Kokanee National Park

The next day we got up, broke camp and headed over the Continental Divide to Kokanee National Park, which is directly south of Yoho. On the way we saw the above mountain goats right next to the highway. Everyone had slowed down and was out taking photos. There were supposed to be mountain goats at Hamilton Lake, but we never saw any. After getting down into Lake Louise Village we went back over the Continental Divide into Kokanee National Park and the Stanley Glacier hike.

This hike was only 8.6 km with 300 meters of vertical rise. It started in the remains of a burned forest. The fire was in 1968, but the burned stumps and trees still hadn't decomposed and there were few baby lodgepole pine, evidence of how hard the climate is. However, the open slopes allowed for amazing wildflowers - Indian paintbrush, columbine, roses and lots of things I couldn't identify. The hike was very gradual until we got up into the glacial valley at the base of the Guardwall (see above). If you look carefully, you will see a cloud of dust in the center which was a very large rock fall. The trail continued up the valled to its head where three branches of Stanley Glacier hung above us. There were waterfalls all over the edges, some disappearing into thin air because of the wind.

This phot shows two of the lobes of Stanley Glacier. There was a large moraine below which we did not climb, though there was an unmaintained trail to the base of the ice fields.

As we headed back out, we could see the mountains across the highway and down the U-shaped glacial valley. We drove on to Calgary on the Trans Canada and then headed south to Fort Macleod on our way back to Montana.

We have been making tracks since the Canadian Rockies. We have crossed three time zones in four days and are now back in Ontario near Thunder Bay. The first day we went south to Montana and headed across US 2 to Glasgow Montana. The next day we continued on US 2 to Larimore Dam (25 miles west of Grand Forks, ND). Today we went across Minnesota and up to International Falls where we crossed back into Canada where we plan to go around the north shore of Lake Superior. We've had four long days of driving and I'm looking forward to slowing down in the next few days as we head to Sault St. Marie and down the east side of Michigan and then across southern Ontario to Tunkhannock PA. The drives have been beautiful in a quiet way. It's been very wet (there was standing water all over N.D.) and the fields are all very green. There are a lot of rolling hills, so it isn't all flat. Minnesota, as its motto says, is the land of 10,000 lakes.

Yoho National Park

We drove from Cobble Hill, BC, via the Nanaimo ferry to Vancouver and to Kamloops, beating the forest fires that are presently ravishing Kalona and the Okanagan Valley. The route went up the Fraser River canyon and once we got to Kamloops Bob played disc golf on the longest course in B.C. We got up early headed east on Canada 1 (the TransCanada highway). All day the scenery was spectacular; starting with Shuswap Lake, Revelstoke National Park (where we crossed the Columbia River for the second time on the trip), Glaciar National Park, on our way to Golden where we crossed the Columbia River for the third time. We ended up at Chancellor Peak Camp Ground, just inside Yoho National Park on the banks of the Kicking Horse River, which runs fast, wide and green and under Chancellor Peak (3280 m). We decided to take a short 4.8 km hike to Wapta Falls on the Kicking Horse River. While we were hiking it started to thunder and pour, and although we had our waterproof jackets, our pants and shoes got soaking wet. The view above is of Wapta Falls (which means river in the Nadoka language of the Stoney people) in the pouring rain. The structure in front of the falls is a large piece of rock. We ended up hanging our wet clothes inside Snoopy, not leaving much room for us. However, we were grateful for the dry space to cook, eat and sleep as it continued to rain most of the night.

The next morning promised better weather and we headed to Emerald Lake and the 11 km hike (with 850 m of vertical rise) to Hamilton Lake. We started out flat and then switch-backed up and up through the forest. Finally we came out to this view and many other wonderful views over the Kicking Horse Valley and the snow covered peaks surrounding it. The mountain wild flowers were fabulous. Darwin got to chase sticks and we felt pretty good at making the ascent in 2 hours. When we got to the top, we ate lunch on the edge of Hamilton Lake.

This is a portion of Hamilton Lake which is on the dividing line between two different rock forms. On the left are the softer shale strata which but up to the horizonal strata of harder quartzite, limestone and dolomite of Mt. Carnahan. In the center is an anticline, the semi-circular strata. The lake really was this blue.

