Stone Mountain Provincial Park – The (Mostly) True Adventures of Lupe

SPHP Unglued, Civilization & Lupe’s Favorite Picnic Ground, British Columbia & Alberta, Canada (9-12-23 thru 9-14-23)

Part 2 of Day 52 & Days 53 and 54 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!

9-12-23, 11:05 AM, 55ºF – After crossing the bridge over the Racing River, the Alaska Highway passed near Racing Peak (4,409 ft.) before curving SE and proceeding up the McDonald Creek valley. During a long climb into Stone Mountain Provincial Park, Lupe had a spectacular view of the huge valley flanked by towering peaks of the Muskwa Ranges.

**McDonald Creek valley**. Photo looks S.

The highway leveled out at Summit Pass. A lone caribou spotted near the W end of Summit Lake instantly got the Carolina Dog all excited. At the E end of the lake, SPHP pulled into the campground’s day use picnic area. Sniffing along Summit Lake’s shoreline, Lupe had a terrific view of Mount Saint George (7,402 ft.).

**Mount Saint George** (L) from **Summit Lake**. Photo looks SW.

9-12-23, 12:11 PM, Summit Lake, Stone Mountain Provincial Park –

Mount Saint George! We weren’t that far from the summit when the weather changed and chased us off the mountain. Remember, SPHP?

Oh, yeah! My poles started buzzing, Looper. Never did that before or since. Pretty good indication that it’s time to vamoose!

Mount Saint George was a fun mountain, SPHP. We ought to try climbing it again.

It was fun, Loop, but I’m not so sure we’re capable of getting to the true summit. Looked dicey by our standards, even before the fog rolled in and hid the last critical part from view. An awful lot of steep talus up there to contend with.

A Dingo can dream, can’t she, SPHP? Anyway, how about lunch? Did you check? Do we have any more Chef Boyardee spaghetti?

I did. We’re really low on supplies, Loopster. If you want anything more than Taste of the Wild, you’ll have to wait until we get to Fort Nelson.

Onward then, SPHP! I’ll be famished by the time we get that far.

E of the campground, it was all downhill as the Alaska Highway began leaving the mountains. Another lone caribou provoked a second shrill barking frenzy. One last photo by the Stone Mountain Provincial Park sign as Lupe left the park, and that was it for the rest of the day.

Second **caribou** dashing across the highway. Photo looks E.

By the **Stone Mountain Provincial Park** sign. Photo looks NW.

Once out of the Muskwa Ranges, a haze was in the air. Wildfire smoke again! Not terrible, but it got worse on the way to Fort Nelson, marring the views of the beautiful mountains receding in the rear view mirror.

9-12-23, 2:39 PM, 66ºF – After fueling up the RAV4 and buying supplies sufficient to satisfy both SPHP’s and an American Dingo’s hunger in Fort Nelson, it was back to the Alaska Highway again.

Now far from the mountains, the highway headed S featuring long, flat stretches frequently interrupted by big ridges and dips into the valleys between them. With distant views of the northern Rocky Mountains off to the W largely hidden by smoke, there was little for SPHP to do other than keep cruising while Lupe dozed on her pink blanket.

All was well, until SPHP saw a couple of men idly standing out in a field. Both were wearing vests with lime green stripes like might be seen on construction workers. When the RAV4 got very close, one began waving frantically, as if trying to trying to attract SPHP’s attention.

A little late with the waving bit. A moment later, the RAV4 was already past them. The Alaska Highway wasn’t crowded by any means, but as the only major road in the more than 200 miles between Fort Nelson and Fort St. John, it was far from deserted, too. Whatever these guys needed, someone else would be along within just a few minutes. Certainly didn’t look like they were in any kind of an emergency situation. They’d just been standing there aimlessly in the field.

Turned out they didn’t want anyone else’s help. Soon SPHP was slowing down, and pulling over to the side of the highway.

What’s going on, SPHP? Why are we stopping here?

Police, Loopster.

Flashing lights pulled in behind the RAV4 moments later.

Why didn’t you stop? Can’t you see that I’m dressed as a police officer?

Sorry, the police don’t dress like you are where I come from. What’s the problem, anyway?

Clocked you at 102 kmph in a 70 kmph zone.

70! The speed limit is 100!

