Take the Long Way Home*
Okay, so maybe we jinxed it. We were leaving Whitehorse and we said to each other, what a great day it is! Beautiful day for a drive, we have water and gas tanks filled and waste tanks emptied, just shopped for food – everything in place.
Then about two hours out of Whitehorse, a trailer tire
blew. Not just a flat, but a bang, like
a gunshot. I uttered an extremely
unladylike expletive, pumped the brake gently and pulled over. I guess I’ve watched too many cop shows,
because I wondered why I didn’t lose control of the vehicle. A little swerving was easily corrected. I suppose it’s because it was a trailer tire,
not on the tow vehicle.
The tire had exploded; there was literally shredded rubber
all over the place. LCR began the
process of changing to the spare – we had never used it, so it was a bit of a
job just getting it out of the bracket on back of the trailer. A passerby stopped, put on his coveralls and
proceeded to take over the change with a nifty hydraulic jack that was much
better than the old one we had. I talked
to the guy’s wife for a while; she (Bernie) confirmed that her husband George
was a motorhead, always prepared for any auto emergency. George opined that the trailer axle was bent,
so we limped back to Whitehorse at a slow speed after wishing our good
Samaritans well.
And of course it was Friday afternoon, so no one would be
able to even look at the trailer until Monday.
We did get hold of Alex who agreed to see us first thing Monday.
We boondocked at Canadian Tire and the next day, got a
replacement trailer tire as well as, naturally, a nifty hydraulic jack. This took most of the afternoon as it was
very busy.
Sunday we had nothing planned so we thought we’d drive out
to Miles Canyon. We’d been there before,
in 2012 when we went north with the girls, but it’s a nice place to
revisit. It has a creaky suspension
bridge with rushing waters beneath. (In case you can't read it well, the sign says, "DANGER - NO JUMPING. Strong Current and Undertow.) Oddly, there were sections of the bridge with padlocks attached. I think they are a form of graffiti, like
carving names on a tree. We talked to
some other hikers and one couple told me I look like Canadian singer Connie
Kaldor. Of course I had to look her up
as soon as I got some bars. I see what
they mean!
On Monday, we saw Alex, who referred us to a local welding firm. They agreed that the axle is indeed curved, but it is part of the design, not damage. They confirmed that it is just about the toughest axle you can get for this trailer. However, they did make some modifications to the suspension, in short order. Meanwhile, LCR had bought a Starlink kit, since so many people we’ve met on this trip swear by it for reliable Internet coverage. Unfortunately it had to be ordered because it is hardly sold through retail outlets, and the store said it would be delivered the following Friday, possibly earlier. So … still stuck in Whitehorse.
LCR had some meetings and legal work to do but one of those
days, we went to the riverfront in Whitehorse.
We wanted to see a totem pole that was just being carved when we were
there in 2012. It commemorates the children who went into the mission schools in the past to get their culture out
of them. Many of them never returned and
are presumed dead due to rampant tuberculosis in the schools. The totem pole is now in downtown Whitehorse,
in a park set aside for sculptures, along old, no longer used train
tracks.
The park is used by locals who take lunch there. In this photo you can just see a man facing
away, having lunch at a picnic table. I
didn’t want to intrude by getting close.
The reason I took his picture is, he’s wearing a t-shirt! And others were wearing shorts. It was 57 degrees F, which to me is far from
shorts weather, so I couldn’t resist asking about it, and he said, it’s going
to get a lot colder!
The totem pole and other sculptures are moving mementos to the attempt to eradicate First Nations cultures in Canada. The signs emphasize the spirit of healing and moving forward. There is also a sculpture that is a semicircle of seats made of burl wood. Each seat represents one of the languages the children were forbidden to speak. The survivors and their descendants talk of ingenious ways they found to get around the rules and somehow preserve their heritage.
Another totem pole, in the nearby Rotary Peace Park, is
dedicated to friendship and unity among all Yukoners. This bronze statue honors missing Indigenous women and girls.
Also along the riverfront park is an artistic-looking
playground. I thought my kids would have
loved it. If you look closely, you can
see a pair of blue sandals and a pink sweatshirt that have been left
behind. As a parent, I knew there must
be a story behind them!
Wrought iron sculpture - Raven Eating the Sun.
