Thumbnail is a shot of a City building in Minneapolis, one of many which we love which surprises us as we are not city people. By the way, the hotel staff told me today it isn't a power station next door but a steam distribution point from the steam generated out of town by the rubbish furnaces.

Today's ride has been just lovely. Norm plotted a course so we could have more country road riding than interstates and it has been a delight and a huge bonus is that the traffic, once we lost an hour in stop start traffic on road works getting out of Minneapolis, has been minimal so a treat. The countryside has been gently undulating to small hills and bluff areas and heaps of farmland, mainly cropping with some dairy along the way, and not dairy as we know it but in barns and the fragrance of all that concentrated excreta is NOT fragrant. That aside, most of the activity is on the flat to undulating land and for the most part the hills have been smothered in luxuriant forest growth somewhat reminiscent of the forest areas we rode through last year in the east of the state though the colours are many shades of green rather than being clothed in a fall mantle of orange red and gold though we did find one plant along the side of the road today which was totally confused as to the season and was a brilliant combination of fall colours.

Soon after we left we came to St Croix and this was a quirky railway bridge we found crossing the river. We didn't find Ellsworh Falls which were supposedly close to here , not sure how we missed them.

Then into Ellsworth For a coffee and this is the Pierce County Courthouse, one of the most significant buildings in town as they often are.

One of the things we enjoyed about the ride today was that there was pretty intensive farming in small holdings with lots of communities small and large along the way and that is close to an absolute opposite of the land and communities we experienced as we followed the Oregon Trail heading west, even where water was plentiful on the Trail the terrain lent itself to large broad acre holdings so communities were sparse on the ground. This is an example of a tidy little farm, one of many we saw on our travels.

And this is an example of a community hub ahead.

We called in to see Crystal Lake but most of it was covered in a green growth of some sort and not so crystal clear so we proceeded on to Black River Falls, but the only remains of the falls we could find were beside the dam wall to hold the Black River back. Ah well.

Ths is a shot of another significant courthouse the Jackson County Courthouse in Black River Falls. This was only about a third of the building and the Police / Sheriff offices were beside it and extended at least half the distance again on from that so substantial.

And a street scape shot again in Black River Falls. This was a substantial and well maintained town.

And here we are in La Crosse and this is a shot of the waterfront on the mighty Mississippi River.

And another courthouse, this time the Courthouse and Law Enforcement Building, a more recent build than those already shown today.

And the Weber Centre for the Performing Arts which is next door to our hotel on the banks of the Mississippi.

And this is the bridge across the river literally next to our hotel.

And a shot under one side of the bridge at the edge of the car park. 

Bits and Bobs:

The little town of Black River Falls, apart from having many Art Deco buildings, had lots of murals and dedications to their history both significant historically and to the regular population. This is one example of the latter.

And this was a bike stand near our hotel tonight in La Crosse which looks great.

Last 2 Night's Accommodation:

Best Western Normandy Inn & Suites, 405 South 8th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404

A nice welcoming hotel with multiple options of places to sit and relax, comfortable space in our room and bed lovely. Restaurant and bar on site but many options close by as well. Included parking and wifi.. On site guest laundry, gym and swimming pool. A handy spot to the downtown and good value.

Thumbnail is a night shot of some of the skyline visible from near our hotel. The Foshey Tower on the left was once the tallest building in Minneapolis .... a long time ago I'm thinking.

Heading out this morning feeling fresh and enthusiastic. A shot with an interesting mix of buildings on our way to breakfast at the 'HenHouse Eatery' which was delicious after a big sleep in. We ultimately nearly walked our legs off today, so much for having a quiet day but we decided we like Minneapolis. It sort of has a Chicago feel about it in that there are lots of different architectural styles in buildings without really detracting from their neighbours. There were many low rise Art Deco examples again around 3 - 4 storey only but also much higher with beautiful brickwork and lots of much newer interesting shapes and styles which works well together.

And a street sculpture after we turned into the walking Mall with foot traffic only except for buses and emergency service vehicles. Lots of eating options here as well as the majority of retail options and also connected overhead by walkways to many shopping malls in the 1st storey of office buildings.

Great efforts have been made to incorporate lovely leafy areas around hotels and residential apartment areas. Loved it. This is one near the Hyatt Hotel and many apartments on our trek to the Loring Park and Sculpture Park.

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And I found this squirrel which was so still I thought it was a cute sculpture in the park until I saw the fluffy tail and it managed to stay still long enough for me to fish out the camera. Yay.

There were many areas for sports activities on our way to the Sculpture Park as well as some pretty gardens and this is a shot across some gardens to the bridge across some water.

And the apparently world famous Spoon and Cherry Sculpture which we hadn't heard of until last night.

Heading back to the city area we came across this lovely fountain where we sat to cool off and enjoyed seeing the local children cooling off in the water.

A nifty address (1221) and a quirky view of the building and it's neighbours.

Another interesting street scape.The building with the big veranda looking extension is the new Public Library.

The ancient Stone Arch Bridge.

And a shot of St Anthony Falls, dam and lock to the left hand side. Quite a level drop in the lock.

And a shot of the Guthrie Theatre from the rear but I just didn't have it in me to find the front.

This area was known as the Mills Area where flour was milled for many years and these ruins at the front are pretty much all that is left and the buildings behind are now apartments. Looks good.

And last but not least, figured you wouldn't believe us if we told you there was a power station next door to our hotel in the middle of Minneapolis so here is a shot to prove it. Hotel left hand side, power station on the right.

Bits and Bobs:

We were having a coffee in a Caribou Coffee shop today and amongst a lot , of other guff we read we came across some words which pretty much describe Norm and I and how we seem to have the capacity to egg each other on and have come up with what we think describes us ...... " When What if runs away hand in hand with Why not". Ha ha, be interested to see if our kids agree with that statement!

All but one we saw were on the leash.

A cute idea in the middle of a predominantly residential apartment area.

And a temporary fix ... I hope.

Thumbnail is a shot of the Indoor Pool complex at Craguns Hotel and Resort and yes that is carpet. The bar and cafe tables are behind me as I took the shot. Incredible and as I said somewhere yesterday this is a great spot for families to relax and have fun but also for water sports and golfers. Sharen and Ken should have been with us because we got 2 complimentary walk the course golf games and since we don't play they could have had 2 each on a choice of courses while we went to the State Park and got eaten by mosquitos. Cragun's are very excited about their courses and tell us they have all been designed by very important people in the golfing world and from the untrained eye (mine) they all look impeccably well groomed and very attractive.

We decided to head north around some lakes today before we headed south to Minneapolis to do more riding on smaller roads and less on Interstate grade roads and it was an enjoyable ride through lush forest and farming land intersected by lakes large and small. We stopped for a photo opportunity on the shores of Serpent Lake at Crosby and discovered a very impressive Serpent beside it and considering it was between the lake and a caravan park and across a car park from a very impressive playground I wish them well with their 'Please don't climb on the serpent' sign.

Next stop was Deerwood and of course there had to be a Deer there.

Then onto Aitkin which had some lovely little quaint shops and this is their Rialto Theatre again with a neon sign.

And the brickwork on this building is what caught my eye as we rode along the main street which made me turn up the street. Don't know if I like it or not but it does catch the eye.

And an excuse for a break and a stretch and to get off the bikes at a Scenic Overlook of a lake .... but they didn't tell us which one.

