Day 7 – Little Fish Provincial Park – Kinbrook island provincial park on lake newell. The messy turn around
Gas Bought:
Km’s traveled: 141.9km
Overall average: 27.1km/hr
Total time: 5hr 14min
Moving time: 2hr 54min
Stopped: 2hr 19min
Waking up this morning, what a mess! Everything in the tent that wasn’t in a dry bag was soaked. I’m not talking about the, squeeze out a little water and hang to dry in an hour kinda wet. I’m talking about the, squeeze out enough for a small lake then hang to dry kinda wet. At least today the sun is shinning nice and hot. Once I was done ringing my stuff out multiable times, then hanging it to somewhat dry on a near by tree and picnic table in the sun, it was time for breakfast.
While eating some pancakes, I was thinking to myself “I’m surprised I haven’t seen at least one abandon building thus far”. Kinda wish I had, where I love old run down building and there great to photograph.
When breakfast was over and cleaned up, it was time to look at the atlas and plan my day’s route. Deciding to try and hit Brooks today, and avoid as much dirt road as I could, I mapped out a route south a few km’s from the park then east till I hit the highway 36 intersection. From here I would go south on highway 36 until road 550 where I would go east towards Duches, Alberta then down 873 to Brooks.
With the route planned and breakfast over there was nothing left to do until my stuff had dried out some. Thankfully it was already hot out. I cleaned up the scooter a bit and took advantage of the remaining time by taking some photographs and exploring the area. I didn’t end up leaving till close to noon.
3-4 pics of little fish pro park
Heading south from the park 12km’s until I hit paved road, oh paved road how I missed you. And wouldn’t you know, as soon as I turned onto the pavement, there in the middle of nowhere, standing so still, so slient, so rustic looking… My first abandoned farm of the trip.
Pic of farm
By this time in the trip, you start to realize just how vast and open Canada really is. I scootered along doing my 50kms/hr the rest of the way down to brooks, Alberta. Arriving in Brooks, I pulled into Tim Hortons for my java fix and to check the GPS for a campground for the night.
Deciding on a campground 25km’s south of Brooks called Kinbrook Island Provincial Park on Lake Newell. Camping costs a whopping $23/night to pitch a tent! Also I must note this is the first time in my life where I “had” to buy firewood, if I wanted a fire… which I did. I mean what’s camping without a fire eh? So with the wood and campsite paid for I now had to:
A. Find a spot on the bike for the wood, and
wood bike pic
B. Find my campsite
camp
pic
After eating supper and setting up the tent, I went for a walk to check out the area in more depth as I usually do after the initial check to see whats around the area. After exploring the beach at the other end of the park, I started heading back towards my tent. Still wanting to explore I continued on, deciding to check out the other camp sites. While walking through I noticed a tent with an attached screen room, The exact tent I was looking for in all design but could never find just the right one, till now. I had to inquire as to where the tent was bought. Which before I forget to tell you, was ordered from sears in Brooks, Alberta. Anyways back to the story… It was a warm clear evening, barely a cloud in the sky, feeling the gentle breeze as it whisped past the trees, hearing the laughter of kids playing in the distance, and there right in front of my eyes (even if I didn’t fully know it yet) was the tent of my dreams. Literally. I dreamed about this tent, and now here it was, right in front of my very eyes. I never knew this meeting that was about to take place would end up lasting 5 physical days, or a lifetime from the heart. All thankfully due to a tent and my natural curious travel-bug nature to explore.
Tent-bill-darcie pic here
Bill & Darcie and their tent
While talking to Bill and inquiring about his tent, and telling him a little about my trip, his wife Darcie had arrived back from town and Bill introduced us and told her about my trip. After some friendly chit chat I was back on my walk, around the back-end of a loop back towards my campsite. While back at my campsite, just sitting around relaxing, trying to plan out my next days route, Bill and Darcie appear, we continue our little chat and they invite me down to there fire. I said ‘sure why not be right down after I put my fire out’. I wouldn’t get back to my tent till close to 11pm.