Alaska 2008

Brrr... It was downright cold this morning when we broke camp in Jasper to head west over the Rockies. The temperature was a balmy 38 degrees. It is funny that while working to disconnect the water, electric and sewer connections, I really didn't feel the cold. When I was done, my hands were freezing. Perhaps this morning was a forerunner of mornings to come.

We are now on the Yellowhead Highway and will be for the next week. Western Mile Zero of the Yellowhead is in Masset, Queen Charlotte Islands, which we plan to visit next week. On our return east we will pick up the Yellowhead west of Edmonton, AB and take it to its eastern terminus in Winnipeg, MB. The only piece of the highway we won't be on is the stretch between Edmonton and Jasper. Today's trip took us over the Rockies into British Columbia and another time zone (now Pacific Daylight Savings Time). The route passes Mount Robson, the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies (15,299 ft/4,664 meters). At Tête Jaune Cache the route leaves the Rockies and follows the Cariboo Mountains to Prince George. As you can imagine, the route does a bit of winding through the mountains and it has its "ups and downs." Fortunately, this truck does a much better job of handling the mountains than its predecessor. The truck also yields a 35% improvement in fuel consumption... very important with diesel prices at about $5.50 a gallon.

Tonight's stop is in Vanderhoof, BC, the geographical center of the province. The campground is almost empty as it is just the beginning of its season. They have Internet access so we can catch up on our mail after a few days without the Internet (we were beginning to exhibit withdrawal symptoms).