Spruce Woods MB to Grasslands Natl Park SK - A 2-day post

 

Skies threatened (and delivered) most of the day Monday

We left the Spruce Woods campground in good time, under cloudy skies. A nasty headwind slowed us going north to the Trans Canada Highway (also the roughest paved road we've come across in quite a while), and the headwind turned into a nasty crosswind when we were on the TCH heading west. Wind gusts reached 90 kph around Brandon MB while we were going past there.

The Assiniboine River, which runs through Spruce Woods park, was swollen and powerful-looking, after all the recent rains:

We didn't stay on the TCH too long, it was a tough crosswind, especially for a tall slab-sided vehicle like ours. 

As we ducked and dodged trying to stay out of the winds, we tried a diversion, to find Linear Mounds National Historic site. No luck finding it, even though Google and Garmin maps both claimed to know where it was, but we did come across this neat introduction to the town of Melita, near where the mounds were supposed to be:

The banana is some 30 ft tall

The billboard has some info on it, but if you can't make it out or want to see more, here's a link to click: Melita Banana

After trying a couple of times to find a place to stay, we ended up at a pleasant municipal park in Bengough SK. Peaceful and quiet, just the way we like our camp spots.

Map for the first day of this post:

 

Tuesday's journey:

Today we made our way to Grasslands National Park, in southern SK. We were here once a number of years ago, later in the summer, hot dry and dusty. This week is offering much better weather than that, and the Parks Service has done many improvements too.

It was a gorgeous morning for a drive. Cool and clear, with the sun at our backs, little wind (a real treat!), and little traffic.

We followed the Red Coats

Major farming in the area

Lots of water and waterfowl along here

And even more silos

See, the Prairies are really not all flat

When we were battling the winds yesterday, we were wondering why we hadn't seen any windmills. We found some today:

And maybe the loneliest tree in Saskatchewan:

It sure can get windy here:

Just the right amount of traffic:

We finally reached Grasslands Park. The main info centre is in the  nearby town of Val Marie.

Interior roads are all gravel

The "front country" campground

Settling in to our site, for 2 nights

The site view from our front window

Lots of wildlife to be seen:

Many Ground Squirrels, all curious

A Grizzly Bear in southern Saskatchewan?

Not really, just a black-tailed Prairie Dog with a lot left of its winter coat.

Several antelope and mule deer around:

3 antelope, unusually not shy

And (you'll have to trust us on this one) we saw a badger for the first time in the wild. Mostly we saw his back end as he hurried away from us:

On a late afternoon drive we came across a flock of grouse (not sure what variety - Prairie Chicken? Sharp-tailed Grouse?). A number of hens were awaiting the victor of a couple of sparring males:

Males "displaying" in the background

Tuesday's drive: