As it turned out, we were repaired and out of there before noon. Life is good.
We made a quick stop in Lethbridge.....they have a superstore Liquor store and since we will be sitting in the back country of the Crowsnest, we will need a beer or two!!
It wasn't long before we hit the Crowsnest Pass. This is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rocky Mountains on the Alberta/BC border. It is rich in coal deposits and these were quickly developed once the Canadian National Railroad completed its tracks. It is also the richest archaeological zone in the Canadian Rockies. The oldest relics of stone tools was found on a rock ridge just outside of Frank, Alberta and deemed 11,000 years old.
Today, this area is renowned for its pristine beauty, and recreational opportunities. There is a well documented trail system here for ATVs and that is why we are here today.
Before we actually settled for the night we travelled through the infamous Frank Slide. The town of Frank was established in 1900. Most of the residents worked the mines around the area. In 1903, the Frank Slide occurred and within 100 seconds the north slope of Turtle Mountain slid, 82 million tonnes of limestone came crashing down on part of the town killing between 70 and 90 people. The Indians called this mountain "the mountain that moved" prior to the slide. The Frank Slide is one of the largest and most deadly landslide in Canadian history. Most of the dead still remain beneath the huge boulders that make up the rubble field. Today, the highway travels directly through the rubble field and it is always a sense of reverence I feel when I cross through this area. The interpretive center here at the site hosts 100,000 visitors a year and is certainly something to see. I would recommend it to everyone who happens to be lucky enough to travel this way.
We arrived in Coleman, Alberta in plenty of time to pick up some ice, milk, gas and a much needed trail map. Always a good thing to have when it is your first time on this trail system. The ten dollar price tag for the map apparently goes back to maintaining the trail system so that is always a good thing.
We found the McGillvary Staging area with out any difficulty and proceeded to unload the quads and just enjoy the rest of the waning day. Fall has come to this area and it is truly beautiful with the yellow of the aspen contrasting the green of the evergreens. It is quiet here as well with only two other campers here. The area is huge so there is plenty of room between us. Hogan is happy and trying to find those damn squirrels.....he can hear them but he can't see them!!!
The quads were unloaded and the trailer rearranged for our campfire in a can. Of course this is Alberta and there is no gathering of dead fall for a real fire so the store bought one will have to do!!
While I was rearranging things I managed to bang my head on the low ceiling and ended up with a huge goose egg on the top of my head. "***&^^^$##$$#**" I said, and went to grab the bag of frozen corn to put on the lump to reduce the swelling. Holy Buckets.....that hurt like hell and I mean that but to the power of 10!! I can not tell you how much I hate this "effin" trailer!! IT IS FOR SALE!!
The evening was spent quietly with us watching a bit of TV and getting a game plan in place for what we are going to do while here.. I also had to drown my sorrowful head in a few beers!! John barbecued pork chops for supper (the potatoes were cooked over the campfire in a can) and then it was time to call it a day.
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| Heading out |
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| Hyway 3 West |
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| Fort Mccload |
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| Frank Slide |
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| Heading into McGillvery staging area |
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| Our spot for a few days |
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| Marie icing down her bump |
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| Hogan relaxing in the trailer |
Life is good......well, except for my smashed in head!!
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