Day 6 – Drumheller – Little Fish Provincial Park – Hoodoos, Atlas Mine, Disc Golf, Freak storm
Km’s traveled: 202.3km
Moving average: 36km/hr
Gas Bought: 7.92L @ $1.239 = $9.81
Waking up today, it was really cloudy out and the thoughts of rain were drowning on myself leaving Drumheller to explore the Hoodoos and Atlas Mine today. While drinking with the guys last night I was informed of a game called “Disc Golf”, really popular in the states, and gaining popularity here in Canada. Basically its golf and Frisbee put together. They were there for a tournament going on today. So deciding to wait on the weather to clear up a bit, I figured I’d see what this game was all about.
Disc golf video here (<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/QS0uYkxtxu8?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>)
Around noon it had started to clear up, so I said bye to the Disc Golf gang and was back on the road again. Off to the Hoodoo’s just outside of drumheller on highway 10.
After exploring the Hoodoo’s it was time for the Atlas mine
The Atlas Coal Mine is a National Historic Site, and one of the most complete coal mining museums in Canada. They are located near the community of East Coulee, in Drumheller, Alberta… The heart of the Canadian Badlands. (site: atlascoalmine.ab.ca)
Dig into the darkest years of Alberta’s past. Wander through an intact historic landscape, in a stunning badlands setting. Climb the last wooden tipple in Canada. Explore the underground. Ride in a mine locomotive. Hear the stories of the men who dug for coal. Dynamic guides make the Atlas fun for the whole family.
Put on a miners’ lamp and go up underground! This unique tour has you climbing up an inclined conveyer tunnel, which was re-timbered in 2008. Follow in the footsteps of the miners, in one end, and out the other to emerge high in the scenic badlands. At the top, step into the Atlas #3 Mine Portal, The first 40ft of this drift entry was excavated and re-timbered in the fall of 2010.
atlas mine tunnel Video here (<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/REPLOfejsvY?rel=0″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>)
Climb the last wooden tipple in Canada, and see the inner workings of this nationally designated historic icon. Hear stories of the men and the boys who worked in the Drumheller mines.
Climb into a coal car and tour the surface plant and spectacular badlands scenery. This narrow gauge “mantrip” is pulled by an antique Mancha Mule battery locomotive, formerly used in underground mines.
Put your walking shoes on and explore the dark side of coal mining. Learn about accidents, brawls, and the shady side of mine towns. Hear about mysterious sightings at the Atlas Coal Mine. The mine closed 20 years ago, but not all the miners have checked out.
Leaving the Mine in the dust literary I took range road 564 13km’s till it switches to range road 848 and continued on 10km till arriving at a little hamlet called Dorothy, where there was a music video currently being shot. I continued on to the end of highway 848 then turned right onto 573 towards Little Fish Provincial Park, it wound be here I ironicly experience my first little fishtail on the trip. Finally arriving at Little Fish Provincial Park around 7pm. 50km of dirt / gravel roads and one fishtailing experience later. If I only knew the nightmare to come…
Pic of little fish pro park
Little Fish Provincial Park
(Coordinates: 51º22’22”N 112º11’57”W)
This $14 self-registration camping park is quite flat overall but very nice. After finding a camping spot for the night, it was time to setup the tent and eat some supper. While eating I could see a lightening storm way off in the distance on the the other side of the lake, nothing to be concerned about. After supper I made a little fire, cleaned the supper dishes, transferred all the days photos and video onto the laptop, Then sat back with a drink, continuing to watch the storm which was geting really close now. I pulled out my video camera to capture some video while I still could… Here are some images from that video clip.
Lightening shots here
While capturing the lightening on video, I got caught in a down pour and had to run and hide in the tent. Within minuets the storm was on top of the park, Freak lightening, horizontal rain, blowing wind. The tent was blowing all around, I had the roof on me that wouldn’t move it was so windy and other parts of the tent flying up, everything wet, It was a nightmare. I thought one of three things would happen for sure. One the tent would be torn apart into a million pieces, two, the tent and I would get blown away or three be directly or indirectly hit by lightening.