A bit after lunch I got the nods really badly so we stopped to catch 40 winks under an interstate overpass and given the size of some of the ants we have seen the bike was the safest place to settle in on. Whoever woke up last was always going to be snapped, I was just relived it wasn't me. Apparently I stood on something dry in the grass as I was about to snap Norm and disturbed him hence the embarrassed grin on his face.

From there before we knew it we were in the suburbs of Minneapolis and rushing headlong with half the world for the CBD area, it was a relief to finally get onto a ramp which descended in between towering buildings and onto a city street. We didn't have far to go to get to our hotel and we will be here for 2 days so I'm doing the blog while my washing washes and dries and am thankful it is the first hotel laundry which is a comfortable cool temperature. We will do some exploring tomorrow.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Craguns Hotel and Resort, 11000 Craguns Drive, Brainerd MN 56401

A really intrigueing spot to visit. Comfortable space to sleep and relax in our suite with fridge and microwave so capacity to be partly self sufficient. Arm chairs to relax and a gas log fireplace and balcony. Also outside fire pits for the outdoors types and many sporting possibilities with boating, beach volleyball, lake swimming pool as well as the largest indoor pool we have ever seen complete with bar and cafe and carpeted area as well as balcony views from some rooms. Multiple eating options from dining room, bar and restaurant. Included parking and wifi which works well. Great spot for families with multiple accommodation options including lodge suites and self contained cabins. Not bad value given all the entertainment options on the doorstep.

Thumbnail is a shot of a great neon sign on the picture theatre in Fargo.This is one of many such signs in Broadway. Really enjoyed seeing them.

And a shot of St Mary's Cathedral on our way out of Fargo on Broadway which I took Norm on to see all the cute flower baskets, neon signs and Art Deco buildings.

Where yesterday's geography was undulating plains with intensive broad acre agriculture disappearing off into the distance to low lying ranges. Today we have ventured into Minnesota the State of 10,000 Lakes, or so their vehicle registration plates say and I could believe it. We seemed to climb up onto tableland which is incredibly green and lush with lakes from tiny to huge and every size in between scattered randomly across the land and as a result there is much less intensive broad acre farming but still a lot of farming and the trees aren't just growing along the waterways. Quite lovely really. This was our first stop out of town in a place called Detroit Lakes so I guess the lake is called Detroit Lake but who knows?  By the way, the black line on the top left hand side of the screen is a stick hanging on a spiders web.

Next stop for lunch was a quirky little town called New York Mills where we had lunch at a Subway store situated in a tin shed! Looked the same as any other Subway inside thankfully. This is a shot of some of the main street, very cute.

And a little out of town when we were making sure the few bits of compilations of old farm machinery really was the Sculpture park we found this sorry sight, a poor old barn has finally succumbed to lack of maintenance neglect and time. Going on the condition of the little house next to it I suspect the smaller one will suffer the same fate. Norm said sometimes at the end of the day he feels like the barn looks ... can't be pleasant.

After we booked into our accommodation on Gull Lake we headed off to visit the Crow Wing State Park which was a nice spot for a picnic or camping or fishing so long as you can keep the mosquito repellent handy. There used to be a town here called Crow Wing and was the site of a great Indian battle between the Dakota and Ojibwe in 1768 to gain possession as it was a prolific fishing and hunting area situated on the Mississippi River where the Crow Wing River merges with it around the Crow Wing Island. Ultimately fur traders set up here and a thriving industry with timber and trade and Ox-wagon crossings developed however when the railroad eventually got here they decided to cross the Mississippi at Brainerd which ultimately led to the demise of Crow Wing. This is a shot of the Mississippi and while it might not exactly be 'mighty' yet it was running strongly and clearly had fish in it which were jumping. Glad the mosquitos are a bonus to some. The park reflected a lot of what we had seen on the way today and I'll sum it up by saying "Uhm thinkin there's a lot'a huntin an fishin done in these hiya parts".

As we were heading back to Gull Lake we took a shot of this Art Deco inspired hotel in Brainerd and this was one of many buildings of this era.

And another of the water towers in Brainerd.

And a shot across Gull Lake from our accommodation. This is a huge resort which is used summer and winter and caters well for families and sports enthusiasts. They have accomodation for 1,000 people and their best season is summer but they also have snow boarders and ice fishers here in the winter with 2 feet of ice on the lake in winter!!!

Bits and Bobs:

A Travel tip learn't by sheer frustration for all those who have wrestled with feather pillows which seem to flaten the instant your head settles in them and when you put one on top of the other they just manage to wrap themselves about your face in an attempt to smother you. Norm having come across this problem on several ocassions stumbled on a soloution some days ago when in frustration he shoved a second pillow into a pillowcase with another pillow and lo and behold, it was solid enough for him to enjoy a good nights sleep!

And this shot shows you how the City of Fargo keep their flower baskets looking good.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Radisson Hotel Fargo, 201 Fifth Street North Fargo, ND 5812

A lovely hotel, comfortable room and bathroom, furnishings well proportioned, undercover parking available for $3.00, Included wifi which worked well, on-site bar, lounge, business centre, day spa and restaurant. Lovely comfortable spaces to relax in and Staff very helpful. Breakfast not included but a reasonable cost. Definitely the quality we have come to expect with the brand. Very good value.

Thumbnail is a shot of a Church we took as we went for a stroll after our dinner in Bismarck last night. We were amazed at the acres and acres of empty car parking spaces around University Hospitals and all sorts of Medical suites. After sleeping in this morning they were all full. We also spotted an Oil Refinery on the outskirts of town coming in last night so we know where a lot of the oil is going, and lots of oil tanker trains today.

After the glut on mountains we have had we expected flat featureless plains today but enjoyed the rolling plains we experienced with lush agriculture and land disappearing in patches to low ranges in the distance. Clearly the access to water varied as did the crops and it made for an interesting view as we passed. Again, the development is fast and furious. We were on an Interstate Highway all day but most of the towns / localities which now have access on and off the Interstate are new and many of the access roads lead to dirt tracks so a promise of access and development to come I guess. Early in our trip this is a shot of a Veterans Memorial Garden behind the Kidder County Courthouse in Steele ND.

And I took a shot as we headed into Medina to give an idea of the rolling terrain but in a 2 dimensional view it looks ridiculous so instead this is a shot of the very cute Water Tower with Silos on the rail line behind.

We lunched in Jamestown, the largest town since we left Bismarck and this is St James Church.

And a shot of a house to give you a taste of the quality of the town. The towns / villages / localities up until here have been pretty much all transportable buildings or close to it.

Not far out of Jamestown we saw this massive Silo Complex again on the rail line across paddocks. We saw many of these both smaller and larger today.

Next stop was Valley City, the self proclaimed 'City of Bridges' and this is one from the town area across to the Valley City State University (VCSU) a Teacher's University.

And a shot from the other side toward the University which was nicely laid out.

And a streetscape in Fargo.

And a shot in a residential street just one behind the commercial stuff and yes she asked me what I was doing but was happy I was just clicking away on holidays.

Bits and Bobs:

This is a shot of two long legged birds, one the 'World's Largest Sandhill Crane' in Steele ND and one little old me.....not surprised this is the largest known sandhill crane.

And as we negotiated the detour and unmade road in all the confusion as we made our way back to I-94 this is a shot Norm got of a very 'Oversize Load'. They were trucks with a tank each we got stuck behind in the rain yesterday which had pulled onto the road from a muddy yard and in the course of their travel washed the underside of their vehicles clean from all the downpour we had which was sheeting across the road. When I got off my bike for our first stop once we passed them I had a collection of mud and gravel on the seat between my legs. Cannot believe local municipalities allow this and every road coming in had mud stripes coming in .... mind you, it looks like the development in this area (related to oil) is barely keeping up to demand.

A shot of the 

Last Night's Accommodation:

Radisson Hotel Bismarck, 605 East Broadway Avenue, Bismarck ND 58501

Comfortable hotel but room appears unnecessarily small with 2 beds and a large armchair jammed in the space. Tiny but practical bathroom. Generous amenities but no refrigerator. Restaurant on site which was good for dinner and just as well as we walked for blocks afterwards and all we found were hospital and related medical buildings, car parks and some residential buildings. Nice furnishings but the laundry service they are using is letting them down. Table linen in the restaurant is just washed and folded and looks awful and the bed linen is not any better, a bit surprising overall given our experience with the brand in other times and this and other countries.

Thumbnail is a shot of a cliff face as we headed into the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Many things the same as the South Unit and many different. Probably if I could only visit one I would pick this one as the road climbs up through the clay canyons onto the tableland above and I enjoyed that sight as well as down into the canyons and across the Little Missouri River.

We headed off in pouring rain which just got heavier but we were hopeful since the worst of the weather was supposed to be heading east from where we started and we were heading north and then east and ultimately we came out of the rain albeit covered in mud from all the trucks coming onto the road off the dirt. What a mess, I felt sorry for Norm because he cleaned both the bikes up last night and now they look dreadful, but once we were out of the rain we remained dry and comfortable for the rest of the day. Yay. This is a shot in the North Unit overlooking a bend in the Little Missouri River.

And a view from the Ox Bow Lookout at the end of the trail in the park.

And another example of some hoodoos which won't last for many more rain showers I suspect. The grey coloured clay becomes liquid when it is exposed to water so literally runs off as sediment.

Norm beside a concretion to give you an example of the size.

And some more examples on the edge of a clay canyon.

From here we headed for Waterford City for lunch and oh my goodness, talk about boom town city. Some distance out we became aware there was some massive construction happening with tip trucks and building materials of all description and practically no cars but huge numbers of what the Americans call trucks as in huge utes. We had seen a few oil donkeys in paddocks before we got in and assumed that the activity was oil related and were later proven correct. As we started to get toward the outskirts we came across some hastily developing suburbs and stop start traffic waiting for a traffic light change. We ended up driving up the emergency stop lane for several hundred metres to turn into a lunch spot. After lunch we fueled up and headed east and for some 200 plus Kms through rolling farmland full of cattle and hay bales we weren't out of sight of oil donkeys, storage tanks, larger oil derricks, flares or pipeline construction work and as for trucks! We saw hundreds sitting in yards, hundreds loading up at storage tanks or waiting to load and oil trucks in all directions on the road. It was good to get to Halladay and head south and basically left the majority of the oil activity and traffic behind. This is a shot of a facility with donkeys, flare and storage tanks before we got to Halladay.

And this is an actual oil rig / derrick under construction. There were working ones each side of it.

We saw a sign to the Knife River Indian Village and headed to have a look. When we were at the Great Falls Lewis and Clark Interpretive Centre we had heard of the Villages as they had spent a winter with the Mandan and Hidatsa people and ultimately taken on a French-Canadian fur trader as a translator with his wife Sakakawea (a Shoshone) and she especially had been integral to managing negotiations with tribes in the trip. Lewis and Clark had been staggered by the large numbers of people in the villages and while the circular timber and earth huts are no longer present the base of them in two villages are still present along the river and this was an example at the Historic site we visited where we enjoyed a DVD depicting the life of a woman who grew up in the village.

From here we continued on to Cross Ranch State Park and negotiated a crappy gravel road to get in to discover it was a great place for camping and fishing but that was about all and considering it was already 6pm we decided it wasn't for us and headed for Bismarck. Norm stopped to get a shot of the road and this is me coming back up out of the park.

Bits and Bobs:

A shot of the massive umbrellas outside the Chuck Wagon where we had breakfast the last two mornings.

And a cute seat across the street from there in front of the Pizza Bar and Saloon and you can get a view of the other side of the street in the window reflection. We had dinner last night at the Rough Riders Hotel in the background and it was delicious..

A couple of stickers on the side of a truck at Halladay. 

Last 2 Night's Accommodation:

Badlands Motel, 501 Pacific Avenue, Medora, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND

Motel itself reminiscent of the one in Jackson but clean and well maintained and in a lot better overall condition. Re-furbished room in refurbished wing. Nicely done, comfortable space with room to sit and move around. Stand alone shower. Included parking and wifi which works. No refrigerator restaurant or breakfast but literally within short walking distance to lots of options. Given the remoteness of the location good value.

Thumbnail is a shot of the log cabin Theodore Roosevelt lived in when he came back to the North Dakota Badlands to mourn the loss of his wife and daughter in childbirth and of his mother from Typhoid in the same house on the same day in New York. He ultimately became a rancher in this rugged area he loved and credits his time here with his desire to develop a conservation consciousness within the population of the USA and was ultimately responsible for establishing the National Forest Service and ensuring one tenth of the country being made National Parks Forest and Grassland. Quite a legacy.

We woke to hear a second storey shower fairly drumming.......hang on the motel is single story and that water was fairly thundering down. DOH. So much for clear skies for the next few days. Not to worry, it was still raining when we went for breakfast and headed for the National Park Visitor Centre. This is a street shot in Medora across the street from where we had breakfast. The whole town is built in the old west style.

Just before we got into the National Park area yesterday we had travelled through National Plains Grassland right up until the base of the country we are in now known as the North Dakota Badlands. An interesting geology story exists for why they are as they are but I won't go into that here. This is a colourful cliff face of multi-colour clay. The area is changing with every rain shower and snow thaw as the fine clays wash down the hillsides as we saw in many spots on the roadside today.

An example of the clay washing away and stronger layers of sandstone remaining forming verandas over the receding clay.

This process eventually leaves precarious structures referred to as Hoodoos and this is a distant shot of one, sorry it is a bit fuzzy.

And an example of concretions..

And the great sights just kept changing and developing. Too many photo opportunities will never be enough!

And a shot out over the Badlands from a scenic look over.

And climbing up the Wind Canyon.

And some resident Bison. I was happy to see the one near the road lie down as it had been digging up dirt with one of its front legs before that and I wasn't confident I could do a U turn before he got to me.

And some wild horses. Both were feeding on the native grass and the wildflower with a fine golden yellow flower with a fragrance reminiscent of wattle. There was also sagebrush present (grey green bush) and combined the soft fragrances were sublime on the damp morning air.

Back to Medora for lunch and here is the Billings County Courthouse again styled in the western style.

And finally we headed for the Painted Canyon lookout and realised we had already seen some great examples of the red painted look but this was with good perspective. The colour comes from coal seams catching fire after a lightening strike and the heat baking the clay above it. This makes for some interesting shapes as the buttes disintergrate and we should see some good examples of that tomorrow when we check out the North Unit of the Park as we head off for our next destination.

Thumbnail is a marker marking where Lt. Colonel George Custer fell at the Battle of Little Bighorn June 25th 1876.

A shot literally from our hotel window this morning of part of the Boothill Cemetery. About time they cut the grass around the cross's.

