Day 10 Medicine Hat

We’ve reached Alberta!

Our travel across Saskatchewan continued to be not what I expected. Having heard everyone talk about how flat the prairies were, I just didn’t expect the hills and valleys that escorted us through much of the province. Declarations like, “You can see forever. Drive all day and still see where you came from.” just didn’t translate into our experience. Saskatchewan certainly is flat-ish! Much flatter than northern Ontario, but not the waving fields of wheat that went on forever in my minds-eye! If you remember, David (the experienced Saskatchewan traveler) kept telling me to “just wait” until I got west of Regina. As we were trekking along west of Moose Jaw he observed that, “In the last 30 years it seems to have humped up a bit”!!!  Now that’s not to say that I didn’t appreciate Saskatchewan, nor was it without its charms. It just wasn’t what I expected.

One of the flatter parts I'll grant you.

More of what we saw, the flat-ish parts.

I expected wheat for example. What I saw was field after field after field of canola. So much canola that I had to research canola at the first opportunity (I adore Google on the go!!) because that looked like a lot of cooking oil to me!! I discovered that apparently, according to the Canola Council of Canada – did anyone else know we had one of those (??) – Canada’s canola industry adds $13.8 billion in economic activity to the Canadian economy. More than 52,000 Canadian farmers grow canola. I can now confirm these interesting statistics as we passed at least 51, 000 of those in Saskatchewan!

I didn’t expect navy blue water – but that’s what I saw! The little lakes along the road side are a different colour blue than I’ve ever seen. In fact, confirming my observation, we passed some poles painted a navy blue (no idea what they were about). When we came up beside them they were in front of a little body of water exactly the same colour – very cool! Unfortunately pictures at 90km an hour through a truck window don’t always turn out!

Sometimes they do though – check this out!

Chaplin, Saskatchewan salt mines.

As we approached we were sure there was snow beside the highway. It happened twice! In Belle Plain (pop 64) there is a potash mine and in Chaplin (where this picture was taken) they mine sodium sulphate. Who knew? In land locked Saskatchewan – salt mines!!

As I said, not without its charms; from the gas stations providing a row of chairs out front, complete with a row of old fellars. (Sorry no pictures – the politeness thing again! What is it with me feeling the need to be polite at gas stations?), to black cows with snow white faces, to local stations playing “country gospel with a light jazz touch” – we heard it, and still have no idea (!), to prairie trains that seem to go on forever … no, certainly not without charm.

First glimpse of the badlands area.

Entering into the rolling badlands of Alberta, the first thing we noticed were the ever changing deer signs! Had we known what was to come, we would have been taking pictures. You’ll just have to trust me that while this country varies by region, so do the deer population apparently, if the road signs are any indication. While driving across Canada sometimes you must watch for male deer, sometimes female. Sometimes they fly (if the signs are to be believed) other times they just stand around waiting for you. Some deer have a long leaping stride, others appear to prance. In Manitoba they have large noses like Rudolph; some even bright red (though I suspect the later may have been an adornment by some clever youth since it didn’t appear on all Manitoba signs. To be fair though, it did invite such additions.)  In some provinces deer are sleek and lean, in Albert though they are far more robust and muscular. They would also never be caught prancing, though I am pretty sure one just pranced outside my trailer window but I suppose that could have been bounding – sometimes hard to tell the difference… The road signs would indicate they charge here though, more like the moose in Newfoundland. Clearly no Canadian standard for highway deer signs – maybe someone could get on that!

The Gas City Campground, home for the next couple of days, is in Medicine Hat proper. On the top of one of the many ridges that comprise the badlands area, it is an outstanding spot for clear views of the region. Even though it is in the city, it boasts a 10 km hiking trail that lead us over hill and dale. The prairie wildflowers alone were worth the walk! Wild sage bushes, milk thistle, flowering cactus, blanket flowers, blue asters, harebells, and the provincial wild rose abound in a riot of colour. Once again, it’s the contrasts that attract me. I am looking across at the cliffs on the other side of this valley that mark the beginning of the Cypress Hills one minute and discovering a cactus, growing wild and in full bloom the next. As we returned the sun was beginning to set. We are more used to the rhythm now, and know that we can push it, since dark won’t descend for several hours yet. The sight of our cozy little home-away-from-home awash in twilight is a lovely sight too.

I first thought it was a plastic flower someone had stuck in the ground. Then I noticed them everywhere in pink, yellow white - cactus in full bloom.

Provincial flower - wild rose.

Milk thistle.

Blanket flower



Redcliff



Home Sweet Home!