Alaska Adventure 2010 – Day 1-4

On days 1 through 4 of the Hurleys’ Alaska Adventure we traveled 744 miles from Coutts to Dawson Creek, Alberta, Canada. Our route was Highway 4 north to Lethbridge, Highway 2 to Calgary and Edmonton and 43 west to Dawson Creek.   We have Internet, so here goes with our travels so far.

Day 1, Friday, May 21, Coutts – Granum, Alberta, CA

On our first day of the Alaska Adventure 2010 we left Shelby, Montana to make our border crossing at Sweetgrass, just 30 miles north.  We were prepared, having done our homework on what we could and couldn’t carry with us in the motorhome and the documentation we would need.  There are some horror stories told of experiences of rvers at border crossings, you know.   Well, no long lines for us on this day.  We pulled up quickly after only two cars in line and presented our passports.  There were a few questions, such as, …Do we have any tobacco or alcohol – no….And do we have any firearms – no…Then she said it….Will you please pull to the left in the parking lot and go inside to see the Customs officials.  Oh no!! Here we go.  Will we be the lucky ones that have everything in our motorhome pulled out of cabinets and drawers and storage?  Let’s get it over with, there’s nothing to hide.  We go inside and find the correct window for “immigration.”  The nice young Canadian man asks how long we will be in Canada?…. When was our last trip to Canada?… Have we been convicted of any crimes?  How much money are we carrying?  And then he takes our passports and asks us to have a seat.  We’re still thinking our belongings are going to be examined, piece by piece.  But, no such thing occurred. Piece of cake!

Ten minutes later we were on our way to Alaska on Highway 4 north in Alberta, with our acclaimed “Milepost” book at hand.  Soon the kilometer, as opposed to mile, designations were clearing up slightly as the mind made connections with the new measurements.   We traveled north 63 miles/101.4 km to Lethbridge and made a stop at the WalMart, planning to use our debit card and ask for cash back in Canadian dollars. Then we’d be prepared with cash for incidentals on the trip.  But, this was the first glitch in our plans.  We were informed that our particular type of Visa debit card isn’t usable in certain places in Canada. Oh well, after a little lunch, we continued north with an issue we could solve later. The views so far that day were agricultural, sunny  landscapes.  But as the day went on it became cloudy and an extreme crosswind started developing. Until eventually, the wind caught the left window awning at the wrong angle and it unrolled as we went down the highway.  Wasn’t too much fun traveling at this point. So, we located a campground on a small lake and relaxed for the evening, along with the crowds of Canadians beginning their Victoria Day holiday weekend.  Day 1: total miles 150. It was a short day, but overall a safe and good start to our trip.

Day 2, Saturday, May 22, Granum, – Whitecourt, Alberta, CA

Although there are beautiful areas of the Canadian Rockies to enjoy, we are choosing this time to make the trip through Alberta on the shortest route possible.  The Alaska Highway is calling us.  As we moved north on Highway 2, around Edmonton on the bypass, and west on 43, we felt the temperatures dropping and the surroundings changed to the more mountainous, piney and snowy scenes. Following the Milepost book is becoming fun now. I’m checking the mileposts as we progress from the CB (Canadian Border) and then from Edmonton (E) and toward our next point, Dawson Creek (DC).  The road signs are somewhat different, but logical and easy to decipher also. The book includes not only mileage information but points of interest.   As we passed E 73.7 (118.6 km)  DC 289.3 (465.6 km) we saw an unusual site.    The C. N. R. Rochfort Bridge trestle is 2,414 feet/736m long and was originally built in 1914. This is the second longest wooden railway trestle in the world, crossing over highway 43 and Paddle River.The photo doesn’t really do it justice since it stretched back further than I could get in the camera. It was something to see.

About 37 miles/ 50 km later we were nearing Whitecourt and had traveled 352 miles. Time to find a home for the night. Our advance research said the Whitecourt WalMart was open to overnight rvers, so we exited the highway to check it out.  As we were pulling in for the evening, two coyotes shuffled across the road in front of us.  Just out looking for dinner, I guess.  We found our location to be quiet and had a congenial parking neighbor from New York.  And at the handy store next to WalMart, we discovered our new favorite Canadian beer, O’Kanagan Spring. Jerry chose the Porter and I am loving this Pale Ale.  We relaxed and got ready for the next day.  Day 2 of the Alaska Adventure brought our total miles traveled in Canada to 492.   

