Alaska Bound Day22

Photo: Whistler's Daughter ready to go.

Day 22 After breakfast Wilfrid and I headed out to one of his projects, a multi use sports facility which is part of a farmers co-op facility in the town of Coombs. A donor was presenting a check for the project. As it turned out it was a media event complete with TV video cameras and reporters. After the hoopla I had a private tour of the impressive facility. We then headed for the French Creek Marina where his boat WHISTLER”S DAUGHTER if moored. We put on the main sail and jib (hanked on). We then toured the nearby French Creek Boat Yard of which he is a part owner. Back to the boat, the weather seemed perfect for a shake down first of the season sail. He did a remarkable job of working out way out of the slep with me on the wheel! It was a wonderful sail. WD is so well balanced that the steering was easy and I had no difficulty holding it into the wind while Wilfrid raised the sails. We lunched on apples and energy bars from Big Mama’s larder while enjoying the gentle winds, snow capped mountains, and perfect blue skies.
A remarkable docking and a quote from as Wilfrid put it “an old friend” and equal number of landings as departures. He said he thinks of Les each time he returns from a sail. That was special too.
We headed back to the house and managed to still each lunch. Alaska travel mate Judy arrived about an hour later and we compared each other’s Roadtreks and got acquainted. Judy and Wilfrid treated us to a great dinner and afterwards a round of dominoes ended a very satisfying day. Tomorrow Judy and I head north in tandem and will try out the walkie talkies I brought along.

Alaska Bound Days 20 & 21

Inside the ferry and Horseshoe Bay harbor

Day 20 Miles 59 plus by ferry from Horseshoe Bay, BC to Departure Bay,BC Rain had ended by morning but still threatening. I pumped out again and added water to the rear tank. I also tried to remove the bugs from the hood and clean other parts. I’ve decided to wait to do the complete job. It was just too cold. I left the campground around 10 a.m. and followed directions to a gas station to fill the tank. I also tried to stop by a bank but parking was impossible and I can find one on the island. Fortunately I was able to figure out my way the Highway #1 west which takes you to the ferry terminal. Ian and I had discussed the route yesterday and he also provided me with instructions to get to his Dad’s house from the Nanaimo ferry terminal. I was early and the ferry was late but that’s better than the opposite. I get to park with the trucks, buses, and other RV’s on the lower deck. It really is easier to load than with a car. I bought a cup of tea to have with my energy bar and apple, did some crosswords, read a magazine and looked out the window and the time passed quickly. I had observed our departure on the top deck but it was cold and windy. Unloading was easy but a bit of a shock to drive off into heavy rain. That continued off and on as I headed north. With Ian’s directions, I didn’t even put the address into Greta and the trip went smoothly arriving at Judy and Wilfrid’s at 3:30 p.m. Here the sun was shining and we soaked it up outside until the evening chill set in. They prepared a wonderful dinner and again rhubarb pie! I am really doing well traveling at rhubarb time! Activities are planned for the next couple of days plus hopefully a little maintenance work.
Day 21 After breakfast Wilfrid assisted me with a clean up of the house battery and a check of the water level which was fine. He removed the battery for this and use some sandpaper to clean the connections. He also cut down the size of one of the rods that holds down the battery which made it easier to secure. We sprayed the connections and then used white grease on the battery tray slides. I had some problems with the propane valve at Vancouver, and Wilfrid was able to loosen it. I tried the stove and refrigerator and both worked with the propane. Yeah! It’s so cold though that I’m not worrying about running the refrig. I have very little in it. This probably sounds pretty mundane but it is important to my travels. The tires also were checked and are holding the pressure just fine. Several have responded to my “shimmy” problem and I really appreciate the suggestions. I think the down shifting and watching my “coasting” speed are the solutions.
Afterwards we had a good walk but short of their “geo cash” site which is up a logging road off Chatsworth, their street (for all you geo cashers I’ll try to get more info.) Toby, short for Toberlone, their dog, was unwilling to go the whole distance and kept having sitdown strikes.
After lunch we headed into Qualicum Beach, a nifty town. There’s a wonderful garden, Milner, where Wilfrid volunteers his architectural skills. The garden was full of spring blossoms in addition to wonderful tall trees. After a driving tour of some of the waterfront houses, we went to the wonderful grocery store and then home to work on various projects. I thought I had somehow deleted my family history files. I won’t bore you with the details but what was lost, not seems to be found.
Tonight I introduced them to dominoes. After a slow start Wilfrid emerged the winner. We also contacted my Alaska “mate” Judy who is still working her way to the ferry in Anacortes and invited her to make her destination, Wilfrid and Judy’s house for tomorrow night. So tomorrow will be the big “get acquainted” day and then we’ll head north together on Friday.

