Even though I’m aware of wildlife in the areas I’ve been staying, always taking the necessary precautions, sometimes it’s the warning signs that can be an uncomfortable reminder of what lurks in the shadows, this time being cougars. I found myself a little more on edge with Winnie as I went to bed. Awaking in the morning I packed up my things and having slept so close to the beach I decided I would take a venture on down for a peek, sadly no dogs were allowed so I didn’t stay too long, just enough to appreciate the scenery before saying a goodbye.
I started off towards my next destination, not even 15 minutes on the road and I was already taking a detour to view a bird sanctuary I’d caught of glimpse of while driving by. Having found a place to park I walked inside the building where a friendly receptionist greeted me, talking of the various hikes and attractions nearby. I took Winnie for a walk down one of the trails that led to a beach where she enjoyed a refreshing drink as I took in the scenery. The birds played an orchestra of melodies as I walked, the occasional feathered creature darting out of a tree and quickly hiding itself in another before I could snap a picture. The light rainfall was starting to pick up so I cut my walk short and ventured back to the car.
I had planned to head to Edmonton but figured I’d dawdle getting there and explore some towns on the way. Sometimes my adventuring is akin to throwing a dart toward a map on the wall, picking random destinations as I go. Once again I found myself sidetracked which led me to stop at a place I had glanced at while passing, Lawrence Lake. It was perfect for Winnie, there was a wide open area where I could let her off leash and toss a ball around with her, as I was doing this I noticed a lady pull up in her vehicle beside the lake and start taking pictures. I figured I’d go say hello and ask if she could take a picture of myself and Winnie. Turns out her name was Belinda and she was a kind old soul, happily taking our photo and proceeding to share stories of her own adventuring around the area. In time we said our farewells and I was off once again to explore something new.
It rained most of the day, quite heavily at that, but it didn’t slow down my thirst for adventure and soon I arrived at Athabasca. I topped off my tank for what was probably the cheapest I have ever payed for gas in my entire life then went about exploring. The town itself was fairly small but the river running through it was another story all together. I found a spot by the river bank where the deluge raced by with vigorous speed and power, carrying all manner of objects in it’s unstoppable fury. A man sat on a bench under a gazebo nearby and struck up a conversation with me. It turns out the Athabasca River has a frightening reputation for casualties, as an example he pointed to a baby deer that was tangled in the reeds, long having already drowned. Livestock, humans, whatever was foolish enough to tread too deep was dragged to the bottom by strong undertows and drowned long before they could reach the surface for a breath of air, sometimes being found days later upstream or never to be seen again. Amazing how beautiful and yet how dreadfully lethal this force of nature was.
The rain had now turned into a torrential downpour and I decided it was time to continue heading towards Edmonton. I arrived in the town of Morinville just outside of Edmonton and set up camp for the night. Establishing my sleeping quarters adjacent to a lively pond tonight I fall asleep to the chorus of bullfrogs, briefly interrupted by the occasional splash of a fish.
