We’re Back!

Well it has been quite a while since my last post…lots going on and yet not much of anything. 

Just to sort of catch you up…on our way back to the lower 48 states we spent a couple of days at Banff and Lake Louise.  They are both beautiful places and I am so glad we had the opportunity to see them but “been there, done that”.  We saw more tourists in these 2 locations than we dealt with in all of Alaska.  Our last stop with Susan and Mark was at Wheat Montana in Three Forks, MT.  We had separated in Calgary but caught up with each other again for one final picture.

Bob and I were going to head for Yellowstone National Park to meet our friends Janie and Vince Fleckinger.  Janie and Vince had been working in Utah this past summer.  Then our plans were to head to Kansas where we would be working for Amazon.com starting on Sept. 27.  But, after talking to friends that were already at Amazon, we decided to forgo the Yellowstone trip and head straight to Coffeyville, Kansas.  We found out that the only part of the RV park that had full hookups was starting to fill and we did not want to be stuck with only 30 amps of electricity for the next several months.  We left Calgary, Alberta on Monday, August 31st and arrived in Coffeyville on Thursday, Sept. 2.  We visited the Express Personnel office on Friday and were able to move our start date up to September 13.  We secured our space at River Crest RV Park and got settled in for a few days.  On Monday we took the rig to Joplin, MO…about an hours drive…for an appointment with Freightliner to have some routine maintenance done.  We spent 4 nights in the Joplin area…actually we were in Quapah, OK…at Downstream Casino.  Downstream is a casino that was built last year.  They have an RV parking area for about 20 rigs with water and electricity…at no charge.  And, they don’t care how long you stay!  They even encourage you to use the pool and work out area at their lovely hotel.  We returned to Coffeyville on Friday and started working on Monday the 13th.  We had lunch at Cheddars one day and were seated next to this little darling who was really enjoying her food.  How cute is she!

We are working nights on the donut shift…we work Monday, Tuesday…off Wednesday…then work Thursday and Friday.  We work from 5:00 PM until 3:30 AM.  Bob has chosen to work overtime on Wednesday nights…yours truly has chosen not to.

It is good to see folks that we have not seen since last year.  Last year they hired 300 workampers and are hiring 500 this year.  Amazon has had such good results from the workampers that they have started the same type of program at their Campbellsville, KY center.  I believe their goal is to hire 50 workampers at that location for this peak season.

Moving on.

Thursday August 27, 2009 / Friday August 28, 2009

We have spent the last 2 nights in Prince George…a city of 70,000 people.  We felt like we were uptown…had a Costco, Walmart and a Canadian Superstore.  We even had a casino that we visited a couple of times…it was pretty much a break even situation for us at the end.  It was not a huge casino but the entire building is smoke/alcohol free.  I believe there was one bar area but no drinking allowed at the machines…we liked it.  Not much else to report about Prince George except that we were able to get our car washed…that is a big thing up here.  Our vehicles get so dirty but that should improve now that we are in Canada and the roads are paved. I choose to call the dirt a “protective covering”.

We are on the road to Jasper, Alberta to the Canadian Rockies.  Again we went through some construction…here is one of the flagmen.

Cissy tried to catch a nap. 

But it’s not always easy.

We arrived in Jasper National Park.  We did not get in until early evening so we did not venture out from the campground.  At 8:00 a program on some of the animals we might find in the park was presented at the amphitheatre by one of the park personnel.  She involved several of the children in the audience in the presentation.  She did a great job and the kids were outstanding as they took on the roles of cougars, fish and birds.  An hour well spent.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera.

Friday morning Bob and I poked around some of the shops in town and then drove out to the canyon for a bit of a walk. The pictures do no begin to show how beautiful this place is.

Before leaving Jasper, Mark takes time for a needed oil change on their Phaeton.

On the Icefield Parkway bound for Lake Louise.  

Moving On. 

And More Bears Sunday August 23, 2009

Sunday we drove back into Hyder to hopefully see some bears at Fish Creek.  Needless to say it was raining again…not that it has ever stopped.  It rains so much here but never a hard rain…more like a really soft rain.  I stayed about 30 minutes at the viewing stand and was cold and bored so I left Bob there and I got in the car and starting driving the road…notice I did not say roads…there is only one road…looking for bear.  I did see one small black bear but he was moving pretty fast. 

Then I spotted this little guy…it was my day for black bears.

 

More pictures of Hyder.    

We decided to give it a break so we came back to coach after a couple of hours and took a nap and ate lunch.  We went back to the viewing area about 7:30 or so and were on our way out when a large black bear entered the creek from the other side of the bridge.  This one was so big and everyone was pretty much running trying to keep up with him/her as she moved up the creek. 

Unfortunately, my camera was not able to do a good job.  I knew I was having trouble while trying to take the pictures.  I must have needed to change the setting because it was dusk and getting hard to see.  But…it was a thrill and worth all the time we spent looking.  We did see a couple of other bear while on the roads but did not get pictures.                          I am so disappointed in the pictures but was so thrilled to see this beauty.

Moving On.

Bears, Bears

We arrived in Stewart, British Columbia on Friday afternoon and check into Bear Creek RV Park.  We were tired and had been rained on for so long that we decided to stay in and get some rest. 

Saturday morning we ventured out and had breakfast in Stewart at the King Edward Hotel.  This is where we had our first bear sightings.

Stewart is a town of about 700 people.  The reason most people come to Stewart is because they have to in order to be able to get to Hyder, AK.  Hyder is 3.5 miles from Steward on the canal.  The population of Hyder is 100.  They don’t even have an American customs office at the border.  I guess they figure you can’t go anywhere from Hyder. 

Hyder is a rather sad little community.  The paved road ends at the border and Hyder’s streets are gravel and mud.  We haven’t seen the sun in quite a few days but this weather is typical for this region. 

Did you notice how high the buildings are from the ground?  I think this is because they get so much snow in the winter.  Here is a picture I took of a picture taken one winter.

As I said, people come to Hyder to see the bears…they have grizzly and black bear.  We spotted this big guy on our way to the viewing area.  He was grazing on the side of the road and was no more than 20 feet from us.

There is a boardwalk area maintained by Fish & Game, National Forest that is used for viewing.  Fish Creek is where salmon come to spawn so it great eating for the bears.  The water is so clear but it is sad to see the fish dying after they have deposited their eggs.  Bob keeps reminding me that this is a life cycle for them.  

Photographers come with their fancy cameras set up and wait all day hoping the bears will come to feed…and they do this for days and days at a time.  They have more patience than me.

This is on the other side of the viewing area from the creek.  The water is so blue because it is glacier water.

We drove another 20 miles up to see Salmon Glacier.  It was magnificient.  The road was something else but we made it.  

And I got my puppy fix along the way.    And we finally made it to the glacier.      

The surrounding area.

On our way back to the RV park we stopped in Hyder and ate at The Bus.

Oh yes, this is the other bear we saw on Saturday.

Moving On.