It was especially involving ATVs, cowboys, cowgirls, and a tractor. This year it has been all about taking the different road. After having to change plans again due to road issues we end up on AB64 (short cut). The road was a good conditioned paved back road with 10% grades up and down through lush agriculture no flat Alberta here. We ended up here because the road and area we were headed towards had some mud and construction issues an excuse to come back next year.
After spending the last day at Toad River adjusting travel plans we decide to do 850 miles in three days. The first night we spent boon docking on the side of the road. 
The next morning we get up going stop at the only restaurant in 80 miles. After breakfast we leave and run into things headed across the road we slow down and discover this. 
No they were not running wild it was a modern day cattle drive. (with ATVs). So we fell in behind and alongside to enjoy the craziness. 
The tractor was carrying a huge round bale of hay which I assume is the feed. We watch them cross the road and split up the herd.
We were both amazed at the use of ATVs but not one horse was used and instead of whips to get them away from the gate and back on the road to go to the next gate they used pool noodles to make noise in the air to steer them. We stayed behind them until they reached the second pasture and got back off the road. Growing up in Wisconsin the dairy cows stayed on the farm. There were quite a few babies in the group of cattle and the calves were sticking close to mom. The other unique thing was you would have a cow that was like a traffic cop, stand still and just make a bellow sound as if to say hurry up, move your butt. I was glad though when this traffic finally MOOOOOOOOOOOOVED Along.
So even though we’ve changed the roads we still are finding adventures and sights that we would have missed if everything went as planned.
These pictures are just the outskirts of the forest, there are over 80,000 signs now. While I was taken the pictures of the sign post forest Roy was taking pictures of ravens eating lunch. 
I am so glad we have seen a few more animals now, 
I am not a big ravens fan (football team either).
still getting along with each other. Yes I know it looks like they are biting each other but they are just playing :). It was cool seeing two of the same type of animal at the same time. A little further down the road we were treated to about sixty wood bison on the road, 
the side of the road,
and a few playing in the dust bowl. I know there even seemed to be some romance possibly in the dust hole. Judge for yourself 
I know there was sniffing. I was enjoying stopping and watching then moving on just to see some more bison about ten miles down the road. Here we had some scratching, and standing in the middle of the road. The cutest thing was we had pulled over near the shoulder of the road and a calf who was just growing some horns was trying to sound tough by snorting and looking at us like hey you scared you better be because I’m tough. 
Check the look out on his face. I was amazed at how many calves were spread between the two groups of animals. I think in all the times we’ve seen bison or buffalos that between the two groups it is the largest number.
We will be crossing it again when we leave the Northwest Territories after Yellowknife. We did not see anymore animals until we got to Toad River Lodge 
where we set up camp in site 14 which has an awesome view of the lake. Here I was treated to a family of swans. Even though the cygnets are grey these guys were still regel. 
The male swan, called the cob, helps the female, known as a pen, to look after their babies, called cygnets until they are a year old. 
The young don’t spend more than one day in the nest once they hatch. 
Mike who is the other half of Cindy a couple from Fort Collins CO we met at Toad River had to go to Fort Nelson and he told a very similar story. So I think it might have been the same one. Speaking of Cindy and Mike The first night we were in Toad River I start talking to the couple at the next table and ask where they are from and which way they are headed. I could tell that this was their first trip to Alaska and they were headed home. You get the I’m hooked look in the eyes. They were stuck in Toad for a few days because they had an issue with the steering on the truck, so explains why Mike had to go to town. The cool thing was is there are still people out there ready to lend a hand so they were able to get it fixed. I enjoyed hearing about what they liked about Alaska and how they had to see everything. I hope they return and stay longer in spots they enjoyed. I also got the opportunity to show Cindy some of my pictures including the mega moose from a couple of years ago. (They said they haven’t seen any large moose.) Speaking of moose that is one animal we have yet to see this trip. We saw elk and a few deer today but were not able to get a picture. I am hoping that we do see one so keep sending your good animal vibes.
The spot we were at today is the lowest point of the divide the water shed is separated by just a small hump of sand and gravel. Could you imagine being a stick that broke and one half ends up in the Arctic Ocean and the other half ended up in the Pacific Ocean (Bering Sea), you would never cross paths again. Yes, sometimes I have random thoughts like that. 
Today is probably the last day for cell phones and internet for about a week or two as we are headed to Toad River Lodge in BC Canada 
Our last night in Alaska we stayed at Tok River State Recreational Area right outside of Tok. River front property very quiet park, great end to this part of the trip. 
