June 22 - Friday - Nordegg AB to Little Fort BC - 377 miles

It rained last night so we walked next door for supper and just a few local working guys (who had left in their trucks by 6am this morning) playing pool, enjoying a couple beers. A few people in the dining room, but pretty sleepy. The restaurant had historical pictured on the walls of the glory days when they were mining coal here. A German guy named Nordegg discovered a vein of coal and started the town around 1904, convinced the railroad to come here and they dug and shipped coal until 1955 when they closed the mine (trains went to diesel). At it's peak in 1948 the town had 2800 people and now has 80 (in the summer). It was slow enough that the front desk guy joined us after we ate and gave us some town history and his history. He was grew up in Quebec and had a job in the Northwest Territories, but took this job 3 years ago, and has 3 years left until he can "retire". Nordegg is a little off the main road (Rt 11) so you have to want to stop. We stopped because the sign down the road says 92 km to the next gas.

We left around 4:45 this morning and headed back west on Rt 12 to go into the park again and then north to Jasper. It kinda drizzled all day, but not too bad. Again, the rain gear works well so drizzle is a nothingburger.
We stopped at the Athabasca Glacier. It has receded since the 1950's and presumably will continue to do so.


We stopped for coffee where I finally saw a bear, granted a big stuffed one, but the only one I have seen so far this trip

We made it to Jasper (the town) by 11 and filled with gas (always keep your tank full up here) and said our goodbyes. Jeff is heading back east and I am heading west. He will be blissfully riding 85 mph home and I will be blissfully riding 55 mph west. We compromised the whole trip so thanks for slowing down for me.

I headed north out of the north entrance of Jasper and the weather cleared off for a few hours. I caught Rt5 south west toward Kamloops along the backside of the peaks I had just ridden up trough. Eventually the road got away from the snowy peaks and into more rugged logging areas. There were quite a few towns doen this road and it was pretty darn nice, but alas, the rain returned. All traffic stopped and I waited about 30 minutes as the rain really started to come down. I finally gave up and backtracked to see if I could find a motel and get out of the rain. The next town back was Little Fort and the only motel was a tiny one run by a nice lady and her husband along with a campground and a diner (Hi-Five Diner). The previous housekeeper had quit and a new girl was frantically cleaning the rooms (her first day on the job). She said to walk to the owners house which was the motel office. I knocked and nice woman invited me into her house and we did the paperwork for the room and we both walked over and figured out the the only room ready was the Marvel Comics Room.
This room is awesome. He husband is a huge Marvel Comics fan and decide to do a theme room (sounds like a man-cave to me). Cool wall colors, Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man posters on the wall, Retro microwave and fridge and coffee pot, DVDs of all the Marvel movies and Netflix (somehow). Also all the classic Marvel Comic character figurines in a glass display recessed into the wall. How cool is that!!
I went next door for some coffee and a couple eggs for dinner where her husband is also the cook. I sat with a trucker who said he sat for an hour and a half waiting for the traffic hold up which was caused by and accident between two tractor trailers and a car. Sounded pretty bad. He (didn't get his name) was born in New Brunswick and his dad hauled pulp wood around there starting in the 1940's He did farm work with his uncle and father and then moved to Ontario and started driving trucks. Finally made it out here to BC and was hauling a load of excavator buckets today. Awesome guy who knew a lot about American and Canadian politics. Like the guy last night, he likes the Canadian health care system a lot. He told me all the best routes to try tomorrow. Thanks to my new best friend for the day. Still have not found apiece of Coconut Cream Pie on this trip..