Spoffords Travel

Coal River British Columbia to Fort Nelson British Columbia 226 miles

The skies are cloudy again but not as low. Hopefully we won’t have as much rain. Rob discovered last night that our Idaho license plates were in trouble. One lost a bolt and the other was bent. We had breakfast in the little cafe. We were the first customers of the day. They bake all the bread and cinnamon rolls. Last night the rolls were all gone but this morning they had more. They looked so good we bought two to enjoy later. Rob goes out to change the oil since its not raining. He puts on coveralls and lots of bug spray. Everyone gets attacked when they go out. We bought oil from the gas station so that worked out. After about an hour Connie got concerned so went out to check on Rob. Some of the staff said he was working on it. Undoubtedly he got interrupted numerous times. He was ready to go soon. Unfortunately Woodie was not. Several guys came over and pushed it to get it started. Then we were on the road again. One of the staff members has a medium sized dog that she says treed a black bear the evening before. We saw bison along the road. Did you know there are two species of bison in North America? Well these are wood bison while the ones in Yellowstone are plains bison. The plains bison are larger and lighter color. We saw lots of signs for different wild life but didn’t see anything else. We crossed a couple more of the mesh bridges. Yesterday and today we see a different evergreen tree. It is tall and very skinny. The branches are much shorter and the needles are much darker. From a distance they look black. We encountered two stretches of construction with pilot cars. We see glimpses of lakes and rivers between the trees. Some of the streams are a grayish green. Perhaps glacier water. For a couple of miles we followed along the edge of Muncho Lake. The water was like a mirror reflecting the surrounding mountains. More bicyclists are on the road. Usually solo riders. The motorcycle riders are dressed in heavy clothing. They look like a dark Pillsbury Dough Boy. Another unique road sign is the small red rectangles set on point that say slow. They are very low to the ground and are usually followed by some rough road. We crossed another bridge that had so many orange marked pot holes that they must have run out of orange paint and used red. The price of gas today was the highest yet at $7.02 and $7.32 per gallon in US dollars. The road went up and down a lot again today. We really slowed down on some of them. Luckily not much traffic so vehicles can get around us. Near the end of the drive we came into a large valley. A few hay fields with big round bales were on both sides of the road. A few miles out of Fort Nelson Woodie started running rough. When we slowed down to park at the hotel it actually died and we coasted into the parking spot. After supper Rob worked on Woodie. Seems to have been the carburetor. It was nice to have a road tested spare along.

Dease Lake British Columbia to Coal River Lodge British Columbia 254 miles

Once again the weather is very cloudy. Looking out the window we could determine it had rained over night. Connie fixed ham on half a ciabatta bun plus peach yoghurt for breakfast. The lodge where we are staying has a shared kitchen. Last night we had pork chop and salad. That was a nice change. We quietly got out and loaded the car. Rain got in the engine so the woodie refused to start. Ultimately we had to ask the lodge manager to help push until Rob could pop it into gear to start it. The guy had never done that. He videoed us driving away. We still had to get gas which was less than a quarter of a mile away. Thank goodness it started again. A very light rain is falling still. In fact we had light rain most of the day. The woodie has only one small windshield wiper on the driver’s side so Connie looked through polka dots all day. The mosquitos are terrible up here. Any time the door is opened several come in and they are hungry. Connie killed one on the window curtain that left a blood stain nearly the size of a penny. The clouds are down very low so the mountain tops are hidden. The road goes up and the road goes down. The road curves left and the road curves right. Sometimes the road has lines but mostly not. Seems to be more motor homes and trailers today. Most have a number on the upper driver’s side corner so we think they were all at some gathering. We saw a pretty fox running down the road with something in its mouth. It ran off the road before we got to it. We also saw a mother bear and two cubs cross the road 400 or so feet in front of us. By the time we got to where they crossed they were out of sight. We have seen signs warning of caribou and bison but haven’t seen any of either. We stopped at one gas station only to find out that is open for one hour three days a week and today is not one of those days. Finally we are at the junction with the Canada Highway 1. The road is much wider and usually marked. It also has less hills. We cross into the Yukon Territory. Another few miles brings us to Watson Lake with a population of about 800. This is the second largest town in the Yukon. Oh my we actually had a little cell coverage. We stopped for gas and everyone had to come check out the car. We had lunch at the little cafe at the gas station. The burgers must be half pounders with lettuce, onions, pickles and tomato. Connie had bacon and mushrooms on hers. She couldn’t get it in her mouth. A plate full of fries came with it for only $14.64 US. While waiting for our lunch Connie spotted a man with a Green Bay Packers shirt. We visited with him until our meals came. After lunch we crossed the road to see some of the sign forest. Here are lots and lots of poles with all kinds of signs nailed to them. The whole thing started when the Alaska Highway was being constructed in 1942. The rain was still falling so we didn’t look long. Too bad we didn’t have a sign. Then we came to a detour around some construction. The pilot car took us on a gravel road around the work. So much for staying on paved roads. We fueled one more time before reaching our lodging at Coal River. The fuel pumps this far north are not always self serve. They have been in use a long time. We got to our lodging about 4:00. Just another wide spot in the road. Out back however is a heard of wild buffalo. After getting the luggage in we went to the cafe for pie and coffee. Then talked to one couple from Medford Oregon and one young lady moving to Anchorage Alaska to teach first grade. She graduated from Boise State in May. No cell coverage here so they have a pay phone. No tv either so lots of DVDs.

