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Blue-Green Highways... 2023.
  • GreenBlue Highways.

Blue-Green Highways... 2023.

Envisage leaving Arizona first week of May, 2023. Leggi altro
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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Saturday, 7/1/2023.

    1 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Sunshine so far, nearly all day. But, "big fluffies" ( clouds) around now.
    Managed two decent pastels this a. m. in sunshine. Pines and sunlight on meadows. I have seldom used as many variants of green as I have done recently.
    Connie, creating only her second pastel, created a truly decent tree, with volume. Her mark-making is astounding.
    Met yet ANOTHER family from Switzerland ! That's three and counting. Anyone left in the Cantons? They too shipped their van, then flew over. Sigh.Fellow had such a lovely short-haired Border- Collie.
    Connie is working on a coloured pencil image of the fallen tree plus yellow clover, lupins, larkspur.
    I want to image the fallen tree in sepia, mono and colour.
    Badly need to find on-line access. Need to do banking - and somehow get a delivery from Amazon - but delivered to where?
    To solutions come our way...
    Jack + Connie.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Sunday, 7/2/23.

    2 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    What great day weather-wise 2nd day with no rain - clouds this a. m. and sun this p. m.
    Drove 20 miles to TENSLEEP. pop. 243 to try to find internet access to do online banking.
    Gee just looked up. Surrounded by tall lodgepole pines an owls nest maybe, and straight across through the woods, high Alpine Meadows, ooh so green, with snow capped peaks of Big Horns beyond. Between campsite and meadows I can just hear the creek rushing down to the lake, between the willows. If there are willows, altitude, and water, where are the moose? No seen so far.
    .    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Monday, 7/3/23...

    3 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Enforced day of non-activity. My lower back pain! 2 days ago sitting sketching on my little fold up camp stool. This time my back truly was sore. Could move very slowly. Anyway, managed a slow walk up the track into the alpine meadow. Certain that walking on uneven surface helped.
    We have issues with lighting. Hoping the major hailstorm of a few days ago, did not damage anything. It's possible the storage battery ran dry - but we are parked in semi-sunshine and the battery shows that it is charging.
    So, say about to avoid moving most of the day.
    Thander storm off in the east. Nothing major I hope.
    Hope to some sketching as we drive out on Monday. WY 16 (West) passes through a dramatic canyon Rock strata and colours.
    Then westward to TENSLEEP and beyond.
    That's it for now.
    Then came two conversation, one with Connie, one with the Honorable Camp Host nearby.
    Jack: "I sit at our site, surrounded by lodgepole pines, not far beyond, a dirt track into the alpine meadow, then willows and a rushing creek, beyond that, a large meadow, up the further, dense pine forest, and on the skyline, the snow capped BigHorn range.
    My question - if we were all back, say early to middle 1700s how much would have changed - if anything. "
    Both Connie and Host replied with most similar phrases: " Changed? Not much, in fact very little. "
    That has made this trip and allowed for my heart to go skipping through the larkspur's in the meadow!
    CONGRATS U.S. Forest Department !    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Tuesday, 7/4/23. Happy 4th !

    4 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    Happy 4th of July! It poured with rain through 02:00+ till now 21:30 ( a. m.).
    Very good exercise in bringing out lamps, batteries and camp-gas alternatives to luxury of flicking a switch - all due to lack of charge in battery. This MIGHT be a solar panel issue. Then again....
    One thing is for sure, Dorothy, we ain't in Arizona, no more.
    Till later.
    Later: Used Shakti Gawain meditation. Devil's Tower focus. Sketch of tower in Black wirebound. Making very good in roads with Treatment ( the one I swore was it - never again (!) BUT now it flows so easily! That Shakti says is a very good sign that the Universe is ony side ( about time too!)
    Stopped raining around 14:00. Creek is flowing strongly. The Meadow where we were yesterday, we saw, was waterlogged, so all the rain last night is 100% runoff heading via Creek to Lake.
    Tomorrow, strike camp and hopefully dry canopy and head West!
    Till tomorrow, here's longing for a sunshine 5th of July - and a viable internet connection !
    Jack and Connie.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Thursday 7/6/23. WY... Westward.

