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Posted

Arrived home from an inspired road trip over my fiancee's Spring Break. Rather than going somewhere warm, this year, we decided to hit the road from the west coast in my venerable 2000 Hyundai Tiburon and visit some friends on the Prairies....in the wintertime. Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either.

Our first destination was Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where my Best friend (and Best man for next year's wedding) and his Wife recently had a baby. He's a Canadian Forces Pilot, we did Basic Training together and Military College together. Great friend, and his wife's a great woman too. Being a real dumbass, I figured the best way to get there was to do it all-out, drive over 1000 miles straight from Vancouver to Moose Jaw rather than split up the trip.

Left the House at 3 am, Saturday to catch a 5:15 am ferry to Vancouver. Lots of belt squealing coming from my car on the drive up. Expletive. I crossed my fingers hoping it would get better after we got to Vancouver. It got a little better. Heading east, we began to climb the mountains towards Kamloops. Sunshine and dry roads gave way to snow and icy slush. Fantastic. Really should have invested in Winter Tires. After a couple of mountain passes and countless near-death experiences passing large 18-wheelers on ice-covered road lanes, I give in and stop at a hardware store to replace my ineffective wiper blades, buy some belt dressing for my squeeky belts, and get a refill bottle of washer fluid.

The next 10 hours are pretty uneventful. The roads weren't great but more blowing snow than falling snow, and although Calgary was under a Snowfall warning of 1/2 to 1 foot of snow, it was dry when we drove through. I even let my fiancee drive for an hour between Calgary and Medicine Hat, even though she is still learning to drive stick. Sure enough, next traffic light, multiple stalls. Great Job, babe! B)

It is now midnight as we pass through Swift Current. I see a police office a mile ahead of me, having pulled someone over. I bring down my speed to 80 Km/h, the speed limit posted, and pass him at that speed. He peels off and begins to trail me, sitting in my blind spot for about a minute before pulling me over.

Cop - "License and Registration, please"

(I hand them to him)

Cop - "Thank you".....and he retreats to his car! No reason, no "you were going a little fast back there"....nothing! What the???

5 minutes later...

DIFFERENT Cop - "Here you go, drive safe"....and retreats to the cop car.

Weird.......

Arrived in Moose Jaw at 1:30 am. Best sleep ever.

Next couple of days were wonderful visiting with my friend and his family. His baby daughter is very cute, and took to me instantly, which apparently is different, usually she doesn't like strangers. Terrible taste in Men, i guess.

We then depart on Tuesday for lunch with my sister in Saskatoon. Great time for travel, the whole province was getting pounded with a winter storm. Took me 4 hours on back roads to make the 200km trip, blowing snow and slippery roads everywhere. Good Sushi lunch with my sister. We leave at 5 pm to make the 6 hour trip to Calgary. The highway I want to take is "Not recommended for travel" by the Highway Ministry. Screw them, what do they know! First 15 mins, I look golden, the road is impeccable. Then I start to see the flipped cars and trucks. Black Ice and Zero visibility. Swirling Snow. No sign of highway lanes. This road is F'ed. I am the only car I see for hours that isn't flipped in the ditch. I don't trust my brakes enough to stop to lend aid - but judging from Police tape, most flipped hours ago. We cross into Alberta but the roads do not appreciably improve. At my fiancee's pleading, I turn off in some small town (Hanna, AB) for a night in some roach motel. My car's wheel wells are frozen blocks. I kick off what i can and hit the sack.

Next morning, the roads are better. We set off for Calgary. Lots slush and wet snow, but very drivable. I shudder my car up to 130 km/h. We make Calgary and stop for gas, and discover fantastic ice formations on my car and wheels - never seen the like before! Snapped a few pictures below.

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We enjoyed Vietnamese food for lunch and I took advantage of Alberta's nil Alcohol tax to stock up on some Scotch. Longrow CV and Bruichladdich PC 6.....Whoohoo! Made some delicious barbeque Cajun Chicken at my fiancee's friend's house and watched the Calgary Flames get their asses handed to them by San Jose on TV. Great night.

Last day. Time to head home. We leave Calgary early and are rewarded with spectacular views of the Rockies are we traverse through Banff.

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Meanwhile, I get pulled over for speeding in the BC interior (I won't say how much over the limit.... :rotfl: ) but somehow escape with a warning. Later, in Kamloops, after filling up with gas, a slow old man in the Costco parking lot somehow manages to stop in an intersection after starting from a stop sign, and I plow right into him in the wet snow. @$%*#$%^%$#$%. Somehow, there was no damage on either car. These Horseshoes in my ass were starting to hurt! Yes, I bought a lottery ticket, and no, I didn't win. Expletive. As we drove back towards Vancouver, the sun came out just as it was when we left....and I noticed a wonderful buzzing noise from my right rear tire. Still need to get that fixed. We made the 6 pm ferry and collapsed in a heap once we got home.

