It's still winter, in the high country.

Although much of the valley bottom snow has melted over the last few weeks, there is still a lot of snow and winter conditions at higher elevations.



The relatively warmer weather has brought a few of the summer residents out of their winter dens for a look around. There is not much for them to eat, so some of them patrol the railway lines looking for any spilled grain they can find. In a few weeks some of the vegetation will green up along the roadsides, providing a vegetarian feast. Lucky ones might happen on a new moose or elk calf, or a goat that died in a winter avalanche.


The sun was out today, making some pretty nice photos possible!

At home, the camper is off the truck for a bit, giving both a rest.

Most of the snow in the yard has melted, and I have located the 'missing' picnic tables.

Snow is still melting from the roof, resulting in continuous dripping, but that will soon be gone.

I've been watching this grizzly for the last couple of days

We've had a couple of 'chats', but apparently, he does not think I am a worthy meal, and ran off when I called his name.

I set out a remote camera, and was finally able to convince him to take a 'self portrait'.

Don't be misled! These photos are not from around home.

Just thought I would post a few more photos from the trip - as well as change a few in the sidebar.The first two are from Mexico and the flowers were on the California coast.

There was a bit of a snowstorm at home today that had the Trans Canada Highway closed briefly due to semi-trailers spun out on the 'hill'. So it does not exactly seem like summer here, even though a LOT of the snow has melted over the last couple of weeks. I can now make it through the snowbank to get at my woodpile in the back yard, and the 'lost' picnic tables are almost completely visible.

Harley is a bit freaked out today as they are blasting rock for nearby highway construction, and an explosion around noon shook the house and windows pretty violently.

Once again, a surge in readers from afar. In the last couple days the blog has had visitors from:

Belgium Elsene, Brabant


China Beijing


France Paris, Ile-de-France


and of course, the US.


not to be forgotten, the locals!





















I also bought a new Windows Vista Media Centre Computer a couple of weeks ago, so I have been busy getting it running and up to speed, and still fighting to transfer files and programs from the old PC.

Anyone need a Sony Vaio desktop computer? Pentium 4, 200gb HD, DVD/RW and CD, firewire card, XP home. All for the price of the Nvidia video card I bought for the new unit!
Monitor extra - unless you want to go to Staples and pick it out of the Alberta Computer recycling bin!



It's snowing outside again, so I think I will just look at these flowers and wait for summer to arrive.

I've been home for a couple weeks now, and busy planning for some summer adventures like the Merritt Mountain Music Festival in July.

I have also crunched some numbers from the last trip south.

I traveled a total distance (driveway to driveway) of 15,097 kilometres over a total of 82 days December 21st, 2006 to March 14th, 2007.

This works out to an average daily distance of 184km. Many days the wheels did not move, and the highest mileage days were December 22 (809) and March 12 (679), both moving quickly through the 'cold' zone closer to home.

Where did I spend the nights?

• British Columbia 3
• Washngton State 2
• Oregon 5
• California 26
• Arizona 14
• Baja California Norte 2 (Mexico)
• Baja California Sur 30 (Mexico)

Furthest north - my driveway in Lake Louise


Furthest south - Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur 22 52.771 lattitude























Furthest east - Los Barriles, Mexico -109.69773 longitude






















Furthest west - Port Orford, Oregon -124.497453 longitude




















Click on the links above for the Google Map of each location.


Total cost? Total cost of the trip itself came out at $3,695.71. This includes all food, fuel, propane, and daily costs on the road. It includes such things as two oil changes on the road, car washes, and a new deep cycle RV battery, but does not include either Mexican or home vehicle insurance.

Average mileage for the trip worked out to 13.69 miles/gallon. (Sorry, I don't calculate l/100km!)

The plowed up snow banks around home are still at least 10' high, but at least I have found the driveway and have it thawed down to bare pavement, finally!

LOST!

Two picnic tables in the back yard. Still no sign of them under the snow banks!