    6 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    RV Park. $25/night. Deal. Ultra clean nice long hot showers.
    Second inspection of solar panels this a
    m. ALL IS WELL. Power supply functioning as normal. We can only assume that as we were parked in shade (well, partial shade) the system did not charge efficiently. Truly a relief to get completely free electricity supply back.
    WiFi "news" (NPR) "... 11 Mass shootings in five days...(USA)"... who needs news? Back to the wild-blue mon-news WY. wilderness we go!
    Fare Thee Well...
    Jack & Connie.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Thursday, Wood River Camp, Shoshone Fore

    6 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Fascinating drive through, wait for it, wait... NOW! THE GOOSEBERRY BADLANDS of WY! If ever an oxymoron, oxy rules this is it! Anyway, who am I to judge?
    Now camped in Wood River Camp along a rushing creek (Wood River) somewhere East of Cody, WY.
    Firs across the creek are majestic, clinging to the slope and rock faces.
    Created one study (Nu-pastel on Canson 120 lb.) and soon discovered the difference between 400 grit Wallace paper, and the Canson paper. But... it is only a sketch.
    The other big issue, although I learn from the late Wolf Kahn, with his blocks a contrasting colours, I also realize, that like the prints of my AZ. images in pastel - recently, I have been rendering images with solid colours, NOT Impressionist style. Anyway....
    Heavy rain during supper. Watched the creek rise. A major surprise will be if a tree, we labeled it "Tree Tanatious" , is still defying gravity, leaning over the rushing creek, if it will still be standing by tomorrow - I will be most surprised.
    Brief walk along road up behind camp. Sketch images in every direction. Too lovely.
    As we walked admiring the beauty of Nature, I asked Connie: "This is not my favourite, Cave Creek (in Arizona) is, but can we come back here after Yellowstone... by the way, where do we go after Yellowstone?"
    Came the reply that made my feet itch in extreme: "Don't know... maybe we can come back here, after all, we have three-and-a-half months ahead of us!"
    I nearly allowed the rock krantze (rock ridges) around us to echo the Bybee mantra: "I'm ready, let's go! "

    Only camp sites for 5 campers. Four are occupied. Off a minor highway, onto a well kept country road - a long way - onto a dirt road skirting meadows with "Constable elms" (but no Border Collie and herd of sheep - typical Constable subject matter) a long way, onto a dirt Forest Department road a good way... at last Wood River Campground. Ideal. 'So, you want to experience this beauty? Then work for it!'
    Till next time...    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Friday, July 7th, 2023...

    7 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F

    Ony way to the long drop spied a BEAUTIFUL 06:00 a. m. day- with delightful pink on the snow clad peaks. By the time I returned the beautiful dawn was gone, but day seems near cloudless! BTW: "Red in the morning the Sheppard's warning... Red at night, Shepard's delight." Hmm... red this morning? We've had enough rain!
    I was correct! Sheppard's WARNING! This most lovely start to the day turned ugly. First day this year that we have been trapped inside. Rained all day!
    Anyway, that's camping.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Saturday, July 8th Wood River

    8 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    I spotted a POSSIBLE Golden Eagle, serenly flapping it's way East down the Creek. Connie confirms either Bald or Golden. I say Golden. Nice spot, Jack!

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Sunday at Yellowstone...

    9 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Sunday, July, 9th, 2023.
    YELLOWSTONE NP! A long awaited goal, even from pre-1982 in South Africa, a goal I truly thought would never materialise, but here we are, LOOP I, Big Thumb, next to the caldera lake of YELLOWSTONE LAKE.
    Connie drove all the way from Wood River, WY. through CODY and into Yellowstone, so I could see the view !
    Amazed at the size of the lake, being far inland and at 7,801 ft. (campsite elevation) fed from mountain creeks and rivers.
    Spring / Summer flowers are everywhere. Connie has created some very good images of wildflowers. - not here of course but in previous camps.
    Seldom, MOST SELDOM, do I agree or praise Republicans of this day and age. BUT, certainly, Theodore Roosevelt, who oversaw the creation of the planets very first National Park, needs a 'Thank You, Mr. President! ' from everyone who enters here.
    Needless to say, today's supporters of nefarious actions to overturn the Constitution - are not from the same arm of the Republican Party as Mr. Roosevelt - sigh.
    In case you missed it: "Thank You, Mr. Roosevelt! - for Yellowstone, and for conserving so much more".    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Monday, Old Faithful + competition...