We found our visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument a very moving experience with walking paths throughout the battlefield and markers where all the men fell including the Indian Warriors. This is where the last 40 Cavalry men fell including Custer on what is known as Last Stand Hill. This is where they gathered and shot their horses to shelter behind to shoot until their ammunition was exhausted and where they were overrun by 1,500 to 2,000 braves. You do have to wonder just what Custer thought he could achieve. The remains of the soldiers, scouts and civilians who died in the battle are buried at the top of the hill under a granite monument other than those removed and taken elsewhere. The Indian dead were removed by their people and placed in tipis and on scaffolds and hillsides. The view is down the hill to the Visitor Centre and what is now a National Military Cemetery. 

And a shot of part of the Indian Memorial which was built in 2003 and is really tastefully done. I feel great sorrow for the plains Indian people, their lifestyle had already been destroyed at that point with the rapid demise of the Bison which their survival depended on and the actions of the government officials was one of lies and treachery. Having said that, even had they not been hounded onto reservations then their lives couldn't have been the same as they were facing starvation. A tragedy all round, the soldiers were following orders and the indians were doing what they had to do to defend their people and lifestyle. No winners in a personal sense. The Indians were a strong civilisation with great spirituality and there was great arrogance on the part of the white man. The Indians desire for real peace expressed in so much of the Monument sight is generous and enabling.

And a shot of part of the National Military Cemetery.

We called into Hysham to fuel up and there were supposed to be sculptures in the town but the only ones we could find was a bear at the servo and some at the Yucca Theatre. A big number of buildings were built in this style.

The ride today was long but where yesterday we enjoyed the early morning fragrances of the forest today it was the sweet fragrance of recently baled hay which reminded us of our childhood so a good start to the day again and we rode through huge areas of grass plains and farmland surrounded by stony ridges. There were countless rolling hills and fields in tiers which seemed to rise in steps until they met surrounding stony ridges. Even when the plains were huge the same step process seemed to be in place so our view went back and forth from close views of rocky mountain ridges to really distant ones. This is a close view from the side of the road.

We had lunch in Miles City and this is their 'Natural Oasis' or so the sign said complete with lifegaurds.

The City looked in good shape with some very substantial buildings including many Art Deco ones and other older brick buildings. This is a shot in the main street.

Geetting later in the day and a bit weary we stopped in Wibaux for a cold coke and looked across the street at what we thought were a couple of bars and headed into the Rainbow bar. It was an experience and before we left another 4 bikers arrived so we enjoyed a bit of good fun banter before we headed out and found the bikes surrounded.

As we headed for the Theodore Roosevelt National Park we started to come across even more rugged and beautiful outcrops. We had seen some in the distance earlier which looked like the painted Desert we have seen photos of and this was the first chance to stop and take a shot.

Bits and Bobs:

Interesting to find that burnt diesel here smells more like jet fuel than diesel at home. Love it.

A sign we obeyed at the Little Bighorn site this morning!

And a sign I spotted at the Rainbow Bar. Loved it.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Boothill Inn and Suites, 242 E Airport Road, Billings MT 59105

Good sized comfortable room. Included breakfast, parking and wifi that actually works.Yay. Helpful staff, comfortable lounge in foyer and comlimentary tea, coffee and juice throughout the day as well as cookies on check in and at supper which I forgot to grab. Also complimentary shuttle bus to and from town (which is a bit of a hike) but we walked a short distance to dinner. Gym and swimming pool on site. Good value for money.

Thumbnail is a shot of what we have seen hundreds and hundreds of and let me tell you they don't hold anyone up, just about the only vehicles which travel faster are the yellow school buses!

We had decided to head for the #89 highway again so we could travel through the Lewis and Clark National Forest which was a real treat. We had a big day ahead of us as my bike was booked in at a shop in Billings to get a rear tyre fitted at 2pm so we headed off just after 7am and as it turned out that was a good thing because it got into the high 90's this afternoon. But, to our ride south on 89 to Interstate 191. It was an absolute treat and once we headed down 89 we started to climb through the Belt Creek / River Canyon (cannot remember if it was a creek or river) but later we saw a sign to the Big Belt Mountain Range. Not sure which direction as we were surrounded by mountains all round. In any case this was near the beginning of the canyon.

We came across a big number of deer still grazing near the edge of the road...and enjoying the warmth of the tarmac which was both a treat and a bit un-settling. We fuelled up last night but unsure what services we would come across we fuelled up again in White Sulphur Springs and had a hot drink because we were pretty chilled at this point. This shot is a bit after we climbed out of the town and a look back to the hills we had come through.

The ride through the National Forest was just beautiful. Mountains, conifers /pine trees, galloping water beside the road, great ascents and descents with awesome views and grassy plains at each end of the forest. Also, we came across what is left of a town which was the biggest producer of silver ore in the country in the late 1800's to early 1900's. I was amazed how far this extended. We could see on our GPS that there was an area of private ownership within the national park and this is the township of Neihart. A shot from an information rotunda.

Another shot of surrounding mountains.

And here we are about to turn onto the Interstate 191.

And a reminder that many many centuries ago this valley was cut out by the river wandering downwards from here. 

And into Billings and we dropped our luggage off at the hotel and headed for the bike shop. From here we headed into town for a bit of a look around before the bike was ready. This lovely Art Deco building is one of many of the era in the town. This was the Montana Power Company Building (and still may be, don't know) but the ground floor at least is now the Montana Brewing Company and a very nice bar and restaurant where we had some nachos. It was nice to sit without moving for a bit.

Billings is literally jammed in between canyon walls each side and this is a shot of one of the canyon walls from the back of Norm's bike as we returned to collect my bike.

And a shot at the town's original Boothill Cemetery literally a short walk up the hill from our accommodation. The Cemetery was named because many of its occupants went to their deaths with their boots on! This cemetery was the burying ground for Coulson, Montana, existing from 1877 to 1885, on the edge of what was to be Billings. The most famous person buried here is H.M. (Muggins) Taylor, a scout who took news of the Battle of the Little Bighorn between George A.Custer and the Sioux and Cheyenne Nations on June 25th, 1876, from the battle area to Bozeman. By the way that isn't fireworks in the distance but lights on a heap of radio towers.

Bits and Bobs:

And this is why they call these vehicles trucks!

And an interesting load Norm spotted in a rest stop.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Best Western Plus Heritage Inn, 1700 Fox Farm Road, Great Falls M 59404

Nice comfortable room and bed, pleased we beat the rain in. Surprised at the size of the town and the hotel. Included breakfast, parking and wifi (proving to be pathetic at this point, OK for email and nothing else...come on people!) nice restaurant on site as well as pool and gym and bar (with live guitarist ...very good) as well as attached to a casino....what more could a traveller want for????

I somehow managed to delete the photo Norm took so I will eventually grab a shot from the hotel website...but not tonight!

Thumbnail is a sculpture of a bull rider outside a museum in Browning which was a sorry little town and lots of examples of a community struggling. The title of the sculpture is 'An Honest Try'. There were a couple of substantial school buildings and a large modern Community Hospital with ambulances in the town but the rest of the town appears to be an exercise in despair. Very sad to see.

Our first shot not far out of town (and there was a similar one on the other end last night) was a sculpture and a 'Welcome' to the Blackfeet Nation. This is interesting as Norm had quite a conversation with a security guard last night who had played basketball with two Indian teams from British Columbia and Alberta (and he had played in the A Team) on a tour in Australia in the 90's and Norm had mentioned that we had thought the tribe were called 'Blackfoot' but we had seen references to 'Blackfeet' in signs through the day. He said the actual tribe names were different to those names given to them long ago by white men and in President Kennedy's days he had used that term as an inclusive term for all the Plains Indians who used to burn the ground so they could see the footprints of their enemies and they had black moccasins, and the term stuck and doesn't worry them. The name didn't mean anything to him but they had a great talk together about families and traditions and really enjoyed themselves.

