Transcontinental Trek 2011- Day 2: Minnesota to South Dakota

May 9, 2011: Albert Lea, Mn to Rapid City, SD

7:21am 57F and so dark outside that I thought the hotel windows were treated with dark sunscreen. We had breakfast and got all our gear packed into the truck just before it began to rain. We heard our first Black-capped chickadee in the parking lot along with a Warbling Vireo. 80% chance of rain all day and night.

On I-90 W through Minnesota - pouring down rain. Wind so strong it is blowing the truck out of the lane. Water is pooling on the interstate, causing cars to slide. Wicked, strong rain with hail and visibility is only about 2 car lengths. Thank goodness the worst of it lasted only about 1 hr.

We stopped at the Blue Earth Rest Area once the rain had stopped.

It felt good to get out of the car and relax. That last stretch was hellacious. As we walked back to the car, Bob spotted two Northern Flickers at the edge of the woods. Suddenly, the air was full of the songs of warblers! The storm must have driven them down. We ran to the truck, grabbed our binocs, and within 30 minutes saw 48 species from warblers to grosbeaks to gray-cheeked thrushes. Wow! What a stop!

The more we move west the more the skies clear. The grass is greener here. By the time we reached Mitchell, South Dakota it was 77F and sunny. We stopped at Culver’s for a Butter Burger and a custard. We’re seeing Franklin’s Gulls in the pot holes, lots of Shovellers and a white pelican few over. I swear, if Dave hollers “look at that” and jerks the wheel one more time, we’re going to end up in the ditch!

At Chamberlain, there is an impressive Visitors Center overlooking the Missouri River. We stopped to go potty and walk a bit. There is a memorial to the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804. The party stopped here to rest and cross the river. Do you see the “Beware of Snakes” sign? Obviously, we just HAD to go down that trail! LOL

The Juniper Trees are in bloom, and look so beautiful.

I jumped in the driver’s seat. Dave and Bob’s bird list doubled within minutes! Swainson’s Hawk, Franklin’s Gulls. For miles and miles, we saw acres of prairie with Ring-necked Pheasants. All along the side of the interstate are signs advertising “Wall Drug” “As seen on Good Morning America, etc. So, we just had to stop in the town of Wall and check out this store that seemed to see everything!

Hmmm, he looks like he is really enjoying himself! We found a coffee shop and as I waited for my mocha latte, Dave found the love of his life!

This is Samiko, a 6 week old Bernese Mountain Dog.  I think he made me go back into that store 3 times to take more photos of this puppy.  Someday, he may get one for Christmas.

The Badlands are just 20 miles from here, so we decided to go back and drive through the Park and check it out. My family had come through here in the 1970’s when we took a 3 week trip across the country. I remember that the Badlands were my favorite spot of the northern leg of the trip.

Badlands National Park. We used Bob’s National Park pass and got into the park for free. We hadn’t made it into the park more than 1 mile, when we rounded a bend and saw a group of about 8 wild turkeys walking along the edge.

We pulled off at the Pinnacles Overlook and got our first glimpse of why this is called the Badlands.

This park is a geological landscape of buttes, spires, and rolling grasslands. Located on the edge of the Great Plains, this is part of the largest undisturbed mixed-prairie rangeland remaining in the U.S.

Established as a National Monument in 1939, the area was redesignated as Badlands National Park in 1978. The park encompasses about 64,000 acres and is considered one of the world’s richest mammal fossil beds. Last year, and seven year old girl participating in the junior ranger program noticed something eroding out of the side of a butte. After reporting it to a ranger and three days of excavation, the fossil was removed. Several weeks later the fossil was identified as the skull of a saber-tooth cat, Hoplophoneus that lived here over 30 million years ago. We stopped and walked along the boardwalk at the fossil exhibit area.

About 75 million years ago the Great Plains were covered by a shallow sea. Today, the bottom of the sea is known as the Badland’s Pierre (peer) shale. Over time, the Continental plates moved and pushed the land up. The climate was humid and warm with abundant rainfall and a dense subtropical forest developed on the land. This lasted for millions of years until eventually; climate change cooled and dried the area. The forest gave way to savannah and then to grassland. Wind and rain erosion have created this moonscape of deep gorges and jagged sawtooth ridges with rock layers in subtle hues of sand, rose, gold and green.

Today, the prairie contains nearly 60 species of grass and several species of wildlife. We saw:

 Bighorn Sheep,

a Black-tailed Prairie Dog colony, Mountain Bluebird,

Loggerhead Shrike,

Western Meadowlark,

Lark Sparrow,

Pronghorn,

Cottontail Rabbit, and Upland sandpiper, to name a few. As we left the Badlands and got back on I-90 W toward Rapid City, the rain began, but didn’t last long.

We got in to Rapid City around 9:30pm and had dinner at the Olive Garden. We’re staying at another Super 8 (go figure!) tonight, and I think I was asleep before Dave finished brushing his teeth!