    10 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Certainly a long and most rewarding day.Old Faithful blew it's brief top for the 750 - 1,200 people sitting waiting breathlessly. I thought that was it, but then was introduced to many more geysers, all in various stages of let off steam or blowing their tops in various ways.
    Yes, lots of people, campground is full, but all in all tolerable - so far.
    Interesting but tiring day.
    Long (17 miles) to Geyser Basin, with lots of delays due to road construction. But well worth it.
    We walked the Basin and sat waiting for the Castle Geyser to erupt - which it did -eventually - a good bit more spectacular than Old Faithful - but not as regular.
    Drove back with more delays.
    Tomorrow possible tour to Spectrum Geyser.
    That's it folks,
    Connie + Jack.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Tuesday, 7/11/23. Fascinating...

    11 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    Long day.
    In Short:
    * Main goal - Prismatic Pool. Absolutely beautiful. Steam rising off pool picks up colours of the pool. Just hope my camera can capture. I overlooked turning on 4 k. Ooh well! ( As Connie said: 'There is nothing stopping us from coming back to Yellowstone'.
    THE BIG discovery was when ventured North of the Upper Geyser Basic, eventually landing up on the far North border of the park, very near the Wyoming/Montana Border.
    Absolutely phenomenal beauty - mountain and otherwise. We leave this camp earlier-ish tomorrow. Return via the North Rim of Yellowstone route. Marvelous scenery to sketch along Yellowstone River, too beautiful.
    So, wildlife sightings
    today:
    * Moose swimming ( not truly seen)
    * Canada Geese
    * Mallard or duck.
    Swallows
    * Black bear - very close
    * Then five elk cows crazing in the distance.
    * Then more crowds in pull-out, as a massive mama brown bear showed her two cubs how to find berries... way up the slope.
    * THE Shot of THE DAY! - Stopped along roadside... "Must be lion kill... ooh wait, probably not in Wyoming..." BUT, there was an elk bull/ buck, anyway, male, antlers covered in 'velvet', grazing right at the side of the road. Got out and took numerous mono, sepia and colour images.
    Then he raised his head... LUMIX went 'CLICK' I got the shot of the trip! - well so far. It was on my LUMIX not the phone, so without internet access I can not upload to Find Penguins.
    Ooh, then we stopped at Tower Falls. All of today's images recorded in Shot Journal. Sort-of learnt from last year.
    In Short, Prismatic Pool and Elk were the two major highlights among soo many.
    For the third time, bumped into family from Tucson to-day. She is a realtor, he runs a woodwork store, their son, far taller than parents - or myself. She did not have cards with her.
    To-morrow comes real soon - more awaits... but I'm on image overload, more?
    Tired Jack + VERY TIRED Connie.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Wednesday, 7/12/23.

    12 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    Long day. Found decent laundry. Did washing and SHOWERS ! Applied for seasonal work. No response to phone messages left.
    Drove to North Rim of Yellowstone Canyon. Most dramatic.
    Reportedly, elk have taken a liking to Goldfish Crackers, bread in plastic and other issues of food.
    Lovely bird watching. Great Blue Heron , Bald Eagle, Pelican, Northern Shoveler.
    Found one night site at Bay Bridge. Elevation 7,828 (+/- 123 ft.)
    EXHAUSTED.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Thursday 7/13/23 adiue Yellowstone...

    13 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    A few miles after leaving campsite this a.m., I posed a question: " Hey... what day is to-day?"
    Dead silence...
    " Since I'm driving, would you check your phone please."
    " It's Thursday, 7/13." *Aaaah. "
    Certainly, had a long schlep out of YNP, encountered numerous 'lion kills' on the way. Well, OK, we are North Wyoming, not truly lion kill, but cars parked spotting something, bison, elk, deer. Do a large herd of elk yesterday. Also spotted Great Blue Heron at a lovely birding site along Yellowstone River. River that moesies along with hardly a rapid, just "...cruising down the river, on a Wednesday afternoon..." until it hits the Gorge on the North Rim of YNP Canyon - WOW dramatic and what a change!

    Sadly, sadly left Yellowstone to receive a true shock when we entered the tourist trap of West Yellowstone. After nearly five days in the Park, the terrible and blatant commercialism came as a slap in this naturalists' face. Then again, if I lived there, with short tourist season, who knows, I might do the same thing - only town for many, many miles - and the shock of seeing 5 white bars on my cell-phone !
    Now camped on Swan Creek north of Big Sky, Montana. Struggle to find site for 3-3 nights so we opted for one night that a site was vacant. Why? Tomorrow is Friday and week-enders.
    BUT... I WAS WRONG. Well, my apprehension of camping with crowds in a parking lot type of scenario was completely unfounded. However prior conversations helps " Yellowstone? Brace yourself for people". That came from almost everyone. Then came reality slow walking, slow talking - reality. There was not even one noise incident. I was wrong in being apprehensive !
    Yea for Yellowstone - what an experience! Thanks Pres. Roosevelt - and Connie!    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Friday, 7/14/23 Hellgate Campground...

    14 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    The wonderfully GREAT, GREAT, GREAT news of today! Connie was able to book one night at Banff and at Jasper parks in Canada! and if I'm reading the schedule correctly in Connie's notebook we'll be at Glazier Park as well.

    Left Swan Creek Camp early. I drove to Bozeman, MT. Excellent public library! Certainly one of the nicest public libraries I've been in for a long time.
    Then Connie found a one night site just south of Helena, MT. Minor problem we took a wrong turn and went up a Forest road until I put my foot down and said "Stop!" That was due to the fact that we were almost almost out of gas! Anyway we are now at Hell'sGate Camp along this lake that seems to be phenomenally big.
    After the very long day we had, and to use Connie's words "the adventure of the dirt road..." etc. etc. I am enjoying my New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA. It truly is nice having cut down on beer consumption to one a night it truly is relaxing to sit down and enjoy a beer.
    While it is still light we will probably be having fish and a quesadilla and put that together for supper. Anyway I'm weary; Connie is very tired and that's it for now. Lookout Jasper, here we come!    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Saturday, 07/15/23.

    15 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Heading for Glazier shortly. 09:00. Still sleepy. I take the morning shift behind the wheel.
    Murauding mosquitos spoilt this camp. But supper was good and tasty.
    we all come in the municipal camp of Augusta montana. one thing about this whole track and it happened last year to was that we eat well at night right now I'm starting apart full of veggies with tikka masala a curry from the Punjab (India) excellent curry provided by a great chef who tutors the intern.
    have spent a most relaxing day just amazing around after we arrived here just after 11:00 this morning. we are outside of Augusta, Montana. so here we set as the sun sets virtually on a prairie with a rolling Hills Cross covered smoke around from a fire somewhere to the east and south of us but otherwise it's a beautiful of dry heat the felt is brown with patches of green - what I really expected from Montana and what probably is what Wyoming looks like when it's not that wet as it is now.
    We head for Glazier NP tomorrow. Only a 1 night stay at the moment.
    Almost sad to get internet access and so- called 'news'.
    Uploading this now - as access will be limited from the a. m.
    All the best, Jack + Connie.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Sunday, 7/16/23, Glacier N.P.

    16 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    All right, all right! I agree, I was wrong! A GLAZIER is a person who works with glass; however... GLACIER National Park is where we arrived about 14:45 (a few minutes ago) today, Sunday.
    SIGN: "You are entering GRIZZLY BEAR Territory - Do Not Hike Alone" OK so I turned around.
    So pleased with my LUMIX telephoto lens, the frustration last year with the 55mm. was bad. This year has made up for it. "You only know what you have, when you know (and value) what you do not have."
    Discovered there are 454 National Parks (NPs) and NP Units. How many National Parks have we visited? I'll tally the patches on my hoodie - and see. Answer: 20 patches, but only 19 are in the NPS System. How many miles have we come from middle of May to date? Wait, when did we leave? Anyway, as of lunch/gas/'I need a Coke stop') to-day, 38 miles South of US / Canadian border', we have traveled 4,656 mile (7466 km) on this 2023 trip.
    Wondering how the heat factor is playing on tempers and frustrations? "News" app (NOT fox propaganda) is loaded with shootings and negative vibrations. Well, I saw this coming - and this is the start - and only the start of the global warming crisis, but... the unconscious ones still try to rule by and for, their bank balance, therefore, global peril awaits.
    But..., NO DOUBT about this, looking and feeling the Peace and energy of the surrounding peaks there is no doubt, there can be not an iota of difference..., can I explain this phenomena? This feeling of total insignificance, in the presence of surrounding peaks, peaks soaring skyward. There is only one explanation: "I'm back in Bybee Country.... " (!) [... but I've never been here before...!] This could be Shakti Gawain stuff. Ask the Universe....
    Tomorrow we tour the glaciers. We could not get permits (very narrow road) so we will travel by shuttle - I hope.
    Walked a few miles this evening along the shore of a lovely lake. The peaks I learn, those with smooth summits were smoothed by glacier action - and those summits are high! Along the slopes and beneath the jagged summits of some other peaks, I could see the smoothing from glacier action as well.
    Hope to find vacancy for another night (Tuesday) but with zero internet... (sigh) that becomes a struggle - maybe find access to the Internet to-morrow at St. Mary's where we catch the shuttle.
    Till then... oh, wait... I need to figure out something, I saw a branch about 4-5 long, covered in green leaves, moving rapidly UP stream. How? Beaver? but... need to find the answer.
    So, a mug of hot chocolate certainly seems to get the neurons firing - at least for Connie it does! Connie played her best game of chess last night- finally playing into a draw! Lookout Jack, who knows what was in the hot chocolate... but it worked! Well done.
    Of course, being a rising star chess player, competing on an international arena (Glacier NP is managed by Canada & USA) certainly helped propel Connie's chess, my chess pupil !
    Jack + Connie.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Monday, 7/17/23, Glaciers or bust...

    17 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Melt me not, oh warming planet, melt not this icebox of Nature...
    Just had my oats and sipping mug of hot coffee, watching dawn caress the peaks. Then off to go glacier watching.
    Long day, all the way to Logan Pass on East Side Glazier NP. Long walk to near outlook. Outlook closed due to bear activity.
    Got many decent shots 2-3 of Mountain Goat and kid. Also Big Horn exhibiting ego on a ridge. Not much left of glaciers at the stage of summer.
    Got back to camp via St Mary. Lovely lake. Very strong wind.
    Suggested I make cheese omelette for supper - then forgot the cheese! Tired as I am - but that is an excuse for failure - of ommittimg a crucial ingredient!    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Tuesday, 7/18/23.

    18 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Left Glacier NP. No reservations! No internet
    Why no first come, first parked? Schedules suck.
    Private camp a few miles out of Glacier called Red Eagle, only $25/night. We have site 14.
    Tomorrow, it's into Canada en route to Banff.
    Today, for me, is relax/rest day. I'm tired, low energy, whatever. The near gale-force wind yesterday, like Cape Town in Summer, might have sapped my energy.
    So... seeing as we enter international English speaking territory tomorrow, we are indulging in mugs of hot chocolate to brace for the shock of speaking English again... and I presume referring to "HIS Majesty, King Charles."
    Till later, Banff, whatever...    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Banff International Park, Alberta, CA.

    19 luglio 2023, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    7/19/23. Long day. Arrived Banff for one night. "Parking lot" camping - but showers and flush toilets. Rather touristy.
    Struggle to read interpret road signs. Everything is metric. Absolute shame we are the only non-metric society at least in Western world. With CAD exchange at . 75 US = 1 CAD, a tank of petrol came to 145 CAD, reasonable $82.Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Banff to Jasper, Canada.

    20 luglio 2023, Canada ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    We have an abject disappointment for yesterday on arriving in Banff. Anyway, today, Thursday, all is forgiven, The surrounding peaks seem to be dramatic, if you can get passed the tragedy of materialism in Banff Village. This is experiencing Nature,? No it is not! Overcrowded buses are reminiscent of Manhattan subways, the ego tripping is pathetic. All here for what? To show off what and how much they can spend while "communing with Nature" in a line half way around the block for a scoop of ice-cream.
    YES, this is only the first few hours of Banff, yes, we need to travel beyond Banff Village and the "parking lot campground" , but... first impressions are what shape the psyche - no second chance. Not one person yesterday/last night even mentioned Nature in ANY manner or form - not one. First impressions.
    Thursday, arrive Jasper NP ( Parks Canada). Dramatic peaks we pass around / under. Highlight is getting up close (not too personal) to the ABATHACAS Glazier. Truly eye-opening how quickly the glacier has receded! about 3 MILES in less than 30 years !
    After supper in Jasper camp (Wapidi [elk] Camp). I'm looking at a map of Jasper and further north. " Look..." he says, "...here is the Columbia River... gosh, so that flows into the Columbia Gorge near Oregan, Washin...?"
    " No it doesn't"
    "... but... it's called the Columbia and... "
    "... and we're in a different country - they can call their rivers whatever they want to, and this, by the way, flows into the Artic Sea. "    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Jasper, South to Banff,