When we got down to Emerald Lake, aptly named as the above picture illustrates, we had a beer at a lovely patio on the lake while Darwin collapsed and attracted the photo journalists. The place was crawling with Japanese and German tourists. Our campground is also filled with quite an assortment of rental RVs filled with mainly Germans. Yoho is a Cree word meaning aw and wonder and it is an amazing place. There are 28 peaks over 3,000 meters and was the second national park in Canada. Yoho is also the location of the Burgess Shale which is a very important fossil site because the soft animals were burried in silt and thus werent scavenged and didn't decay, so the number of new species is amazing.

Helen & Bill's Renewal of Vows

The Stone family (Jane's side) is famous for their pig roasts. On Friday night Joe and Alan, Jane's brother, Jane, Colin (Jane's son) and various other folks prepared the pig by stuffing it with apples and onions, lacing it with garlic and coating it with lard. You have to do this so that the skin doesn't burn. Beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, Joe, Colin and I loaded the pig onto the spit and Colin tended it all day.

The scene during the party. Helen and Bill had invited about 200 people and about 150 showed up. We provided the pig, buns, baked beans and beer and wine. Invitees were asked to bring appetizers and salads. It was a really hot day (about 90 degrees). Needless to say, the timing of the pig controlled all and it wasn't finished when predicted. So, people sat around and drank beer and ate appetizers and crowded into the ever-diminishing shade. Eventually it was decided to do the ceremony before eating.

Helen and Bill had new rings made for their 50th anniversary by a Native goldsmith from melting down four other rings. Here Bill is trying to get his ring on. Granddaughter Jeri has oil in her hand and he's trying to grease his finger. Maria (Rob and Lisa's youngest daughter) is supervising. Father Frank had them repeat their vows and had all their children and grandchildren come up and bless them. There was the inevitable kiss which had to last until he said they could quit so all the photographers could get their photos taken. Jeri, with the help of Lisa, had made about 300 mini cupcakes, all decorated, and mini cheese cakes, all of which were set out in a beautiful design. She is heading off to culinary arts training to be a pastry chef.

The carvers, Joe, Colin and Bob, cutting the pig up. The meat was absolutely delicious and the event ended with the carcass being thrown onto the fire. Joe is a cook by profession and Colin has proven he can roast a pig. We ended up staying on Sunday to help clean up from the party. After finishing the clean-up we all (Joe, Jane, Bob, me, MaryAnn Wood and her daughter Olivia [from Tetherow Crossing and Enterprise and Coos Bay]) and three dogs all went swimming at an abandoned limestone quarry. The weather was beginning to change, but the swim still felt fabulous after all the work of cleaning up. Various other folks also helped.

Taku Resort, Quadra Island BC

About 40 Burton relatives gathered at Taku Resort on Quadra Island, across from Campbell River, for 3 days of eating and activities. Helen and Bill, with the assistance of their four kids had all the food arranged, which was fabulous. Breakfast and dinner were provided and everyone was on their own for lunch. When we arrived at Quadra Island it was pouring rain, but by mid-day on Wednesday, July 8 it was beginning to clear. Everyone at Taku had either A-frame cabins or rooms and we also took over the beach house with its two floors and decks where we all ate. Bob and I camped in a lovely area above the resort. One of the highlights was taking care of granddaughter Anita for a few hours while her parents went for a run. We went down on the beach to build rock stacks and Anita is busy showing her grandpa the nice rocks and shells she has found. Note all the shell hats on the piles.

One morning, Joe and Jane (Helen's son and daughter-in-law), Goldie (Bob's daughter) and Gail and I took a 10 km walk around Morte Lake. This is a view of the lake from the first time we saw it. The trail went through lush forest and we even saw a sunken boat. It was good exercise to help walk off some of the food. Bob and I also took a three hour sea kayak tour out of Taku across the open bay and into three other bays where we saw an eagle and some ducks. We all took a walk on Rebecca Spit, across from Taku, played bocce and a game Bill built involving golf balls tied together on 20" strings which you throw towards a fence and try to get them to wrap around the rails. A wonderful time was had by all.