Meziadin Junction British Columbia to Dease Lake British Columbia 207 miles

We woke up to very cloudy skies and light breeze. I don’t think there were other guests because things seemed rather quiet. Rob bought a bag of ice that weighed two kilos and cost four dollars Canadian. He dumped the ice in the cooler and then looked for a trash can. None seemed in sight. As we pulled out Rob saw two big bear proof trash cans right in front of us. Obviously we should have had a second cup. The car started just fine this morning so that is good. The road is still a good two lane paved road. Lots and lots of fire weed is blooming along the side. The big mountains are much closer now and still have patches of snow. The road follows close to rivers, creeks and lakes. Unfortunately they aren’t readily visible due to all the trees. The road was very much like a roller coaster with ups and downs and lots of curves. You need to watch out for the pot holes. Some are very deep. The worst ones are surrounded with orange paint. Most of the traffic is composed of recreational vehicles in varying sizes and shapes. From time to time we encounter a semi. We had gone about 30 miles when Rob realized he had not turned in the room key. We opted to keep going and try to mail it back. A ways further down the road we spotted a mother bear and her cub. The mother just looked at us but the cub scurried off. A few miles further and we saw a bicyclist. Sure hope he doesn’t encounter the bear. Next is a gas stop. We have decided to fill up whenever we come to one. The gas was $6.51 USD a gallon. We were also cold so we had a cup of hot chocolate. Helicopters were coming and going from an open spot nearby. According to the ladies in the lodge the choppers are supporting gold mining operations. One of those ladies offered to return the room key tomorrow. Sure hope that works. Another biker is outside trying to repair her air mattress. Back on the road again we spotted another bear as it went into the brush. Road construction is underway in several sections. Most had flaggers and some also had a pilot car. We crossed numerous bridges but two types were a bit more unusual. One had metal grates that made the car wobble back and forth the entire distance. The other had a wooden floor. The first of those had several new boards. We ate our cheese and cracker lunch at one of the rest areas. The mosquitos were terrible. Later we pulled into a lodge thinking there might be gas. They didn’t sell it but the station was three kilometers further down the road. The car made quite an impression with the locals. It rained very lightly a few times but not much. It was a good time to test the windshield wiper. We arrived at the lodging at 4:30. A common area kitchen is available for use so we went to the grocery store. The store manager inherited a model A pickup so he had questions for Rob. We haven’t had any cell coverage for two days now.

Prince Rupert British Columbia to Meziadin Junction British Columbia 248 miles

We have much to do today. Rob worked on getting reservations for our next two nights because Internet access is very expensive where we are staying. Then he went out to retime the woodie. He also moved it to a better location. Meanwhile Connie did laundry and updated the blog. A McDonalds is on the way out of town so we stopped there for breakfast. Then a fuel stop. We are more aware of filling up after nearly running out. We finally got on the road about 10:30. The road is a good two lane road that follows along a body of water. The forest continues to be a dense mix of evergreen and birch with ferns and brush down low. Various wildflowers are mixed occasionally. The mountains are still small. We reached one summit that was 525 feet above sea level. After the road left the water we still saw rivers, lakes and ponds. We came to the town of Terrace where we fueled and got lunch at the grocery store. After leaving town we could occasionally see taller mountains that still had some snow. Another gas stop where we turned onto highway 37. This road is more narrow. A large sign warned of moose and bear in the area. For once the sign was correct. We soon spotted a young black bear beside the road. Now we sometimes see even bigger mountains with lots of snow. A highway crew is cutting brush along a 2-3 mile stretch of road. We had to wait for a pilot car to escort us. The truck driver behind us came up with his dog Roadie to talk a bit. Our accommodations for tonight are in a modular trailer with a shared bathroom. The room is approximately 8’x10’. The check in clerk says we were lucky to get it. We had a hard copy reservation but nobody told her. A gas station, convenience store, cafe and motel make up this spot in the road. No mosquitoes yet.