    21 luglio 2023, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Found this site halfway south of Jasper, in typical Canadian forest, well mixed with aspen etc., just in time after 12:20 this p. m. - no sooner had we secured the site than a stream of vehicles started searching past the site.
    For certain Banff and Jasper are nothing but glorified tourist traps using Nature as a lure. So much for the ' Canadian experience' - thinking of a Yellowstone redux if we can find sites - but it will soon be August High season.
    Highschool geography stated that geographically, North America is defined by large swiftly flowing rivers. Right, about .4 of a km. from here she flows - esp. swiftly. The fascination is the creamy colour, due to silt frozen in the glaciers for eons, now released through climate change. We discussed kayaking, but if you can't see obstacles in the water it becomes a bit iffy - esp. with a very strong current. Image a lemon flavoured aquamarine milkshake - such is the colour of the Abathacas River - and other creeks and rivers that carry silt into the Artic Sea.
    Chariot needs an oil change next week in Calgary. Always thought Calgary was surrounded by peaks - it ain't. But was home to Winter Olympics.
    Certainly many more cosmopolitan tourists here - and spending. Also CAD is worth .75 US. Canada could be benefiting from US racial / homophobic attitudes. Have met a lovely couple from Poland, Jacwuine and Ella, a girl from Australia and our neighbours from Germany - all today. True tourism noon in Canada.
    In this camp for tonight and tomorrow (Saturday) night. Truly lovely high peaks, forest and river and as a reminder - damn fool raven that woke me up in my rocker beach chair - I thought it was a grizzly wanting to play peek-a-boo. (!)
    Truly amazed at the beauty and elegance of the elk we have encountered. Connie compares to South African kudu (antelope), in the magestic antlers and demeanour.
    Spending second night here (today Saturday), might have to boondok Sunday. Weekdays easier to find campsites.
    Bit of a letdown, Canada as a whole. Apparently East of here is pure prairie - West to the Pacific is allot more of Alberta, then British Colombia... so back Stateside we go. Certainly the drive Banff to Jasper was worth it, but - negatives already detailed. Enough!
    Very nice to be non-mobile for awhile.
    So... looking forward to Nature 'State side. Can't imagine why I am so oversold and disappointed in Canada - or are we in the 'wrong' part geographically?
    Images:
    Camp table, no roof? Yup, solar powered.
    Elk - poor shot.
    Row of RVs = Banff "parking lot" so-called camp ground.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    S. of Calgary Monday 7/24/23..