No. You need to pay more attention. There’s a sign back there that says 70. I’ll need to see your license and registration.

Twenty minutes later, the RAV4 was heading S again, but not as fast as SPHP’s disposition.

How bad was it, SPHP?

$196 CAN for that, Loop! What a racket! Not a dang thing out here except some little no name dirt side road with no traffic that they’ve cleverly put a 70 kmph speed limit next to. That’s not even 45 mph, way out here in the wilderness on the Alaska Highway. Criminitly! We’re more than an hour out of Fort Nelson. Nothing’s going on out here!

Well, it’s just like the rock that cracked the windshield yesterday, SPHP. Nothing you can do about it now.

Mentioning the so recently cracked windshield really didn’t help matters much. SPHP came unglued.

70 kmph! Utterly ridiculous! They could fine 99.9% of the traffic that goes by here at that rate, Looper. Heck, they could fine 90% of the traffic at 110 kmph. How do we wind up with a ticket, anyway? The RAV4 is the slowest vehicle on the road. Everyone and his brother is constantly roaring by us. Canadians pay no attention at all to their speed limits. I’m forever pulling over to let others pass, so we don’t have them breathing down our necks.

SPHP fumed. SPHP raged. The American Dingo wisely tuned it all out, and went back to sleep.

An hour of fury was all even SPHP could take. Resilience is key! Gotta be able to roll with the punches. Might as well look on the bright side. $25 CAN reduction in the fine, if paid online within 30 days. That’s the new plan. Why not? Can’t fight it, anyway. The rest would just have to be considered Lupe’s donation to the lovely community of Fort Nelson. Other than that one wayward rock, and this fine, everything else about Canada had been totally awesome.

9-13-23, 7:26 AM, 55ºF – It had been years since Lupe had been on Hwy 29 between the Alaska Highway and Chetwyn. The view of the Peace River valley from a rest area half an hour in was a grand and familiar one despite a touch of wildfire smoke still in the air, yet wasn’t entirely the same as other times the American Dingo had been here.

Wow! It all looks so … parched, SPHP!

Maybe that’s normal this time of year, Loop? Or maybe it’s just because 2023 has been the year of the Arctic Apocalypse? Everything was always so lush and green and beautiful whenever we’ve been here before.

In any case, this was another travel day, a more serious one without any extended romps like the Racing River had been yesterday. For the most part, Lupe stared out the window at the fabulous scenery whizzing by, sometimes snoozing on her pink blanket for a while.

The Carolina Dog did get to enjoy a brief stop at Moberly Lake. After driving through Chetwyn, SPHP remembered to watch for the turn to Teapot Mountain along Hwy No. 97 on the way to Prince George, but unfortunately no longer recognized it.

A couple of stops for fuel and supplies in Prince George (following which, Lupe eagerly helped SPHP devour most of a delicious roasted chicken), and the long drive continued, now heading SE up the Fraser River valley on Yellowhead Hwy No. 16.

9-13-23, 6:04 PM – Lupe was already well beyond McBride, when a green field of surpassing beauty and tremendous interest caught her eye.

SPHP, please stop! We’re in cattle country!

Knowing how much Lupe loved seeing cows, SPHP had to comply.

Cattle in the **Fraser River valley**. Photo looks SW.

It was good to have stopped. Those cows mooing softly while grazing in their green pasture marked the end of the peace and tranquility of the far N on this Dingo Vacation. A short while later, at the junction with Hwy No. 5 coming up from Kamloops, everything changed.

Transformed by the hectic throngs of civilization, Yellowhead Hwy No. 16 was suddenly chock full of semi-trucks, motorhomes, and vehicles of all types engaged in a frantic rush to “get there”, wherever “there” may have been. Having no choice, SPHP joined the relentless rat race while a steady stream of traffic zoomed impatiently past the RAV4. The abrupt return to civilization was a somewhat unnerving shock after having practically owned every road for weeks on end.

Even so, a magnificent sight soon appeared ahead, one Lupe hadn’t seen in many years due to overcast skies virtually every time she’d been by this stretch of highway since visiting Berg Lake long ago.

Stop here, too, SPHP! Mount Robson (12,989 ft.) is in the clear!

SPHP obeyed again; not once, but twice. First at the park entrance, and then a second time a bit farther on at the visitor centre.

