Elk River Road
August 30, 2006
Time for a ride, and decided today to head out to explore Elk River Road which heads west from just north of the Brazeau Reservoir, near Lodgepole, Alberta. The first part of the ride is pavement, and basically the same as my Aug 5 ride to Rocky Mountain House - south from Edmonton to Leduc, west on Highway 39, and then south on Highway 20 past Lodgepole. Just north of the Brazeau Reservior, Elk River Road heads west towards the Rockies. It starts out as pavement for just a few miles, and then it's dirt and gravel.
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| Elk River Road - Look East (above) and West (below) |
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Elk River Road appears to be maintained pretty well, and serves the forestry and oil/gas industries, in addition to recreational users. The road rises and falls as it heads west towards the Rockies, for the most part bordered by forest. At this time of the year, the leaves were just starting to change.
The road occasionally crosses a spur road heading north or south, and there's a few trails as well.
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| I explored a few of the trails that cross Elk River Road |
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It was a pretty nice day - sunny, with temps in the high 60's F (about 18 C). I saw very few other vehicles on the road. I'd take a diversion onto a trail or a spur road here or there, and then return back to Elk River Road and continue heading west.
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| This picture above is from one of the spur roads heading north, and the picture below is back on Elk River Road and looking north. |
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Eventually, Elk River Road crosses the Pembina River and meets up with Highway 40, a Forestry Trunk Road heading north/south. I stopped here to stretch my legs, and drink some water; then decided to take Highway 40 north towards Robb, and get some gas.
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| This is a nice spot to stretch the legs at the intersection of Elk River Road and Highway 40. |
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It's only about 35 miles on Highway 40 between the intersection with Elk River Road and the small town of Robb. I saw several deer in this stretch of the road (but didn't have the camera handy).
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| Heading north on Highway 40 towards Robb |
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About 5 miles before Robb, Highway 40 splits west towards Cadomin and Hinton; and Highway 47 heads northeast towards Robb. The gravel road turns to pavement, and just before reaching Robb I'm stopped behind a highway crew that is re-painting the lines. Only have to wait about 5 minutes or so, and then they wave me on. I stop for gas in Robb, and then continue north on Highway 47 to Edson, and then its Highway 16 back to Edmonton. It was just a great leisurely ride today, and a great way to reduce the stress levels of everyday life.
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