We decided to take Highway 89 today to skirt around the edge of the mountains and retain a lasting view of them for as long as we could and for our trouble encountered 20 kms of a freshly tarred road but we maintained 30 - 33 kmh over it which kept the bikes pretty tidy. This is a shot after we got off that which appealed to Norm of a wheat field (we think) with the mountains in th distance

And after travelling over large areas of rolling grasslands, the grass high but not all that deeply covered and quite stony, we came to more sandy soil as well as some irrigation and again, good soil plus water means productivity.

And more intense agriculture again and diversification into oil (right hand side), man I'd like ne of those pumping away 24 hours a day in my back yard!

The sign said 74 miles to Great Falls.

We lunched at Choteau and after passing through a number of very marginal little communities and towns it was good to get to a more substantial place and one obviously doing better than many in the outlying areas. This is the Teton County Courthouse which was a substantial Sandstone building (quarried locally) in the process of having it's cedar shingle roofing replaced.

And a shot of the old silos in town. I love these old iron silos. We came across the newer version some kms from town after lunch as we headed for Great Falls in the hope of beating the thunderstorm which had developed behind us as we had our lunch.

And this is the 'closest' sight to a big hill in close proximity since we left this morning so after passing it I stopped and looked back to take a shot and you can see the rain gathering behind it. Incentive to get on the bikes and keep going.

Once we got into Great Falls we decided to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Centre before we booked into our hotel as it wasn't all that far from it. In our travels along the Oregon Trail we had tripped over many mentions as it was these two (and their band) who had explored the region looking for the great 'Northwest Passage' via river from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean on the express orders and support of President Thomas Jefferson only to discover it didn't exist. They travelled up the Missouri River where at Great Falls they discovered a series of waterfalls and the expedition party had to drag their dugout canoes (loaded with all their supplies) out of the water and construct wheeled trolleys to transport them around the falls and it took them a month to cover the distance. When they came to the head of the river they traded with the Shoshonee Indians for horses to go through the mountains and then built more boats to travel down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific. It was 2.5 years from when they left until their return with having to bunker down for two winters in the process and they started meeting boats coming out of St Louis as they were coming into Port. We don't have any photos from here as we took fright when we got to a window after watching a great movie about the expedition to see the thunderstorms moving in and left quickly and this is a shot of some of the falls preserved downstream of a dam wall on the Missouri River as we hightailed it to find a fuel station (as we have a big day tomorrow) and get checked in before we got very wet.

And this is a shot across the road from a shot we stopped for. The sign out front says 'Milwaukee Station' and I don't know if that's right or not but I liked the building.

This is the building across the Missouri River I stopped to take the shot of, the Missouri Courthouse and I was going to shrink it in and show more of the building but thought we would show you what we were trying to beat.

Bits and Bobs:

Have seen these signs for a couple of days and finally found a spot we could stop. These are the signs for cars.

And these for trucks on what we would call at best an Arterial Road.

And a shot of the roof work at the Teton County Courthouse. Norm and I would have loved all tis when we were attaching the shingles to the roof on our house in Minniedale Road, cherry picker and a saw no less!

Last Night's Accommodation:

Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites, 50 Museum Loop, Browning MT

Relatively new building and typical of the Holiday Inn Express Suites we have used previously nice and spacious and comfortable with all the services we need as well as pool and business centre. Included parking and wifi (very effective) and hot breakfast. No restaurant on site but next door to a Casino so cheap meals there. All part of the local Blackfoot Tribe undertaking to provide employment opportunities for their people and hopefully generate some income for the community in the long run when they are all paid for. In any case they are making a good effort here and the place was clean and well maintained and all the staff we came across throughout were cheerful and helpful and we wish them well.

Thumbnail is a shot of Cameron Falls literally on the outskirts of Waterton which was jumping last night and today there were people heading out on horseback trail rides and group cycle rides on a tarmac track as well as heaps of hikers. It is a short time for local businesses to make their money as there is no snow field handy and they operate mid May until mid October, weather permitting, and the winter population is only 20. 

And farewell to Waterton Lakes, an unexpected surprise as was the opportunity to watch a small fawn and deer graze beside the deck where we ate our dinner at the Bayshore Chop House Restaurant last night.as we have had to show a number of people how to open them

From here we headed out briefly into the plains and as we headed for the border and the Glacier National Park we had a view of where the mountains meet the plains.

This is a shot of Chief Mountain with a summit of 9,080 feet and yes we crossed the border on Chief Mountain so back to feet and inches and mph. Oh and by the way these mountains aren't foothills of te Rockies but are a separate limlimestone range which has been forced upwards.

We stopped for a coffee at the Lodge at St Mary before we turned onto the 'Going to the Sun Road' and let me tell you we were fortunate there were a lot of road works with road ripped up and gravel surface and the only pullover places full of works vehicles or inaccessible from the works or we wouldn't have gotten in yet!

An awesome view as we headed for West Glacier.

And another.

And yet another.

Everywhere we looked there were more waterfalls and as we headed down the other side from Logan Pass they were right on the edge of the road.

Some tourists volunteered to take our photo near the top of Logan Pass. The large peak in the middle of the shot is called 'Heavy Runner' which I assume refers to the thaw water as even now well into summer it is considerable.

Heading down from Logan Pass and what a dizzying view and yes that is the road cut into the hillside to the right. We have very few shots from here down as there were very small and limited spots to pullover and they were mostly full and unlike some travellers we didn't think we should stop in the middle of the road to take photographs.

And after lunch at the Lake McDonald Recreation Reserve this is a quick shot of Lake McDonald as the skies were closing in and we needed to make a mile or several to get in dry....which we did.

Bits and Bobs:

The 'Tip Jaw' at St Mary Lodge coffee shop Rather than a Tip Jar.

We have been moving through Grissly bear and Cougar country and this was a sign as we were heading into the Glacier National Park.

A mountain goat enjoying the lush growth at the top of Logan Pass.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Bayshore Inn, 111 Waterton Avenue, Waterton Lakes National Park, AB T0K 2M0

Comfortable space in the bedroom but cramped with 2 beds. The building is ageng pretty well but must have a huge maintenance bill with so much timber everywhere in a brutal climate. Staff were great, good services throughout town. Included on site parking and wifi which was useless other than for email (hence no blog last night) reasonable value for money in a beautiful spot to chill out or be very active, whatever suits you. By the way the rubbish binisn't falling over. This is a bear proof bin (they are everywhere) and the top has a special bear proof latch which is apparently more effective than childproof caps on medicine bottles as we have had to show a numbet of people how to open them.

Tyson Daniel, a son for Jessie and Aaron, Mum and Bub doing well and Great Grandparents having difficulty getting the smiles off their faces, actually they aren't even trying!

Thumbnail is a street shot of buildings and reflections of buildings near our hotel yesterday afternoon.

And a sample of some street art in Calgary, this one is called 'Fire'. We saw some larger more impressive pieces on the way out of town.

We didn't have much lined up today but a biker we spoke to some days ago suggested we head down the road to Longview as it was a great ride with big sweeping corners. Well as it turns out he was probably from really flat country with very few corners but in spite of that it was a comfortable rather than challenging ride and the scenery was just wonderful. We travelled toward Black Diamond which we assumed referred to oil since we had seen many oil donkeys operating but in the town itself there were many diagrams of black diamonds on business and municipal signs so who knows, not me. This is a shot as we started to head for Black Diamond and were delighted to see some mountaims in the distance.