Entering **Mount Robson Provincial Park**. **Mount Robson** (L). Photo looks NE.

**Mount Robson**. Photo looks NE with help from the telephoto lens.

At the **visitor centre**. Photo looks NE.

9-13-23, 6:54 PM, Mount Robson Provincial Park – The visitor centre was closed when the American Dingo arrived, but that didn’t matter in the least. With the alpenglow at its peak on the mountain, Lupe went for a stroll behind the visitor centre to enjoy this rare and stunning moment.

**Mount Robson** (Center) near sunset. Photo looks NE.

9-13-23, 7:20 PM – Light was fading fast as Lupe headed into a familiar dim forest on the wide, smooth path that would be her only significant outing of the day. Traffic noise faded away completely during the few minutes it took to get down to the small, but powerful Overlander Falls. The roar of the falls, and the deep, swirling blue-green pool below it were mesmerizing.

9-14-23, 1:50 AM, Yellowhead Hwy No. 16, Overlander Falls pullout – Still some traffic, even at this hour. What peace and darkness existed, came to a sudden end when a semi-truck pulled in right behind the RAV4, then proceeded to idle with headlights on. Nevertheless, taking no action, SPHP soon fell back asleep.

9-14-23, 5:10 AM, 37ºF – Gah! That truck was still here, still idling with its lights on. SPHP had had enough. The night proved infinitely black once back on the highway. However, a hint of dawn was in the E by the time Lupe reached the Alberta border, entering Jasper National Park.

9-14-23, 7:17 AM, 32ºF – Not a soul was around when SPHP pulled into the little parking lot at Lupe’s favorite picnic ground along the Athabasca River. Roughly 5 miles S of mighty Athabasca Falls, this always used to be a quiet spot, blissfully ignored by the countless tourists streaming by along Icefields Parkway No. 37. However, that was back before there had been a picnic ground sign. A year or two ago, the park service had finally put one up.

Better enjoy our solitude while it lasts, Loopster! I bought some more Chef Boyardee spaghetti back in Prince George. Want me to heat some up?

Yes, please! I’ll grab a picnic table overlooking the river, SPHP.

A gorgeous, icy blue, the Athabasca River was much lower now than it had been back in early August when virtually the entire riverbed had been a swollen, silt-laden, gray torrent.

Waiting for the spaghetti to heat up. Photo looks SW.

Get enough spaghetti, Loop?

Is there more, SPHP? I’m certainly willing to do whatever I can to help!

No more spaghetti, but I bought some Danishes, too.

Without hesitation, the Sweet-Tooth Puppy made a valiant contribution to the demise of the Danishes. Lupe licked her chops.

Now what, SPHP? Can we stay a while, and look for squirrels?

Sure can, Loopster. In fact, we’re going to hang out here while I catch up the trip journal. I’m way behind on it.

For the first time ever, the Carolina Dog got to spend nearly the entire day at her favorite picnic ground along the Athabasca River. However, her days of carefree barking at squirrels here without bothering anyone were over. People soon began arriving, and the once common solitude at this formerly overlooked spot never returned.

Sometimes in the RAV4, sometimes sitting on the red chairs overlooking the Athabasca River, SPHP worked on the trip journal. Lupe lay nearby, frequently getting up to wander about the forest a bit before returning. She helped SPHP polish off the rest of the roasted chicken and countless potato chips, but had no interest in SPHP’s Allsorts licorice.

As hours drifted by, the sun slowly sailed around to the W.

9-14-23, 6:41 PM, 75ºF, Lupe’s favorite picnic ground –

Enough writing! Let’s go down to the river, Loopster.

Are you all caught up, SPHP? Took long enough.

Yes, it did, and no, I’m still not caught up. Guess I need to be more concise.

You must be writing an epic tale, SPHP.

It often seems that way to me, Loop. You’re the first to notice, though, so maybe not. Hardly matters. C’mon, to the mighty Athabasca River!

Down on the riverbed, Lupe leapt up onto a boulder, a sharp peak of the stunning Canadian Rockies beyond rising dramatically into the blue.

Down by the **Athabasca River**. Photo looks SSW.

What’s the name of that mountain, SPHP?

It’s either Mount Fryatt (11,017 ft.) or Mount Christie (10,236 ft.), Loop, but I’ve never really been sure which.