Since we had several days to spend in Whitehorse, we went back to the parking lot to Aki’s food truck for one last meal of sushi and pad thai. Aki said it was the end of the season for him. We had a long visit and he asked many questions about our trip to Tuk. He also had haskap muffins. Haskap berries, we found, are like blueberries in color, but elongated, like the tip of your little finger. They are also called blue honeysuckle or honeyberries. The taste is like blueberries and blackberries, only a little less sweet. To me, the tartness gives them a more interesting flavor than blueberry muffins. These berries thrive in the cold climate of the Yukon, and though they are not yet available in food stores, research is being done into how to cultivate them on a commercial scale.
The Starlink package arrived on Thursday and we left Whitehorse once again, feeling everything was taken care of. But this time we did not actually say so! So you see, we did not intend to take the long way home, but it turned out that way.
The task now was to get to Chicago, without a lot of
sightseeing. Naturally in the area
between Whitehorse to Watson Lake and south to Fort Nelson, we watched for
wildlife. We saw the bison herd, but no
caribou or bears. We did see several
young moose calves who seemed clueless.
I assume their mothers were nearby, taking a dim view of them cavorting
onto the highway. They were very skittish
and moved quickly so we did not get pictures.
At a truck stop, we met a man from Argentina who is
traveling the world in a bright yellow antique car and teardrop trailer. He calls his rig the Taxi Latino. He started in 2012 and hopes to finish the
Pan-American route in another year or two.
I was able to help him figure out the automated gas pumps, though he
spoke no English and I found his Spanish accent hard to understand. Sadly, I did not even get his name. He’s quite a character – told of how he has
met so many helpful people as he travels.
I asked him about the safety of driving through Central and South
America with a trailer, and he said not to be concerned, it would be fine. He mentioned that the Darien Gap must be
crossed by boat. I understood that at
that time, he was not traveling with his trailer, but only the auto. I am not sure what kind of car it is, but
it’s definitely an antique – maybe some of you can tell from the photos. It burns diesel fuel, in case that’s relevant.
The encounter went by so fast I’m afraid
the photos aren’t very good. I was inspired
by this incident to look for some kind of Spanish refresher course when I get
back to Chicago, in preparation for future travel. My Spanish is pretty good but not good
enough, I think!
Moving south and east and into Alberta, we finally left the mountains for the most part, and man, was it nice to drive such smooth, level roads! We dry camped where possible. At one rest stop in Alberta, we shared space with a number of big rigs – and I do mean big. These huge trucks are seen in the West and in Canada but not in the Midwest or East. Instead of 18 wheels, they have 26 or even 30. (I did not get a picture of these trucks, and was unable to find one online that showed just how many wheels they have. Most photos I found were actually Hot Wheels!) Their engines are incredibly noisy and are kept on all night. That was the noisiest place we’ve ever stayed, but it didn’t stop us from sleeping soundly.
We have been in this area before, but it was a while ago and
we still enjoyed the scenery, though it is not as spectacular as the
Rockies. By now we were in the Alberta
plains (“…which is what they call big fields here.” – Viggo Mortenson as Tony
Vallelonga in “Green Book.”) These are the
largest farms and ranches I have ever seen, rolling on for miles, some planted
in strips like textbook examples of soil management and erosion control. (Full disclosure: I do not have a drone and the photo here of
strip cropping is not mine. Stock photo
from the Net! But it looks very much like some of the fields we saw.) There are also huge
free-range herds of beef cattle, the biggest I have ever seen. It is easier to get Internet and cell
signals, now that we were out of the mountains.
(The Starlink was not set up yet.)
Heading south and east toward Chicago, I thought about how
people ask me from time to time whether it’s a great relief to be home after an
extended period on the road. My answer
is that I’m a bit like Mr. Bingley in my beloved Jane Austen’s novel, “Pride
and Prejudice.” When asked if he prefers London or the country, Bingley says that when he is in town he never wants
to leave, and when he is in the country he feels pretty much the same way. I’m happy in both places. The two different lifestyles each have pros
and cons, a different set of things to – I won’t say worry, but focus on. City or road, I’m good!
Thanks to all for being with me on this portion of our
journey!
Gas prices: Going
down, with $1.21/l, or $3.30/gal. south of Ft. Nelson. $2.93 in Fargo, ND.
Signage:
Sign at Vegreville, B.C.:
Life isn’t perfect, but your hair can be. Call the Hair Wizard!
Sign in Lloydminster, B.C.:
Things that are hard to say:
I was wrong.
I’m sorry.
Worcestershire sauce.
Be rail smart
* Song by Supertramp, 1979
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