October camping at Dinosaur PP

 

 

Here we are Day 5 at Dinosaur Provincial Park.  The weather is awesome for October.  Mid teens and warm sunshine.

Yesterday we rode our bikes around one of the hiking paths. The sign says 'No Bicycles' but that is the joy of off season camping. There is no one around to notice or complain.

Nights have been getting down to lows of -2C but we've kept it at about 14C indoors with our heater. Perfect with the flannel sheets and a heavy quilt.

When we arrived on Wed, there were about 6 units in this campground and if you can believe it, there have been three tenters.  The young lady across the way from us is a free-lance photographer from ON travelling alone with her big dog.  She has been out taking lots of photos with a huge lens.  Her next stop is Jasper.  Brrrr.... I can't even imagine sleeping in a tent this time of year. I like my heater, a comfy bed and a bathroom!!  This weekend, 6 more units have joined us. I'm sure I've mentioned that Albertans love to camp regardless of rain or cold!

 There are a couple of young ladies from U of Calgary doing a bat study in the park.  They have nets stung across the creek in the park and are checking them every 3 or 4 hours, even during the night.

We've paid for tonight and then will make the decision as to whether we will stay or move on. Many campgrounds are closed for the season other than the Prov Pks. Unfortunately water in most of them is unavailable now.  Here there is a tap on the main building that we can fill from so we haven't had to abandon our nightly shower!

Cheers! Barbecued Salmon, Roasted Cauliflower. Yum!

 

the rest of the story . .

We weren't so lucky for our remaining SK Landing stay.  Our 'plenty of sunshine' spot was also open to the wind that came up.  We ended up having one fire in the neighbouring pit with our truck and an upended picnic table blocking said wind.  The mild temp enabled us to sit out quite late however.  We burned much wood!

 



And toured about the park.

 Not so lucky on Saturday. Rain. Cold and wind. We spent the afternoon in SC visiting with mom and later Gail and Mike.  After picking up a few groceries, it was back to our 5th wheel for this:

No sitting outside at the fire.  There was another camping crew that was much tougher than us and who were huddled around a fire when we arrived home from SC. The weather looked better for the upcoming week, and we thought about staying.  However, we decided not to tough out the day and Sunday afternoon we were pointed home -- Rain and 2C on the thermometer.

We are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with Jeff and family in the Hat.  And who knows, we may get in a few more camping days after Thanksgiving??

Fall Camping - Part 2

Sask Landing Prov Pk
Site #32 - $27 p only, free firewood (water off Sept 30, price change Oct 1 - $23)
Temp 13C, sunny and calm

Mom's new hip recap:  Hip replacement Friday morning. Standing Friday evening. Walker assisted walks on Sat and Sun. Aced the stair test on Monday morning and hospital discharge by 11 am.  How amazing is that? These medical procedures in 2015 are just mind boggling! Quick and simple!

After packing up the 5th wheel and driving mom and Jerry home that same Monday (Ron followed with 5th wheel) we were back on the road and soon settled at the SK Landing Provincial Park.  I can't even describe how beautiful the past 3 days have been.  Sunshine, warm temps, absolute quiet and not a breath of wind. So perfect.  We have been treated to a gorgeous moon rise (a continuance Sunday's Super Moon) over a ripple free River each evening. WOW!!

And so we have enjoyed late night campfires with the abundant free firewood, bike rides throughout the park filled with fall colours but no campers plus plenty of reading and relaxation.  Fall camping at its finest.

The park water was turned off yesterday, but our tanks are filled and we have paid for another three nights.  Alas, it doesn't appear as if the weather will hang in for the weekend, but we will do some visiting in Swift Current and our electric heater will keep us cozy.

Golden Sheaf and Home

Golden Sheaf Park
Site #11 - $30 p/w (not potable, lake), cell
Temp 12C

Monday - We left Writing on Stone in the rain.  Once again an un-forecasted weather surprise.  That meant packing up a wet carpet.  There were only 11 of us in the campground Sunday night. Quiet, just how we like it!

'bye Writing on Stone

Our original plan was to camp at Foremost and make a trip from there to the Etzikom Windmill museum.  Foremost campground was not so pretty however.  So we just emptied our tanks, fueled up and continued to the museum. Which was closed.  Ron wandered about the grounds, took some pictures and we had a bowl of soup in the RV before heading to Golden Sheaf Park.  About 20 minutes west of home.

more than just the windmills

Here we were one of three campers, but we were well spread out.  (Not counting the permanent residents.)  It was pretty windy for the most part, but luckily it let up in the evening for our fires. 

It was an enjoyable time with the geese, the owls, the bunnies and the howling coyotes.  Love camping in the Fall!

good morning (out our window)

 Wed. morning we packed up and headed home.  Mom has her hip replacement in the Hat on Friday and we'll head out again next week.