Transcontinental Trek 2011 - Day 1 - Indiana to Minnesota

Sunday, May 8, 2011 – Mother’s Day

9:00am left home. 52F and misting rain. 2 hrs behind schedule already, and it wasn’t Bob’s fault! It was Dave. In typical Dave fashion, at 5:30pm last night, he hadn’t even been home yet to begin finding what he wanted to take to Alaska, let alone pack! So, his migraine set in, and we were up until midnight packing his stuff. Up at 6am, to finish packing, and now at 9:41am, I think he has finally begun to relax. Except, where are the wet wipes?

It never ceases to amaze me that among all of the chaos that is Dave Russell, he will bird. We hopped in the truck this morning, and the first thing he did was hand Bob and me our “Trip Bird Lists”, just in case we wanted to keep track of the birds we see (uh, huh). He had meticulously typed up and 3-hole punched sheets of his bird list and put them in a 3-ring binder (that was at 7am this morning), to keep next to his seat for the trip. So, now Bob and I too had a 12-page ABA bird list and several of Dave’s personalized lists for each segment of the trip. We are all set! As we shut the truck doors to begin our trip, Dave happily yelled out that the first bird of the trip was the European Starling walking across the driveway. Oh, and did I mention that while he and Bob were loading the last bags into the truck, the Eurasian Collared Dove was sitting on the wire above the garage singing.

We took a picture of the fields near home so we can compare them as we move across the country.  It's been raining so much, that farmers haven't been able to get into the fields yet.

10:45am, mile 50, Walmart stop in New Castle to grab lunch for the cooler and a clip board for Bob’s Bird List. Did I mention that its 12 pages long? Bird list is at 19 species. Oops, wait, Great Egret out the window - 20. Heat wave at 57F, and the rain has stopped. Just cloudy.

Stopped at the Salt Kettle Rest Stop in Illinois for a potty break. What a nice place! A pond with two fountains, a really great playground, and nice walking trails. Dave and Rafael stopped here last year on May 13th and the Azaleas were in bloom. Today, the bushes don’t even have the buds starting. It’s like we’re 2 weeks earlier this year instead of just 5 days.

We’re beginning to find Wind Turbine Farms. Ginormous structures with cables connecting one to another that are bigger in circumference than my arm.

At the Spoon River rest stop we came across this House Sparrow colony. If you look at the tree to the left of Dave and Bob, you will see the nests in the tree. I’ve never seen these “Weaver Finch” nests before, and think it is way cool how the sparrows build such intricate nests and live in clusters. One nest looked like an apartment complex, with several family groups living in it. So different….

The weather has warmed up to be in the 70’sF. We actually had to turn on the air conditioner! The truck is riding smooth, and we are listening to The Sheephearders Daughter by Elizabeth Moon, as we traverse the flat farmlands of Illinois and Iowa. As we crossed the Mississippi near Davenport, I looked hard for a Kite, but, nothing. The only raptors we’ve seen so far are Red-tails kestrals.

Stopped for dinner at a Longhorn Steakhouse in Waterloo, Iowa. Yummy steaks. We saw a display of belt buckles on the wall and Bob told us the story of how Toots Mansfield, World Champion All Around Cowboy 1943, lent Bob his saddle. That was the first time Bob retired. How cool is that? How old is Bob Holmes, really….?

More Wind Turbines in Iowa.
Pulled into the Super 8 in Albert Lea, MN at 10pm our time (9pm local time). Bob had called last week to get his own room (guess he’s uncomfortable seeing Dave naked), and was told that the hotel was full. Now, our truck was the only vehicle in the parking lot, and I was unsure if the facility was even open and operational. It looked a little sketchy. I swear, I will never understand Dave infatuation with Super 8 Hotels. They run the gamut of luxurious (rivaling Ramada’s and Hiltons) to shabby, stinky, filthy, flop houses reeking of vomit and urine. This one was old and the carpets were worn and stained, but it was clean and the front desk clerk was hysterically funny. Reveling us with a story from last night of a fiancé checking in and hiding from his betrothed (who spent the rest of the night checking every hotel for him)! Bob was able to get his own room and we got a room with a King size bed. Yeah!!!! I actually had more than the upper corner to sleep on! Very windy outside.  We slept hard all night.

The Alcan Home: Last Day Muncho Lake, BC to Dawson Creek, August 2010

We stayed in room 3 at the Double G. There was a note pinned to the door that read “Reserved for David Russell”. The room was unlocked, and there is no key. As we packed up our bags to leave, I realized that I truly am married to a giant!

Dave barely fit through the doorway without hitting his head. Inside our room, was a little better, and the only thing he had to watch out for was the light fixture! LOL!

I love it here at Muncho. I could live here forever.

Dave thinks I’m crazy because you literally are out in the middle of nowhere. But, Muncho Lake is known for its beautiful deep green and blue waters. I think it has something to do with copper oxide leaching into the lake.

There is no electricity here. The double G runs on a generator that is turned off at night. But, I don’t care! I love the isolation and the mountains and the lake. I feel comfortable here, soothed, calm and relaxed. The lake is 7 miles long and about 1 mile wide, with the deepest point being 730 ft! Can you believe it?! The mountains surrounding the lake are about 7,000 feet high causing the lake to flow into the Trout River and then into the mighty Liard River.

The highway along Muncho Lake required considerable rock excavation by the Army in 1942. Horses were used to haul away the rocks. The original route went along the top of the cliffs, which proved particularly hazardous. Portions of the old road can be seen high above the lake.

I think Dave likes it here too, because he was immediately off pishing birds in the trees! LOL

He heard YWARS, Orange-crowned, Wilson’s, Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-crowned Sparrows, Boreal Chickadees, and Bohemian Waxwings. Can’t you just hear him saying all these names as he’s pointing them out to you?!

As we left Muncho Lake, we came upon this small flock of Stone Sheep, one of 5 races of North American Big Horned sheep, found typically in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

The highway follows the Toad River east for several miles and the views are breathtaking!

As we reached Summit Lake, there were more Stone Sheep on the road.

We got to the Super 8 in Dawson Creek at about 7:30pm. We made it! We’ve driven the Alaska Highway up and back. What a great feeling! We celebrated with steak dinner at Solas Restaurant. Yummy! I slept great.  We'll be home in 3 days now.  What a great summer!

The Alcan Home: Day 2 Burwash, YK to Muncho Lake, BC August 2010

Burwash Lodge is a beautiful property on Lake Kluane. We hear from the gal at the front desk that the owners have received a non-refundable deposit from the “Nation”, so it looks like they’ve got it sold.

The lake is full – no mudflats – like in May. Here’s the picture we took in May.

And here’s the lake in August

We saw YWARs and a Harlen’s Redtail at the lodge, grabbed a coffee to go and hit the road.

Once we got past Haines Junction, we pulled off at a rest area and met a guy driving a big red rig with the biggest moose guard I’ve ever seen! He calls it a Moose-juicer. That’s Dave standing behind the truck.

Says he drives from Seattle to Anchorage 2-3 times a month and has already had the guard re-welded a couple of times! He’s hit moose and caribou. He’s also got 6 extra head lights on the rig.

Got into Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon at about noon.

Filled up with gas (it’s $1.08/L Canadian), and pulled off at a visitors park and had PB&J . What a beautiful day! 71F and clear sunny skies. Did I mention that there is NO HUMIDITY!! Love it!  Hey, Sissy, does my shirt look familiar?!!  LOL!  We're twins!! (Although, I'm sure it looks MUCH better on you!:-))

The highway takes you around White Mountain, which is a remarkable gigantic rock protruding out of the ground. It’s size is so impressive, it’s hard to put it into words.

As we rounded the bend, this little guy scampered across the highway. So cute!

Just before you cross the Teslin River at the Teslin Bridge, you will find the best cinnamon rolls along the Alaska Highway at Johnson’s Crossing.

We stopped in to grab one (well I got one – Dave doesn’t like cinnamon – how strange! :-)

and while I was enjoying my yummy treat, Dave disappeared!  He was standing beside me a minute ago.  I looked out the door, and saw him speeding toward the truck, grabbing his scope and rushing over to the woods next to the bakery.  He heard a White-winged Crossbill in the trees! My husband....the birder.  LOL

What a score! I have never had such good looks at a crossbill before. There was a brilliant red male here too, but he wouldn't sit still long enough for us to get a good picture. We hopped back in the truck and continued our trek. We want to get to Muncho Lake tonight.

We stopped for dinner in Watson Lake at the Belvedere Motor Lodge.

There is a story that goes along with this stop, but I’ll let Dave tell it to all of you when we get home – as I know he will get great pleasure telling it – over and over again. :-)

The place is actually good! I had their homemade chicken pot pie, and I must say, Vickie, it rivals your recipe! Almost as good as yours, but not quite! LOL!! We gassed up here @ $1.11/L. It’s about 84F at 7pm in Watson Lake, and the place is like a desert. The leaves on the trees are even falling off. The air is thick with smoke, and it’s obvious that they’ve got some major forest fires burning in the area.

About 1 mile south of Watson Lake we saw this HUGE bison taking a dirt bath on the side of the highway! He was totally uninterested in us as we pulled over on the shoulder of the road to take his picture.

A little further along Dave spotted this little guy down a side road!

So we flipped a U-ey and went back to get his picture. He wasn’t real happy with us, and he kept turning his backside toward us and flaring out his quills.

Not even a mile further down the highway, we came upon this herd of bison hanging out on the shoulder of the road.

A little further down the road we came upon this group of Bison following a lead cow down the road. They had a good pace going, and didn’t stop at all when we pulled over to take their picture.

We arrived at my favorite spot on the Alaskan Highway, Muncho Lake at abaout 10:30pm and stayed at the Double G Service.  We stayed here on the way up, and I have a soft spot for Jack and Louis.  This is no fancy hotel, its a truck stop.  The rooms are old and worn, but clean, and I've learned to love it here.

The gorge is full of smoke, and the sun looks really pretty as it sets tonight.