#3: [09-Jul-10]

#2: [09-Jan-02]

31-Jul-2001 -- The confluence of 54N 113W is located in east central Alberta approximately 70 km north east of the city of Edmonton.

The confluence was shown on the MapQuest map as being within a few metres of a grid road north east of the town of Redwater Alberta. This was conveniently close to the highway and would be only a short detour on our trip to Cold Lake.

Setting out from Edmonton with my sister's family and their daughter's friend we reached Redwater after about a hour on the road. Continuing east then north from the town on secondary highways we soon turned off onto one of the gravel section roads.

In Alberta rural roads are laid out according to the Third System of survey in which there are roads running north/south at one mile intervals and east/west at two mile intervals. The smaller road allowances are only 66 feet wide including ditches which can be interesting when meeting oncoming traffic in inclement weather. This day the weather was good but the roads were somewhat muddy from recent rains and our van fishtailed a bit on the greasy surfaces.

As my Garmin GP12 counted down to under 100 metres we pulled over as far to the side of the narrow road as we could and stopped. The confluence was just east of the road in a cow pasture. Leaving the rest of the crew with the van I hopped a fence and navigated carefully between cow pies and muddy patches to the confluence. Although there were no cattle within sight the pasture appeared to be recently used. Hedge rows of young poplar trees bordered the pasture along the road allowance and on it's south side. Low patches of brush spotted the pasture.

After taking pictures of the area of the confluence I returned to the van and snapped a quick picture of the crew before continuing on our way for a stay at a cottage close to Cold Lake.