Canada and Alaska

Adventures in Canada

Sandra’s Entry:

The 2nd of August dawned – our Canadian adventure was about to begin. After an early morning pick up from Beachmere, we arrived at the airport, so after checking in luggage we installed ourselves in Qantas Club and had a leisurely breakfast while awaiting our flight to Vancouver. Now can relax, always good to wind down once luggage has been waved goodbye. We boarded our Qantas flight to LA and some 12 hours later touched down on American soil. After formalities of fairly rigid passport control (photograph and fingerprint is taken) we were allowed through – reclaimed the luggage and checked it straight in again along with several thousands of other suitcases that get whizzed away down a conveyer belt. Quite an amazing operation – would we see them again was a thought that came to mind? (See subsequent note on arrival into Vancouver). We located The Board Room (LA’s equivalent of Qantas Club) where I am to while away the next few hours while Noel is taking a somewhat longer route to Vancouver than I flying to Dallas and then on to Vancouver, result of his having a RTW ticket and there being no direct AA flight from LA to Vancouver. Our arrival times worked well, Noel arriving 30 minutes before my arrival time. Once deplaned and through customs found Noel at desk going through the formalities of reporting a lost suitcase – a vital one that contained laptop and other electronic equipment. My suitcase arrived intact, thank goodness. We exit the airport and the long term parking bus delivers us to the parking area where Ronny is parked left there by Noel’s friends who have just completed several weeks touring Canada. (Ronnie is the name of the RV, short for Rocinante, Don Quixote’s horse). We find Ronnie with no trouble at all, she is large enough to take up two parking lots – now to find the keys hidden in secret location by Richard and Pat – they were found easily enough. I am introduced to Ronnie, a very spacious well equipped RV that contains just about everything one could wish for to make life comfortable including a well stocked fridge housing several cold beers – many thanks, Richard and Pat. As it is early evening we have decided to stay put in the airport and stay here overnight. This is a first – I have never slept in a carpark before. It is a beautiful warm evening, daylight saving means it doesn’t get dark till something past nine. The scenery of majestic mountains on the horizon, some snowcapped, in the distance is quite delightful. The view does change though a little lower down where there are lines of parked vehicles. I decide to keep vision up rather than down! A celebratory drink and toast for a happy holiday ensues, after a wind down we hit the hay and crash, we are pretty tired after the preceding travel hours.

3rd August

After a good sleep, breakfast and shower, we get on the road to Agassiz which is situated about 140 kays from the airport. We pass an RV services station en route to Agassiz. My first lesson in what happens to black water and grey water. Water is filled up and the nasties are dispersed of by way of large hoses that live in one of the bins under the van. We are to spend some time with Noel’s friends Peter and Joyce Irwin. They live at Stough (pronounced stuff) Farm, very aptly named, there is so much stuff here, quite unbelievable. There are barns full of stuff and a hangar housing two aeroplanes. We arrive at the farm a couple of hours later, a fairly easy route with instructions from our Tom Tom adviser – and Noel advising himself on a regular basis – “Keep right, Noel, keep right.” And he did, pleased about that, I was, and we arrived quite safely and parked. We find Joyce outside who very sadly suffers from Alzheimers – and shortly afterwards Peter is located, a nice reunion follows for Peter and Noel who haven’t seen one another for some 10 years or so.

Noel: Peter had been over at the neighbours on his 4WD ATV. We call them quad bikes. It was great reunion, about 11 years since last meeting. But it was as if it was yesterday. Pushed the Tripacer out and went for the standard 18 minute lap around Agassiz and Harrison and back over the peak. But the generator had gone on holidays after the recent 100 hourly!

4th August –


Noel: First thing next morning was to try and fix the problem, the generator and regulator wiring was all ok. So it was take the pair to a shop with the bench gear to be able to test them. Not an inconsiderable task on a little engine with the belt drive from the back of the starter gear. A trip into neighbouring Chilliwack to drop off the offending item at the auto electric repair centre was this morning’s agenda. We dropped in to see Dave and Cathy who live in a 40 foot converted coach complete with spa bath and mirror ceilings!! A quite amazing home with all mod cons and beautifully converted by Dave. He completed it about two years ago, he is 71, the finish is perfect. The boys (and girls) had a look around the small district airport which housed many aircraft and about 30 hangers housing extensive maintenance facilities. A lunch stop on way home. Back to the farm for a rest. We are still getting used to sleeping in a differing time zone. As well as having a social week here at the farm, it is an essential that Ronnie is checked over and making sure that everything is in good condition for the many kilometers she is going to do for us.


