North in the Spring #17: Kamloops to Alaska Highway the Eastern Route Part Three: Jasper to Dawson Creek by John Neville Hwy #16 led us into Jasper National Park, Alberta. We were saddened to see how many trees the Pine Beetles had killed in recent years. This is a park with many memories for us. Where we crossed the Miette River, there is a trail through Lodgepole Pine to Dorothy Lake. I recorded my first Northern Waterthrush there and had an adventure in a leaky boat! On another occasion we rode horses into the Tonquin Valley. The valley floor is at 2.000 m. covered in alpine flora and dominated by a cliff called the Ramparts which rises another 1.000 m. vertically! It was dramatic, day or night, to hear the "Kruuump" of ice or rocks falling from the cliff and landing on the tallis below. Occasionally a Golden eagle would fly across the cliff face. You can hear a Golden-crowned Sparrow singing, from the horse corral, on my Rockies CD. Driving up to Maligne Lake I had the opportunity to record a Pygmy owl perched in a Spruce tree with icicles still hanging from the branches. At the outlet of Maligne Lake, we leant over a bridge to admire colourful Harlequin ducks carried swiftly on the current and calling as they went. Nearby, we disturbed a Porcupine, quills shaking, rattling and rasping as it ran for a culvert! At Medicine Lake I was able to make some good recordings of a flock of White-winged Crossbills. Hiking Five Lakes Trail (trying to record a Yellow-rumped Warbler) I found myself standing right next to a very docile Elk (Wapiti), with velvet still covering his half formed antlers. Later a school party passed us, and a boy made a great "yodeling" call for a Common Loon. To my surprise a loon came running and flapping across the lake, to defend his territory. Later, we were sitting quietly by a lake, when a coyote came trotting around the shore towards us. The Coyote came right up to us and sniffed our backpacks. We were concerned that it might be diseased, but realized later that it was just coming for a hand-out. Hwy16 followed the Athabaska river eastwards. In the area where we usually see Big Horn Sheep, to our delight there were two Mountain Goats! They were beautiful white animals with short black horns, very agile, descending a rock face. Their legs were long and they stood about 1.5 m. tall. They are attracted to the pyrite-rich shale for sulphur, which they need to produce the hair proteins in their thick coats. They are unique to the northwest and their closest relative are Mountain Antelope in Asia. At the junction with Hwy 40, we turned north and crossed the Athabaska River. The river is flowing north-east to form the Peace-Athabaska freshwater delta in Wood Buffalo National Park. We soon entered William A. Switzer Provincial Park. This foothills park consists of boreal forest, parkland, lakes, creeks and fens. The first night we stayed at Jarvis Lake Campground and the second by the Beaver Ranch Trail. The beaver are specially adapted for year round work. Jarvis Creek provides running water year round and is easily dammed. There is plenty of shrubby vegetation along the trail to eat. Beaver can close their lips tightly behind their front teeth, allowing them to peel bark under water. Ears and nostrils can be closed in water. Another special feature is the nictatanic membrane which protects their eyes under water. They can stay submerged for up-to 15 min. Soft fur under the heavy guard hairs, keep them warm year round. Webbed hind feet have special claws for combing fur and for spreading waterproofing oil. Beaver are vegetarians: choosing the bark and leaves of aspen and poplar trees, along with a side order of aquatic plants and roots. In winter they do not hibernate but feed on stored vegetation (in their lodges) and may swim under the ice. They mate during the winter and emerge in spring with a new family. The big flat tail is used as a rudder when swimming, slaps the water to give an alarm signal and is used as a prop when sitting and felling trees. Sharp incisors are always growing, so the beaver constantly gnaws to prevent the teeth getting longer. After the beaver was hunted out in Europe, to provide fur for top hats, King Charles 2nd, signed a charter for the Hudson Bay Company in 1670 to encourage hunting of beaver in North America. Highway 40 continued to take us north and we turned off at the Big Berlund River crossing. Cliff swallows were swarming over the bridge. The area between the Berlund and Muskeg rivers is known as the Caribou Corridor. Caribou are a rich brown colour, with a creamy-white neck. The A La Peche Mountain caribou herd spends the spring and summer in the Willmore and Jasper areas. This herd is now listed as a threatened species in Alberta. There is a second herd of Woodland Caribou called the Little Smoky herd. This group have larger feet for walking on muskeg and deep snow. Their ranges overlap during the winter. The salt used on the road is extremely attractive to the Caribou. Climate change, predators, fragmentation by industry and motor vehicle accidents have all contributed to their decline. From October to December stop along this 33 km of highway to see the migration of the caribou from the mountains to the grazing range east of the highway. Local conservation officers told us that Grizzly and Black Bear, Elk and goats can also be seen in this area at dusk. For much more information go to: cariboupatrol.ca When Hwy 40 reaches Grande Prairie, we turn left onto Highway 43, which takes us all-the-way to the BC border and our return to Hwy 97 at Dawson Creek. However, there is one more interesting stop to make: about 20 minutes north of Grande Prairie, turn left onto range road 82, at Wembley. The Philip Currie Dinosaur Museum is well worth a visit! In 1974 a herd of dinosaurs was discovered in this area, Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai (a new member of the Dinosaur family). This eventually led to local fundraising and the province contributing 23 million dollars to this amazing building. Each level you descend, takes you further back in prehistory.