Port Hardy to Prince Rupert 299 miles

We got up at 4:30 in order to get to the ferry on time. Luckily it’s only a couple of miles away. Even though we are well ahead of the suggested time, some vehicles are ready to load and several are in the check in line. They finally open a second check in line. By the time we got through the line was significantly longer. Unlike the big ferry terminal to Victoria this one is much smaller with few options. Seems like the coffee vendors are missing a great opportunity since coffee is NOT available. The loading process is much slower but the ferry is also much smaller. We got parked at the front of the ferry so we should be among the first off. Then its upstairs to the purser’s office to get our cabin key. We have an inside cabin so space is limited. We do have a private bathroom including a shower, two beds, a chair and a small desk. The beds have nice big comforters. We quickly settle in for a nap. After the nap we checked out some of the ferry. Various seating lounges are scattered on parts of three decks. All seating has leather seats. Two eating areas are on opposite ends of one deck. A really nice seating area is at the front of the ferry. Seats in there cost an additional $40 Canadian. Limited seating is also available outside. If you stay out of the wind the temperature isn’t too bad. The day is cloudy so we couldn’t see the top of even the lower mountains. We are in a channel with small islands everywhere. All are covered with extremely dense forest. No houses anywhere. An occasional fishing vessel can be seen but not even many of those. A couple of maps show the route and a few highlights. At lunch time we went to the cafe which serves hamburgers, soup, chicken strips and fish. A cheeseburger combo is about $10 US so it is just like home. The burger was large and messy but by far the better deal than the chicken strips Connie had. For fifteen minutes every two hours passengers could go to the car deck to get items or be with their pets. Movies played occasionally but we didn’t watch any of those. We spent most of our time sleeping. The cabin rental was well worth the cost for a 17 hour ride. A stop was made at the village of Bella Bella at 1:30. The ride is nice and smooth. Average speed is twenty miles per hour. Then in late afternoon we slowed way down. One of the engines was having trouble. The engineering team got on the problem but we lost nearly an hour. Finally the announcement came to go to your vehicles. We still had to wait while the finished securing the ferry and lowering the ramp. Time to start your engines. Only problem was that woodie’s engine wouldn’t start. It took Rob numerous tries but the car finally started. We arrived at the hotel about 1:30 am. We got the last parking spot in the lot. It was a horrible spot for both ingress and egress.

Victoria British Columbia to Port Hardy British Columbia 315 miles

We got up a little earlier this morning to get going. We have a longer driving day today. Rob was unable to get the virtual Covid testing working last night. The web site on the box isn’t the right one. You need to use the instructions taped on the box. The site is not user friendly but he does eventually get it done. Now it is to be delivered to a FedEx store or one of their labs. Luckily one of the labs is not too far away. We arrived where the GPS took us but didn’t see the address. Rob asked a lady cleaning/blowing the sidewalk who pointed upstairs. Off he went. When he got there he had to wait in line and then sign a form which they had trouble finding. Our early start turned into mid morning. We head out on Canadian highway 1 which is somewhat like a freeway but has stop lights. The further north we go the more narrow the road gets. Eventually it becomes a two lane road. The scenery is beautiful. Lots of mountains covered with extremely dense forest. That opens up occasionally where they have clear cut a strip. Occasionally we see glimpses of the coast line. We drove nearly two hundred miles with no houses, towns or gas stations. We were nearly out of gas when a station appeared. We put 10.73 gallons in a ten gallon tank. We came to the hotel about 20 miles further down the road. After checking in we went to the grocery store to get frozen meals and some yogurt. We must have looked pretty tough because a very nice man in front of us bought our groceries. Early to bed because we have to get up early to go to the ferry.

Bellingham Washington to Victoria British Columbia 100 miles

The morning is beautiful with clear skies and no wind. You can hear different birds singing. Several varieties of boats are on the water already. We ate breakfast on the deck and then took their three cats on a cat walk around the yard. The two male cats get vests with a leash and the female gets just a collar. All have bells. Then we go outside where the cats go in different directions to explore the yard. Great opportunity to look at the different plants, shrubs and rocks. About 11:00 it’s time to load up and head north. A fuel and hot dog stop at Costco and then on to the Canadian border. The crossing was uneventful but slow. Rob got randomly selected for an at home Covid test. About 45 minutes later we reached the ferry terminal. Check in was quick. We waited in line about thirty minutes before loading the ferry. Once on the ferry vehicles are to stop 24 inches apart. The ride takes a little over 1.5 hours and is very smooth. Everyone takes off as fast as possible to head for their destination. Whenever we come to a stop light traffic slows for several lights. You would think we were back in Seattle. However, there are only two lanes not five. We found the hotel without much effort. After checking in we went to a nearby grocery store to buy frozen entrees for dinner and breakfast. We are thrifty travelers. The frozen breakfast options were various waffles so we bought turnovers from the bakery plus some yogurt. We chose shepherds pie for dinner. They had an entire frozen aisle full of Asian foods. The shelves across the aisle were full of Asian foods. Obviously there is a large Asian population in the area.