01-Sep-2001 -- NW of Buffalo, eh? There isn't much in Buffalo any more, looks abandoned to me. As with the area around Walsh, AB and the 50N110W confluence, this area is very dry. Driving here, I went past the military base at Suffield. I even stopped at the Military Police building just to make sure the confluence wasn't on their territory (the northern limit is about 15 miles south of the confluence). Lots of British accents on that base.

The confluence itself is up on the prairie just north of the Red Deer River. I got as far as the base of the river valley by truck, and walked the remaining distance. There is oil exploration activity in the area, and a track used by the oil companies comes within about 85 paces of the confluence. This track appears to be on a heading of 330 degrees, which seems a little strange to me. The point 51° 0' 0.0"N 111° 0' 0.0" has an elevation of 727m according to my GPS.

Leaving the confluence, I passed a small stretch of irrigated land, and rounded a couple of corners on the gravel road. I passed over top of something which initially looked like a stick, but I realised it was a snake at the last second. I backed up and stopped beside this snake, which happened to be a 7 year old rattlesnake. The first poisonous snake I've seen in person. I stayed in the truck, just rolled the window dow to take his picture with my good camera.