Chuck:
Headwinds, Hills and Herds, that sums up the day. With a constant headwind even the downhill runs were slow. Shortly after we started, Betty drove back to tell me there was a herd of bison on the highway about a mile ahead and she would run “interference” for me. It worked well, I rode alongside the RV and soon we had passed through the herd of about 40 big critters which were scattered on both sides of the road. Betty went on to Liard Hot Springs which was to be our lunch stop. I continued to have “buffalo encounters” while doing battle with winds and hills. Three more times I had to stop and wait for a single bull buffalo to decide which side of the road he wanted. Also, a herd of about 20 stopped traffic in both directions for a half-hour, crossing, re-crossing, milling and crossing yet again. Somewhere between all these buffalo events, a black bear grazed at the side of the road, while I took his picture.
I reached what was to be our lunch stop at 3:30 pm. Betty was just leaving to look for me. It was enough for one day. A shower, a cold adult beverage, a walk down to the Hot Spring and dinner at the Liard River Lodge brought the day to a close.
After Thought: You may not be able to “Roller-skate in a buffalo herd, but you can bike in one if you have a partner leading the way.” Apologies to Roger Miller Also note: A male buffalo can weigh 2,000 pounds, Betty’s RV weighs 35,000 pounds!
Betty: As I was driving to the lunch spot and noticed the large herd of buffalo, looking quite territorial, I thought I’d better find a place to turn this big thing around and go back to “escort” Chuck. Once we made it through that herd, I didn’t get to see the next herd or the bear.
I’ve become more relaxed driving the RV. I had a 9% grade yesterday and didn’t have any problem.
This area is so pretty and all the little roadhouses are interesting. The large towns (towns with at least a grocery store) are about 175 to 300 miles apart. There are roadhouses in between. They are usually a lodge that serves some meals, a small motel and sometimes a RV park. They have a generator that provides their power. They almost never have cell coverage, but occasionally will have their own wi-fi.