We travelled through the foothills to the Rocky Mountains for a long time and it was wonderful with broad grassy valleys sweeping up to gently undulating hills to steeper hills and mountains beyond. The grassland was phenomenal and we literally passed through thousands of acres of country which was littered with big round hay bales. When there were cattle present (rarely) they were standing in grass almost as high as their bellies at the shortest and half way up their sides at times. The cattle groupings looked like bovine maternity wards with all cows in good condition so the hard work begins again to replenish stocks after drought. A shot looking onto Mt Sentinel Ranch.

Longview was aptly named with views in all directions of lush grassy plains but by this time we had seen a sign for 'Crowsnest Pass' which sounded interesting and in the direction of some great looking mountains so off we went. We found a spot in the Pass which was famous for a disaster in the town of Frank in 1903. A limestone wedge 425m long by 150m deep broke free from the top of Turtle Mountain and smashed apart as it slid down the mountain literally covering the valley floor and obliterating part of the town. 70 people died but not the men working underground in the coal mine, they tunelled out. Just to get road and raiI line back in has been quite the engineering feat.

The Pass was spectacularly rugged and beautiful and they even have a golf course and country club.

A waterfall down river from the site of the disaster with the same train.

We headed back down the pass to find 'Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump' among incredibly lush and flat to undulating grassland which we expected to be the highlight of the day and it probably was. This was a cliff area where since some 6,000 years go until around 150 years ago when they gained access to horses and guns the Blackfoot Indians used to herd the Bison over the edge of the cliff to kill them and they would then set about preserving the meat and fat for sustenance then and future use and using the hides for clothing and tents and bones as tools and weapons. The interpretative centre was impressive. It was 7 storeys from the ground floor to the top where we walked along the cliff top and it was situated quite a distance above the valley floor so the fall was considerable. The centre handled the history and context of it well with the Indians livelihood as well as the demise of the bison once European man came on the scene. Embarrassing really.

On the cliff top.

It was getting late in the day as we headed for Waterton National Park and there were several areas of rain in all directions which we had avoided throughout the day but it looked like we would get dumped on before we got in, thankfully we didn't but we got some great shots of threatening skies. We expected a ride in flat featureless country but nothing could be further from the truth. Initially we had more undulating grassland with many warnings of high wind gusts and not surprisingly prolific numbers of wind turbines but we turned toward some more hills which led to mountains and yet again WOW!. A view from Pine Ridge viewpoint as we are heading into the Natiomal Park.

The Prince of Wales Hotel where we are not staying but literally sitting on top of a rocky outcrop above the lake.

And a shot of the lake. Just beautiful.

Bits and Bobs:

Finally got a decent shot of an oil donkey near Longview.

Just out of Longview a reminder that we were in remote territory.

Last Night's Accommodation:

International Hotel Suites Calgary. 220 4th Avenue Southwest, Calgary AB

Generous comfortable space in the bedroom and sitting / kitchen space....the smallest space was the bathroom which was even smaller than a majority we have had so far, go figure! Included wifi and breakfast. Bar, lounge and cafe on site and a nice dinner in a comfortable chair was good at the end of the day. Between when we booked and today the parking has gone from off-site to within the building with a lift to rooms so worked well for us.

The thumbnail is a shot of the bikes in front of Minnewanka Lake. Really pretty. This is a dam which has had it's capacity increased by 14 feet in the early 90's then another 65 feet in the 1970's as water was directed from Johnson Lake via a large canal we ultimately rode past.

And another view of Minnewanka as we rode the Loop Road further around the mountain.

From here we headed back toward Banff as we had seen a sign to Tunnel Mountain which had intrigued us so we set off to find it and find it we did. Turns out at the time of the original Railway Survey of the area in the 1800's the mountain to the right of the shot was deemed to be a hindrance to the line and it was decided a tunnel was needed. At th end of the day an alternative route around the mountain was built but the mountain retained the name. Doh! Picturesque ride anyway.

We headed off on the Trans Canada Highway and at the first opportunity diverted off onto 1A which was a great ride though when it was the main highway it would have been an incredibly frustrating drive I would think with limited spots to pass or pullover. We called into the little town of Canmore for a coffee and talking to the locals who realised we were Australians referred to us having 3 mountains called the 3 Sisters and then directed us to see their 3 Sisters and here they are, from left to right, Frances, Olive and Grace. I don't know if our own 3 Sisters in the Katoomba Mountains are individually named or not. Does anyone else know?

Then cruising along the road we spotted a great mirror image of Nakoda Lodge in a lake and decided to see if we could get a shot. We didn't get the Lodge from the angle we could reach but I was happy with this shot looking back to the Canadian Rocky Mountains which were beginning to shrink behind us at this point.

We gradually saw the great Canadian Rocky Mountains disappearing into the distance and as I'd stopped for another photo shot Norm thought it was a good chance to record a farewell shot.

As we progressed toward Calgary the mountains continued to shrink behind us and the river dropped into a deep valley and the hills were covered in fewer trees and flowing grasslands. As we approached Ghost River Dam we must have been in Reservation Territory as we saw a sign to 'Chief Stoneys Rodeo' and went past a massive building obviously an indoor one. A bit later on we spotted a sign to Stoneys Medicine Hut but this is what caught Norm's eye, the remains of a massive old barn.

We fuelled up in a Reservation compound site attached to what looked like a massive Gas Fraccing operation with temporary accommodation back on the highway. The reservation has gained a nice new Youth Centre and very smart Servo complex and what looked like a big Casino. Hope it ends up a long term plus for them. Just beyond here we came across the Ghost River Dam (above) and soon after we were within site of rapidly developing outer suburbs and then Calgary where friends Frances and Trevor have attended the Calgary Stampede (Frances many times). We rode past a huge centre where some of it at least takes place.

The Chinese Cultural Centre, Calgary.

And a view across James Park to two very different towers of two very different times.

Bits and Bobs:

After missing a great 3 in 1 sign of a Caribou Bear and ? Not sure what, I wasn't going to miss this one where there was room to pull up. Didn't see any on the ride.

And this is typical of grates on the footpaths in Calgary so a handy reminder to keep right.

And a nifty way to accept deliveries in multi-storey buildings. Drive in and onto the turntable which then turns to the right spot and then you can reverse to the appropriate unloading dock. Handy for cities with limited space but also caters well for their brutal winters.

Last 2 Night's Accommodation:

Banff Caribou Lodge and Spa Banff, 521 Banff Avenue, Banff AB T1L 1H8

A lovely place to drop for a couple of days. Lovely welcoming atmosphere and staff. Great facilities. Comfortable room and bed. Beautiful swimming pool and spa complex on site. Included underground parking and wifi. Great bar and restaurant on site and the service throughout has been excellent. Considering the proximity to town and a lot more expensive options thought this was good value.

Thumbnail is a shot of the back side of the Fairmont Banff Springs Chateau because the sun wasn't shining on the front, but it was all impressive. 

We fuelled up first thing on our way to the bottom of Sulphur Mountain for a Gondola ride and kept tripping over the 'Free Banff Parade' with all the cadets from surrounding districts marching. Not sure what they were freed from or when but they looked impresive.

On our way to the Gondola we spotted some people out for a serious ride by the look of the supplies they carried. This is an old camping tradition throughout the Rockies. Nice.

Parking was at a premium again with cars parked in precarious positions a big distance from the gondola departure site. We found this camper parked in the middle of 2 spots so decided to help ourselves to the leftover space.