    24 luglio 2023, Canada ⋅ 🌬 91 °F

    Found Pine Coulee, Alberta Provincial Campground south of Calgary, outside Nanton.
    Chariot is feeling much better after oil change and tire rotation (!) On that score never have I experienced the truck service facility the way we just did.
    No appointments, first come etc. Then wait 3 hrs. Now here be the rub, if rub it be: Facility services RAM trucks and a few other truck makes, BUT wait for 3 hrs? "We have a Waiting Lounge wi-fi + TV; A Sports Lounge wifi + TV; a Child's Play Area no shoes, no food but lots of toys + TV. Free coffee or tea, snacks cost. Even a barber + hairstylist (!)"
    I moaned about not having either a message parlour or sauna.... but hey, car dealers are well, car dealers in Alberta!
    Camp host wanted to charge $35 (CAD) for a site with electric. Nope we have solar so we moved to Willow Creek Camp a few km away - no electric, $25 ( CAD) per night.
    Drove out of Banff into Calgary on a Monday a. m. - what a great reminder to what N. New Jersey is/was like! Phew thanks to GPS and navigator Connie! Calgary is enormous compared to what I was expecting - and no mountains! But they have a DECENT pizza at Tim Hortons. Also best five and dime in Dollarama+
    Whole lot of things US is well behind on - metric to start. Kevin, Manager at Tim Horton could not believe Tucson still served styrofoam cups and plates(!) " We are in Europe England around the world EVERYTHING is biodegradable - everything.
    Third or forth Swiss couple we have met. They camped next to us N of Calgary. The are spending a year in their Fiat camper shipped from Hamburg..
    "Well... this is our last night in Canada..." as per Connie.
    Tomorrow south of Ft McCloud ( 45 km ) away we cross the border - with mixed emotions - at least I should have cell service.
    Ooh Canada, how is it I remember you for ( cuisine-wise) the best pizza from Alex at Pantinos? in Canmore Alberta. Man it was good as was the Czech beer.
    Yesterday, stopped at the excellent ICEFIELD CENTRE totally dedicated to educating the Canadian public on the glacier-melt and the effects of the climate crisis, we encountered the highest Starbucks in Canada 6k+ ft (?) BUT, I had a frappachino with paper (biodegradable) straw, and small wooden (biodegradable) spoon - zero one time plastic use! OK, sooo out ahead again Canada - but I have refused plastic in Tucson SBucks, soo why is US not following the lead of Canada and Europe? ego, money? ignorance? Hard to believe and admit.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Thursday, 7/27/23, Madison River, MT.

    27 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Way down South in MT. Just North of West Yellowstone and a smidge NORTH EAST of Idaho border.
    ... and there we found a camp site along the Wolf Creek... which was great, until Jack decided it was time to find the needle in the haystack. I decide to walk along a dirt road laden with tiny multi-coloured pebbles, where as I am trying to locate an osprey/ bald-eagle nest, a gust of wind takes my hat off. But the chin strap holds.
    What I only discover back at camp was my right ear hearing aid was missing!
    Along a dirt road with millions, no trillions of pebbles... find the hearing aid with similar colour IF it had come off when I suspected, how the heck...? I decide to use my intuition. Immediately, Connie and I walk back, to search and look at every pebble... so we walked at least a quarter of a mile, then I realized, I was looking for another pebble - that wasn't easy - so I started scanning for curved wire attached to the pebble-like hearing aid... after a good few steps - and a steadily sinking heart:
    "There it is!" I shouted. We danced a jig and had a decent hug to celebrate! Long story, using intuition - minoriracle! I FOUND MY HEARING AID! After maybe 7 or 8 cars had passed along this dirt road - on top of all that... IT STILL WORKS!
    THANK YOU UNIVERSE !
    Tomorrow it is onwards, South, into the Grand Tetons and another new state for me, Idaho!
    Seems a lot of smoke haze has cleared - except now BC is burning. Sigh... BUT, I found my hearing aid!
    See the images attached, i) Typical of the dirt road, ii.) a needle in the haystack, alright, hearing aid in pebbles on road - (I set up these images !).
    The Pilsner Urquell label is a Czech beer I enjoyed in Alberta.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Friday, 7/28/23, South to Tetons...

    28 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Awoke to lovely cool, near damp day. Finally, have five (5) cell-phone bars. Walked along (Wolf?) creek. Nope, learnt it is the Madison River. Could we use all the water flowing soo steadily, could AZ. use it? So satisfying to see water in creeks, etc. Aaah, yes, while the sun shines, birds soar all is well... until end of November, into Jan. and February. NO THANKS. Winter on these Northern Plains - not for me. Summers, sure.
    To be continued.
    Continued for sure... briefly into and out of Idaho. Not impressed. Then into Jackson Hole (images attached) over Jackson Pass (10% grade) Connie drove very well.
    Camped for 3 days in Jackson Hole NP.    Leggi altro

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  • GreenBlue Highways.Blue-Green Highways... 2023.Viaggiatore

    Sunday 7/30, Near OXBOW Birding...

    30 luglio 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    Felt terrible yesterday. Still not certain what ( oncoming cold?).
    Travelled to Colter Bay camp in Jackson Hole. From there nearly filled up an SD tonight with shots from OXBOW Turnout.
    Leaving tomorrow. Not certain of destination.Leggi altro

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