After driving nearly 5000 km (4940 to be exact) in a not particularly straight line, I’m currently taking a long break at my brother’s place in Ontario. With a few exceptions it’s been a fairly awesome trip so far. I’m working on editing the way too many pictures I’ve taken – here’s a look at some highlights from my first week of travel, along with each night’s campsite location.
Before leaving home, I spent quite a bit of time rebuilding the interior set-up of my van. So far I am really happy with the functionality of my new build. I’d been particularly uncertain about the swivel table I put in, but it’s proven to be incredibly useful.
I’ve experienced all kinds of weather, including rain and snow – rain from the sky, snow lingering on the ground – but most days have been sunny, though also very windy. I’ve been able to go hiking in a few awesome places, with week one’s highlight definitely being the trails through the hoodoos in Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi Provincial Park in southern Alberta, closely followed by some off-trail hiking through the Red Rocks Coulee Natural Area (also in Alberta, south of Medicine Hat).
I’ve also had the privilege to camp in some really amazing spots.
Monday, April 25: ▲Kootenay Bay Boat Launch (11km from home)
Tuesday, April 26: ▲Gravel Flats, Elk River, west of Sparwood (308km)
Wednesday, April 27: ▲Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi Provincial Park (344km)
Crowsnest Pass
Thursday, April 28: ▲Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi Provincial Park – a day spent exploring the hoodoos and petroglyphs.
Friday, April 29: ▲Red Rock Coulee Parking Lot (141km)
Saturday, April 30: ▲Cypress Lake Rec Site (225km)
Sunday, May 1: ▲Cypress Lake Rec Site – rest day
Wildlife spotted during week one: a completely white deer (I’m assuming an albino) spotted not too far from home; three elk; a small herd of Rocky Mtn sheep in the Crowsnest Pass area, hawks, lots of geese, magpies, blackbirds (including red wings and yellow headed), prairie hens, ducks, doves, and various song birds; gophers (a real challenge to avoid hitting them on prairie roads); rabbits; pronghorn antelopes by the dozens.
the road to nowhere 
Alex, great blog, can you show more of your van build?
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Hey Shaun, you’re like me, eh, you like seeing other people’s builds. I hesitate to post too many pics of my build because I don’t want to bore people, but maybe at some point I’ll take the time to make a separate entry about the build for folks like you and me that geek out on that sort of thing.
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Great phots great places
Thanks! Xoxo
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You have a very compact travel van–impressive! Loved the photos, as always. Wondering about the price of gas? We were recently in Frenchglen, OR and gas there cost us $5.95 (USD). Ouch!
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Gas prices mostly over $2 a litre at this point, a bit cheaper going through the prairie provinces but I expect to be paying well over $2 by the time I get to Nfld 😦
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