The Gondola ride was awesome and there was a huge climb up and down stairs once we got to the top to observe more mountains around an observation site. Beautiful and a bit much to take in really. This is overlooking Banff and surrounding country and mountains. Awesome.

And this is in the other direction from which we came yesterday. You can see the Trans Canada Highway which we didn't take and to the right of that is the 1A route we did. We checked out some of the highway today and it does give a 'BIG' view of everything around.

And this is a work shot of a train we estimate approximately 2 - 2.5 km long snaking it's way through the valley and the reason they are vaguely visible is because they are double decker containers. Awesome.

And a shot of the Fairmont Banff Springs from the summit.

We headed back to the hotel to ditch the merino long johns so we didn't expire then grabbed some lunch in Banff before we headed off again and this is a shot in Banff Avenue the main drag and it was hopping today. Also very pretty and no end of shops open if that is what interests you.

And a shot of Castle Mountain which we also spotted yesterday. We came back past here today to check out the Johnston Canyon and again we were grateful we were on the bikes and could squeeze into a tiny spot in the carpark instead of having to park hundreds of metres away on the road. Incredible.

We headed up to check out the Lower and Upper Falls in the Canyon with what seemed hundreds of other frustrating people who didn't understand about single file walking or blocking a thoroughfare or expecting the world to stop so they could take a photo. I waited and was patient on the way up but on the way back I was totally snookered and heading for an ice-cream and I wasn't stopping for anyone or anything. This is a shot of the Lower Falls.

And this is a shot of the Upper Falls! Are you joking? I climbed up and down for 2.6 km and I mean up and down on the way to and from and this is all I get????

Thumbnail is a shot shortly after we set out this morning and yes there was more snow overnight on the peaks and the day today was grey and misty and cold but we were nice and comfortable. God bless grip heaters, merino long johns, padded oil skin pants and the usual bike clobber. 

I passed up a shot of a family of deer / caribou / ? laying down but this was too good to pass up. If I hadn't diligently thrown unnecessary paper in the bin last night I could have identified them.

Not surprisingly Norm got a bit ahead of me while I took the previous shot and I was a couple of cars behind him when I noticed his stop light come on and then something black bound over the guard rail and when I checked with him at the next stop I discovered he had experienced a close encounter of the bear kind, a black bear to be precise. While I assumed he was slowing down he was in fact in the process of an emergency stop as a big black bear had climbed over the guardrail and toppled a bit as it went over and as it landed in the road in front of Norm they both had time to look at each other and register an 'oh shit' moment and Norm figuring at best even with an emergency stop he would just hit the bear which would likely upset him a bit he applied the brakes and was delighted how well the bike performed, as for the bear he spun around and bounded back over the rail into the forest. Phew, good outcome for all concerned. No thought of taking any photos there!

The Athabasca Falls. What an awesome demonstration of how the force of incredible amounts of water plus sand particles can carve through limestone rock like a diamond drill. Wow, loved it. 

And soon after, Sunwapta Falls, yet another example of the same process.

And a shot as we were heading for the Columbia Ice field.

 l

And this is the Athabasca Glacier. Where I took the photo from was where the glacier extended to in 1844 so it has retreated bit. The peak to the left is called Snowdome and has a summit of 3,456m and the one to the right is Andromeda with a summit of 3,450m.

Shortly after the last spot the GPS said we were crossing Rousseau Creek but I guess with compliments of the snow this is what we found.

And Crowfoot Glacier shortly after.

We lunched and fuelled up at the Saskatchewan River Crossing.

We passed through incredible rocky canyons like moving from one cathedral to another intercepted by rocks pushing upwards like great long plinths reminicent of stonhenge, gothic cathedrals and fort battlements. One of the outcrops.

We headed to Bow Summit and would probably have been looking across at it from the view point but it was covered in cloud. This is a shot across Bow Lake. There was also a sign to Observation Peak which was 10,214m, needless to say we didn't see this one either.

And a shot of the disintegration of the hillside beside the crowfoot glacier. We have ridden through many avalanche areas where not only snow sweeps down but also the rock underneath and this is an example of what happens as the ice expands under stone then melts and washes down the hillside. Many dramatic examples today.

And lastly the view onto Emerald Lake from our room tonight.

Last two Night's Accommodation:

Chateau Jasper, 96 Geikie Street, Jasper, AB, T0E 1E0

Good sized room and bathroom combo. Plenty of wardrobes/ Free wifi and parking. On-site gym, pool, hot tub and restaurant where we celebrated Danny's 44th birthday to the lovely sounds of piano music which somehow seemed fitting given that Tania is a pianist. Older building than some but maintained well. Reasonable value. Easy walking distance to where there is more activity in the town if that's what you want. Staff very helpful and friendly, laundry available in neighbouring building so all our laundry sorted for $4.00 so heaps better than hand washing in the room and every available surface being used as hanging space. (So far we have only had 1 room with a clothes line and that was a night I didn't wash).

The thumbnail is a view from the restaurant where we had breakfast this morning after the rain had actually stopped. 

We did our laundry when we got in yesterday arvo because we had a big tourist day lined up today but the day dawned wet....very wet and the mountains around us fogged in and that's how it's supposed to be for the next 2 days. Bugger! We wandered into a gift store after breakfast and bought a video so we can get to see what is here when we go home. How sad is that? If we had been given the choice we not surprisingly would have ridden through a couple of days of sleeting rain through the featureless plains we have encountered earlier in our ride.

After a bit Norm made a big statement 'Well look at that it's as good as sunny outside, let's get on the bikes and see what we can see'. What that meant was that from our 2nd storey window the rain drops were now small enough for him not be able to see them splash in the puddles on the ground, so what the hell, we kitted up and headed off and had a great day.

What we were supposed to see:

1. The Jasper Tramway (gondola / cable car) the longest and highest in Canada to the top where we would have had an awesome view back down to Jasper and across to all the other surrounding peaks but while there was rain in Jasper last night there was snow on the peaks surrounding us and most of that covered in cloud so we figured that was a waste of time.

2. Athabasca River to Maligne Canyon, a narrow limestone gorge with an opportunity to traverse 2 bridges over the canyon with great views to the water and falls below. Done and the shot above is a shot on our way out of town as we headed for Maligne Lake.

3. And these are shots of the Maligne Canyon above from well down stream to up stream closer to Maligne Lake.

4. Multiple views including the Colin and Queen Elizabeth Ranges and Medicine Lake. Done and the shot above is looking toward the Colin Range. Almost a vertical cliff with many avalanche areas and some stubborn trees that just wont give up.

And this is a shot of Medicine Lake which drains undergound so rarely flows over so the watercourse downstream of the Lake can be dry for a year or more and literally has large tees growing in it.  

5. A guided tour of Maligne Lake with views of magnificent shoreline with dense forest and glacial peaks. No guided tour but enjoyed the ride and the view when we got there and overall it would appear that the weather we experienced through the day was less wet than what Jasper experienced, Yay.

And a shot on our way back from the Lake.

And a bonus shot for Norm......a bit of an adrenaline rush as well. He decided he would try for a quick shot and if the Mum looked his way he would get the hell out of there. He thought he had another shot as well with the little baby close to the road with its Mum. Damn thick bike gloves apparently stymied that attempt so I'm glad he got this one.

Bits and Bobs:

One of many signs on our trek, and a great view behind as well. We didn't see any.

Thumbnail is soon after we headed out this morning to grey cloudy skies and light rain, and while we are talking weather, the moon didn't dance on the bay last night it was stuck behind clouds. The weather thankfully cleared and even though there was to be heavy rain behind us we stayed dry and for the most part rode under clear skies and some sun as well so comfortable.