 

 

Day 3, Sunday, May 23, Whitecourt, Alberta – Dawson Creek, British Columbia

On Day 3 we jumped back on Highway 43 west out of Whitecourt. That is, after solving our debit card issue by using a bank ATM machine instead of one in a restaurant or retail store. It worked like a charm.  Back on the road again, we did encounter some snow along the route today, but it didn’t last long.   Also today was our first stop for diesel in Canada, 93.9 per liter, computing to about 3.37 a gallon, or thereabouts. At our fuel stop at the Esso in Valleyview, (334.8 km northwest of Edmonton according to The Milepost) we also found a diner for lunch that seemed popular.   Here I learned about a Donair, a Canadian sandwich that’s similar to a gyro.   Yummy.   We continued to see snow lining the roadways, but the roads remained clear and we had no problems.  The moose warning signs along the highway began appearing frequently.  But regardless of my eagle-eye watch on the forest line, there were no sitings of the live ones yet.   Our wildlife viewing for the day included numerous magpies, a juvenile bald eagle, a few llamas, a herd of buffalo and a lone red fox shuffling along beside us.  The roads have been relatively smooth so far also.  We haven’t encountered any of the heaves that can occur in these northern roadways.  That must come as we get further north where the winters are more treacherous.

Day 3 and 252 additional miles northwest in our travels brought us to the official start of the Alaska Highway – Dawson Creek, British Columbia.  This is Mile 0.  Here in 1942 the United States and Canadian governments started a joint work project, to build a 1400 mile highway that would provide the a means of protection against enemies threatening invasion. 

 

Day 4, Monday, May 24 (Victoria Day in Canada) – Dawson Creek, British Columbia

And so it really begins – The Alaska Highway – 1442 miles from Dawson Creek, B. C. to Delta Junction, Alaska.    We couldn’t pass through without taking photos at the Mile 0 post marking the spot where it starts in Dawson Creek.    We were also glad we took the time for the visitors center museum and the movie telling the story of the construction of the highway.  The movie explains how this project was proof of what can be accomplished with determination.  It took 14,000 men and women, two governments and ten months to open the 1400-mile highway.  There are tales of the extreme conditions, loss of life and monumental tasks.   It is an impressive story.

 

After taking a look around town and enjoying a great-tasting lunch at Tim Horton’s, we headed out for a drive. We wanted to see a portion of the original highway that has been rerouted when they made improvements over the years. About 17 miles north of Dawson Creek we drove over this historic old curved wooden Kiskatinaw River Bridge.  So, here’s another bridge photo.  This one is 531 foot/162m long and is the only original timber bridge built along the Alaska Highway that is still in use today. It was a little eerie driving over it, especially since the winter had caused some of the boards to buckle. We made it though.

And, while exploring the nearby Provincial Park I did – almost – make a wildlife siting.  Does this scat count?!  And from what animal did it come? Bear perhaps?  We will investigate……

See you up the Alaska Highway.

All Aboard – Great Falls to Shelby, MT

Our Great Falls, MT, visit ended this morning when the volts on our rebuilt alternator finally cranked correctly.  Ferd is once again purring along.  Knock on wood! 

But, wait a minute.  Instead of tapping our toes yesterday we took a ride around town. Loved this mural on one of the buildings downtown. Hope there’s no days like this fellow had in our near future.  The closest we came so far to wildlife in Great Falls is the prairie dogs living in the field next to the repair facility.

But we did hunt down a super, nostalgic restaurant that I read about in a community newspaper.  Fords Drive In on West Central Avenue now has our vote, along with Food Network Magazine’s judgment as the best burger in northwestern Montana. They use only fresh ground beef from local producers. Very good.  Fords is also known for their shakes…..50 flavors, including Montana huckleberry, rum & coke and bubble gum.  I tried caramel and Jerry had chocolate.  Not too adventurous, but delicious.

The car hops run to your car. No wonder the smiling girl we had was so slim.  It was a fun place to visit, especially for those of us who can remember when these types of “drive-ins” were  a part of our youth. Just thought I’d share.   

So anyway, about heading “North to Alaska” again. It was a short trip today, but one that got us on track again.  We traveled north from Great Falls to Shelby, Montana, a meager 75 miles. Our general delivery mail was waiting for us at the friendly Shelby post office. We made sure to eat or throw out any produce, vegetables and opened meat tonight. Now we are poised for the 30-mile trip to the Canadian border tomorrow. 

