But first a correction. We turned wrong just a little past Gulkana not Tok. Or I should say, we didn't turn a little past Gulkana, we just stayed straight and was headed up to Delta Junction.I was talking to my Dad this morning and he said that you can't make the wrong turn in Tok. That I must have made it at Gulkana. Back to the map I went, rats, He's right ( Like always!)
Day 3. We traveled from Fort Nelson to Lloydminster. ( 720 miles )
My goal each day was to be on the road by 7am. I would get up first and shower and then wake up my sister. While she was getting ready I would take Abby for a walk, get gas and take stuff out to the truck. That way all we would have to do is get my sister's stuff and her in the truck.
We did pretty good that morning. I think that we were on the road by 7.15am or so. We found a coffee place so that my sister could get jump started.
The news that morning was all about the bad weather up ahead and we were heading to " up ahead" . But we had to go that way, so off we went. We got some McDonalds and soon were on the road. When we got to Grand Prairie we started to hit snow and rain mixed. We kept going and stopped at Fox Creek for a late lunch. We had pick up a lot of ice on the truck. The kind that filled the tire wells so that when you turned the tires would rub on the ice and make a bad sound. While there we kicked and kicked the ice off and did a real good scrape job to get the ice off all the windows. I was starting to get a little worried as the news that we kept hearing was that it gets worse the closer we get to Edmonton. I wanted to get past that big city in the day light. My sister wanted to go to the worlds largest mall in Edmonton. I flat out told her that that was not going to happen!
We get back on the road at Fox Creek and my sister is driving. We both are pretty awake as the road was icy. After a little while I told her that if she puts my truck in a ditch I was going to punch her! I felt really bad after I said that. I was just getting so nervous. I'm not a good back seat driver and I felt that she was going to fast for the conditions. She was not getting my subtle hints. The clinched fist, me pushing on the brake on the passenger side. Holding on to the OMG bar. She pulled over and said, "you drive" I was so happy to be back in control. ( Sorry, A, I was just getting real nervous)
We hit Edmonton during rush hour.. Traffic was down to a crawl as there were plow trucks in front plowing the roads so that traffic could move. The roads were sheets of ice. We got through Edmonton and by that time we were just a wreck. We should have stopped a long time ago but hind sight is best. On the other side of Edmonton we looked for a motel and finally found one in Lloydminster. That was about 10pm. It took about 4 hours to go 144 miles due to the roads. We watched the news and it was all about the "clipper" that came through and how bad it was and how much longer it would last. Some of the road that we had been on got closed do to the icing. They showed pictures of all big rigs in the ditch and also just all the cars that had gone off the roads.
I told my sister that, let's just get up when we do and see what the weather is like tomorrow.
We were both cold and wet from the deep snow that we had to trudge through getting our stuff from the truck to the room. We went to bed pooped.
Do you have any scary road trip stories?
1 year ago
When our kids were little, we got stuck out in Colorado on a road trip...our car broke down. Worse time to break down because it was the weekend of "Peaks Peak" run so all the motels were full around Colorado Springs.
ReplyDeleteBy the grace of God, someone cancelled and we were able to find a motel room while T worked on our car problem. It's a long story...I was so glad when we were on the road driving back home to Wisconsin.
Krissy, I have only been on the Alcan one time. I was 11 or 12 and my best friends parents were going to check out some business opportunities Outside. They came over for breakfast before leaving and said "why not let Janice come with us?" Did I tell you they had 9, that's right, 9 kids in a Buick station wagon??? I have no idea WHAT my dad was thinging, but off I went, kid number 10 for an adventure of a life time. We spent the 1st night this side of Glennallen. Night number 2 we had made it ALL the way to Tok! The poor old car was having a time of it so we left the extra canned food we were taking with someone in Tok and took off again. We eventually made it to Mile 1095 - just the Alaska side of Burwash Landing. That is where the car said, I HAVE HAD IT! And the engine died. We ended up spending a whole month camping out at that one spot waiting for a new engine and someone to fix it! to be continued.....
ReplyDeleteMy user name won't work today so I am back to Anonymous . janice
I know that when someone else is driving it always seems too fast, they are too close to the edge, too close to the center, too everything. I think it has to do with the perspective of sitting in the passenger seat. Oh yeah, and not being in control! we all like control don't we?
ReplyDeleteYou really rememeber your trip well, did you keep a journal? Maybe it was just so wonderfully pleasant that you couldn't forget it (laugh).
ReplyDeleteWhat a long tiring day. I wonder if day 4 will be better?
umm yeah....I notice you didn't mention that it was in two wheel drive as I'm driving and then after your death threat you suddenly remembered you should maybe use 4 wheel drive?! But anyway I forgave you right away for your threat. I do gotta admit that I had no hint of sleepyness at that time though!!
ReplyDelete