It was a perfect evening, near the end of a beautiful, relaxing day.

Hate to leave, but we’ve got to get going, Loop. Hope you had fun here.

Do we have to? Why leave now, so late in the day, SPHP?

We need to be in Banff early on the 16th, but that leaves us with another whole day to enjoy the Canadian Rockies before then, Looper. We’re all rested up, so we’re not going to waste it. We’re leaving to get into better position for your next big adventure tomorrow.

I like the sound of that, SPHP. If we must, we must!

9-14-23, 7:50 PM – The last rays of sunlight were about to vanish from Mount Athabasca (11,414 ft.) and Mount Andromeda (11,286 ft.) by the time Lupe reached the nearly vacant humongous parking lot at the Jasper Columbia Icefields Discovery Centre.

Looking S: **Mount Athabasca** (L), **Mount Andromeda** (R), **Athabasca Glacier** (far R).

Still such an amazing sight, but sadder every year, too, as the snow and ice recede. Nothing to be done about that, though. After enjoying the view, the drive S continued into Banff National Park. It was already quite dark when Lupe spotted a lynx on the prowl. Upon arriving at Bow Lake, a million stars were above.

Perhaps even more impressive, miracle of miracles, the short side road to the Bow Lake picnic ground, which had always been wretched due to numerous giant potholes, had been repaired! (End 10:47 PM, 42ºF)

At Lupe’s favorite picnic ground along the **Athabasca River**, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada 9-14-23

Links:

Next Adventure Prior Adventure

Mount Saint George, Stone Mountain Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (8-5-17)

Summit Peak & Mount Saint Paul, Stone Mountain Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (8-4-17)

The Berg Lake Trail, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada (7-30-13)

Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls, Overlander Falls & Rearguard Falls in the Canadian Rockies (8-3-16 & 8-4-16)

Wilcox Pass Trail, Jasper National Park, Canada (7-31-13)

Bow Lake and the Trail to Bow Glacier Falls, Banff National Park, Canada (7-25-13)

Want more Lupe adventures? Choose from Lupe’s Summer of 2023 Dingo Vacations to Colorado, New Mexico, Canada & Alaska Adventure Index, Dingo Vacations Adventure Index or Master Adventure Index. Or subscribe free to new Lupe adventures.

Along the Long Road Home (9-12-18 thru 9-15-18)

Days 40 – 43 of Lupe’s 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska!

9-12-18, 9:07 AM, International Falls trailhead, South Klondike Highway – The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood had been so lucky yesterday! She’d finally made it to Peak 6053 on a cool, cloudy day. Most fortunately, the clouds had been high enough not to interfere with any of the incredible views. Different story this morning. 100% overcast, low ceiling, all the mountains in fog.

Didn’t matter now. Peak 6053 had been the last grand hurrah of this Dingo Vacation. SPHP’s feet were too sore to do anything today, even if the weather had been perfect. The Carolina Dog wasn’t actually a ball of fire, either. She seemed perfectly content resting on her pile of blankets and pillows gazing out the windows of the G6.

Lupe’s grand summer of 2018 was ending. Time to head home. Less than 1 km from the Alaska border, SPHP turned the key. The G6 sprang to life. 2,300+ miles to go! Mountain climbing was done. Any further adventures along the way were going to be quick and easy. At this point, that was perfectly fine with both Loop and SPHP. A long, relaxing drive sounded delightful!

9:45 AM – Canadian customs was only 7.5 miles N on the South Klondike Highway from where Lupe had spent the night. A short wait in line, and Lupe breezed through. The long drive began in earnest. Even from the road, the scenery was gorgeous. Big mountains, huge lakes, forests, rivers, for mile after mile.

At Carcross, SPHP turned NE on Tagish Road (Highway 8). It started to rain. Still weary, the Carolina Dog passed out, snoozing peacefully to the rhythmic slapping of the windshield wipers. From Jake’s Corner, the rest of the morning and all afternoon were spent cruising E on the Alaska Highway across the southern Yukon. Lupe did get out for a short break from the G6 at Teslin Lake. By then, the rain and clouds were long gone.

Miss Sleepyhead revives long enough for a quick sniff along **Teslin Lake**.