Last night at Golden Sheaf

round and round we go

Writing on Stone Prov Pk
Site #21 (x3) p only, Temp 18C

NOTE: no cell or internet but both available at Interpretive Centre

We had hoped to try out some new camping spots on this trip, but so far, that hasn't happened. It's been 'same old same old'. Our tried and true places are where we have ended up. Part of that was because of the weather, but also we haven't wanted to stray too far from home this trip.

And so we landed at Writing on Stone Prov Pk.  The same campsite we were in last year in September. When we had the feral cats hanging about and we awoke to snow on the picnic table one morning.  Thankfully no snow this time around.

We certainly got our fill of aphids. In our drink and in our food. They are everywhere and impossible to avoid. And wind. We are somewhat protected in our site, but man... blow your hat off wind today.

In the calmer late afternoons we burned a lot of firewood. Ron hiked the hoodoo trail while I made use of the cell service and Internet available at the Service Centre on top of the hill. (No cell service in this campground.)

Swallow camp out

We have discovered that Albertans continue to camp right up until Thanksgiving, and maybe beyond (?) This place was nearly filled for the weekend with families. As the campsites empty out today, Ron is making his rounds looking for that leftover firewood.

Milk River. AB

Gold Springs Park
Site #24 - $30 p/w (boil, poor), wifi iffy, poor cell
Temp 9C
(best sites #88, #89)

What ever has happened to all that nice September weather that we used to enjoy every year??  Man, our little electric heater has been pretty much running not stop the last 3 days.  Also, our weather app lied to us.  It showed no rain for Taber and that 'no rain' chased us in from our campfire every evening.  Last night, Tuesday, it poured.

Inuksuk - camping style!

At any rate, we continue on.  It was not much warmer at Milk River (7C) today.  We are at Gold Springs Park. We did see some sunshine and if my weather app doesn't disappoint, things are warming up towards the weekend.  Much of AB is showing Frost Warnings for tonight.  We did have an early afternoon fire were able to sit out until supper time when the wind came up. 

Milk River

Some Bath love - who says it's too cold??

Neither the cell service or the wifi are very dependable here, but we are getting a few emails in and out.  Brrrrrrrr.......

Room with a view!

Stay in touch! Marmot mobility.

Thermometer said ZERO this morning but things are looking up!  Sunshine and 17C this afternoon!!

Taber, AB

Taber Municipal Park
Site #44 - $25 p only, Free Firewood, poor cell
Temp 17C

The weekend crew at Newell were packing up Sunday morning and we decided to do the same.  It was cloudy and much cooler.  The weather forecast looked better further south, so off to Taber we went.  (I'm hearing that Calgary could see some snow on Wed. -- yuk!!)  And no, we are not going across the US border this trip with the Canadian $$ as it is.

Fall colours

Our last stay here was not such a happy one.  Fall 2014, we were stuck here for 5 days awaiting a truck transmission repair.  However, happier times this year as Taber was indeed warmer and we enjoyed an afternoon of sunshine.  We like this Municipal park with free firewood and cheap camping.  The cell service is poor however and I was getting a little frustrated trying to follow the weekend "Grand Slam" curling scores. Oh, Internet, I miss you when you are not available!

It's Monday morning and we have lost our sunshine and warm weather.  Time for some Internet and grocery shopping in Taber.  Please send warm weather if you have extra at your place.

Fall camping 2015 - Newell Lake, AB

Kinbrook Island Prov Pk

Site #112 - $35 (x4) p only

Sept 10 - I'm sitting in the sunshine at Newell Lake. Maple bugs. Everywhere! We had forgotten about this part of Fall Camping with the Ash trees. It is reminiscent of our SK Landing stay in Fall 2012.



We ended up closing the cabin early and not staying for the Labour Day weekend. The forecast was cold, wet and windy. Home was much more appealing. We did have a great final week at the lake. It was quiet, the weather was awesome and watching a "ready to move" home being delivered across the lake was great entertainment.

Anyway, back at home we weather watched and brought home the RV on Tues, packed up and headed out Wednesday. Once again we weren't completely certain of our destination, but ended up turning south at Brooks. And we spent four nights at Newell.

Gulls and more gulls
We've been for our usual bike rides throughout the park and enjoyed a couple late night campfires. On Friday, a group of "Newfies" now working in the area pulled in across and on either side of us. Also joining them were the parents of one of the wives. (Not from Newfoundland.) A conversation with the parents started because they had a Vanguard 5th wheel (as do we). Anyway, we ended up doing lots of visiting. They, MaryAnne and Bruno Garrecht, farm at Fox Valley and are just starting to think of retirement and traveling. It turns out her 90 yr old mother, Doris Laird, went to school at Cedar Hill, the same small country school at the top of Lac Pelletier hill where mom went. (And yes, mom knew the Laird family and rattled off all her sibling's names.) Small world.





We had a great time at Newell, the weather was perfect and we had lots of laughs with our new friends. We got to sample some amazing clam chowder. We might just have to find out when and where their next camping trip is!



Bring your own palm trees ;)