This was the case with the 141st Meridian 
and to eat at “Klondike Ribs & Salmon” 
One booth that held an interest for me was the CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) which is a group striving to promote and protect Canada’s wild animals. 
The funny thing is we always have enough left over for at least one or sometimes two more meals. 
On a side note we also because of being off the beaten path have been using the kitchen in our Lance more.
This is another place we visited a few times while in Fairbanks. North Pole does have a Chinese restaurant I even liked called Pagoda we ate there twice and had enough for 4 more meals. Enough about food, back to Christmas. Since we were here last they still do not have the RV Park up and running again it looks like that is something that will never come back. 
They did add on to the building which is a good thing because it was cramped, now you can really begin to want to shop instead of just taking a quick look and run.
Enough shopping onto sight seeing. The Post Office gets in on all the sugar sweetness of candy canes outside of the building. 
If you look closely you will see there is snow on the Police Car lettering. 
I enjoy visiting the North Pole and sharing some Christmas Spirit with everyone. BTW Christmas is less then 5 months away if you are counting.
that would be fascinating to hear all of the barking dogs and excitement. The other excitement that the locals look to is the ice break up on the Tanana river. Lots of money can be won if you can guess the exact day – hour – minute – second this happens. They are already selling tickets for the ice break-up in 2020. 
That black and white metal stanchion has a clock which stops when the ice breaks. I had to include a picture of the gift store in town because it is ‘The Road Less Traveled’ which is the unofficial theme of this year’s trip. 
because winter travel in these would have been an adventure. 
ia.org/wiki/Osprey We came back a second time to get these pictures.
ost of the pictures are from behind as I thought I could get closer with my camera on the other side of the nest. It was about this time that the second bird decided to fly in with a fish. Watching the osprey feeding the chick was impressive. 
ks like it might be opening soon a lot of remodeling there was some old mining equipment on the grounds check it out. 
It’s funny what you can find on a dirt road. I need to be more trusting when Roy takes those dirt and gravel roads. 
pull off that shows the inside of the pipeline with what they call a pig that travels through 
the pipeline and keeps it clean.
I also did not know some of the facts on the information board, the pipeline has 12 pumping stations and is 800 miles long just to name two facts.
or see babies (6 born this year). https://
Even though they seem like docile animals there is always a chance the switch could flip in the animal’s brain and they start to act like the wild animals that they are. So she does stress that some distance is very wise. At the end of the tour she shows a stantion that is damaged due to an incident where the switch was flipped. The person who was in the stantion was not hurt.
is the warming chambers inside the nose Another adaptation these animals have for winter survival is the fact that under the hair is a soft down called qiviut or underwool. 
On a side note I did buy a t-shirt and a headband, neither of which were made of qiviut.
or an unicorn impersonator.
You have to be if you want to be king of the hill during rutting season. Even though the males do not have to rut to be king of the hill because the station is in charge of saying who gets to be king of the hill and who is in whose harem. That was a rabbit hole I went on because of a male’s hard head.
The inteesting thing about antlers is they fall off every year unlike the horns on the muskox. These reindeer are being feed just like the muskox were, on my first visit the reindeer were all up in the guides back going give me the treats now. The second visit she basically had to ignore them after she put the fireweed in the fence. I guess they are not trained. Here you can see she is ignoring 
the reindeer and she is trying to get the guides attention. The second tour once the reindeer realized there were good treats at the fence they gladly ate the fireweed. 
on the Steese Highway mentioned in the Milepost. I have also spent time practicing my landscape framing and composition when it comes to using my new lens. 
This lens is the one I will be using for taking pictures of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). I am looking forward to attempting to capture at least maybe one night. But I know numberous things have to come together, like the solar flares, the lack of clouds, darkness, location, and timing. The practice of shooting at night is getting close as it is now getting dark around midnight. Side note on the darkness factor I’m amazed at how much energy I feel from the sun. I do have the location this is going to be Yellowknife Northwest Territories (NWT), there is a park we are staying at that is supposed to be a great place for the Northern Lights. The timing is the end of August.
The lodge was an original log cabin. Bear rug on the ceiling pictures of the aurora borealis. I think Roy posed for the man 
looking up in the sky which is also inside the lodge. The grounds are home to the ice museum 
farm equipment, and mining equipment
.
I think this is because of his beard. This is the team’s last home series of the season, the news said it would be a challenge for the Goldpanners. The home team won 17 – 10 no challenge there. He played the kazoo during the 7th inning stretch. 
Here’s a link to the official website 
Here is an action shot Roy took. Some of the places in the area we’ve returned to a time or two 
LARS and the Steese Hwy (AK 6) to mention just two. Pictures and details to follow 
On the Road with Buki-6 