Sunset off of Taku. All the mountains in the distance are either other islands or the BC mainland. The land on the right is Rebecca Spit. On Friday morning we all packed up to leave and stopped in Nanaimo to take the pedestrian ferry to Protection Island to see Sarah (Bill and Helen's daughter) and John's new house and the 400 square foot cabin they have been visiting for years. We ate dinner there before heading down to Joe and Jane's farm to camp in their back field. We loaned Snoopy to Alice, Jens and Anita and Joe outfitted us with a huge 3-man tent with the thickest air mattress (1 1/2 feet) I have ever slept on. They had provided port-a-potties for all.

Chocoholics

On July 2, 2009 Bob, Darwin and I took off in Snoopy again for about nine weeks. We began in Seattle where Bob was playing in a disc golf tournament (where he came in second in his division [out of 4]) July 4 and 5, with a practice day on July 3. We stayed with delightful friends Randy Signer and Jane Levine. On Friday I took a chocolate tour through the Chocolate Box (which I highly recommend to anyone who likes chocolate). The three and a half hour tour began at the Chocolate Box with some history of chocolate and the most amazing hot cocoa I have ever had. Some facts: 1) chocolate grows in a 20 degree belt around the Equator, 2) it's a very delicate tree, 3) the cocoa beans grow right out of the trunk and are pollinated by midge flies that can't really fly, 4) it doesn't self propogate because the cocoa pods don't drop and rot, 5) once the pods are picked they are left out to ferment for 7 days going from alcohol to acid to water, 6) once the seeds are freed from their mucilageonous coating, they must dry for 21 days (in the rain forest) which involves a lot of moving in and out, 7) the pods on a tree mature at different times and 8) a regular size chocolate bar only has as much cafeine as one cup of decaf. We then headed off for Theo Chocolates, the only organic, fairly traded chocolate maker in the US and the home of some wonderful, interesting flavors such as ghost chili, coconut curry (really yummy), where we were given a tour on how the cocoa beans are turned into chocolate bars. For all you health food nuts, chocolate has the second highest level of anti-oxidants of any food (so eat up). Then we headed to Oh Chocolate! through the Fremont district, past the statue of Lenin. An American history professor was in Czechoslovakia at the time of the fall of the Soviet empire in a village where they were destroying the large (i.e. 30' tall) statue. He was horrified at their destruction of history, but they pointed out that he hadn't had to live under communism. Instead, they sold him the statue for $40,000 and he paid $80,000 to ship it home to Seattle where he put it in his front yard to the consternation of his neighbors. Upon his death, his kids tried to sell the statue at the Fremont farmer's market. Needless to say they were unsuccessful, but ultimately the Fremont neighborhood donated a piece of property where the statue now resides where it is still for sale for $250,000. At Oh Chocolate we learned how to temper chocolate by getting our hands all gooey and dipping graham crackers and marshmallows. The Hawaiian lady who founded Oh Chocolate learned how to temper chocolate and during WWII would gather up local kids and teach them to get them involved and less upset after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The next day they would deliver their goodies. Lastly we went to Fran's Chocolates, the home of the grey salt caramel which is the Obama's favorite candy and given to all visitors to the White House. The story goes that when Barack was guaging a run for the president he came to Seattle to give a speech and was given a "Welcome to Washington" basket that included the caramels. Michelle popped one in his mouth as he went on stage and when he came off he asked her what it was and said it was the best thing he had ever tasted. I highly recommend the tour.

While the guys played disc golf I went to the Seattle Art Museum and its Asian museum, went to the Pike Place Market and wandered in the UW Arboreteum with Darwin.

On Monday July 6 we headed towards Ft. Flagler State Park at the far northeast corner of the Olympic Penninsula. In 1966 or 1967 I attended a Seattle Symphony music camp there. We parked Snoopy in the rain and walked to the fortifications, created around 1900 when the port at Bremerton was developed. There are three forts in a triangle guarding the entrance to Puget Sound. They were equipped with guns and search lights, but most of the guns were shipped out to Europe in 1918. The fort remained operational until 1963, but is now a state park. We drove over to Port Townsend to see it and to taste the beers at the Port Townsend brewery. They have 12 different varieties and you can put small glasses down on a placemat to indicate which beers you want to taste. The photo above is of the campground at Ft. Flagler from Port Townsend.