Alaska Bound Day 19

Day 19 Vancouver BC Yesterday was quite warm and sunny. Today began very cloudy and tonight is steady rain. I had difficulty again with the credit card on check in yesterday so tried again today after a call to the company last night. Yes, they had a record I’d be traveling but they were just making sure it was me. This time it authorized. I pumped out the tanks and it worked ok without the “donut.” But as my Roadtrek friend Susan advised, it’s a lot smellier. I also filled the forward water tank. I made use of the lounge internet connection but it wouldn’t upload photos. Ian and his 2 year daughter Ginger, picked me up around noon to head for their house in the university area. They have really done a lot to enhance the 1930’s vintage house. We caught up on each other’s lives and watched the activities of the kids. Ian grilled great burgers and we all participated in the care and feeding of their various fish inside and out. Son Oscar performed on the recorder and daughter Dixie on the piano and sang an original song. All three are bright, inquisitive and active children. The rain had begun again as we headed back to the RV park. Somehow the driver’s side door had leaked because I had left up the “Skreez” over the window. Dumb. Anyway I removed them from both front doors; no need for ventilation tonight. I dried them with the hairdryer. Tonight I have been preparing for my ferry ride at 12:30 tomorrow by loading some food and reading, crossword materials as well as binoculars into the backpack. The ride is about an hour and a half so I doubt you stay in your vehicle or would I want to.

Alaska Bound Days 17 & 18

Day 17 Miles 354 Hope Idaho to Pendicton BC An early start, I was up at 6:30 and on the road at 7:30. Drove to Sandpoint where lots of activity and street closures heralded their “Lost in the Fifties” celebration. Cars from my teenage years (aged better than I have) were all around town. Amazingly I found a parking spot and then by foot was able to find Bank of America to deposit my checks. In addition to the Fifties folks. the Farmers market was busy setting up shop. I found the van again, plugged my days destination into Greta Garmin and off we went. It was a different route than I’d planned. Mine took me by a Shell station. I found another brand and filled up. Driving away I noticed I was headed southeast. I was supposed to be going north to cross into Canada. I turned around and headed back to Sandpoint. By now there were even more cars and people and a detour. Finally I found the sign pointing to Canada. I crossed the border at 10 a.m. and the only inquiry was whether I had weapons (I don’t). She didn’t even ask to see my passport!
The day’s ride was through some spectacular countryside and up and down mountain passes. A couple of times I had a shimmy while braking on the descent. I am not sure if I have a problem or if it was the road condition. It shook me up though. There are lakes all around and a number of resort type communities. I also saw bicycle riders everywhere. I haven’t seen so many in an area since I was in the Netherlands and Belgium. The area where Pendiction is located is known for its wineries and fruit production. Vineyards line the hillsides and fruit stands are everywhere though most were not open. The area reminds me of parts of Germany and even Switzerland. I missed one turn on the way the Shirley and Sid’s but Greta redeemed herself and put me on their street. They have the same model and year Roadtrek as I do but with some differences. We bounced between the two vehicles comparing them. They had formerly driven a Prevost Coach, a much larger RV. However they spent 3 months this winter in the RT in California and Arizona.
My first request was for a shower. How’s that for introducing yourself? Every campground either had no heat in shower or no water. Sponge baths were just not doing it. I felt like a new person and then I was feted to a wonderful dinner capped off by delicious rhubarb pie. We talked well into the evening. I also talked by phone to Judy who is now in Oregon. We are going to try to connect on Vancouver Island.

