Jasper, Alberta

Monday 27 July

Just outside Lilooet

Left Lillooet early, big day, 380 odd miles

Lillooet's a bit of an outpost, a support town for logging originally

then a brief flurry during the 1850's gold rush, population got up near 20,000

several saloons etc, then fizzled just as quickly

pretty mean hole if you ask me.

On the road, very quickly into better country, huge and rolling

farms perched on foothill flats under the mountains

mostly growing lucerne for hay and silage

big finishing barns for the cattle

making a better effort at it than some of the American units we've passed.

Down at the corral

I see quite a few horses, stocky appaloosa types

even saw a couple of hands riding out with dogs at foot

they were the most unlikely looking "Abe Cleminger" cowpokes, baggy trou with crossover braces

and hats like aussie lemon sqeezers, with the ridges worn out

just too far away for my camera to capture the scene.

So, along R99 and into R97 at Cache Creek, part of Scenic Canada 1 to Kamloops

here the smell of timber pulping mixed with that of new mown hay

but have to say, I think perhaps the Canadians have a far less smelly operation than we have at Tokoroa and Edgcumbe.

The farming improved another level again around here

acres enclosed totally with netting, looked like asparagus

there are a heap of crows everywhere, so I guess thats what the nets are for

or maybe ginseng, I did pass one farm gate with a sign proclaiming largest ginseng farm in North America

lots of irrigation too

plenty of water, and plenty of hydro power .

Lunch stop

For brunch I stopped at a roadside fruit stall and got punnets of cherries, and blueberries (very sweet), and a peach and nectarine

and a cherry cola to wash it down.

Temps were up in the high 90'sF again

you do 50-100km, then stop at a servo and get a drink

I did pass through one rain shower, but didnt bother to put a jacket on

took the beating, and was dry again in 20 mins.

Heading north on R5...

not through floor to ceiling firs like yesterday, rather floor to ceiling mountains.

spent all afternoon in an optical illusion

could have sworn I was going downhill, but every time I looked down at the river it was running the other way

the mountains in front of me were simply getting bigger.

Then the road imperceptibly tilted the other way for the run down toward Jasper

the big giveaway being passing semi's in lower gears under engine braking

straight road, still looked level to me

or, they were parked up in laybys letting the brakes cool.

Everythings loaded up to the nines here, 20 to 40 tonners no problem

watched a train go past hauling petrol, processed timber, and a heap of closed wagons.

Had a couple of 100mph bursts while overtaking

with everything travelling at 70 - 80 mph, closing speeds happen pretty rapidly

and I'd guess thats why Canadians are scathing of their own driving performance.

For the second day in a row, I was given some rather silly recommendations for places of interest to stop off at.

The bloke yesterday advised me to keep my tank full, because so and so to so and so was wilderness

but I was never out of traffic all day, there were plenty of cafes and servo's along the way

so must be anything out of suburbia is wilderness.

The other bloke today sent me down a turn-off that was nothing more than a steep, 2 mile, one-way dirt-track

and the wotterfoll at the end of the trail, was just a river running through some rocks

silly me, and not the place to take an ST road sports-cruiser

am wondering if Canadians are northern hemisphere Australians.

Approaching Jasper the scenery got more majestic/awesome

and am pleased to be at days end, an hour ahead in time having crossed a dateline into Alberta

concentrating at speed since 7am this morning, with a couple of 1hr breaks

am knackered.