07-30-2022, 09:10 AM
Golden To Mackinac Bridge (which is at Mackinaw City):
It's June 22 with clouds and and showers as I head east on the TransCan towards Banff and Canmore. There is construction on route 1 just east of Golden where they are making the road into four lanes. The original two lane road was cut into the mountain slope with what must have been a lot of blasting. The two new lanes will be beside the original but built up from the mountain side using long columns to support a bridge. It's a massive project and you aren't allowed to stop on the road to watch, so no pictures for you. They had steel beams to set that were a good 5 feet tall and very heavy gauge. Also about a hundred feet long. Five or six good sized cranes were on site. One time as I went by they were getting ready to lift the beam. Really wanted to stop and watch, but not possible.
Anyway, passing the turn for Lake Louise and the overflow parking area, both were empty. I didn't stop because of the rain though. Turned off of the TransCan onto route highway 40, which one of the fun ones. It had just opened for the season. The rain was over once out of the mountains. Just beautiful scenery:
Route 40 turns to dirt after a while, and would be great to continue on, but my plan is to turn onto the 541, which stays with pavement. We may have talked a bit about route 501, which is scheduled to take me directly east not far above the US border. I knew it was dirt up front . . . but. As in Missouri, it turns out to be hard pack with marble stones on top. This is doable as I've said before, but the GPS its telling me to turn in 160 KM. Not sure I want to do that much! I do fine in third gear until the stones get deep or the dirt gets soft. Then the front wheel is trying to find a path, and the back wheel is fishtailing trying to follow. Not fun. It takes 50 km before there is an opportunity to turn off, and I hump back north to the TransCan.
Going through a small town I come upon this:
There was a third rig also (out of the frame). And then the support columns:
Those blades were huge.
I ended up in the very small town of Irvine, Alberta, just short of the Saskatchewan border. At the Irvine hotel it's like going back to cowboy movies when we were kids. Up a winding stair to a dark hall with about 8 doors. My room is #5 with a window, bed, small table, and two chairs. Bathroom down the hall. I'm the only guest at 50C. It was clean and comfortable, with restaurant/bar on the first floor below.
It's June 22 with clouds and and showers as I head east on the TransCan towards Banff and Canmore. There is construction on route 1 just east of Golden where they are making the road into four lanes. The original two lane road was cut into the mountain slope with what must have been a lot of blasting. The two new lanes will be beside the original but built up from the mountain side using long columns to support a bridge. It's a massive project and you aren't allowed to stop on the road to watch, so no pictures for you. They had steel beams to set that were a good 5 feet tall and very heavy gauge. Also about a hundred feet long. Five or six good sized cranes were on site. One time as I went by they were getting ready to lift the beam. Really wanted to stop and watch, but not possible.
Anyway, passing the turn for Lake Louise and the overflow parking area, both were empty. I didn't stop because of the rain though. Turned off of the TransCan onto route highway 40, which one of the fun ones. It had just opened for the season. The rain was over once out of the mountains. Just beautiful scenery:
Route 40 turns to dirt after a while, and would be great to continue on, but my plan is to turn onto the 541, which stays with pavement. We may have talked a bit about route 501, which is scheduled to take me directly east not far above the US border. I knew it was dirt up front . . . but. As in Missouri, it turns out to be hard pack with marble stones on top. This is doable as I've said before, but the GPS its telling me to turn in 160 KM. Not sure I want to do that much! I do fine in third gear until the stones get deep or the dirt gets soft. Then the front wheel is trying to find a path, and the back wheel is fishtailing trying to follow. Not fun. It takes 50 km before there is an opportunity to turn off, and I hump back north to the TransCan.
Going through a small town I come upon this:
There was a third rig also (out of the frame). And then the support columns:
Those blades were huge.
I ended up in the very small town of Irvine, Alberta, just short of the Saskatchewan border. At the Irvine hotel it's like going back to cowboy movies when we were kids. Up a winding stair to a dark hall with about 8 doors. My room is #5 with a window, bed, small table, and two chairs. Bathroom down the hall. I'm the only guest at 50C. It was clean and comfortable, with restaurant/bar on the first floor below.