20030828

August 28, 2003
Thursday


Start:   Glowing Embers Travel RV Park, Acheson AB
End:     Little Loon Regional Park, Glaslyn SK
Miles:   284
Hi Temp: 72.0
Lo Temp: 51.4


I learned something today. Never trust the route Microsoft Streets and Trips has outlined for you. Check it against a good state or province map before using it.

We hopped up and headed out this morning, going north to TC-16 and east on it. We continued on it for 60-some miles, past several herds of buffalo, until we got to Vegreville (home of the world's largest Ukranian painted Easter egg). 

The recommended route was then AB-631, so we took that.  It was paved and limited at 100km/hr, not bad. Then we went over a hill, crossed an intersection and we were on gravel.  Well, it was wide and it looked smooth, and the speed limit was 80km/hr, so I went at it.  Now remember, Edmonton had 1.5" of rain last night.

The clay under the gravel was saturated with water.  The truck continuously tried to find its own best way through the gravel-on-mud mixture and needed corrections. On the upgrades, the back wheels would power us up the slope, but the rear end would try to slide out one way or the other.  The one farmer we met looked as us as though we were crazy. I could see us leaving ruts in the road behind us.

Finally, we gave up and jogged south to TC-16 again, ran east for a bit, refueled in Vermillion, and took known paved roads across upper-west-central Saskatchewan to Glaslyn and then to Little Loon Regional Park.

We noticed a contrast between Alberta and Saskatchewan.  Overall, we drove directly east.  Alberta was all farms; wheat and hay. Saskatchewan turned rocky, with many fewer farms, and the trees were mainly small birches.  I haven't figured out the reason for this yet.

We are in a regional park. The attractions include a nine-hole golf course, the lake (with swimming beach and boat launch), mini-golf, horseshoes, and all the little things. The campground has 29 sites with electrical and water service and 28 sites that are unserviced.  There are several trailers here for the season. Our host said she expects it to be full for the September weekend (as they call it, Labor Day weekend for us), which begins tomorrow.

We took a hike to examine everything.  When we returned, we found a couple and their three boys (15, 13, 8, or something like that) setting up in the next campground.  They arrived with an SUV pulling a speedboat and the truck pulling a trailer. They set up a big tent, with a fly, then a tarp in the trees over that.  They set up the awning on the trailer with lights, then moved the big picnic table to be just outside the awning coverage. Then they set up a plastic-framed canvas-covered enclosure over the table, and rigged canvas screens on the three sides of the enclosure away from the awning and trailer. The kids were part of this, doing a lot of it themselves.  The youngest hauled a wagon away and came back with firewood.  Some was split to go into the wood warming grill they brought along, and the fire was started.

We fixed a simple dinner in the trailer, then stepped outside and said hi to them. We chatted for a little bit and sat outside with books until a few raindrops came along.  Then we came in, and now we're settling for the night.