On The Road Again

We are traveling home from a quick circle trip going from northern Alberta to the coast of BC to straight up BC towards home.

A bit of a whirlwind adventure but as we drive mile after mile, I am still convinced that we live in such an extraordinary part of the world.

The climate, landscape and beauty of each area seems to surpass the next. We have gone through the brilliantly yellow canola fields, the miles of poplar trees blowing with the wind. I forgot how big the cedar trees can get in the lower mainland. Gorgeous clear water rivers, to the dry sagebrush aka tumbleweeds of the desert areas around Kamloops. The ocean greeted us in Vancouver and we followed the mighty Fraser river for a long stretch home.

We have felt the heat of the summer sun, the drizzle of the rain and ran for cover in an all out deluge rainstorm.

It has been a while since I travelled the Fraser Canyon highway and I was surprised at how many memories it pulled back for me.

When I was a girl we lived in North Vancouver and to travel anywhere you usually or at least our family did, take the Fraser Canyon. The Coquihala did not even exist back then.

The road has been worked on for years but it is still quite a drive. Driving along those high roads and glancing down at the far, far below river, still commands a high respect for that road. It's a winding, curvey long stretch of road complete with tunnels, multi coloured rock formations and it's completely gorgeous!

Because I have travelled it many times, I give Brian play by play of some of my family history as we go. Plus I explain how the road has improved over the years. There are a couple visible stretches of original highway-very narrow and right besides that canyon drop off!

I know several people who refused to travel that road back then as it was simply too nerve racking. The passenger travelling down south on the highway could simply look over the edge of that canyon to the rocks and river far below with nothing between you and it - should you veer off the road.

Brian was impressed but not phased by the road as Newfoundland highways often travel the ocean shoreline and can be equally curved and steep. "Rock wall one side, ocean on the other", yup that's about it, except we have rivers.

I cannot help but think of all the hype and kerfuffle about our "wrecked planet". Now I know there are areas that need attention, that is not what I am saying. It's more the doom and gloom of no hope, that I am addressing. The gloriousness of our country from 60 years ago to now, I can honesty say, that has not changed. It is almost like someone forgot to tell nature that it is in trouble.

The eagles and hawks still soar above the highway, the trees are still lush and wonderful. We have passed logging trucks with impressive sized logs and have not seen one clear cut area. We saw several burned out areas. The waters of the lakes and rivers have flowed green, turquoise, blue and muddy. The mountains are still standing magnificent and proud. We even got to see the top of Mount Robson on our way down, which is apparently fairly rare as it is usually clouded in.

I took pictures of these mountains near Grande Cache with the haze of smoke on them because they really do look like the famous "smoky mountains " of the USA. So you do not even have to go way down there for a viewing.

We have seen a black bear, some deer, a couple elk along with this amazing creation - a prize trophy elk who has eluded hunters and I'm praying he continues to!

To me the most "rugged" stretch of highway, the most untouched, is the "Pine Pass". It is between Mackenzie junction and Chetwynd. That's where I am this morning and there is no cell service for most of it. I've had to wait til we get to Chetwynd to post this.

I hope my pictures and this blog prompt you to get your sense of adventure rolling and you too get out and explore our glorious homeland and see for yourself what a wonderful world it is.

Just saying... Brian says I can't actually say it... but I noticed a fair amount of "yellow" things on our way back. Not the brown dried out things, but degrees of yellow... do not delay going for your drive.