Next time I get a week off, I'm going to Cuba. 4000 KM in less than a week in the freakin' winter. It's a wonder my car still functions. Unfortunately, it was so cold that cigars were out of the question, but after getting home I pulled out my last Party SDC#3 and enjoyed it immensely. It's good to be home!

Hope you Enjoyed my ramblings!

Posted

That's one hell of a road trip! I agree, Cuba next time! :rotfl:

Posted

Great pics and story!!! :rotfl:

I have done similar trips but never in snow/ice! Give me dust, gravel and Kangaroos bounding in front of the bonnet any time!

Posted

Nice one! My wife and I did something similar a few years back, before we were married, driving from Calgary to Kelowna for Xmas, and then back east to Moose Jaw for New Year's Eve and then back to Calgary again. Besides the normal craziness of such a trip, the head blew on my truck and overheated terminally just outside of Drumheller, about 160 km from Calgary, and we had to get towed all the way back ($5k repair too). Lucky I had AMA or the tow could have cost just as much!

I'm with you; go to Havana and spend the money on cigars! :rotfl:

Posted

Pure Canadiana, western style. Loved the tale and the telling.

The night in Hanna? Now that is bad luck. Glad to hear that the Swift Current RCMP are still at there post - been hanging out east of Swift since forever. As for why an east bound vehicle with British Columbia plates gets stopped? Well lets just say that folks east of the Rockies have certain ideas about folks on the other side of the Divide. I have been teased ad infinitum about the "organic crop" growing at my place in BC ever since I purchased that patch of vacation dirt.

Last laugh goes to you- while we are out nursing our cigars in cold and snow, you are sitting on your back porch with a Partagas and counting daffodils.

Bless you man. ;)

Posted

It is a bit crazy to drive but we don't alway have much choice Aizuddin, because flying in Canada is not as cheap as SEAsia. Trains are pretty well non existent here, they only going certain places. So that leaves driving.

Posted

Chance my man, you are nuts! Just looking at the ice build up on your rims and wheel arch, I'd never head out on Falkens!! Gimme some Pirelli Sottozero IIs and then I'd think about it.

Posted

Great tale Chance!

I've had afew similar trips,Driving the Italian Alps in the dark springs to mind,but there is a buzz in making it throught though....

Lovely Photo's,it looks beautiful.

Posted
Next time I get a week off, I'm going to Cuba.

;) I think it's your best bet and all the cigars you can smoke :D

However, great story and fantastic photos, thanks for sharing :D

Posted

Nice post there Chance. Done a winter road trip before, but not through the rockies, pretty adventurous with no winter tires! Too bad the horseshoes did not carry over to a lottery winning.

I noticed that you went to millitary college. I was at College Millitaire Royal from 1977 - 1982

Tom

Posted

Great photos Chance. I agree though, hit Cuba next time. :buddies: The Rockies are best saved for July/August. I've cycled from Banff to Jasper about 4 times. Unbelievably beautiful and serene. We took the 91A Transcan. Maybe a car every 10 mins coasting along at 30km's. You folks in the West have access to some seriously beautiful terrain. I've stopped at the peak of the Sumwapta pass and just marvelled at the absolute silence.

Posted

A helluva trip Chance, but you got a great story out of it as well as the experience and time with family and friends.

Posted

Great report Chance, loved reading it, thanks for sharing !

Reminded me of a few trips I took from Calgary up to Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper and on to BC when we still had a week long layover in Calgary - I hated the snow & the cold, but loved the landscape and the moose and the cabins.

Got stopped for an illegal U-turn in Banff once while driving out from a bar back to our cabin and the RCMP was nice to me, pointing out it wasn't permitted and wishing me a nice stay Herr Jack Daniels .... :-))

Still - I've decided to retire to cigars and Cuba/SE Asia :-))

Posted

Glad you made it out alive man! The Coquihalla is no joke in the winter, especially for an Island dweller :flower:

Posted

Cool story and photos. But yeah, I'd agree with others - go for a sunshine destination, Chris!

That, and...you did all this with an f'in' Tiberon??!!?!? You are crazy, aren't you? Hell, I barely want to go past Toronto without my trusty 4x4, let alone north of the 49th!

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