September 2009

We left Dawson City, stopped for a quick look at the Dempster Highway but decided against going all the way North at this time of the year. The weather can change very fast up North and we realy need to start heading South to stay ahead of the cold and possibly freezing weather

So along the five finger rapids, in the Yukon river onto Whitehorse, and via a little detour passed the smallest desert in the world to Lake Bennett, following the Klondikers trail. Back to Watson Lake to hang our sign in Signpost Forest.

Buffalo's along the Yukon highway on the way to Dawson Creek and our first snow on the 7th of September 2009 let's hope it was just a fluke, via Mile zero onto Alberta, the wheat State of Canada.

Sighting of our first Aurora Borealis just before arriving in Edmonton to pick up Margreet and Ian who travelled for a week with us through Banff and Jasper National parks to Calgary.After having dropped off Margreet and Ian we took the cowby route down to the Canadian/United States boarder to cross into Montana.

Darren at Lake Bennett pointing to where the 7000 boats full of prospectors came in from the Chilkoot trail heading North to Dawson Creek to find their fortune.

Darren made a great sign for Watson Lake Sign Forest.

This is where the sign will sit between 65000 other signs from all over the world and than to think it started all off with one homesick worker from the Alcan Highway in 1942.

Wild Buffalo's (Bison) along the highway just happily grazing whilst the traffic passes.

The weather suddenly changed and we were very concerned winter had arrived early, we were only as far South as Dawson Creek and had a very long way to go before we would be in warmer parts of the country.

Mile Zero in Dawson Creek, the beginning of the Alcan Highway.

Aurora Borealis, the night skies of the Northern countries just amazing.

Edmonton Mall, worlds largest Mall with an ice skating ring, shops, restaurants, hotels, casino, theater, movie theatres, amusement park, huge swimmingpool with superslide and looooooots more. Good for a whole day entertainement.

Margreet and Ian have arrived and we are sitting in the sun having a little rest after a nice hike along Maligne Lake,one of the many beautiful lakes of Jasper national park.

Campfire at night in the campground and of course some "smores" had to be on the programme, camping is not the same withour smores!

Beautiful Sunwapta waterfall with cirques, round waterholes formed in the rocks, by the constant whirling of water from the falls.

Snocoach driving on the Columbian icefield, up to the Athabascan Glacier, where we got out for a walk on the glacier, what an experience.

This is what the snocoach looked like an amazing vehicle that has so much tarction that it can go up and down very steep icy hills.

Overlook from Bow Summit over a huge glacier lake with deep blue colors.

Lake Louise, probably the most famous of Lakes from the Banff/Jasper parks and rightly so it was picture perfect when we were there. The sun was shinning and the snow glistering and very few people.

From lake Louise we took a nice long (and strenious) hike up to Lake Agnes, where we were rewarded with a cup of tea and tea biscuits at a log building teahouse from 1921.

Off to the hotpools, just what the doctor ordered, after a nice long hike.

When you stay in one of the many nice National Park campgrounds you have to pay a fee for the campfire but that does include the firewood, no.........that is not all ours!

A visit to Banff and or Jasper is not complete without a visit to one of the many legendary Lodges. This is the Fairmont Banff Lodge, which was built for the rich train tourists in the early 1900's. Margreet and Ian took us for lunch there on our last day together, very special.

We had absolute beautiful weather travelling with Margreet and Ian, it looked like autumn had come back, look at the cute guy(squirrel) admidst the autumn leaves.

After having dropped off Margreet and Ian at the Calgarry airport we took the cowboy trail direction Lethbridge and onto Waterton Lake. We stopped at a "show-ranch" and rode the wagon, drank a bush coffee and looked at a lot of history of the ranchers, their practices and their buildings.

Cow-girl in the making!

On the map we spotted a place name which stated:Head smashed in Buffalo jump and went to investigate what this could be. It was a museum on a sacred Indian side, were once the Buffalo roamed in the millions they were driven of cliffs by way off hunting, that explains the name. It was a way of living and sustainable for the Indians but as sad as it was when the settlers came and they brought their guns the Buffalo'almost became exstinct and are only now being fostered and are coming back slowly.

We had another very varied and interesting month with the highlight being the visit of Margreet and Ian, spending a beautiful sunny week together in Banff/ Jasper National Park.

September 2009

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