Take care everyone.  See you down the road. 

207 Years Ago in Great Falls

It was time to explore our location.  For us, it was only a matter of driving in our car a few miles.  But Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the crew of the Corps of Discovery weathered extremes and survived many travails in two years and over 4,000 miles –one way, that is.  The intriguing story is told at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, MT.  We enjoyed increasing our knowledge about the 1803 expedition commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson. What exactly did he hope to find?  Why did he choose these individuals to take the mission to find a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean via this new land purchased by the U. S.? The exhibits in the Interpretive Center capture your interest, keep you wanting the next piece of information about the river and animals, the differing geography, the indigenous peoples’ traits, as well as the explorers’ own personalities.  One featured film presented in the theater concerns the 18-mile very rigorous portage that the crew experienced when they reached this area of the Missouri River, the “great falls”, five of them in fact. Too treacherous to traverse in their wooden boats, they created another way. Can you imagine them building wooden wheels and manually hauling the boats and belongings? This life-like, full-size diorama depicts the hardships they encountered. Through help from local tribes and Sacajawea’s influence they found their next waterway, the Columbia River, and eventually the way to the Pacific. 

There are a multitude of aspects of the Corps of Discovery expedition explained in interesting ways at the Interpretive Center. You might want to make this a stop should you be passing through Montana. The album below is a tiny glimpse.  If you would like to learn more, click on the boxes.

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What To Do During Delays?

This unexpected layover in Great Falls, MT, stretches on.  The alternator for Ferd is making its way from Michigan to Montana, while we wait here at Dick’s RV Park.  And meanwhile, I had another dentist visit when issues reoccurred from my extractions a month ago.  So, after a CT scan of my entire head, I have more antibiotics to kill out the nasty remnants of infection.  But, what to do for fun?  Didn’t feel like museums or exploring too much since the weather was cold. Besides, we’re geared up for Canada and Alaska.

So after a few more calls to reconfirm our confirmed information about Verizon services north of the border and notifying family of our new schedule, we’ve entertained ourselves with movies and Internet and music.  It is continually amazing what’s out there.  We wondered about folks we saw at the local WalMart who were obviously of a religious community in this area.  A quick search on the Internet answered our questions about the Hutterites.  Also, I came across a new website where you can collect any kind of information you want into your own personal collections, or bags.  It’s called BagtheWeb.  Then you can share the collection as you wish.  Interesting.  I could think of many uses.  And how about this? While I’m typing this post, Jerry’s reading a blog of unusual (so to speak) resumes. Tears are rolling down his face as he gives me some of the quotes: “ Please call me after 5:30 because I am self-employed and my employer does not know I am looking for another job.” And this one: “Excellent memory.  Strong math aptitude. Excellent memory.”

As far as movies,  somehow we’ve both missed a unique 1994 movie called “Radioland Murders.”  No more.  We had a great time watching it the other morning.  It’s clever and mesmerizing…..filled with double entendres and one-liners.  There’s one face after another that you recognize.  We laughed and laughed at this raucous comedy…that also had a message.  Good one for lightening up things a little.

And what about just listening to music?  For instance, this morning we  heard a great country song entitled “Stop the bar. I’m getting off and going home.”  and another one called “I’m stuck in Indianapolis.”   These were new to us.  How about you?

Before  we venture out to see Great Falls -- Here are a few thoughts that a good friend sent on the Internet today:

Gentle Thoughts for Today -

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. 

Birds of a feather flock together . . . ..and then crap on your car.

A penny saved is a government oversight.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight,
because by then your body and your fat

have gotten to be really good friends.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to
buy a replacement.

He who hesitates is probably right.

If you think there is good in everybody, you haven't met everybody. 

The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when
he's really in trouble.

There's always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it.  For example,  I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.

Did you ever notice: When you put the two
words 'The' and 'IRS' together it spells 'Theirs...'

Aging: 
The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Why do signs of age seem to be creeping up so quickly?  Maybe because I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.

You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back

to your youth, think of Algebra.

Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand
over my mouth . . .. . . . . .. .AMEN!

