Half-hearted attempt at a journal

Friday May 16, 2015. Off of work at five. Everything is already packed and on the motorcycle for the weekend. Gas tank is full, north to my friend’s acreage near Genesee, Alberta to eat pizza, quaff beers, and hang out.

Saturday May 17, 2015. Ride the bike to Calmar, Alberta where I meet up with the cousin and her friend. Sort of have planned a motorcycle trip to the Klondyke Ferry. My plans are never really concrete, they are usually relatively fluid. It is raining so we all agree to take her Dodge Nitro (a misnamed product). From Calmar west on Highway 39 to Highway 622 north on Highway 770. Since road trips have random stops the first pause was at Carvel to check out the Carvel General Store. If you are ever in the area I suggest you do the same. I buy quality junk food.

North on Highway 43 to Highway 33 and a stop for gas at Barrhead, Alberta. While at Barrhead I remember to do what I missed doing prior to the road trip; stocking up on road food. Coke, Cheezies, Beef Sticks, Miss Vickie’s Barbeque Chips, Miss Vickie’s Regular Chips, and some bag of pretzel/chip type mix which was not memorable enough to recall. I like Miss Vickie’s. If I am buying, that is what you are getting.

Fortified with the essentials and off north on Highway 769. Stop at Vega, Alberta to check out an older Danish Lutheran Church. I think I got some good photos of that. West on Highway 661 to the Klondyke Ferry. Four kilometres from the ferry you run into gravel road. Gravel road is in good condition. The ferry ride is free and about six minutes long crossing the Athabasca River. The other side is about thirteen kilometres of rougher sand and gravel road which is in not as good condition. Stuff like this makes life interesting. Or so I have been told. Highway 661 loops over to Fort Assiniboine. There is really nothing in Fort Assiniboine but you have to stop and look around in case you miss something.

From there to Highway 763 to Tiger Lilly, Alberta. There is nothing at Tiger Lilly either. If anyone ever asks, I can legitimately say “Yes, I have been to Tiger Lilly”. From there onto Highway 18 to Mayerthorpe, Alberta where we stop at the memorial to the RCMP. As memorials go this is impressive for a small town. Soft ice cream is needed before hitting the road again back to Calmar via Highway 43. Brief stop at the Rochfort Bridge Trading Post. I may have to go back some day, the smells from the kitchen were amazing.

From Highway 43 back to Highway 770. At the suggestion of my cousin I had invited my friend to dinner in Calmar. After multiple phone calls and not reaching him we dropped in at his place which was on the way. Of course after arriving there he finally calls and says he is in Calmar waiting for us. You just knew that something like this had to happen. Dinner in Calmar. After dinner back to Genesee for the night and a few more beers to close out the evening. There might have been a scotch in there somewhere.

Sunday May 17, 2015

Off to Calmar as my cousin passed her written test for her motorcycle license. I had said at one point that I would go with her on a ride so she could get some experience in. So she was cashing that in. After some low speed excursions around Calmar - which as an aside, I now know where practically everything is there – back to my friend’s acreage near Genesee. The rest of the day was taken up by changing the oil on my bike and “The Big Lebowski”. If I would have thought of it I should have picked up the ingredients for a White Russian.

Monday May 18, 2015

Victoria Day and to journey home. At various times the roads home wound up being temporarily choked by those heading back to their respective homes with their recreational vehicles in tow. There are some monstrous fifth wheel trailers on the road. Some of them towing trailers behind them with ATV’s. Makes one wonder when camping got so expensive.

It was Highway 770 to Highway 39 south on Highway 22 all the way to Rocky Mountain House, Alberta where I promptly needed to stop for coffee and warm up as it is a little too chilly to be doing this kind of thing. Highway 11 east with a turn south on Highway 761 to see Stauffer, Alberta. Somehow I miss Stauffer entirely. It must be a small place. East on Highway 54 with a stop at Raven, Alberta where there is a log cabin church. I also needed the break to warm up yet again. I believe I got some nice photos of the church.

East on Highway 54 until I notice a sign for Kevisville. Is there anything at Kevisville? I have never been to Kevisville. No time like the present, so south on Range Road 40 to Kevisville. Come to think of it, Kevisville is fun to type. Kevisville. Kevisville. Kevisville. Hyothesis confirmed, it is fun to type. There is a church there and a marker where there once was a one room schoolhouse and a nearby farm. Range Road 40 is a paved highway with your typical highway markings. This is a great run on the bike as I have the road all to myself. Unfortunately I come to an end and have to turn west onto Highway 587, then south on Range Road 53 to Sundre, which is not as nicely paved. This is the back way into Sundre and as I am driving through a residential area I notice two little girls about eight years old with a lemonade stand. You should always stop at a lemonade stand. I stop and buy a glass which turns out to be raspberry juice. The price: $0.25. I give them a five and tell them to keep the change. Hopefully it made their day. I found a coffee shop so I could warm up yet again.

From there a rather uneventful turn south on Highway 22 to Highway 567 east to Airdrie. Once home I needed a hot shower to warm up one last time. Warmer motorcycle weather needs to arrive quicker.