loop lookout on the US side of the border crossing. The border guards were confused by my license plate, and gave me trouble heading both directions over it.





With Sandpoint and Eastbrook behind me, and Moyie, Fernie and Cranbrook ahead, I set my eyes on the km/hr gauge and drove on.




We started climbing into the mountains...






And we passed through numerous small and not-so-small towns along the way.



And crossed the Rocky Mountain summit at Crowsnest Pass. Crowsnest lake is very beautiful and we stopped to go for a walk at the rest area each direction.





We began dropping down into Alberta, and were rewarded with views behind us of Crowsnest Peak.






Soon we passed a MASSIVE rock slide called the Frank Slide. The Frank Slide occurred in 1903 and dammed the Crowsnest River, as well as destroying a mine, most of the mining town and taking a number of lives. The slide is really stunning in its magnitude. You can learn more about the Frank Slide including seeing some amazing panoramic photos here.







Once in Alberta, we discovered that just like the US East of the Rockies, it is FLAT. This is the view of the Rockies from the Alberta side.



I consulted the directions in my pocket and finally turned off the highway 13 hours later onto a winding, gravel road...



And arrived at my destination... the intersection of several gravel roads in the middle of the flatness. The stars were amazing here...



And we saw the friend we had come to visit:


Photo by Jenny Glen


We hoped to return with some precious cargo, and indeed a different kind of photo was taken 2 days ago to find out if we had.




I am pleased to report we are expecting a litter out of Lucy, by Scott Glen's outstanding male Don. Her ultrasound confirmed her pregnancy is progressing normally so far. The puppies are due 12.14.2010. Keep paws and fingers crossed for a healthy pregnancy for Lucy and the safe arrival of beautiful babies before Christmas!