Month: July 2021

My poor old heart can’t take the excitement for much longer.  We are down one slide, the kitchen side, this morning the big slide didn’t want to retract.  We haven’t had a  problem with it before.  It does close, will it open/close in Rupert??  Locals refer to Prince Rupert as only Rupert 🙂

We leave at 810a, 71,716km

We decided to get fuel at RaceTrac, ready for this, FULL SERVICE! 

When is the last time you had full service?  This station also has propane in a spot we can get to.  This will be the first time, since having Bailey, we get the propane filled.  Such excitement.  The fill was very quick,  Allan doesn’t believe that for $39.15 the tank is full.  The indoor gauge says F 🙂

Entering Smithers we spot a helicopter coming in for a landing.

We’re on the way, missed the Telkwa milage sign-this one is outside Smithers
Beautiful BC   

The Bulkley River is a major tributary of the Skeena River. It is 257 kilometres (160 mi) long with a drainage basin covering 12,400 square kilometres (4,800 sq mi).

Much of the Bulkey is paralleled by Highway 16, it is as fast moving and muddy here as it was in Telkwa. It flows west from Bulkley Lake past Perow and is joined near Houston by the Morice River, its major tributary. The Bulkley continues north past Quick, Telkwa and Smithers. It then meets the Skeena River near Hazelton.

All this to say “Allan, we will  not find the place it flows into the Pacific Ocean as you wanted to, BUT we can find where the Skeena does :)”

Skeena River, 580 km long, rises in the northern interior of BC and flows generally SW, draining about 54 000 km, to meet the Pacific Ocean at Chatham Sound south of Prince Rupert. The second-largest river (after the Fraser River) entirely within BC, its main tributaries are the Bulkley and Babine rivers.   So ends this lesson!!

We stopped for a bum break at 11   

Back on the road 

  Found the required construction hold up

More prettiness

Here we are!   

We arrive at 140.  Check in isn’t until 2.  We use the time to unhook Bob and walk around the park.   We see site 15 and hope we don’t it, site 49 is what we’d like.

In the parking lot       

  A true “toad”

Of course we get site 15, site 49 is actually only 26′.  What we though was one site they rent as 2.

Our front yard.  We’re super impressed!!We get set up, hold my breath!  Yes the slide opens.  All’s good.

Wait, not so fast, this is a 30amp site – our 50amp to 30amp adapter is not working.  No problem, let’s go to Canadian Tire.   Allan has wanted a replacement as this one is slightly charred but has worked.

Wait, there is no Canadian Tire. We’d swear we saw a CT tractor/trailer.

We go to Walmart, NAPA, Home Hardware no one has them.  Everyone we asks says, we have to go to Terrace to get one.  We call Canadian Tire Terrace, they don’t have one.  The RV dealer in Terrace isn’t open on Mondays.  Terrace is 1-1/2h back the way we came.  By  now it is past 3p, I have no interest in going to Terrace.

Sitting in the parking lot, we call the park, no they don’t sell them either-how stupid is that?? She also says you have to go to Terrace.

Allan comes up with the idea to try and fix it.

Back to the park we go!  My super hero, had it repaired in no time.

Maybe tomorrow will change our opinion of Rupert so far, we are not fans.

 

To all our American friends!

10th race of the season, Mid-Ohio 

Josef has the pole, yahoo, Colton is 2nd, boo. It was an exciting race.  Josef lead 40 of the 42 laps and unlike last week, he WON!!  Ericsson, in 2nd,  closed the time behind Josef to 0.7 seconds.  A nail biter finish.  Colton finished 13th.  Race recap here.

     My car moves ahead   

Allan’s car was only ahead for one week, mine will remain in the lead until, at least, August 8th in Nashville.  We are racing here for the first time and it’s Josef’s hometown.  Lots of time off racing because the Toronto race, scheduled for July 19th was cancelled.  Border crossings are still a no go.

Dinner is at the Telkwa Pub.  The walk there is 1/2mile through a trail. This is when leaving the park. We learned the reason the water is brown is, because it is so hot the snow is melting on the peaks bringing mud to the river.   We’ve done the walk several time and try to make a lot of noise as bears are in the area.

Small towns are interesting.  We enter the pub, there are 4 tables with several people at each.  They all stop to look, OK stare. Like who the heck are these people!

The food was good, the beer not to Allan’s liking, service very slow.  Guess the regulars come first.

One of the first times we walked the trail, I found a stick.  Been using it as a walking stick.  We’re going to back at this park so I placed kind of hide it in with the trees.  Can you spot it?  Will it be here when we get back?  Will  we find it?

What am I looking at you ask?  It’s a boat in the Bulkley River.  We saw one the first day we were here and now the last day. 

 

 

Allan’s day to plan the adventures! Twin Falls Glacier National Park then the Smithers Airport to see a bear.

The drive     

Should have read this before setting out-Note that the road is unpaved and can be narrow with low visibility in spots.  It is so easy to “do something every day that scares you” dring this trip.   There are steep drop offs, tight corners, low visibility, then there is, NO visibility around corners in spots.

       Arrived

I wish this showed how steep the trail is.  There are medium/large rocks that are so easy to slip on.  A few more steps we encounter this sign, pretty sure we will not return in winter.  We make it!   The view is breathtaking.           