Fake wildlife at a campground next to the gas station in Teslin. No, wait! The American Dingo is real!

Highlights of the day didn’t occur for Lupe or SPHP until the Yukon had been left behind for good. E of Watson Lake in British Columbia, wide swaths of forest were clear cut along both sides of the Alaska Highway. Bison roamed wild on the open ground. That snapped the Carolina Dog to attention! Lupe saw 7 bison in all, each of them loners. Naturally, each bison was cause for a hysterical foaming-at-the-mouth barkfest as the G6 raced on by. What could be more fun?

SPHP’s big moment came at Liard River Hot Springs. While Lupe waited in the G6, lucky SPHP got to soak in the beautiful outdoor pools. Warm and clean again for the first time in forever felt heavenly! Even SPHP’s sore feet were more or less cured by the soothing experience.

Out for a quick romp with a view of the **Liard River**.

Light was fading by the time SPHP returned from the hot springs. Only 6 miles after crossing the Liard River, it was time to stop for the night. The sky was completely clear, and the night promised to be a cold one. The big show didn’t start until 10:45 PM. For an hour, the Northern Lights entertained in a true dancing with the stars.

9-13-18, 5:23 AM, 23°F – Ice in Lupe’s water bowl! After a quick foray out to sniff the chilly air, the Carolina Dog was on her way. Still pretty dark. Upon entering Muncho Lake Provincial Park, Looper became excited, barking and whimpering at something she either sniffed or saw out there that SPHP couldn’t detect yet. More bison? Maybe.

6:17 AM, 25°F – Muncho Lake is always worth a stop! The park here has some beautiful peaks, but is so wild and remote that SPHP has never been able to find any information on whether any trails exist providing access to them. Some fine day Lupe is going to climb a mountain in Muncho Lake Provincial Park! That great peak at the S end of the lake would be ideal.

Impressive peaks in **Muncho Lake Provincial Park**.

The next stop came at a pullout after crossing the bridge over the Racing River. 18°F! Despite the chilly air, Lupe was totally enthused! This was a favorite place. A short dirt road goes through a stretch of forest here where she often finds squirrels on the way to the river.

This morning the Racing River was the lowest Lupe had ever seen it, but still that fabulous icy blue color!

The **Racing River** between Muncho Lake and Stone Mountain Provincial Parks.

While driving over the bridge, SPHP had noticed some white mountains upstream that looked interesting. After Lupe’s woodsy stroll to the river, SPHP drove back to the bridge for another look. Upstream, a pickup truck was in sight parked near some trees. Must be a road over there!

7:52 AM – Continuing across the bridge, sure enough, there was a side road. SPHP pulled off the highway, parked again, and the lucky Carolina Dog got to go exploring for a second time. A short trek through another forest brought her to a relatively open area near the Racing River. The gleaming white mountains, sporting new snow, looked intriguing.

The scene was so beautiful, that Lupe got to extend her sniff upstream for another 10 minutes. It appeared she could have followed dry parts of the riverbed for miles, getting much closer to the white mountains. No time for that today, but this area was certainly worth researching for a future trip.

By the **Racing River** with the intriguing white mountains in sight. Photo looks SW.

Another look with help from the telephoto lens.

The Alaska Highway bridge over the **Racing River**. Photo looks NE.

As close to the white mountains as Lupe went. Photo looks SW with lots of help from the telephoto lens.

Exploring along the Racing River had been fun! Lupe didn’t have long to wait before there was more excitement. Upon reaching Stone Mountain Provincial Park, she saw 3 caribou, but barked so fanatically from the G6 that the caribou disappeared before SPHP could get a photo.

A quick stop a mile later provided a grand view of Mount Saint George, which Lupe had nearly succeeded in getting to the top of back in 2017.

**Mount Saint George (7,402 ft.)** (L). Lupe had made it to the middle high point in 2017 before being forced to retreat due to threatening weather. Photo looks SSE.

9:38 AM, 32°F, Summit Lake, Stone Mountain Provincial Park – Must be an inversion up here. The temperature was clear up to freezing! SPHP had stopped at Summit Lake, the high point of the Alaska Highway in Stone Mountain Provincial Park, to let Lupe out for another look at Mount Saint George. Lupe had successfully climbed both Summit Peak and Mount Saint Paul from here in 2017.