Travels and Troubles in the Hurley Corral

We’ve glimpsed quite an array of enjoyable western United States scenery over the past three days on on interstate 15 northbound.  There are so many stretches of miles that have low traffic and outstanding views.  The scenes varied from red cliffs, the Salt Lake, snow-topped mountains, ranch-filled valleys, swift streams to pine trees -- from southern Utah, through Idaho, to northern Montana.    But the trip also took some slightly unwelcome bends.   

One of our stops was Cabela’s in Nehi, Utah, to look for a few important items for the Alaska adventure.   We stocked up on some highly-recommended insect repellant, found the hiking shoes I (Nancy) wanted and sampled the delicious bison and venison brats at the in-store restaurant.  Cabela’s has roomy rv parking accommodations just a short walk from the store.  The setting is high on a bluff with blue-sky-snow-powdered-mountains at 360 degrees.  We had a prime resting spot for the night.

The next two days included tremendous scenes in eastern Idaho and western Montana, still on I-15. Winding through southern Montana, following the railroad tracks through Clark Canyon, the small western towns are reminders of times past. As we reached the mountain passes in Montana the spring snow melt was evident in the quickly-flowing creeks.  We enjoyed seeing fly fisherman doing their thing. And we watched real cowboys doing their thing - cutting cattle. 

Our route turned a little bit nasty in the mountain passes south of Butte when snow shortened our visibility considerably.  Here are a couple of photos snapped as we zig-zagged at about 7,000 feet. 

The weather cleared up as we went into the valley nearing Butte.  But that’s when another of our trip’s glitches occurred.  Jerry noticed Ferd’s  voltage meter taking jumps occasionally from 14 to 16 volts. Not a maintained spike, but still enough to get his attention.  We regrouped at a rest stop in Helena where we searched the Internet for a possible repair facility. Since the larger city of Great Falls provided more possible choices, we moved on for another 75 miles.  This brings us to our current location, Dick’s RV Park in Great Falls. The people are friendly, the park is clean and the accommodations are decent – a place to take care of business. Thanks to my mechanically-minded husband (Good ole Gramps!) and helpful Foretravel online friends, we are locating and ordering a new alternator. Installation will follow.

When all is said and done, this will be just another bump in the road.  Besides, this area of the country also happens to be having an unseasonable cold snap (snowy and frigid!). We’ll pause for a few days to remedy Ferd’s little annoyance and let the weather improve somewhat. Then we’ll take our next step toward Alaska.  We are just about 100 miles from Canada now.  Those glaciers are nearing. Stay safe and keep smiling. We’ll see you down the road.

A Surprising Day of Perseverance and Stamina

Saturday, May 1, was a surprising day. We were glad we stayed a couple of extra days in St. George, Utah.  At first, they told us at the Elks Lodge that we would have to leave on Friday because the roads surrounding the lodge would be closed all day on Saturday.  But when we asked further, there was no issue if we didn’t mind the inconvenience.  Well, we stayed and even had company of other rvers.  The reason for all the hoopla in St. George was the Ironman competition.  The city went all out to host the 1915 athletes from 30 countries who swam 2.4 miles, bicycled 112 miles and ran 26 miles – all in one day. The photo here is an example of a part of the course along the Red Hills Parkway. 

Jerry and I had heard of this event but were interested to see one close up.  Our vantage point was at the “crossover” point for the run, just down the hill from our home at the Elks.  We met our neighbors, one couple just stopping through as we were, one couple in town to visit friends and the two others cheering on their son/nephew.  When we set up our chairs we thought maybe we’d watch for 30 minutes or so, just to see a few of the competitors.   Soon we had an “unofficial welcome station,” rooting for these determined folks who came passing by us at four separate intervals in their marathon. Here’s a photo of the winner running up to greet us. (LOL)

It was surprising to see the tremendous diversity of the participants.  They were of every age, size, build and stride.  Of course there were the expected young, muscled body builder or runner’s physics.  But it was soon obvious that these 1900 people were widely diverse. 

As I said, our vantage point happened to be where the runners came through four times in their 26-mile course.  After watching for a while, everyone started remembering certain athletes and which lap they were on in completing their run. And so the time passed.  We all became more involved in the event than we thought we would. Just watching them persevere. Maybe that happened to the other 9,992 spectators throughout the city, but our tiny segment of the event was isolated for us.  Everyone participating in Ironman became amazing to us, just thinking about the fact that they had already swam over two miles and biked 112 miles before we saw them.  Many were striding at full strength, but all were at least pushing through.  Somehow we started nicknaming certain participants by a trait or piece of clothing or a smile.  For instance, the fellow below came through the first lap with a bloody pad on his neck (biking accident??).  The next time around he was bandaged as below and obviously in pain -- still in the mix. He and his friends walked the rest of the course. He rated the “wounded warrior” label, right?

