Friday morning, 11/20/09 I rolled out of Edson, Alberta heading west on Highway 16, next stop Hinton a bit shy of 50 miles down the road.
My new friend and generous host Don Laird saw me off with a photo op and a last wave from me heading down 6th Avenue on my way out of town.
Not only was Don a very generous host but also a wise counselor drawing upon his own organizing experience. The momentum Ride for the Planet is beginning to gain through media exposure will be in no small measure thanks to Don. Before leaving town he arranged for an interview with Victoria Carnagham, an editor with the local paper, the Edson Leader. Further down the road he made other contacts, with the Hinton Parklander, the local paper and other contacts into Jasper Park, the next stop on my way west.
On four lane divided Highway 16 west to Hinton shoulder width was generous. I remained safely well to the right, on my bicycle of course. No left leaning tendencies on this road unlike the often skinny to non existant shoulders on Highway 32 and 748 into Edson.
And still only patchy snow with temperatures only slightly less below to above freezing. Pedaling out of town in sandals with heavy socks of all things.
Camped for the night about 36 miles west at the highest point on the Yellowhead Highway, Obed Summit. I was flying along so fast I missed the summit elevation. It was one of my easier days with gentle grades followed by long downhill runs and no headwind.
Joe caught up with me after that.
Friend (Joe): I see you got a little snow last night.
Peace Rider: Yeah, when I broke camp there was just a trace on the ground. You know I darned near camped in the middle of the track, not really a road into the forest where I pulled off the road. You couldn't even see it from the highway because of a steep embankment. It looked little used but I was wrong about that. Fortunately, I found a small clearing amidst the tall pines and aspen trees more to my liking. I pitched my tent there. Boy, was I glad I did, no sooner was my tent up than a pickup truck drives out on this "road" then down onto the Highway. Later that day en route to Hinton I saw hunters emerge from the woods and figured out what was going on.
Back to your question about snow. Hinton received more snow, maybe two inches and it was slick and sloppy when I made it into town. It was beginning to melt by the time I pulled into the IGA food store to replenish my larder about mid-day.
My destination was the Entrance Ranch about 10 minutes away by car and north of the Athabasca River but a good hour away for me over two pretty steep grades.
F. Why stop at Entrance Ranch?
PR As you may recall Connie Friend, whom I had met in Tok, Alaska suggested I might want to stop here on my way south. She had visited the Ranch many times for healing by Jimmy O'Chiese, an Ojibway healer living on the ranch. She was quite impressed with all the folks at the ranch and suggested I stop by. I took her advice. I am staying at the Ranch now although to use this computer for an update I came into Hinton and the local library.
F So did you meet up with Jimmy?
PR Not yet. Just off the main road and going into the ranch I met Rocky Notnes. He's one of the Ranch owners and runs the place. He was on his way into town. I had left messages that I was coming. My arrival was not unexpected. He told me Jimmy was in Edmonton helping develop a school curriculum for Ojibway children. He expected him back any time but that was over a week ago.
F So what are you going to do if you can't see Jimmy.
PR Well, it has happened that the person I intended to see was not the person I really needed to see. In this case I was able to get better acquainted with Rocky. Rocky is originally from Norway. He cares deeply about stewardship of the Earth and has been very active in a variety of environmental issues and groups over the years.
When I met him he was off to a meeting about trying to save a remnant population of mountain or woodland caribou. He is also a person grounded spiritually, influenced greatly by native American spirituality and its ties to the earth. He was very supportive of what I am trying to do in creating a Ride for the Planet Day and a big help.
I went to Jasper Park with Rocky and met his friend Art Jackson who has a guiding business there.
F Where to next?
PR Jasper Park. You know the really amazing thing?
F What?
PR My friend Don Laird had arranged for me to stay with Art in Jasper through other contacts. That's where I'm at now. I will leave here 11/27 for Tete Jaune Cache then hang a left southbound for Kamaloops.
I left for Jasper Park 11/24 with goodbye and thanks to Rocky for his generosity in hosting me at the Ranch. It was late in the day. I made it to within about a mile of the Park entrance and camped. The next day was rough, Chinook headwinds blowing in from the west. Most of the way to Jasper was hard cranking. There were several time that I was brought to a near standstill by gusts getting past Jasper Lake. The latter dries up in winter and the wind with dust blowing blowing over the road. Head down and crank away.
F But you made it?
PR Yeah, and I took the long way around into the town besides. I was in before dark, rubber legs and all and called Art. A little over 30 miles for the day. First time I have had to crouch over the handle bars to lower my profile and wind resistance.
F What do you think of Jasper Park?
PR Jasper is another world treasure. Elk and Big Horn Rams on the road near the town site on my way in, not overdeveloped like so many places. Great scenic beauty with mountains, lakes and rivers in stunning array. Not much snow yet at lower elevations and unusually warm temperatures.
The route west from here is one of the lowest if not the lowest pass through the Rocky Mtn. and mostly downhill into BC. Just by "coincidence."
Thanks to Don Laird I'm also getting more media exposure. Talked to two student groups here today and have other contacts ahead. It has been truly amazing to see how this is unfolding. I'm meeting the people who can help and are jazzed about what I'm trying to do in creating an International Ride for the Planet Day.
In the coming year, at least, the focus will be on climate change and the importance of bringing global emissions of CO2 down to safe limits for the planet (350ppm scientists tell us). I have mentioned this before.
It is going very well. Got to run. Happy Gobble, Gobble day to all!
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