**Mount Saint George** from **Summit Lake**. Photo looks SW.

The American Dingo’s busy morning continued on the way out of Stone Mountain Provincial Park. More caribou, this time right on the highway, were cause for another barking frenzy.

A recent poll shows that 4 out of 5 caribou don’t care to listen to shrill barking frenzies.

The caribou were just a warm-up for what came next. Lupe just about busted a gut when a black bear appeared. The black bear didn’t seem to know what to make of all this racket, but did not run off. The huge bear appeared quite willing to go a round or two with a pip-squeak Dingo, if it dared to leave the safety of the G6.

American Dingoes are incredibly strong, brave, and ferocious! Lupe would most certainly have torn that foolish bear to shreds, if SPHP hadn’t spared it by refusing to let her out and driving on. Later in the day, a grizzly bear near Bonnie Creek S of Fort Nelson had sense enough to flee into the woods rather than take a chance that SPHP might relent and let the feisty Dingo prove her point.

Black bear E of Stone Mountain Provincial Park.

Approaching Fort St. John, SPHP skipped the R turn onto Highway 29 to Chetwynd and Prince George. Although this meant no more mountains on this Dingo Vacation, the Carolina Dog was going to get to travel through more than 1,000 miles of territory neither she nor SPHP had ever seen before.

5:00 PM, 32°F, Fort St. John – In a way, a strange day. Despite clear skies, the temperature peaked at 47°F early in the afternoon. Already down to freezing again at Fort St. John, and it stayed that way for many miles.

The Alaska Highway was busy from Fort St. John all the way to where it started in Dawson Creek. The community of Taylor where the highway crossed the Peace River made a good impression. A big oil refinery was there, but the whole town was impeccably neat and clean, and the Peace River setting was beautiful.

S of Taylor on the way to Dawson Creek, SPHP was surprised to find the seemingly endless northern forests greatly reduced already. About half of the land had been cleared. Hay seemed to be the big crop, although little livestock was seen from the road. Lupe was thrilled to see a few cows and horses, though, and the G6 became a sporadically noisy place. Her enthusiasm sometimes extended to huge rolled hay bales, too.

E of Dawson Creek on Hwy 49, the road straightened. Lupe was now in Alberta. Remaining woodlands became scarcer, and traffic dwindled. SPHP drove under a cloud bank as the sun sank in the rear view mirror. Light began to fade quickly. Although the land was quite flat, it did slope gradually lower to the N. Lupe could see a long way in that direction, all the way to the northern forest.

Many fields had snow in them. In the dim light beneath the gray clouds, it looked and felt like November. After passing Spirit Lake and Rycroft, SPHP parked for the night before getting to Wanham. Happy to escape the G6 again, Lupe rolled in snow in the ditch to cool off.

9-14-18, 3:10 AM, 35°F, Hwy 49 – At least it hadn’t gotten any colder out. 3°F warmer, in fact. SPHP walked along the dark highway, while Lupe sniffed near the ditch. No stars. Dead calm. No traffic. A coyote howled, and a dog at a farmhouse 0.5 mile N started barking.

7:08 AM, 32°F, Hwy 49 – Back to freezing again. Another quick sniff outside, then on to the vast metropolis of Wanham! The edge of the cloud Lupe was under was only a little way N, but it was soon left behind.

Morning along Highway 49 W of Wanham, Alberta.

S of Donnelly, SPHP continued straight at an intersection where Hwy 49 became Hwy 2. A lovely drive through a mix of farms and woodlands ensued. The woods began to dominate again. Driving through forests with snow on the ground, it felt like Christmas was coming.

10:15 AM, 35°F, Canyon Creek harbor, Lesser Slave Lake – Eventually Hwy 2 had taken Lupe E through the forests S of Lesser Slave Lake. The big lake was the most interesting natural feature on the map between the mountains and home, so the Carolina Dog simply had to stop for a look. Waves lapped gently along the shoreline. The day was gray and calm, peaceful except for the raucous activity of seagulls.

Clearly, a boat was needed to make even a cursory exploration of Lesser Slave Lake, but it was fun to stroll along the shore for a little bit.

Low hills were over toward the E end of the lake. Only a small fraction of **Lesser Slave Lake** is in view here.

Seagulls provided what excitement and activity there was at **Lesser Slave Lake** on this cool, gray day.