The Wounded Warrior team – supportive and determined.

The new camera got a workout.  The photos selected for posting here are just a few of the standouts, for whatever reason.  The Ironman winners’ names you can find in many places, if you’re interested.  Any names given here are chosen by our group throughout the five hours that we eventually remained at our station that day. Many of the athletes were totally in a zone, but others communicated or responded to us in some way.  There was the third place female winner that wore a wide smile absolutely through every stride, and Tex, Captain, Navy (and our rver friend, Bud) who were among those who had some fun with us. We saw seniors who were just awesome. Old Fart and Green Socks that gave us a smile, too. And, of course, we didn’t name him, but were inspired by the man with the artificial leg.   These and a few others are in my photo album below.  If you would like to click, you’ll see them all.

 

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It was a surprising day in terms of our enjoyment, but mostly, the participants in this grueling event. See you down the road.

Finding St. George, Utah

Here’s another pause on our journey to the north.   After our national park visit the other day, we traveled about 50 miles west, to St. George, Utah.  We had shopping and laundry and we were curious about this city, so we are now adding it to our visited list.  The Elks Lodge here has proven to be a very nice location.  It sits up on a bluff with the red cliffs backing up the rv spots. The red rock, mountains and golf course views from our home are easy to get used to. 

It seems that this city’s surrounded by photo ops.  Wikipedia describes it so well: ….”St. George's trademark is its geology — red bluffs make up the northern part of the city with two peaks covered in lava rock in the city's center. The northeastern edges of the Mojave Desert are visible to the south. Zion National Park can be seen to the east, and the Pine Valley Mountains loom over the city to the north and northwest.”  With the views and the mild winters, one can see why the city is a popular retirement community.   Looking into these red rocks, I’ve also learned that St. George is built directly upon Jurassic, Triassic, and Permian period sedimentary bedrock.  And that the movie Jurassic Park was filmed here.  

This turns out to be convenient surroundings for us for a couple of reasons, both fun and interesting.  One of the objectives on this stop was to possibly choose a new camera.  The Nikon Coolpix has been a loyal friend for over six years.  But it’s time to update.  Especially for the wildlife and scenery we’ll be experiencing on the Destination Alaska 2010 trip - starting soon. I wanted to improve the zoom,  the wide angle and shutter speed and was hoping for image stabilization. But at the same time, realistically, we knew we wouldn’t carry a cumbersome machine around with us.  In other words, avoid big and complicated.  Long story short, we found it.  The Hurleys now own a Canon Power Shot SX210.  They seem to be very popular, even with the sales people who praised the camera and wished they personally had one, while apologizing that they couldn’t keep them in stock.  So we searched until we found one available at a local camera shop.  It has everything we need, but is still small enough to be a pocket camera. And since she’ll be spending a lot of time with us, we needed the appropriate name.  Enter …..Goldie.  ( You can see why her name’s appropriate in a photo below.)

#1. St. George city park with wide angle. See the people on top – the tiny specks.  See photo #2.	#2. These are the same folks as in #1 – using the zoom. (No doctoring here.)

The last couple of days we’ve been using St. George’s scenic southwest surroundings to become familiar with Goldie, trying out each feature and getting used to functions.  There are a few examples in this post.  Just getting started on practicing for bears, moose and glaciers. 

That covers one reason this was a good stop.  The second reason took us by surprise.  Pulling through town we noticed the major streets displayed signs concerning an event on Saturday, May 1.  Planning to move on by then, we dismissed that for a while.  We found the Elks and got settled.  But then we heard more about the major road closings on Saturday as we explored. What is this really? Where have we been?  Certainly not getting the news about the “Ford Ironman St. George.”  It’s huge: 2200 athletes, 30 countries. Now we know and we’re staying. We’re avoiding some bad weather for a few days. Besides, “Why not see an Ironman event when it’s right in front of your nose!”  This sounds exciting.  Roads are being closed. Setup is underway. Stay tuned.