Stacking Stones


back index forward

I had the opportunity to go on a huge road trip in 2004. My good Friend Dave and I took a Volvo 740 and split. We left our jobs at the scrapyard and disappeared on an extended Vacation. The trip took us through 5 provinces and 2 territories. It was the first time I had been to the NWT. Quite a remarkable place. We took highway 77 north from Fort Neslon BC. Upon Crossing the Border into the NWT we stopped at the side of the highway. We were listening to the Talking Heads "Road To Nowhere." It really was no where. The snow was shining in the bright may sun. So quiet. So very quiet. Ocassionally intterupted by a raven making its odd chortle. A snowshoe hare crunched across the road, that was loud. We didn't venture to far into nowhere. We stopped at the First town Fort Liard. A very sleepy town. It felt as if we had arrived on the first day of spring. There was the sound of melting snow. All the residents were out on the street walking around in wonderment. As if the hibernation of winter was finally over.

We din't linger long there in Fort Liard. Just bought gas and turned around. Oh wait I remeber stopping next to the Liard River and talking to an old man next to a boat. He didn't say much as I can remember. But it was Sunny and the Snow was melting so he was in a pleasant enough mood. But now i am starting to drone on about a story that is only partially relavent to stone stacking.

On our way back south to BC I was over come with the urge to leave a small easily missed marker. I assembled it in a matter of moments as we were pressed for time and had to get back to the Alaskan higway. It wasn't much but it filled a primal urge to leave a mark. I chose to emphasize the east-west axis that we had been travelling.

So without further digression I shall present this photo:


its hard to photograph something that looks so natural
It just sort of blends into the landscape

We stopped again at the Petiot River to have lunch. Once again surrounded by stones i decided to erect another marker. This one turned out to be incredibly phallic. But all sculpture can have this freudian aspect to it if one looks hard enough.


If I was from babylon I would call it Baal

Upon returning to the alaskan Highway we made a dash for the Yukon. A lot of interesting things happened on that stretch of the trip. In the interest of keeping things brief I am going to skip ahead to Lac La Barge. That being the furthest North I have ever been. Thus requiring a monument to mark the occasion.


look at all them rocks who could resist?

The road trip didn't end for another few thousand kilometres. There was a pit stop in Vancouver. Stayed there a couple of weeks, then Dave dropped me off at the side of the highway and I started walking across BC following Highway 3. But thats another story.


back index forward