1:23 PM, 39°F, Athabasca – Some sort of big event was just breaking up in a park at the busy little town of Athabasca when Lupe arrived. The park was right next to the Athabasca river, which Lupe had only seen before in Jasper National Park. The river was much tamer here than at mighty Athabasca Falls, but Loop still enjoyed sniffing around down on the partially exposed riverbed.

Christmas was in the air on the way to the town of Athabasca!

Along the **Athabasca River** in Athabasca, Alberta.

From Athabasca, SPHP drove E on Hwy 55, then S on Hwys 63 and 831. On the road S, the woodlands gave way for a final time to fields and farms of the great northern prairies.

3:36 PM, 39°F, Lamont – Lupe didn’t escape the G6 again until reaching the town of Lamont. SPHP let her check out the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist, which featured distinctive architecture.

**Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist**, Lamont, Alberta.

Churches aren’t usually part of Lupe’s adventures, but this one was quite striking!

At Mundare, Lupe reached 4 lane Hwy 16. Except where there were cows or horses to bark at, the drive E over gently rolling prairies put her to sleep. Near Lloydminster, Lupe and SPHP entered Saskatchewan for the first time ever. The scenery didn’t change, though, and the long drive continued.

7:11 PM, 41°F – As evening came on, SPHP left Hwy 16 looking for a rest area, but didn’t find it. Lupe’s first outing in Saskatchewan was a walk along a dirt road through a wheat field to see an oil tank.

Visiting **Saskatchewan** for the first time ever!

The sun set before the American Dingo reached Battleford. SPHP doesn’t ordinarily like to drive in the dark, but it didn’t seem like Loopster was going to miss much except more prairie, so tonight was an exception. No longer sleepy, she stayed awake anyway, keeping SPHP company as miles rolled by. Saskatoon was big and confusing in the dark, but by midnight, Lupe was far beyond it, S of Chamberlain along another Hwy 2.

756 miles today, and that was enough.

9-15-18, 9:13 AM – The morning was cool, overcast, almost foggy. SPHP parked the G6 at a rest area along the E side of Hwy 6 in S Saskatchewan about an hour N of the Montana border. The rest area was a triangular 30 acre tract surrounded by wheat farms. Picnic tables were arranged around a circular drive, with the rest of the 30 acres given over to tall grass and shelter belt trees.

No one else around. Hardly any traffic. This rest area was a beautiful little refuge on the quiet prairie, and Lupe’s last adventure of her 2018 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon, Northwest Territories & Alaska. For two happy hours, she roamed with SPHP through the tall grass and shelter belt woods exploring every nook and cranny, chased tennis balls SPHP threw for her, and sniffed along while SPHP picked up trash.

Happy times at the rest area along Hwy 6 in Saskatchewan.

The rest of the day was devoted to one more long drive. During the noon hour, Lupe crossed the border into Montana at Regway on the way to Plentywood. S of Baker, SPHP finally drove out from under the cloud the Carolina Dog had been under since Dawson Creek back at the start of the Alaska Highway.

5:59 PM, 71°F – The sun was shining at Medicine Rocks State Park. The air was breezy, and had soared to room temperature. A quick stop, then Lupe continued S, enjoying a ride with the windows partly open. This was all eastern Montana ranch land. Opportunities to bark at cows and horses came one after another! Toward dusk, SPHP had to slow way down due to all the herds of deer.

At Medicine Rocks State Park in eastern Montana.

The sun set for the last time on her last summer of 2018 Dingo Vacation while Lupe was still in SE Montana on Hwy 323 N of Alzada.

On Hwy 323 as the sun sets in SE Montana.

Lupe’s grand summer of 2018 fades into history.

9-15-18, 9:45 PM – 43 days, 9,691 miles, and countless adventures come and gone. Home again. SPHP unlocked the front door. Home was dark, stuffy, warm. Sigh. Back to the old routine. Time to air things out, and start unloading the G6.

Felt strange to be here.

Oh, for a time machine! Tomorrow a bright summer morning would dawn, and the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood would be heading N on the long road to adventure. Tuktoyaktuk, Land of the Pingos, and the Arctic Ocean in her future once again!

At the **Arctic Ocean**, Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada 8-19-18

Links:

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