On the Road Again

August 14th, 9am

Lots of posts en masse, in reverse chronological order.  Wifi is slow and unpredictable.  Stay tuned for exciting photos ... since I can't upload them at the moment, you'll have to settle for enigmatic placeholders until I get a better connection.  [August 15th, 7:30pm – photos uploaded! Bless you, fast Yukon wifi!]


August 13th

As it turns out, it wasn't the alternator.  Evergreen RV didn't screw us on that front (they had replaced the alternator a few weeks ago), but it was the voltage regulator that they had replaced that failed, and that's what stopped us dead in our tracks as we attempted to make our way to Moberly Lake last night.  The guys at Johnson's Industrial (HIGHLY RECOMMEND, especially at 7 in the morning on a Friday in the middle of nowhere, BC) suggested that Evergreen RV hadn't properly grounded the voltage regulator to the engine block when they replaced it.  John promises he's going to have a stern word with Evergreen RV (and hopefully a refund?) upon arrival in Fairbanks.

While the motorhome was being repaired, we played gin, crib and casino inside.  It was fixed by noon. Then it was a mere 400 miles (ish) to Fort Nelson.  The landscape looks more and more like Fairbanks as we drive north.  It's amazing to me that there are hundreds of thousands of square miles of boreal forest spread across Canada, Alaska and Russia.  Scrub spruce, birch and muskeg.  The fireweed flank the road like a red carpet, welcoming us home.

Fort Nelson is a highway town in the middle of a boom (my guess is from all the oil/gas development and construction).  We arrived at 8 o'clock on a Friday night, and the place was hopping with big ass trucks and youngish folks (mostly guys) fresh off work crews getting ready to go out on the town.  Is this what Fairbanks was like during the heyday of the pipeline?  The first RV park we stopped at (the Triple G – we definitely want to take a picture and send to Dan Savage) was full, so we stayed the night at the Blue Bell Inn.  I'm grateful they had an opening but not thrilled about the ice cold shower and crappy wifi.  John successfully maneuvered the trailer into a non-pull through spot. And I got to help John with emptying our dump tank – that made for some repulsive entertainment.  Some better fun was had after dinner playing "Mad Gab", a travel game that Carrie and Charb gave us.  RVing is wholesome fun!  Plus, there was wine.

Tomorrow, there's a farmer's market at the Triple G, then it's a leisurely two hundred mile drive to Liard Hot Springs.  Leisurely, except that we have to climb the rockies.  The behemoth grudgingly accomplishes climbs, but it does not like it.

August 12th, 9:40pm

We're pulled off to the side of Highway 29 outside Chetwynd, having attempted the Hudson's Hope Loop ... or, as John put it:

Captain's Log.
Ship ran aground on Dead Alternator Rock.  Crew safe but anxious.  Animal cargo unfazed.  Unfortunately, new moon tides may leave us stranded and unnoticed for some time.  At first light, will attempt to hail passing vessel for passage to nearby port.  Will leave first mate in charge.  That worries me (and the first mate) most.


August 12th, Morning

I think I saw a raven, but I can't be sure.  Too many years among crows have stifled my recognition skills.

We're getting an earlier start today than yesterday!  Dawson Creek, ho!

August 11th, Evening

I am writing this entry out in longhand first, since we regrettably lack wifi tonight.  Actually, I have no regrets. To get wifi, we would have had to stay at the Kokanee Motel and Campsight, which was a much less awesome place than Lac La Hache (Lake of the AXE!!!) Provincial Park, where we've pulled in for the night.  There's a fire ban, but the air still smells of smoke from the fires near Quesnel and Bella Coola (what pretty names the Canadians have for their places!).  We're a little behind schedule, per El Capitan's intentions. He had wanted to make it past Quesnel tonight, but a late start and frequent stops for gas put us behind ... but at least we avoided major mechanical issues!  We did struggle with some minor overheating.  But thanks to Saaby Saab's contribution of some coolant to this adventure, we managed to get back on the road.

We had some local Mt. Beglie High Country Kölsch (delicious!) and are currently trying to capture the essence of awesome of Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale.

Dinner tonight was a one-pot meal of jambalaya courtesy of a 5-7 year-old box of Zatarain's (I'm just guessing, but it probably came from the Fremont place and possibly came from the Queen Anne/Howe slum) and one package of pork shoulder that we picked up in Hope, BC.  Where is Hope, BC, you wonder?  Why, it's simply THE place in Canada to get this kind of exotic meal:

Hope also has a carved wooden bear (but something tells me that's not unique among BC towns):

... and ample street parking for our behemoth (that's me inside, waving!):

Just out of frame in the top picture are the drunks who were getting frisky and loud on the lawn in front of a local seedy motel.  Apparently, while I was inside waiting for John to bring home the bacon, some mounties stopped by to give them a good what-for, but I noticed nothing.  Dangerous, alcoholic bums?  Oh, Ballard, it's almost like home!

Cat update: all is well.  We haven't lost anyone yet, at least.  There was a moment when I thought that Henry had escaped while we were gassing up, but it turns out he was just hiding behind the cooler under the table.  Sneaky puss.  I know I worry too much.  But it's kind of freaky when you're on the road and can't find a cat and wonder if you accidentally forget to close a window or door.

This morning, I had jury duty. Obviously, I was unable to be there in person.  Note to King County jury selection officials: when I requested to be excused on the grounds that I would no longer be a resident of Seattle, I wasn't making shit up.  I'm so bemused that my request was denied.

We played cribbage tonight and I finally broke my losing streak.  Don't get me wrong – I'm still ahead in the standings.  Yes, John and I keep a running tally of wins and losses between us.  That's not weirdly competitive, right?

We're planning on taking a walk down to the beach when it gets a little darker tonight.  Hopefully, we'll catch a glimpse of the Perseid meteor shower, which is supposed to peak in the next few nights and is especially prominent in the mid-to-high northern latitudes (according to John).

Two out of three cats are purring!  Oh.  One out of the two cats I thought was purring is actually snoring.  John says, "People said that 3 cats in the motorhome would be a big deal, but it's not.  Because they usually find the smallest space to crawl inside and don't take up that much space."

I'm going to regret not having a hot shower tomorrow.

On our beach walk, I saw three meteors and a beach frog peed on my hand when I picked it up.  Romance factor: +10