San Francisco

We drove up Highway 101 from LA to San Francisco, through the remains of the fires that had raged the entire time we were in LA. It was so smokey that we couldn't see the sun set over the Pacific and you could smell the smoke everywhere. We drove through the area that was burned north of LA and where the students at a private religious school huddled in the gym while the fire destroyed several dorms and faculty housing.

Anita is walking, talking a blue streak and is generally a really sweet grandchild. We met her nanny, who speaks Spanish with her, and Jason, the other child she cares for. Anita understands the Spanish completely, though she won't speak it. While Alice and Jens worked, Bob and I took various excursions. Bob played disc golf, we visited Berkeley, we rode the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco and walked through the rehabbed Ferry building which is now filled with upscale food stores. Jens gave us a tour of downtown Oakland and all the urban renewal projects he has been a part of. Mayor Jerry Brown wanted to create housing and move 10,000 people into downtown to revitalize it. That has generally worked, though the condo frenzy has resulted in overbuilding and rental of apartments instead of sale of condos. Along with housing, big new buildings have also been constructed. Among them is another Catholic Cathedral on the edge of Lake Merrick. It is very modern; made of alabaster on the outside and wood wings/panels on the inside. The image of Christ is created by holes drilled through steel and the light that comes through them. It also is a very striking building. Both these modern cathedrals are partly funded by the sale of spaces in the mausoleum below them.

While Bob played the disc golf course in Golden Gate Park, I took a walking tour of China Town. I had been wanting to do this for years. It was really interesting. There were six of us; 80 year old newly weds from Phoenix, a land use planner from Portland, a young man doing his PhD on the sociology of the language used by candidates and politicians related to "green" and "renewable" energy and his dad. The women who guided us grew up in China Town. The Chinese came over during the Gold Rush and then worked on the railroads. Shortly after their arrival, immigration laws prohibited any more Chinese from coming in so the male:female ratio was 27:1. Until 1952 Chinese could not own property and were concentrated in China Town. This pagoda was actually the first telephone exchange in China Town. The operators knew everyone in China Town and you didn't need to know the phone number. If the person didn't have a phone they would send one of their children to deliver the message.

We also stopped in an upscale tea shop where we tasted wonderful tea and saw how it should be brewed (the leaves are quickly soaked in hot water and then drained and then new water is added to steep; only a small quantity is brewed at any time and the leaves can be steeped multiple times while small cups of tea are sipped). The prices were amazing too (up to $380/pound), though a pound of tea will last most of a year. We stopped at a fortune cookie manufacturer (at the request of the elderly couple).

This was a temple to the goddess who is the counterpart of Buddha. The fruits are offerings.

This is an example of a tong, or family fraternal organization similar to the Italian mafia. We finished with a lunch (delicious but not very adventurous).

In addition to visiting Alice and Jens, we went out to dinner with a bronzesmith that Bob met in Guatemala and his new Polish wife who is a painter. He showed us his workshop which is certified green even though it is a manufacturing facility. He makes wonderful things for very high-end clients. We also looked for Markus' passports which he thought he had left in Berkeley (we didn't find them).

On Thursday November 20 we headed up I-5 towards Ashland and a quick visit to the Elizabeth Robinson B&B. We really wanted to get home, but spent a lovely time with Elizabeth who treated us royally (chocolates on the pillows). We arrived home Friday mid-afternoon.

It was a great adventure. The United States is beautiful (even states I never would have thought of as being beautiful). People are wonderful, particularly when you can spend enough time with them to talk and really get to know them. I don't think we will ever again travel for 6 months at a time unless we are living abroad, but there are many places we want to go back to and explore further. In reality we didn't camp that much because we were visiting family and friends and staying in their homes. As a result, I came home with a lot of the food I had left with. We discovered that we could live with very few things, though I am glad to have more variety in my clothes. The space in the house is wonderful, though there are a lot of things that need to be done.

Thanks to all who hosted us along the way.

Ethan Kelly Robinson

Ethan had never been in the Pacific Ocean. Here he is investigating the water, which was a little cold for his liking and where the waves scared him a bit. He's wearing an Obama T-shirt given to him by Sabrina and which eventually got wet as he fell down in the sand.

Bob carrying Ethan.

Max loves the adult-size swings on the beach in Venice. Here he is and Bob is swinging with Ethan. A good time was had by all. Max has to swing high enough to make the swing snap at the top.

