7/17/2007
We say goodbye to Boston Bar on a cloudy morning. A good day to hit the road.
Like I said yesterday, more traffic. The closer we get to Vancouver BC, there are just more and more people trying to get somewhere. Quite different from the Cassiar and Top of the World highways where it may have been 10-15 minutes between vehicles.
Border crossing was quick and uneventful, then a surprise. One of our cousins that lives in the Vancouver BC area had been watching our movements on the tracking page. Once she saw which border crossing we had used, she loaded a couple of kids in the car and hit the road. We were driving through traffic and saw people waving along side the road. I figured they were selling something or having a car wash. Fortunately, Elizabeth recognized them at the same time Phil called on the radio that they had recognized them. After a few minutes that resembled a Keystone Cops routine, we all managed to get stopped in the same parking lot.
Had a nice visit then hit the road again.
It's long story short time. We are home. Got here around 17:30 this afternoon. Now the daunting task of putting away what took weeks to load and had been bounced around the truck for 24 days. This is going to take a while.
First impression of walking in the house - how big it is. Spend 24 days driving 8 or so hours, then cooking, cleaning and sleeping in the camper. Then step into the house. It will take a few days of getting used to being able to take a shower without touching the walls. Then, I suppose it will all be memories. Ah, but what wonderful memories they are. It's late, and I must head off to bed.
First, a few thank yous. Thanks for my family for putting up with my driving, my cousins for putting up with me always arriving in camp 1-3 hours after they did (we stop at every sign that says viewpoint or historic marker), thanks to the Alaska based cousins for being fine and generous hosts, thanks to my customers for their understanding while I left them in the hands of my associates, thanks to my associates for taking care of my customers and finally thanks to you for reading this blog. It was always fun reading your comments and watching the site stats knowing that our friends and relatives all of the country were able to see and read a small fraction of what we have experienced.
I once wrote that this may be a once in a lifetime experience. I stand by that statement. It's a big investment in time and money. I am afraid to add up the fuel costs but for example, on 7/12 diesel cost $1.349 per liter in Dawson City. $100.00 per day fuel ups were the norm. Fuel prices are not getting any cheaper either.
On the other hand, I am so very, very glad we did it. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. Might take a different route. Maybe the ferry. See some different county. Most of that will depend on the budget.
If this is something you have been contemplating, do it. Do it now. Get a copy of
The Milepost and make it happen. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
If I can figure out how, I will try to post a map sometime this coming weekend showing our route.
Mileage for today 254. Total for the trip 5,254.
(it was hard to type that, end of the big adventure)
Cheers.
From the lake, the first half is through mature forest.
As we approach the North fork of the Flathead River and the community of Polebridge, we drive through the area of an old forest fire.
Across Bowman Creek.
Then finally down to Apgar then up Lake McDonald to the campground at Avalanche.
Sure enough. After about 3 miles of slogging up the ridge the lake was still below we were out of gas. We did make it to the top of the ridge but we were still in the trees making it tough to get much of a view.
Good news it the road, while washboard and narrow in some places, is suitable for us navigate up to Bowman Lake in the Northwest corner of the park.
Up and up. The road got steeper and narrower.
Oh, and the bridge of the Moyie River
1,223-foot (373 m) long and 424 feet (129 m) high. Can't see that on the Interstate.
Camping in a nice campground just outside Kalispell.
It helped....
Border crossing was quick and uneventful, then a surprise. One of our cousins that lives in the Vancouver BC area had been watching our movements on the tracking page. Once she saw which border crossing we had used, she loaded a couple of kids in the car and hit the road. We were driving through traffic and saw people waving along side the road. I figured they were selling something or having a car wash. Fortunately, Elizabeth recognized them at the same time Phil called on the radio that they had recognized them. After a few minutes that resembled a Keystone Cops routine, we all managed to get stopped in the same parking lot.
