Blackdawg
Dr. Frankenstein
Alberta Bound and Beyond
Chapter 1: Last Minute Scramble to the Sun
Chapter 1: Last Minute Scramble to the Sun
It's August 2016 and the time has come for what has become an annual ritual for my two friends and I to meet and go on an adventure to somewhere new. Mike, Ben, and I have been planning all summer to head back into Canada to explore more of its vast backcountry. But it nearly didn't happen.
We had asked if several people would like to join us and a few did. We had some great contacts in Canada who were willing and able to share precious GPS data with us to some very remote and amazing places through the mazes of logging roads found in Canada. Timmy, who was more or less our groups deemed navigator as we all where still working on getting our rigs setup for navigation, was given all the GPS data. Sadly, at the last minute, he had to pull out from the trip for reasons unknown.
This left us in a bit of a pickle and scramble as we had to refind the GPX files and figure out a way to use them. Mike thankfully took on this task and came through with flying colors with just 5 days to go till our rally point of the Basecamp Cafe in Columbia Falls, MT. But he made it happen and our trip was saved.
Thank you Mike.
Devin and I, well okay more of me, scrabbled to get the truck packed and hit the road late to Montana to camp just off of highway 83N on Friday night. We didn't get to camp until 2am.
Mike and Ben had a much nicer evening camping at Ashely Lake.
IMG_0001 by Benjamin Springli, on Flickr
The next morning we all met up at the rally point, ate breakfast and talked mad **** too make up for lost time. Introductions where also in order as Ben had brought along his girlfriend this year, Kirsten, whom niether I nor Devin had met. She fit right in bashing on Ben just as hard as we did. It was going to be a good trip.
From breakfast we refueled and hit the road to enter Glacier National Park. We didn't intend to spend a lot of time here, just drive the Going to The Sun road before entering into Canada. I was excited for this as I knew it was famous but wasn't ready for the traffic we would encounter on a small narrow steep and winding road built in the 30s.
The drive was beautiful but pull outs to stop where at a premium and we decided that it was just best to pull out when you could if you found a spot to fit. The road was very busy and we really didn't stop until we started climbing and got up above the beautiful glacier cut valley's.
Alberta Bound!-3.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
IMG_0009 by Benjamin Springli, on Flickr
IMG_0017 by Benjamin Springli, on Flickr
IMG_0981z by mike digirat, on Flickr
Even with the traffic, we where glad to be on the road.
Alberta Bound!.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
Alberta Bound!-2.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
I for one was looking forward to the road where the amount of people was only us. Frankenstein was no slender pony anymore and people where constantly honking at me for “hogging the road”. Come on! Long travel people!
Alberta Bound!-4.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
They just don't understand..
We continued up the highway taking in the vast beauty that had named the road so eloquently.
AlbertaBound2.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
AlbertaBound2-2.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
I am always blown away by how lush areas can be coming from a desert. The green areas really are striking to me at times.
AlbertaBound2-3.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
AlbertaBound2-4.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
It is rare to see guard rails on the road once you cross the Continental divide. Avalanches tend to destroy any sort of barrier they tried to put up here. The snowfall up here can be pretty insane.
Alberta Bound!-6.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
The construcsion of this road is amazing. It was started in 1921 and finished in 1932. The sheer work it took to blast the road into the mountainside on such steep mountainsides is daunting. Some of the places they couldn't and just make bridges like this one. That bridge is approaching 100 years old.
Alberta Bound!-7.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
Alberta Bound!-8.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
While the road is amazing in its own way, Glacier National Park is unreal. The true beatuy though is beyond any vehicles reach. Back packing is popular here and is about the only way you could ever see some of those far off peaks and valleys.
AlbertaBound2-5.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
Another time, we will stick to the road for now. I wonder how long it will take for the scared face to heal once and if humans are gone..
AlbertaBound2-6.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
Alberta Bound!-9.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
IMG_0995 by mike digirat, on Flickr
AlbertaBound2-7.jpg by Monte Nickles Photos, on Flickr
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