Sandy: A pleasant day was spent, a nice couple, Cathy and Dave (another pilot) arrived for dinner and spent a few hours with us and shared corn on the cob (seems to be the national Canadian cuisine), few beers and red wine for me. Corn is grown in abundance and there are many little corn huts where you drive in and buy a dozen cobs for around $6, freshly picked and very tasty eaten on lump of bread and butter.

5th August

An early start for drive to New Westminster Quay where we are to spend the day on an historic paddle steamer trip up the Fraser River. It is a beautiful summer’s day, temperatures in the high 20’s, blue skies and pleasantly warm. There are several celebratory routes taking place this week retracing the gold rush route from New West to Port Douglas and back. Part of the 150 year BC celebrations. Peter manages to book us on today’s trip which will take us to Mission via Fort Langley. We board the steamer and install ourselves on what turns out to be a good spot, cool with good views all around. There is plenty of room to walk around, folks on board are very convivial and happy to chat; although there was room for 80 passengers, only 50 tickets were sold which allowed plenty of space and quite a relaxed atmosphere was evident. The crew were very accommodating and chatty. The paddles started to rotate very shortly after 9 a.m. and we were off. Such absolutely stunning scenery, the fantastic continuous mountainous horizon of sleeping dinosaurs ever present, lush green forests beneath and thousands of logs floating down river.

There was commentary about the history of the era and a re-enactment ably performed by a cast dressed in the period costume of the day. Mr Yale talked about the fur trade and gold rush days and also starred in the little play. .

http://www.vancouverpaddlewheeler.com/index.html

Noel: The above link was our excursion today. Peter, Joyce, Sandy and I. It was a very special trip; or should I say the first leg of a momentous reenactment. In 1858 the first paddle wheeler made it through to Harrison Lake. The paddlers were the only way to the goldfields for about half a century!! The trip from Vancouver to Mission was halfway to Harrison and took all day. The last 20 km today had not seen a paddle steamer on the shallow Fraser river since the 1920's!!! Tomorrow’s trip to Harrison will be truely an adventure, but we have been only able to get tickets for today. We will buzz them in the Piper tomorrow arvo!! Weather was tops of 32 deg. Entertainment on board was sensational also celebrating the Creation of the province of British Columbia 150 years ago on the 2nd of Aug!! Actors everywhere in full costume and re-enactment of the actual famous person that they represented. A very entertaining day.


6th August

The Tri Pacer has a problem. It’s electrical system was not charging. Peter and Noel spent a couple of hours extensively dismantling the aircraft to remove the generator and its associated regulator. A trip into neighbouring Chilliwack to drop off the offending item at the auto electric repair centre was this morning’s agenda, he made NO promises!! We dropped in to see Dave and Cathy who live in a 40 foot converted coach complete with spa bath and mirror ceilings!! A quite amazing home with all mod cons and beautifully renovated by Dave. He completed it about two years ago, he is 71, the finish is perfect. The boys (and girls) had a look around the small district airport which housed many aircraft and about 30 hangers housing extensive maintenance facilities. A lunch stop on way home. Back to the farm for a rest. We are still getting used to sleeping in a differing time zone. As well as having a social week here at the farm, it is an essential that Ronnie is checked over and making sure that everything is in good condition for the many kilometers she is going to do for us.

7th August. We go into town to hopefully pick up the fixed generator. However, the repairer had not had time to fix so he directed us to an old fellow down a back street (who was wearing a Triumph t-shirt). Noel immediately identified with him and spent the next 20 minutes talking about old motor bikes while he fixed the equipment we were prepared to beg for him to look at. He obliged and a big smile appeared on Peter’s face when he arrived at the car clutching his fixed generator.

Our next stop is Costco – Ronnie needs new house batteries. Costco is the best priced place in town to purchase these items, an absolutely huge warehouse type facility that sells just about everything from groceries to anything else one can think of. Batteries are purchased and we go home. One has to be a member to shop at Costco. Luckily Peter is and he produced his card and we were able to shop here at a huge discount. We decided we should join up as Costco is also a service station that are present throughout Canada. We paid 50 bucks and received our card which will enable us to buy fuel at a much reduced price. As fuel is going to be one of our major purchases on trip to Alaska, we thought it would be $50 well spent. A special join up fee is on presently so we got a 10 bucks discount, so in fact only cost us 40. One fuel up will just about recover our money. The RV does approximately 4 kilometers to the meter so we will have a rather large fuel bill. We have lunch in Costco, go home, I have a relaxed afternoon, napping while the boys refit the generator. It works. Peter and Joyce’s son, wife and children arrive for a bbq dinner. Jamie is also a pilot, he and Noel are in the Tri Pacer before much time passes having some fun in the air. A nice social evening, bbq, drinkies. A good day.

8th August

We take a drive into Harrison this afternoon, beautiful little seaside town. Another lovely summer’s day. As we park, Peter’s mate John, and previous owner of the farm saw us drive in. He owns and operates a parasailing operation and was going down river for a look see at the paddle steamer on today’s excursion. He invited us to join him on his boat. We parked ourselves where his boat was moored and waited for him to arrive some short time later. We clamber on board and whizz down river on his powerful twin diesel mercruiser legged speedster passing yet again the lush forests and seen from a much closer viewpoint and at 32 knots. Eventually we find the paddle steamer, it has had trouble passing under the Harrison Bridges and so is a bit behind time. We wave to today’s passengers and are immediately recognised by the Crew! and follow it up river a little. It appeared a bit “Lopsided” and the cause was a broken shear pin in the starboard side paddle wheel. The vessel is a twin rear paddler. It was making 6 knots over the bottom against a 3 knot current. We followed its slow progress for a short while and then John gave his vessel full throttle and we arrive back at Harrison in 15 minutes. We thank John and his offsider profusely and decide to walk along and find a bar – an excellent idea – spent a pleasant hour and a half watching the world go by while we wait for the paddle steamer to arrive. The bar just happened to be on the 1 acre site that used to be Peter and Joyce’s Motel. A very pleasant way to spend an afternoon overlooking the beach and lake. En route home we have dinner and drinkies at the local pub in Agassiz. What a nice day!!!

8th August

Today Peter takes Noel and I for a short trip (30 mins or so) in the Tri Pacer. Should mention here that the farm has a 700M runway and Peter’s passion is aeroplanes. He is a retired Air Canada captain who flew 727s. He has two private aeroplanes; a 1951 Tri Pacer and a 1946 Piper Cub. I clamber into the back seat, just enough room for the three of us, Peter and Noel in front and me in the back. We all wear head sets so we can talk to one another. I feel like Amelia Earhardt but do not possess any of her competency; that goes without saying. It is quite noisy once airborne. We are airborne for around 30 minutes flying above the Fraser River and sighting our paddle steamer. Peter flew in low and we waved once again to the crew and passengers. They returned our waves. But it was quickly back to the farm and put the Tripacer away and go airshowing!

The Abbotsford International Airshow is held appropriately enough at Abbotsford about 45 km from the Farm and we arrived about 11am in time to catch the antiques and historics flying. C17, KC9 and KC10 were the big Yankee statics. They had bought up all the support for the famous Thunderbirds.

http://thunderbirds.airforce.com/home.html



9th August

Today is departure day from Agassiz. I start the day with morning exercise, a bike ride, down the runway on the farm, out onto the road and a little way into Agassazi, very quiet, large properties, you hardly see a soul. I was very cautious though about riding on the right-hand side of the road. We spend the morning preparing for departure. Noel has a few last minute jobs to do on Ronnie, assembles bike rack on her back and clips on the bikes plus few other maintenance things are carried out. We have lunch, after a short trip into Harrison with Peter and Joyce, we get off on the road. Peter is sorry to see us go, we have relieved the situation somewhat for him with Joyce. He has enjoyed having time with his mate Noel and we think we have helped out as much as is possible with the situation for him a little. We hope so anyway. We thank Peter and Joyce for their hospitality. We will return after our travels.