We fuelled up at Little Fort and this was the quirky barn across from the fuel station. The sign said 'Little Fort Herefords'.

The sights we saw again today were awe inspiring and hard to limit here. This was a shot of water typically galloping down from glacial mountains (hence the cloudy colour). So many better shots, but this one I could get.

Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies according to the gentleman we talked to at this rest stop taking a coffee break in his 5th wheeler. He had been part of the construction crew which built the original road 47 years ago, up until that time there was only a trail which was often impassable. The rail line was already through. He told us there is a rest stop closer to Jasper (a few kilometers further) and the construction camp they lived in was on the opposite side of the road and if they walked east along a track they reached the Fraser River and the rail line. He said they would come by train from Jasper at the start of the week to the camp and then flag the train down on Saturday to go back to Jasper to drink beer. Sounds about right. The crew from the other end caught the train from Blue River in until both ends finally met up. Must have been an awesome project and to think we see this as remote now, how much more so must it have been then!

Norm after the perfect shot of yet more snow covered mountains. We also saw some awesome freight trains. By the way, the white spots are some sort of seeds in silky groups of thread floating in the air, we were surrounded by them in a number of places today.

Mount Fitzwilliam. Just beyond here we came across a lot of marsy reed surrounded water again and Norm hoped we might yet see some moose attending their daily ablutions and splashing a bit of water up to the arm / leg pits but to no avail. This would be a preferable place to find them rather than on the road.

The Jasper National Park Entrance and I had to put this one in because it has an eagle right in the centre.

Bits and Bobs:

A tuck at Little Fort this morning. These are concrete railway sleepers but different to the ones we sometimes carry as they are in groups. Check out the truck / trailer configuration.

Yes our lunchtime diner had a phone at the table. This was a 'Husky' Diner and we read that they had started here at Blue River which started as a logging camp and has developed into a snowmobile hot spots as well as helicopter skiing and just about any other scary thing you can do on snow which appeals to adrenaline junkies. This is the ideal spot (further up the , mountain I suspect) as they have a 40 foot snowfall each year.....and yes I did say 40 foot. Not all at the same time obviously but makes for great powder sports....or so the blurb stated.

We saw bear warning signs all over the place today. This is at the start of a trail at the foot of Mount Robson.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Moondance Bay Resort, 7237 Johnstone Road, Bridge Lake. BC, VOK 1X2

A good spot for people who want to retreat from the world with no TV, internet or wifi and the only food options those you bring in yourself, source from local general stores or you catch yourself in the lake. Comfortable cabin and bathroom, comfortable space overall with 2 couches and a self contained kitchenette. Deck chairs and table to relax on the veranda and picnic table and fire pit as well. Guest B-B-Q available as well as a fish shed for cleaning the catch and good children's playground as well as boats to hire. Nice spot for families and lots of caravan and RV sites as well. Good value and an interesting change for us rounding up dinner choices with limited space on the bikes.

The thumbnail is our first shot of the day, a fuel stop at Pemberton after going to 2 non-existent fuel stations in Whistler and surrounds, the planners are obviously moving such distasteful things away from the population. Already seeing great snow capped peaks and the sights just kept rolling out from there. Snow capped mountains, rugged rocky canyons and sheer mountainsides, desert like canyons and ranch land as well as dense forest from sparse and dry to dense and lush green and water water water. Cascading down mountainsides and galloping along creeks and rivers into lakes of all description. We also saw lots of high country boggy marshland with small and large lake areas before we got in this evening. And the roads! They were just spectacular, the surface was excellent to good and when not excellent just a bit bumpy and corner after corner after corner all with steep cambers for draining snow and sooo good for bikes, not to put too fine a point on it, a bit over 300kms of bliss! Aaahhhh. But, now to some of many shots of the day.

Yep, more great snow to be seen in the distance so a comfortable temperature to travel.

And Lakes, one of many, we chatted with a couple from Arizona having coffee in their camper here.

And they aren't called the Rocky Mountain's for nothing and this is a pathetic example compared to what we have seen but it is a case of so many shots (so few places to safely stop) and lots of kilometers to cover so limited time and a strict timekeeper in Normie John.

Just before our lunch stop in Lillooet traffic was stopped while 3 helicopters worked as a team to lay cable for the hydro plant. Very impressive. Norm shot this one....well with the camera.

And this is a shot of either Lilloolet Lake or Seton Dam (not sure which but assume dam as they have had submarines diving to do surveys) and check out the train line which winds it's way along the shore to the right hand side. Mainly freight these days but there is a one carriage passenger train used for leisure things but which also brings children to school in Lilloolet. There used to be a 3 hour trip around the mountains and they boarded in town from Sunday night until Friday afternoon but now they commute each day. Also, around the corner heading up the dam is a corner called Dead Mans Corner after a train derailed and plunged to the bottom. Apparently the owners got a whole lot of experts in who said it couldn't be raised as it was too deep but some farmers and loggers sank heaps of 44 gallon drums then pumped the water out and replaced it with air and raised the engine. Ha ha, love what is possible when practical people get a chance to do things. Also handy to talk to locals as you might have guessed and we get to do that a lot on the bikes.

This is a shot looking downstream from the dam and you can see salmon spawning pools which have been built to help the salmon get upstream to spawn.

This is a little bit of the canyon wall in an area called Marble Canyon. There was a massive quarry just past here. Don't know that it was marble but the colour in the white stone looked very impressive.

A shot of the General Store, restaurant, gift shop and admission gate at Hat Creek Ranch.There were camp sites, spots for RV's and caravans, play sites for kids, a circular sale yard and opportunities to do 'real ranch things'.

A shot from the Moondance Bay Resort across Bridge Lake and this is the pontoon the owners were rescuing when we arrived as it had come adrift......going on the very un-truckie knots on the rope now on it the same thing could happen again.

And finally, the view from our cabin. The fire pit would be fun except there are no fires allowed in the open at the moment as the fire risk is extreme. There is a fire currently burning to the east of the ranges in Washington State (USA) south of here which is the worst in history with 1 life lost and over 150 homes. We have been keeping a close eye on this in our travels but thankfully smoke has been our only issue.

Bits and Bobs:

We stopped for a break and an ice-cream (delicious) at the Hat Creek Ranch and this was a great photo on the veranda of an olden day version of a road train at the Ranch in years gone by. En route to Barkerville. Awesome.

And continuing with awesome, there was a bird feeder on the veranda and it might only be a silhouette shot but I got my shot of a hummingbird. Yay. Still have to work on the squirrels though got one last year so forget that, but they are slow compared to the chipmunks we encountered on the Needles Highway in Yellowstone. We will see.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Crystal Lodge, 4154 Village Green, Whistler BC VON 1B4

A nice room but small. Lots of wardrobe space for bulky snow items and shelves but struggling for space to open out 2 suitcase's. No matter, we weren't in the room for long. The Village had a great atmosphere and it is right in the heart of it so ideal location. On site gym and pool and discounts available at lots of shops on site. Parking available at a reasonable cost but not locked up so glad we had our disc brake locks. Staff great and there were more expensive options re rooms but we didn't want them. On site restaurant but with a steak worth $39.00 we figured we would eat out and we were literally a few metres from heaps of eating choices. Found a great pub with excellent restaurant meals. Spoilt for choice. Reasonable value.

No mention of wifi / internet of any description tomorrow night so likely won't hear from us until the 23rd.