Western Alberta is astoundingly beautiful. Gently rolling grassland—as far as you can see—for hours of driving. I’m sure we saw lots of cattle and horses, but the land is so vast that they seemed like only a handful scattered around. In some places, the grass was so tall when we drove through that they’d look […]
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Alaska Trip Retrospective
After our summer-long trip to Alaska, we’re traveling south through British Columbia, Canada, and the climate, sunlight, ecosystems—really everything—is all changing rapidly. No more alpine or subalpine terrain, and it’s kind of shocking. I shouted out to Tracy when I saw a cow. We both said, “Hey, look at this!” when we had to use the flashlight […]
Down the Cassiar Highway
We’re heading south through far-western Canada along the Cassiar Highway, a relatively new road (1970s) that connects the Alaska Highway to British Columbia. There are a few small First Nations villages on either side, and that’s it. The Cassiar The highway runs through the Cassiar, the Coast, and the Skeena mountain ranges, in a southward river […]
The Price of Adventure (at Tombstone)
On our way to Tombstone Territorial Park in Yukon we drove a short stretch of the Klondike Highway and then the infamous Dempster. Up here there’s constant roadwork in the summer, and by roadwork they mean, “bulldozing the old road and pushing a pile of dirt beside it for a new road.” I was too […]
You Keep Watching the Tundra, Then You Remember to Look Up (at Tombstone)
I said this to Tracy yesterday while we were hiking along the mountains in the northern part of Tombstone Territorial Park, here in the Yukon, a little east of Fairbanks. The sub-arctic tundra here is so beautiful—moss and lichen and flowers—a deep cover that insulates the permafrost right below. Even if the ground weren’t captivating, […]
Muncho Lake with Friends
This is such a beautiful place, but you add friends, and it’s like cranking the dial up to 11. We’re at Muncho Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia, camped right next to Doug and Melanie. You know them: we met a couple of years ago in Anza Borrego (California) back when they had their Airstream. […]
We Haven’t Even Gotten to Alaska Yet
I wasn’t going to post yet again today, but good grief I can’t believe this place. Just on the Roadside This morning, we drove for less than two hours north from Stone Mountain Provincial Park, and still we saw a ton of large wildlife. It’s hard for me to take photos out the window, especially […]
Flower Springs Lake
Lotsa photos! I’ve been stymied by broken eye glasses, a lost camera lens cap, and so many bear sightings that we have to keep Banjo close, but I’ve still managed to take too many pictures. Prophet River Wayside Provincial Park We’re still heading north up the Alaska Highway slowly, enjoying each stop. The provincial park […]
Back-country Hiking at Writing-on-Stone
I ended my previous post thinking the spirits in this sacred place were telling me to slow down. Well, perhaps I misunderstood that message, because the hike I went on the next day seemed spectacular. First thing, I signed in with the visitor’s center for back-country hiking, then I joined Tracy in fording the Milk […]
Writing-on-Stone Overwhelm
I often feel like spirituality is something other people experience. I’ve never felt connected to a greater being, and I wonder if my feelings about the land and nature aren’t a little forced. And when I get emotional while witnessing indigenous ceremonies, my tears are probably a whole lot of racial guilt. Some places are […]
