Day 12' Monday, august 26, Riding Mountain National Park to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, Saskatchewan.

Not a lot of time to write this. Writing this during a rest break in a nice park in Swift Current, SK.

Hated to leave Riding Mountain's Lake Audy park, but the road beckoned.  Fortunately, the bears did not get us or Erde wake up when they walked by our tent last night in search of berries.

Got the gas tank problem solved and got on our way.  I decided to make time on the road and cut one day off this trip across the plains. Highway 1 is easy to make time on, but it is a long, hot highway.

At 5:30, at a rest stop, I decided that we had enough sun and then usuable daylight at the speed we were going and the distance to make Buffalo Pound Provincial Park near Moose Jaw.  What a good decision.  We pulled into this oasis of a park at 8:30, with just enough usuable daylight for me to find my site.  Had to use the Defender's headlights to set up camp, but we got settled in an an hour.

Tomorrow we have a long day, as we try to make in near to Calgary.  We will have to stay in an RV camp as there are no Provincial Parks nearby.  Then, on Thursday, we have about 100 miles to Banff when we will start to hit the cold weather and maybe snow.  That will complete leg 2 of this journey, outward bound that is.

Below...one of Leben and Erde's many variations of enjoying the trip.  I have to stay in the same position all the time.  With the windows open and the AC blowing strong, it is quite cool where the dogs' heads are.

Ed Mulrenin

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