Day 18 Miles 244 Pendicton BC to Vancouver BC I was treated to waffles topped with a wonderful rhubarb sauce for breakfast. We toured their incredible garden with raised beds which Sid had constructed. I took photos to send along to the gardeners in my life. I was on my way by 9:45. It was difficult to say goodbye since I don’t know if we’ll meet again. They were so kind and generous and we had fun comparing adventures.
I had difficulty yesterday getting my first gas fill up in Canada. My credit card wouldn’t work at the pump and I had difficulty figuring out the liters I needed for a fill up. Consequently I was already down to a half tank so stopped on my way out of town. The card wouldn’t work again but this time the woman was nice enough to let me fill and then charge another card. The problem card is one I use in foreign countries because they do not charge a conversion fee. I had notified them of my travel plans so I’m not sure what is wrong.
Sid and Shirley had advised me on the route to Vancouver which was #3. It was again a most scenic trip full of mountain streams and up and down the passes. I shifted down on the downhill grades of 6-8% and never experienced that shimmy. I did see an accident which I suspect was a motorcycle that went over the barricade at the edge of the road and down onto the rocks below. This is what I surmised based on all who had stopped and were looking down. I continued on my way but was passed by 4 emergency vehicles heading from Hope BC up the mountain. I can’t imagine how they will reach the victim.
I stopped at a rest area near Hope and had a light lunch and reviewed maps and plans. I called Ian, a second cousin, who lives in Vancouver and suggested that Monday might be a better day to get together. It is a holiday in Canada celebrating the birthday of Queen Victoria! I wanted to stop at Minter Gardens on my way into Vancouver and knew I would be pushing myself to stop by his house as well. The gardens are in a landslide area and were begun in the 70’s. I really enjoyed stretching my legs and seeing all the wonderful spring flowers. A garden wedding was in progress and a singer was entertaining in another area.
Greta found the campground without a problem though traffic coming into town was quite steady and building. The Burnaby Cariboo RV Park has a lot of nice features but the spaces are really tight. I had a challenge backing into my site. My neighbors are a Dutch family from near The Hague who rented an RV in Calgary. They are half way through their 3 week tour of the area and said they had snow in the Jasper Banff area.
There are lots of families here celebrating the 3 day weekend. I imagine tomorrow night will be much quieter. There is internet service in the “lounge”. They also have a fitness center and indoor pool and a vehicle washing facility which I hope I can use before leaving on Tuesday. Big Mama needs a shower as much as Sandy did! I guess that stands to reason after 4044 miles since leaving Stuart. In a way arriving here ends a phase of the trip. The next miles will partly be by ferry so it will be difficult to determine and of course will save both the driver and the vehicle some stress and strain.

Alaska Bound Days 14-16

Day 14 Miles 228 The day began very overcast but seemed clearer looking west, my direction. The temperature was 36 degrees but I decided to add water to the tank. I took a photo of myself doing it with my ear muffs under my Roadtrek hat. I also was wearing a turtleneck shirt, wool sweater, lined windbreaker, and long underwear under my jeans. Fortunately the wind was calm. I proceeded to the sanitation dump station and all went well with the pumpout until the end when somehow the donut hose attachment that secures the hose in the pipe, fell down into the pipe never to be seen again. I know from experience it is expense to replace but as the day evolved I’ve learned they are difficult to acquire. I decided I should report it to the KOA office. It could cause a sewer backup. The maintenance man assured me that since he couldn’t see it there wasn’t a problem. It is quite a thick piece of rubber but at least I had notified them. He suggested I stop by a local RV dealer for a replacement and while I was there I could pick up some of their cheap propane. After some circling around, I found the dealer. They’d never heard of such a part nor was there one in their catalogue. The man sent to file the propane tank didn’t have a clue about the way the Roadtrek tank worked and since I’d never had it done before, neither did I. I think he was delighted when I said maybe I’d better find a Roadtrek dealer. The poor man had on a stocking cap and a lightweight jacket and looked more than eager to escape from the cold.
Onto I 90 westbound there were signs that there had been snow at the higher elevations. Some of the tree branches were snow laden. I took a photo at a rest area. My route foller the fast flowing Clark Fork river which was in Missoula (miss identified at Crooked River in Day 13) and the Lewis-Clark fault which according to the information is where the Rocky Mountains rose into being.
I had several tasks planned for the Coeur D’Alane ID area and people I met Monday had advised about a Bank of America location where I wanted to get some cash. There are no branches in Alaska. The teller used to live in the Stuart area! I then placed a call to a nearby RV dealer re the problem with my refrigerator pilot light. He pleaded backed up in the service area and suggested RnR in Liberty Lake “just across the line”. “ You mean the Washington State line?” I asked. Hard to believe I had to go to another state. It was actually rather close and I found the dealership without much trouble. They though said there was no problem with the refrigerator and thought I wasn’t turning on the gas far enough. (Not true) but they filled the tank and only charged me for the propane. Interestingly, unknowingly I drove away from there with the propane powering the refrig, something safety experts do NOT recommend. I was impressed by the dealership and delighted that they also sold Roadtreks. However they did not have a “donut” for the sanitation hose either. Meantime I’d called a dealer in Vancouver as well to see about an appointment for Monday only to learn Monday is a holiday in Canada. That may play into my plans.
So tonight I am in Farragut State Park in the Idaho panhandle. Can you name the states that have “panhandles”? I came up with Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho and Florida. There are only 3 of us in the campground and word is the temp could go to 32. Now it’s raining and more is predicted for tomorrow. I realize I don’t have a good map for British Columbia. Originally I thought I wouldn’t have to navigate past this area. That reminds me that some who are reading this might have wondered about Day 13’s “now we are 2”. So I will recap of how this trip has evolved. It started when I was recruiting people to go to Newfoundland in 2008. I met a couple at a Florida Rally in March of that year who said they were not able to make that trip but were planning on Alaska in 2010. I said that was my plan and to keep me informed. By fall they wrote up the trip for the Roadtrek Newsletter. The group was limited to 12 vehicles and commitment was needed by the end of the year. I signed on and sent the money requested which would cover the first and last nights camping and dinners.
As it turned out only 3 of us signed up and all three were women traveling alone, the other two coming from California, but who were not acquainted. Plans went back and forth. The couple would be driving from Florida so we would meet up along the way or at least rendezvous and proceed from Hope ID on May 15. Then on Easter Sunday the wife called and said her husband had sustained a very serious head injury and would be unable to travel for a year. I made an immediate decision that I would still go and asked her to convey that to the other 2 and I talked to them both by the end of the afternoon.
We three then began working on reservations and plans, picking up from the schedule the leaders had prepared but missing some of their details. Then as was written on Day 13, plans changed. again We knew about the surgery but kept hoping it would be benign. One could ask oneself “was this trip not meant to be?” Some considered it but with the economic situation, diminishing funds as investments plummeted, but I told myself, this is my year for this and I may not have another opportunity. Last year it was the gas prices and the idea of going on my own that made me hesitate about Newfoundland. Thank goodness I didn’t let that stop me. It was a wonderful trip. None of us knows what is around the corner. Setting goals for myself is part of me. This trip takes me to the four states I’ve never visited plus an area where Les served in the Army. I’ve reach Idaho after about 3500 miles. What awaits me, who knows? I certainly want to give it a try!
Day 15 Miles 54 It rained all night and continued most of the day. I was in no hurry. I didn’t have far to go and my only stop enroute was to poke around the town of Sandpoint. Since check out at the park wasn’t until 1 p.m. I decided to stay through lunch and spent the morning reading Michner’s Alaska. The sun would make brief appearances but soon the rain would come again. On the road to Sandpoint I some very heavy downpours. Fortunately my time in Sandpoint while cold was dry. I think Coldwater Creek my have started here. It’s listed in the “things to do” from AAA but the clerks were to busy to inquire. The town has some upscale shops and a great book store whose rent is pricing them out of the central business area.
I am now at Island View Campground Hope Idho. This was where our “tour” was officially to begin and I think it could have been a problem as there is a lot of flooding in the area including in the campground. My site faces a beautiful view of the lake but the road is on my back side so I may sense traffic in my bedroom tonight. The good news is that my mail has been received by the Hope post office thanks to sister Margaret’s diligence. They’ll deliver it to the campground tomorrow. The laundry has one of two washers not working. There’s no internet service so I’m not sure when these last couple of days will get posted. Fortunately I can get my email on my IPhone but that will change when I go into Canada on Saturday. I’m a day ahead which hopefully will give me an extra day in Vancouver.
Day 16 After a leisurely start I hauled my laundry up the hill only to find washers already in use. There are people living in trailers for the season and one of them, Dave, was doing his laundry. He’s in Bakersfield in the winter and up here until October. They are expecting a number of seasonal and part timers arriving today for the weekend. The washing machine repairman, Stan, arrived and the owners Misha and Steve were in and out. It was the most socialization I’d had for a while. The building is an old hand laid stone structure. This is a beautiful area surrounded by snow capped peaks and overlooking Lake Pend Oreille which is Idaho’s largest and deepest lake, at 43 miles long and 1,158 ft deep. The south end is more of a sailing area and also where Farragut State Park is located. The mail came after lunch containing a couple of checks which I’ll deposit on my way in the morning. I’m going to Pendiction, BC to visit friends of Judy, my Alaska travel mate. They were kind enough to invite me to stay at their house. My new boots from Target came in handy on the squishy ground in the area. On a personal note the Family Motor Coach Magazine had a piece on my sister Karen in the recipe section talking about Solar Cooking!! Next mail comes in Fairbanks.

Alaska Bound Day 13

Day 13 My site here at the Missoula KOA is M13 Hm-m-m could that be an omen. In short now we are two. Our trio of women travelers has been reduced to a duo today when that old demon breast cancer struck its ugly head and Sherrie’s lump turned out to be malignant. The good news is that the cancer was totally removed but the bad news is the doctor wants her to start radiation right away so she must give up the trip. She had done a lot of research and reservations for us so we’ll have a bit of unwinding to do. However I think through all this our lives have been wound together and Judy and I will miss her company even though we’ve never met and hopefully one day we will get together. She’ll follow along on our blogs and write one as well.
I was able to get out to see a bit of Missoula today. The Art Museum was closed but I found a great local gallery, Dana, and some interesting downtown shops. I also drove pass the university and took a brief walk along the Crooked Fork River. Missoula appears to be very bicycle friendly but today’s strong winds and temperatures in the 40’s were not conducive. I did do some shopping though. The Albertsons ad in the Sunday Paper caught my attention with some coupon doubling and 5 lbs of apples on sale. The amount I saved more than paid for the paper. Then I remembered that they may not let me bring the apples into Canada or the pears that are still ripening. I can’t say that was a problem last year though.
For my December birthday, my family gave me a video camera to attach to my bicycle helmet (yes you read that correctly). It’s been a source of frustration in that I had difficulty mounting it and even more difficulty using the various functions. The one video I took would cause motion sickness in most viewers. So I stopped at REI which is near the campground. I explained the problem to the young salesman and he tried it and he couldn’t get it to work. Since Emily is a REI member and did the purchasing they were able to pull up the transaction, get the amount and give me a credit for the price plus the 10.25 Chicago sales tax. I am impressed with that store. They also previously exchanged my camelback backpack when the fault was mine! So I proceeded to Target and finally found a speaker set to use with my IPhone. To my amazement there was no sales tax on the purchase. It seems to work well and I can play my podcasts and music and try to drown out the noise the propane furnace makes. So some good has come from this Day 13.

Alaska Bound Days 11 and 12

Day 11 Miles 160 The drive to Bozeman went well and the temperature went up to the 50’s. The dark mountains (basalt?) topped with snow made me think of dark chocolate cake with white mountain frosting. A rest stop along I 90 said this area was the Crazy Mountains but originally named Crazy Woman Mountains for a womean who went insane while traversing the area. Therefore I adopted them as mine! I took a photo of the sign but the view from the rest stop didn’t have a good look at the mountains. That is often the case. Incredible scenery but no place to safely stop. Emily called to wish me a happy Mothers Day while I was enroute but it took several tries to complete the conversation.
I was headed to the Museum of the Rockies which had been highly recommended. It is adjacent to the campus of Montana State and many of the dinosaur fossils and copies were discovered and researched by staff and students at the school. The exhibit was very impressive as were the stories of how the finds came about. In one case a woman was walking around while her husband was fishing and she spotted some bones. She took them to the university which resulted in a quite complete fossilized called E Rex I think. Then another case a staff member had gone off on his own for his picnic lunch during a research trip. While eating he looked up at saw what looked like a T Rex foot. He couldn’t reach it so went back to the research area and took a folding chair to stand on and determined it was indeed a “foot”. The size of the bones and feet are awesome. I also learned a new term “non-avian” dinosaurs” are extinct while the avian dinosaurs are our present day birds. They have been able to obtain DNA from some of their finds and the research is continuing to refute some old theories. Wish I could have retained more. I was tempted to stay another day and go again but certainly encourage anyone finding themselves in Bozeman to take advantage of it. The facility also has a planetarium attached where I saw a presentation on the Hubble “finds”. It made me appreciate the necessity of sending the repair launch tomorrow.
Heading out to the edge of town where the KOA was located I stopped for some skin cream—my skin is really dry, and a Sunday newspaper. First newspaper in a long time! I had visited with some campground neighbors in Billings who recommended I try KOA’s. I’ve stayed at a couple others but they seem high in cost and more family oriented. This one is ok and my site is fine. I have a great view of the sunset. Their internet works well and I again studied the weather forecasts and concluded I was best to go ahead to Missoula and stay a couple of days until a storm system passes through. The forecast seems to be less severe but still indicated to be hazardous with thunderstorms, high winds, and snow/rain. Not the best for driving if I can avoid.
Day 12 Miles 219 Another cold night but this was partly my fault. I forgot to turn on the propane. The electric heat sources couldn’t keep up with the cold and the propane heater cut off of course. The sun was high in the sky by 7 a.m. and I turned on the propane to heat the interior though I think it was warmer outside. I gassed up ($2.15) and was headed west by 9 a.m. The roads were dry but as I’ve seen a number of times recently, gates similar to those used at railroad crossings are along the road so that traffic can be stopped for road problems. Signs were still up cautioning “watch for icy spots” and areas designated for putting on and taking off chains all pointed to what the roads can be like. I have had two incidences of unexpected wind gust hitting the van. I was able to correct ok but it is a reminder that I have “windage”. The colors between Bozeman and Butte were browns and grays although there were interesting rock formations. The B cities, Billings, Bozeman and Butte, all strike me as sprawled out and the areas near the interstate are lined with old vehicles and equipment which is not a very appealing introduction to a town. It’s as though they’ve always had plenty of space so they don’t need to be conscience of land usage. At 10 a.m. I crossed the Continental Divide at about 6300 feet. It brought back memories of my first of crossing it when I couldn’t stay awake because of the Dramamine to ward off car sickness. My hosts that had invited me on the trip were a bit chagrined. I was 15.
Approaching Missoula there was more color with trees farther along than the other areas although this is further north. This KOA is quite large and backs up to a street full of stores including Costco and Lowes. My site is at the farthest end near a school bus lot. I feel like a bit of an outcast. (though I have more company than usual.) However they are doing some digging in the middle area which I suspect is some type of utility problem so it’s probably best to be away from that. I’m staying 2 nights and hope to use the time to catch up with some maintenance chores, perhaps get some propane, as well as some touring of the area.
The internet connection works well and I was delighted to receive some emails which told me I have some readers! I appreciate the feedback. As I said last year on the trip to Newfoundland, it’s like having company along.
I’m hoping to put up my photos to date (146). Try it with this link and you should be able to see as slide show:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandy41mail/AlaskaTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfxvenrorWQtwE&feat=directlink
Working on the photos has reminded me of many things I wanted to share that then fleet away when I’m writing. These include the fact that the rock formations in the badlands lose about an inch a year through erosion by wind and water. If that happened to me I would be gone 67 years, 67 inches! The buffalo at Custer State Park are rounded up once a year, vaccinated, tagged and some are selected to be auctioned off thus controlling the size of the herd. Be sure to look for the photos of the baby bison. There are quite small and must be fairly newborn.