On the beach at Canyon Creek

On the beach at Canyon Creek

Tammy and I sat and looked at maps last night. She told me that I would be passing Alberta’s biggest lake, Lesser Slave Lake, during my drive to Athabasca. I was thrilled at the idea of driving along a lake shore, trying to keep my eyes on the road and the scenery at the same time, but no, Alberta does it’s best to hide this treasure. Only a few times did I actually glimpse the blue water over the tree’s. Most of the time It was hidden from view.

Hiding the lake

Hiding the lake

I didn’t have far to drive today so I stopped along the road many times and had a great stroll along the water.

Bridge in Athabasca

Bridge in Athabasca

Athabasca is a pretty little town on the Athabasca and Tawatinaw Rivers. It sits in the river valley and along the side of a hill far enough from the any big centres that it is has everything it needs.

Allendria, my couchsurfing contact,  is a reporter for the Town and Country Newspaper.When I arrived she was on her way out the door to a community pot luck dinner for a couple of crazy guys who are canoeing across the country in a birch bark canoe that they made themselves using traditional methods. She asked me if I wanted to go along. Free food and a chance to meet some REAL adventurers.  Oh yes. I had fun.

The canoe. There are better pictures along with a description of the process on the website

The canoe. There are better pictures along with a description of the process on the website

Marc and Dan seemed totally sane but when I heard their story I had to wonder how much adventure two people could really manage. I was glad of Vincent’s dry bed and tendency to stay away from fast flowing rivers. Go to their website at www.paddleforsustainability.org to find out more.

After we ate and talked, we headed back to Allendria’s place where we set up my pull out couch bed and then we headed outside for a fire with a few friends who also work for the paper.  Around 11 we had a real thunderstorm and headed inside to write and go to bed.

Tomorrow Allendria will interview me for the paper. My adventure is feeling a little tame right at this moment but I can’t help myself, I just love to talk about it. Later on I will head to oil sands country and Fort McMurray.

I am looking forward to meeting the people I will be staying with there. I am actually giving myself a couple of days to see everything there is to see before I continue homeward.  Talk soon.