Week 1 Sept 09 - 16

Sept 08, 2019

In less than 24 hours, my new companion, Princess Wookie, a retired 7 year old sled dog and I will be leaving the Yukon. We will drive down to Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway before crossing into Alberta. We will be in my 2014 GMC Sierra crew cab towing a 1979 Vanguard Security travel trailer. The travel trailer has been renovated and fixed up.  There are still a few more things to do that I will do along the way to Quebec and while staying at my friends' places.  I have chosen not to fill up the water holding tank, as that changes the dynamics of towing. I figure once I am stationary I will fill it up and be able to use my sink, shower and toilet. My friend and I looked over the fridge, heating system and hot water tank. While everything works it's best I don't use the fridge via the propane system as the coils and whatnot are rather sketchy looking and I don't want to risk a fridge fire.  Later on, while on my travels I will get a new or gently used RV 3 way fridge installed.

Sept 09, 2019

Got up early, loaded up the last of my belongings and started to drive towards Jakes Corner on the Alaska Highway. I got re-acquainted with towing Birdie the travel trailer. It felt a bit rough, so at the junction of the Tagish Road and the Alaska Highway I jumped out to take a quick look - to my surprise and horror I was missing my trailer's rear driver's side wheel and lug nuts.  In a bit of a panic I pulled a u turn and drove back to the house. I dropped the trailer off, and sped off to Whitehorse to get another wheel, tire and some lug nuts. I started to review my morning check list before I left the first time.  I knew I checked all the tires and lug nuts - I am thinking I must have tightened the front tire, then moved to the other side tightened the tires there and moved back to the driver's side and tightened the same tire!

Now you see them.

Now you don't!

By the time I got back to the trailer, I felt it was a bit too late in the day to leave. So, I settled into the trailer, Wookie got used to being around the trailer and she even checked out the interior.

Sept 10. 2019

I made some last minute repairs, and checks of the trailer before heading down the road. I checked my trailer tires several times before I finally put the hubcaps back on in Teslin. Everything was going well. Wookie and I travelled comfortably all the way to the Liard Hot Springs. We saw several black bears, a couple of small herds of bison and a young moose. I settled in for the night - hoping the loss of the wheel was the only hitch in my road trip. The weather was good, the scenery was spectacular as always for early September.

Rest stop! Wookie wanted to pee, and needed a snack!

Sept 11, 2019

Got up early, left the Liard Hot Springs, drove about 20 kms and started having engine issues. I chugged along a bit further, pulled over, checked the gas cap, and listened to the engine as it idled. Everything sounded good. I continued towards Muncho Lake. (51 kms) My truck's onboard computer put things into "limp mode". I could drive albeit slowly and really had to chug going up hills.  I stopped in at Muncho Lake made a couple of phone calls and decided it would be best to limp to Toad River (63 km).

Sept 12, 2019

Me and my co-pilot, Wookie.

I stayed in the RV park overnight, attempting to figure out the best option. Could return to Watson Lake, but that was 324 kms in the wrong direction or continue south to Fort Nelson which was only 189 kms away. I took a gamble and continued to limp south. I arrived in Fort Nelson just before the garages closed up for the night, so I found a really beautiful RV park to stay at for a couple of days.  I found a site where there weren't too many dogs. Wookie, as great as she is, doesn't really care for other dogs at the moment.

Sept 13, 2019

What to do when it's Friday September 13, 2019 - watch Space 1999 - waiting for the truck to be fixed by a good mechanic at Muskwa Services.

My friends happened to be travelling north with their brand new GMC Canyon. We met up and camped together. We got in a good visit, played Skip Bo and laughed late into the evening.

Sept 14, 2019

I woke up early, pulled out of Fort Nelson and figured everything was good. I was about 50 km south of the Fort Nelson when the check engine light came on again, I decided to turn around and head back to town.  I contacted my friends, and we met up again. A call out was put out for friends to help me with the trailer. A number of Yukon connections happened and I found a great place to store Birdie. My friends took a few of my belongings home to the Yukon. I stripped the trailer of almost all the essentials and parked Birdie with friends.  Wookie and I camped one more night in Fort Nelson.

Sept 15, 2019

We got an early start, first we took Birdie the travel trailer to her temporary parking spot.

"Bye Bye Birdie"

Wookie and I started to drive to Fort St. John. The check engine light came on.  I stopped and listened to the engine in idle, it was smooth. So, I decided to take a chance and continue down the highway.  I stopped periodically, but we made it. It was a tad stressful drive, partially because the truck was definitely malfunctioning, and plus between Prophet River and Wonowon there was a snow storm with big fat snowflakes and big rigs tossing up sheets of muddy water. But we made it. I found a cheap hotel to stay at, one that welcomed pets and I didn't need a "proper" credit card.  

Sept 16, 2019

We took the truck to the dealership. They said they would see if they could fix the problem quickly. I left the truck there, and Wookie and I walked back to the hotel.  And for the most part we chilled in the hotel room, going on random walks. Found a pet food store and bought a small trial size bag of dog food. Wookie has been eating the dog food I got in Whitehorse, but she hasn't been too excited about it. Well the stuff I got today, she really likes.  So, I will be getting more.

The dealership called and told me about the problems with the truck, a bad spark plug wire, and the transmission lines were leaking. I gave them the go ahead to fix the problems. Wookie and I rested, and in the late afternoon we walked back through town to pick up the truck.  There were several comments about Wookie's lineage and personality - she's a sled dog not a wolf dog, and she's very friendly with people.

I've come up with a new plan. I am going to go to Edmonton and trade the truck for a box van, take it back to Grande Prairie to my friend's place, do some camperizing before continuing on my quest. The idea of buying a box van and camperizing it has been a long term plan that I was hoping to begin in the spring. At the moment it seems to be the most feasible and beneficial thing to do.

That was week 1 of my 7 month road trip.