A second new experience for Ethan; the merry-go-round. After returning from Venice Beach we went out to eat in Culver City, sitting in a sidewalk restaurant that specialized in salads.

By this time we were getting the bit in our teeth and were heading home.

Joshua Tree National Park

We left the Fountain of Youth and drove towards Joshua Tree National Park's south entrance. On the way we drove through this wonderful dry canyon landscape. Since Joshua Tree prohibited dogs on the trails, we stopped along the way to hike into a canyon designated for off-road travel. It was hot, but in the shade with the breeze it was comfortable. At least Darwin and I got a chance to walk.








Joshua Tree National Park from the south entrance doesn't have any Joshua trees. They occur only in a narrow ecological niche. In the northern half of the park, they were all over, along with other cacti. We drove off into a picnic area, almost getting stuck and not being able to turn around because of where people had parked. We only had time to drive through. There were huge numbers of Joshua Trees, spread across the landscape. In Joshua Tree (town), we stopped to see if we could find an old DOJ friend who now operates an outfitting store. We stopped at a likely candidate, which wasn't the right store, but the owner knew where Gary and Celeste's store was. We walked around the corner and spent 45 minutes chatting with Celeste. They sell rock-climbing gear and also do repair of outdoor equipment. In addition, they repair/modify gear for the military (the stuff provided to the soldiers is terrible and they modify it). Gary works as a rock climbing guide. Celeste does some legal work for various environmental organizations and just passed the California bar. As we headed towards Sierra Madre, where Jens' (our son-in-law) mother lives, we passed through the biggest wind farm I have ever seen. In contrast to all the other windfarms we saw on this trip, the turbines were closer together and in lines instead of being staggered. It was located in a pass where the wind apparently really blows, though it wasn't blowing when we went through.

Ingrid lives in Sierra Madre, up against the mountains of LA. She was a wonderful hostess, showing me around Sierra Madre and taking us by Metro into downtown LA to see the Old Town, the Disney Hall (designed by Frank Geary) and the Catholic Cathedral. The Cathedral is very modern. It doesn't look like a church from the outside at all. Inside, there are chapels around the main church with themes like children and abused women. The church is filled with computer-generated tapestries of Catholic saints from all traditions. It's a very interesting space.

One day we spent with Kirin, Sabrina, Max, Ng and Ethan, who all live within 1/2 mile of each other in Culver City. We went over to Kirin and Sabrina's for brunch, but their stove had just died so we satisfied ourselves with granola, fruit and baked goods. Ethan is 13 months old, walks and is generally really cheerful. Here he is playing piano with Kirin. Kirin works designing movie previews and trailers. Sabrina works on financing housing for the developmentally disabled in California, paid for by a tax on millionaires. Ng has just started her first job with Kaiser as a physical medicine doctor. Max works for a company doing computer work. It was great to see them all doing so well and happy.

We drove to Venice beach and walked up the Boardwalk. We also saw the canals of Venice Beach. Kirin and Sabrina had just bought a new 250 cc Vespa motorcycle, so Kirin led the way on that. Bob took a swim (his last in 2008). The street performers were great, including these two guys who juggled and did acrobatics.

Tucson

While Bob played disc golf I visited the DeGrazia Museum in the sun. This man worked in a variety of mediums - clay, paint, mosaic and he designed his own house. The house was lovely; very organic and made out of adobe with wonderful floors and stone benches. The exterior had a wonderful collection of cacti and some interesting scuptures. The art generally left me cold. He was very successful painting numerous Indian images with faces that reminded me of those cheap pictures that were popular about a decade ago with very large eyes. His abstract work was considerably more interesting. He also built the above Sanctuary to the Virgin of Guadelupe and, like many such churches, it instantly attracts people who place pictures and other momentos around her image. I also spent time in the museum on the campus of the University of Arizona which was devoted to explaining the differences between the 11 different tribes that inhabit Arizona by examination of their baskets, weaving, jewelry, etc.

One day we went hiking in Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains. Only about 15 miles from Green Valley, the environment is very different. There are trees and water. We decided to hike up to a mine which was described as a short, but strenuous hike. They weren't kidding. The trail went straight up the mountain with no switchbacks and after struggling along for a while with no indication we were going to get to a view point and worried about my ability to get down, we turned around. The first photo is of the flat desert outside Madera Canyon towards Green Valley; the second is of the mountain range.

