Pages

Monday, June 05, 2006

Alaska Day 20 addendum

Sunday June 4, 2006 Dawson Creek to Fort St. John BC
Sam and Inez caught up with us at Wal-mart. Since it was still early afternoon, we decided to make a few more miles. After the obligatory photos at Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway, we actually and finally drove on the Alaska Highway. The road to Fort St. John was wide and smooth. Some 7 to 10% grades. During on of these grades, a Discovery pulling a racecar trailer passed us on an uphill grade. He did not have enough room and forced us to the rough shoulder. We of course yielded and lost our hill clilmbing momentum. A very dangerous and rude driver. We found out later that he also forced Sam to the shoulder as he passed him.

Sam again fed us with trout he caught last night and this morning. I never get tired of this delicious feast.

We parked for the night at Sourdough Pete's. Wilma's cousin whom she had never met and his family joined us after dinner for a nice visit. You will see his wife, Shelley, and daughters in the pictures -- there is Jess (14), Danielle (7), Alexis (4), and Samantha (3). We really enjoyed getting to know them in a short period of time, and asked how they deal with the winters in Fort St. John. They told us that sometimes it is pretty warm (we asked HOW warm?) and found out it can be as high as MINUS 30 in the winter. They are used to it, know how to dress, drive, and keep warm. A good life in a beautiful province!!! Mike drives a heavy winch truck for a company that moves drilling rigs here in the oil patch. He was very helpful to help Herb find a loose fitting on the air hose that had taken on some grit and was beginning to give us cause for concern. If Jake had been suffering from lack of love on the trip, he got lots of petting from the girls. We plan to stay in touch.

Walldog, Willie and Jake

No comments: