We departed Bow Rivers Edge Campground, and started heading north on Highway 22 (the cowboy trail) at 10:00am.
We climbed out of the Bow River valley onto a plateau of lush rolling hills, typical of western Alberta. The road builders obviously took advantage of the gentle terrain, cutting straight across the landscape. I got the feeling I was being psychologically prepared for a drive through the other prairie provinces where the land is flat, and the passing power poles are hypnotizing.
We drove through Cremona, Sundre, and Caroline, then stopped for lunch in Rocky Mountain House. We took a short drive east on Highway 11A, to visit Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site.
The town has a long history dating to the 18th century with the presence of British and Canadian fur traders during the westward Canadian expansion. In 1799, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company each established the Rocky Mountain House and Acton House fur trading posts.
Trade with the local aboriginal peoples continued until 1821 when the companies merged, they continued to trade until 1875 and closed the Rocky Mountain House post. The name of the settlement and some evidence of the fort however remained.
The Rocky Mountain House settlement also served as a launching point for many explorers such as David Thompson, in search for a passage west to the Pacific Ocean. Many travellers used this location as a stop on their way further west or northwest, just as they do into the 21st century.
The next wave of adventurers entered the region at the beginning of the 20th century in search of opportunities presented by lush farmland and the abundance of natural resources.
Rocky Mountain House became a firmly established town by 1912. Settlers of Scandinavian origin made up a significant part of early 20th century settlement in the region.
From Rocky Mountain House, we continued our drive north, passing through Alder Flats, Buck Creek, Berrymoor, Tomahawk, and Saba Beach to join Highway 16, and our final push heading east to Spruce Grove, Alberta.
We will stay a few days in Spruce Grove visiting my son Kelvin, complete an oil change, and install a trailer sway bar.