Next up     Trail not maintained.  What the heck, let’s give it a go.  2 feet in ….let’s not

Off to the airport to see a bear     

We park in one of the sponsored spots

Mask up and in we try to go, arrivals door locked, departure door locked.  How can you lock up an airport?  There are many vehicles but doors are locked, where is everyone?? A family of 4 pull in, mask up and walk towards the door.  We watch, they may know something we don’t.  Nope, they appear equally stunned.  They are likely here to meet the bear.

Perhaps we’ll meet “Phantom” Grizzly Bear next time we are in Smithers.  Click here for Phantom’s story.

We take a walk in downtown Smithers and get to duck.  #42Back home, Allan has 2 jobs.  1) wnats to check Bob’s tailight to make sure the nuts are tight.  One needed a little tightening.   

2) There has been a not overly pleasant smell in the basement that we can detect in the powder room.  Found the culprit!So ends another action packed day!

First up, Smithers.  Allan’s new favourite 🍺 is on sale until tomorrow.  Not being able to resist a sale we’re going to grab a case.

We went to a Costco type warehouse, Bulkley Valley Wholesale, (Bulkey is 50 years old, Costco 37 – did Costco copy Bulkley??)  BC Liquor & Safeway.  Yesterday, BC dropped the mandatory indoor mask mandate, it is still recommended to wear them.  It was a little disconcerting to see how many were not.   We think it is too early to drop the mask requirement, time will tell.

Tyhee Provincial Park, a 5 minute drive from our park is today’s destination. 

Photos taken from the observation deckWhat’s going on here?  The boat needed a battery boost.  

There is a beach with grass, not sand.  This isn’t my photo – the beach was packed so didn’t want to take my own. 

Stop on the drive backI still haven’t taken a photo of Hudson Bay Mountain that does it justice

Bob says “Thanks Allan!”       

Who hasn’t suffered this? 

 

Looks like Allan is enjoying his new office Canada Day is filled with so much controversy this year resulting in the cancellation of many events in solidarity with Indigenous people, and, of course the pandemic still affects the typical Canada Day celebrations.

We will celebrate by visiting Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park

Lost the paved road   

Allan is suited up.  We each have whistles, Allan has bear spray.

Observation point

Park is much smaller, not getting our 10k steps here.  We are already at the end of the trail.

The drive back, cows… Eat Beef!!       

Because we are not near our 10k steps for the day, we walk the trails to Telkwa.

Cool gate

06/30:  Wednesday, the temperatures were so intense they generated thunderstorms and lightning, setting off wildfires which incinerated the entire town. This is Lytton’s Main Street, before and after yesterday’s devastating fire.  Frightening how quickly things can change.  

After a coffee, Allan fires Bailey to give the slide yet another go.   I’m holding my breath.

Reset, sync, in!  The sync YouTube was suggested on yesterday’s FB post.

The slide moves, a bit in, a bit out (the re-sync process).  Allan,   working the control, in & out a few more times and then…

No more hooters, the slide is in!!  Ever since we booked Prince Rupert I had a feeling we would not make it there.  The slide almost made that happen.  Our living space has shrunk, our sense of relief has grown 🙂

Now it’s Bob turn

 

Tail light is back to normal.  Allan ROCKS!

The jobs never end.  Refill the ammonia containers, happy to say/hate to jinx, we have not seen any more poop.

Now the question?? Do we attempt to exend the slide, or live in, our more cozy  quarters till we arrive in a town with mobile service.   I vote for cozy.  Allan is on the fence.  We decide we’ll call the slide manufacturer and get their opinion.  The error code was 5 red flashes, one green indicating a “Major” error.  They suggest, “leave it in until you have it serviced”.  Our guess, it will work as it should when it is in for service.

The water in this park has an after taste, heading to town to buy bottled.  Rain is much needed after the abnormally high temperatures. 

Look!  We now have a room divider

Best time of the day…Fire time                           

The neighbour pops over to say “Getting in your last fire!”   Us “Last fire, no many more to come”.   “Not with the fire ban” he says.  Wait what?

Google.  True enough the ban went into effect today at noon, till October 15th.  Draw back from listening to Sirius is you don’t get local news.

Must admit we burned more wood than normal.

 

 

 

Today, Smithers to pick up the tail light bracket.   A stroll around Smithers will have to wait.  The record setting temps, (37°c/just under 100°f) will have us hiding in Bailey.

The search for a mobile repair company for the slide not coming in is going no where fast!  CoachNet, our service contract people, haven’t been about to find anyone.  We are searching, unsuccessfully, as well.  I am very stressed.  I posted to a FB RV group, hoping someone would have a recommendation.  None do but we do get some suggestions for the DIY repair.  There are 2 motors controlling the slide, which we knew.  We didn’t know they must be in sync or how to do that. One of the posters hilighted that and pointed us to a YouTube.  Lots more reading; owner’s manual, online, watching more YouTube.  With our new found knowledge, Allan is going to give it one more shot on the morning.

Spending all day indoors we are ready to be baked outside.  We can walk, using trails to Telkwa Pub.

Leaving the park’s grounds is a gate, fortunately they gave us a keyAllan was smart enough to bring his whistle, will we need it.

Found the Telkwa Pub, closed Monday & Tuesday. Love the skies       

Fingers crossed the slide closes.