Portland

It's hard to describe the particular atmosphere which reigns in Portland. Not only because of the alternation between rain and sun. Portland is a fine mix of hippie and hipster, of Amsterdam and San Francisco.

During my strolls and a bike ride with Tom (one of my Portlander hosts), I chose to show the urban and industrial Portland.

From Bozeman to Portland

Some pictures taken on the road, when I was hitch-hiking from Bozeman to Portland. As usual, my drivers are in the gallery of portraits in the Photos page of this blog. And here is a map to help your orientation.

1.240 kilometres (770 miles), four days, four states (Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon), different landscapes, and surely my last days of snow.

Hitch-hiking, another way to travel

The principle is quite easy: you rise your thumb, a car stops and let's go! In reality, it demands patience and a certain technique that hitch-hikers share or that they learn to their cost.

The first important thing is the location. You would prefer a place at the edge of the town/city in the right direction. It is essential that drivers can see you from far (after the last traffic light for example) and have space to pull over. It helps target cars going in your right direction.

Then having a sign with your destination written usually helps. It gives an indication that you know where you want to go and that you will get off the car at some point. And you indirectly avoid people think: “I am not going in the same direction”.

Keep smiling, don't wear any hat or hood, carry your backpack seem insignificant elements but they do count! It is like a job interview, you'd better leave nothing to chance. Even some told me that they trusted me at first sight just because I was shaved and short-hair.

Always think you will succeed; after all, you just need one car to pull over. Do not react to inappropriate gesture from some passing by. But rather wave back to people apologizing not to be able to pick you up. All that help not feel alone on the side of the road. Speaking about remaining alone on the side of the road, fearing nobody would pick me up? No that much. Anyway, I have a tent and a good sleeping bag with me that I can always use, and try again the next day.

And here it goes! So far I have been quite lucky. And already 2,500 km (more than 1,500 miles) just hitch-hiking. But the real award is the people you meet that way: a Iraq veteran woman, a night-shift electrician, an student anthropologist (also Iraq veteran), an elk hunter, a wind mill builder, a fun student couple, a lady importing goods and working with the US customs, a teacher who was doing his utmost to help young Native Americans go to college, a very young grand-mother, and so many more to come!

Race Info

Just to let you know my way between Prince Rupert, BC and Bozeman, MT, here is a little map on which you'll find my different steps. To give you an idea of the distance, it's about 1,650 miles (2,700 km).

Huge disappointment. I can't go to Yellowstone National Park. It was supposed to be a major step. Almost all roads are closed in winter time and the weather is not good anyway (snowing again). So I won't see it that time. I'll have to come back!

Anyway, I had the time to visit Bozeman and its surroundings. Andrew, my host, even brought me to the potato farm where he's working. No need to tell how big it is. Very interesting insight. Here are couple of pictures from Bozeman and the farm.

And today, I left Andrew and Lynda. They were so nice with me that it was difficult to leave. But I have to take the road to Portland, Oregon. After 4 days and 775 miles (1,250 km) hitch-hiking, I think I'll be there on Friday.

Departure to Bozeman with Roger

Yesterday, on Friday morning, I left Jeff's and went to Roger's, the neighbour with whom I spent couple of hours over the last days. The day before, he offered me a ride to the first truck stop on the Interstate, outside Great Falls, Montana. It should help me hitch-hike to Bozeman, Montana (180 miles away – 300 km). Roger was curious about what I was doing and how I was traveling.

Before leaving, he prepared a yummy breakfast. So kind! I had oatmeal (he knew I love that), grape fruit, toasts and homemade jam, coffee. He was fearing I would wait for a while and wanted to make sure I would not faint during the day.

We spoke about Yellowstone, France, my trip, Napoleon (I don't remember where this came from), the coal-fire power plant project that they stopped with his fellow activists, etc. And while we were listening to Leonard Cohen, I prepared my “Bozeman” sign and started to stretch my thumb.

We left a bit later than what I was used to. But after such a nice breakfast, it didn't matter. I was still confident to be picked up. When we arrived at the truck stop, Roger told me he would stay for a while to see how things were working. But ten minutes later, he couldn't stand it and he tried to actively look for someone who would go to Bozeman.

The day before, I explained him that I felt more comfortable to stand with my sign on the side of the road, whereas he was insisting on telling me that things can be different here in Montana: “you should go and directly ask the people if they go to Bozeman”. So he started to speak to anyone who would have a car registered in Bozeman area.

It didn't take that long. I saw him coming back with a large smile. That's how Mary-Ann kindly drove me the whole way down to Bozeman. Thanks Roger, that was so nice to meeting you!

Great Falls

This Friday ends my first step in the US Lower 48. I now continue towards Bozeman, from where I hope to be able to explore a bit of Yellowstone National Park. For nature lovers, it is a monument. But unfortunately, due to wintery weather conditions up there, I might not be able to see that much of it.

Here in Great Falls, I had the chance to experience the Western Art Week. It is a gathering of hundreds artists from all over the American West. They exhibit in hotel rooms, emptied for this special occasion. It's pretty unique and it gives a great view over indigenous art as well as pioneers' (painting, sculpture, photography, wood work, leather, pottery, etc.).

I toured with Roger (Alice and Jeff's neighbour) with whom I had very interesting discussions over the last days. He is someone: US Air Force veteran, environmental activist (what a coincidence for me!), very cultivated and fascinating. And he even offered me a ride to help me in my hitch-hiking process to Bozeman!

To end this post, here are some pictures of the surroundings of Great Falls. You will notice how changing the weather can be here. This is due to wind blowing at an average of 60 mi/h when not even more. But that gives people the opportunity to use it as well to produce electricity, like in Lethbridge. And they also use the waterfalls of the Missouri river (after which the city was named) to produce electricity.

Lethbridge

I spent a wonderful week in Calgary with Nicki and her son Sam. I also hiked with Jeremy and Eve, including a wonderful day trip to Banff National Park.

Lethbridge and its surroundings looks like the moon. The scenery is rather flat with river valleys. There are no trees and it's pretty dry. 17% of humidity today when it is around 80-90% in Europe normally.

At the beginning, Lethbridge should have been a stop overnight before crossing the US border the day after. Eventually, Danielle and Garrett offered me to stay two nights. And even a third one when I showed interest in their job.

Indeed, they are working in a wind farm. So they offered me to come and see the wind turbines, located in Pincher Creek, an hour away from Lethbridge. Departing home at 7am, we had the chance to see the sunrise over the Rockies. That was a nice way to celebrate my last Canadian step. Thanks guys!

Tomorrow, I am heading South. My goal is to hitch-hike over the border. I can't pass it as a pedestrian. It might be tough but I should be in Great Falls, Montana (USA) tomorrow evening. Fingers crossed!

Calgary

Here are some pictures of Calgary. Nice city. I spent a very nice time with Nicki et Sam. Thanks for your warm welcome!

The weather has been amazingly warm these last days (about 10°C / 50°F). Snow melted. And now, I head south. I made a stop at Danielle and Garrett's in Lethbridge, before crossing the US border on Tuesday.

And we changed time: daylight saving time, meaning 7-hour difference with Europe, before you also change in two weeks time.

Banff National Park

Here are some pictures of Banff National Park, near Calgary.
Thanks Jeremy and Eve for this day trip!

Race Info

Since I arrived in Canada, I have gone Eastward. But today, I stop. I would have loved to say hello to my cousin in Canada or my followers in Maine (oh! by the way, how may I call people from Maine? Not Mainiacs I guess). Anyway, a future trip on the East coast is definitely needed.

Then I am going Southward. To go to Calgary, I will use a mean of transport that I haven't used that much so far: car or truck. It's 5.30am and I stand in a truck stop on the highway leading to Calgary. Thanks Sylvain for the lift!

And also a huge thank you to Pierre, Mona and Cédric for their warm welcome and interesting discussions. I promise, I'll be better at Uno next time!

Update
Less than five hours later, I arrived in Calgary. Hitch-hiking worked pretty well. Better than in Prince Rupert anyway. Thanks Brett!

Life in Edmonton

Edmonton. It's a square. A big square: 20 km by 20 km (12,5 miles). And a river run through it. It's Saskatchewan river, same as the name of the neighbouring province. Kind of hard to pronounce, but after repeating it a hundred times, you'll succeed!

Edmonton. It is also the capital city of Alberta, province that joined the Canadian confederation a century ago, in 1905. Along with Winnipeg and Calgary (older people would remember the 1988 Winter Olympics), it is one of the biggest cities in central Canada.

Edmonton. It is a region of plains, even if it is located 200 km (125 miles) from the Rockies. It developed with fur trade, agriculture, the famous Alberta beef, mining and oil extraction.

That could be a way to sum up. If you want to go further, just take a map. You will recognize this typical grid of new Western cities on the American continent. Avenues intersect streets at right angles and at regular intervals. They form blocks: 150 meters by 200. Very practical when you're new in town.

Downtown is composed by business buildings, making it a desert at night and week-end. The rest of the city is a succession of individual houses and stores. It is cut across by the deep Saskatchewan river valley. From South-West to North-East, stretches a long green strip, an urban park that would correspond to nine Central Park (New York City) end to end.

I am not a city planning expert, but I have the feeling that city planning is rather different from what we can experience in Europe. Like in Anchorage, the city is very spread. But it seems that neither Canadians nor Americans want to waive their houses and their individual vital space. There is a strong connection between middle class and suburb development.

Alberta is the richest Canadian province if we consider GDP per capita as a criteria. Just an example. Every province apply provincial VAT in addition to the national VAT. But here, the government doesn't need this money. So there is only the federal VAT. Thus, Alberta belongs to the “have” provinces and has to give money to the confederation that redistributes it to the “not have”. It is the principle of the equalization payments.

The province of Alberta experienced very difficult times in a recent past. But the extraction of tar sands (i.e. oil; I'll write an article on that) changed the situation, despite the dramatic environmental impact.

I would not recommend visiting West Ed Mall (see previous article) although it would be sociologically interesting. But there is a wonderful steel-truss bridge, the Alberta Legislature, an interesting art gallery, and beautiful walk on the trails along the river. And for the fans, you'll see that squirrels will remind you of Scrat, the funny one in Ice Age.