Our day started early once again, and after a quick breakfast of yogurt, cherries and coffee we hit the road.  As we ate our breakfast, some of our neighbours came to wish us well.   I also noticed one little prairie dog had been munching on the grasshoppers that had been killed on the front of our grill!  The little so and so was actually inside the bumper next to the radiator when I finally shewed him away!

Everything was pretty dry to pack up, save for some condensation on the inside of the tent.  Five minutes of the fly sheet opened on the ground and it too was dry!

 

 

On the road by 9, we headed towards Medicine Hat for lunch and a car wash!  The dirt roads had completely coated the car and we would be covered in dust each time we got something out of the back of the car!

 

The route took us through more picturesque prairie landscape.

 

Entering onto Alberta, we experienced the same rolling hills of farmland. Very flat compared to where we are going tomorrow! Past Medicine Hat we headed north west to the park and the topography changed dramatically! Back to the badlands we came!! The valley was narrower than in Grasslands, but no mistaking the moonscape environment of this area.

We were able to check in at 3 pm ( apparently an hour early!) and set up camp, again in the extreme heat!  Tonight after dinner we will treat ourselves to showers ( much needed as Grasslands only had running water for drinking and cooking – good enough to rinse off the day’s grime, but nothing like a shower!!)

Once set up, I fed my starter (yes, I’m going to try and make some sour dough English muffins at some point!) and then we took shelter in the shade for a couple of hours before heading out on a short hike.

Bubbling starter, finally fed. Look at the red sun in the background! Just a sign of the ash clouding the sky from the BC fires.

Our hikes took us along the Red River Valley which is home to this park. A lovely mix of scrub, allowed us to spot some interesting wildlife.

After our walk and shower, we felt alive once more. Ready for a good night’s sleep then off to Banff National Park tomorrow! Until then…