We had been hearing a clicking, whining sound in the Volvo and took it in to be checked. It turns out that our angle gear, which distributes power from the transmission to the all wheel drive, was grinding itself up. In the process the dealer also discovered that the radiator had a leak and the exhaust manifold gasket was leaking. Sigh..... The stress of pulling Snoopy for 20,000 miles up and down the mountains had taken its toll. We spent a whole day in the Volvo dealer in Tucson getting it fixed. The good news was the dealer had a very nice waiting area with snacks, drinks and free wi-fi and we could bring Darwin in with us. We spent the time reading, blogging, embroidering, etc. This little surprise cost us almost $4,000 and delayed us for a day. We had moved Snoopy to an RV park in Tucson on Monday night and spent 2 days there.

The next day we headed off towards LA. On the way we stopped at Pictograph National Monument. After driving through about 15 miles of agribusiness (huge cotton fields and dairy farms in the desert, all irrigated), we got to this pile of rocks about 300' in diameter, covered in pictographs. Apparently this was a sacred place and Indians for years had stopped and left their mark. Various settlers also carved their names in the rocks.

We continued on towards the Salton Sea with a stop in Dateland, AZ for the best date milkshakes. I've never had one before, but they are absolutely yummy. The Salton Sea is dropping due to over irrigation, causing fish kills. We stayed in our second over-55 RV park where the guard at the gate came from Salem, OR. This park, almost 900 spaces, was called the Fountain of Youth because of the natural hot springs found when the railroad was being built. It had the most amazing variety of activities. We soaked in the pool and hot tubs and Bob played water volleyball. The view over the Salton Sea and the mountains behind it, the sunset and the clear sky were wonderful. I can't ever picture myself spending six months in one of these Snowbird parks, but they are certainly nice for a few nights.

Cacti

The morning after the election in Flagstaff it was 14 degrees. We spent another day (Bob and Darwin playing disc golf - Flagstaff had been the site of the World Disc Golf Competition and I visiting the Northern Arizona Museum). The museum was fabulous. It included two rooms on the geology of Northern Arizona, including the dinosaurs. An unknown flying dinosaur was discovered in shale beds by an archaeologist at the museum. It was a flying dinosaur which fell into the water. Other rooms were devoted to basketry, weaving, jewelry and katsina dolls. The differences between the tribes' in these areas were described.

The next morning we headed off towards Tucson where Bob's cousin Sally and partner Paul live. We took two days getting there, searching for a lower (i.e. warmer) campsite. We found one on the Apache Indian reservation north of Globe. This is copper country (symbolized by the star in the center of Arizona's flag). The open pit operations are huge. We arrived in Green Valley and stayed at our first over 55 Snowbird RV park. They have lots of amenities; pools, hot tubs, rec centers, etc. Green Valley is supposedly one of the most popular places to retire.

We ate dinner each night with Sally and Paul and Sally's daughter Cecily who was helping to care for her mother as she recovered from a fall which broke a vertibrae and her elbow. During the day we would go off and do different things. Bob played disc golf on two courses.

We went to the Sonoran Desert Museum where Bob waited in the car with Darwin since dogs weren't allowed in and it is a crime to leave your dog unattended in a car, even if it isn't blazing hot. The grounds of the museum are amazing; filled with cacti, animals, minerals and other exhibits. I learned a lot about the saguaro cactus. The above photo is of the skeleton of a saguaro.

Saguaros grow very slowly. They will not put out any branches until they are about 70 years old. The cactus has a folded surface so that it can expand when it rains. It consists of about 90% water and can weigh up to 10 tons. The roots spread out in a circle with a radius equal to the cactus' height. The holes visible in the above photo are made by two types of birds which nest in the saguaro. The cactus creates a wall, called a boot, around the bird's nest.

Barrel cacti, of which this is an example, come in numerous varieties. They generally lean towards the south, so that is a rough indicator of direction.

This cactus just attracted me because of its color and shape. The museum had raptors, javalinas, coyotes, snakes and lizards. Even in October it was filled with people.