Just me and the trees

I had a short stay in Jasper to visit some family, and on my last day I went white-water rafting on the Athabasca River before drying off and hopping back on the bike towards Hinton, AB. The ride was mainly downhill, and even enjoyed a tailwind for parts of it. After spending the night I got up early, feeling revived to tackle the highway toward Grande Cache (home of the Death Race), however at the Timmy Ho’s I was given strong advice against cycling that road – traffic is mainly truckers, there is absolutely no shoulder, and there are currently long stretches of construction. I was sad to bypass this part and largely questioned my decision, however once I saw the rough construction zones and what literally no shoulder meant, and how busy the truck traffic was, I realised that I would have been miserable out there and I was okay with the hitchbike option up to Grande Cache. 

Back to safety, beyond Grande Cache I felt like I had been released into the vast, forested wilderness of northwest Alberta. At the top of each climb there would be a view of the unending hills and valleys through forestry land that would lead me to BC. I spent my first night of real wilderness camping (read: I didn’t pay for it) completely alone – I swear I heard a bear outside my tent – and went most of the days in my own silence with no one around for conversation. There was, however, one very random encounter I had just south of Grande Prairie that I’m still a little sceptical I didn’t hallucinate...
The road from Grande Cache to Grande Prairie is about 190 uninhabited kilometers, which I took two days to cover. Mid-morning on my second day, like a mirage in the desert I came across a little diner-on-wheels. Seriously. A food cart. Out here? The delightful owner explained that the truckers have nowhere else around these parts to stop for lunch, so she found a golden business opportunity for her old camper-van. The breakfast she made me was by no means heart-healthy, but my goodness was coffee a welcome friend that morning!
With my extra water bottles and my belly full, in addition to some regained sanity after speaking to another human, I felt fantastic to charge upwards (uphill) and onwards to Grande Prairie. There was a fun little 15-minute rain storm, after which my black bike and I came out entirely caked in mud. Now I see what fenders are all bout!

Goats outside Jasper National Park