Day 9: Vancouver, B.C. - Quesnel, B.C.

North of Whistler B.C. with the Coastal Mountains in the background

A Beautiful mountain lake where we stopped for lunch

It is Wednesday, September 7, 12:30 p.m. This is Peter blogging, as I sit nervously in the middle of the back seat (safest place in the truck) while Anna courageously herds our 10,000 pounds of steel and glass on a narrow mountain pass north of Whistler en route to Prince George, British Columbia and then continue on to Homer, Alaska.

We are now pounding out the miles with purpose! No more stops other than RV parks between Vancouver and Homer. We’ve had great visits with relatives and friends as we traversed the continent, but now we succumb to a higher calling – get up North to Alaska to meet up with Cindy Detrow and Amanda Keegel.

An interesting aside – we have this GPS signaling device that every ten minutes sends out a signal to a satellite indicating our exact location, while at the same time leaving a distinct imprint on a map linked to this blog. (You can follow us on this, if you like; just click on the link in the upper right). Besides sending out a signal, this GPS also has a button, which if one chances to push, will literally send out a search party headed by the State Patrol, and if they can’t find you, then they unleash the helicopters (and we pay for all the expenses). I understand skiers in avalanche areas also use it. If they become buried under ten feet of snow it is much easier for the rescuers to know where to dig.

Thomas and I are so much enjoying pounding out these twelve hour days that we threatened to put in a seventeen hour day tomorrow on our way to Wilson’s Lake. Anna’s reply was straight to the point – try to pull that stunt and I’m calling in the helicopters with the GPS signaling device, after which she'll fly to Homer at our expense!

Looking at the map from Vancouver to Homer is a bit daunting, so we carve off the distance one millimeter at a time. But we have purpose, a destination, and the will to carry it out. Nothing, on the road, or in life, is more gratifying.

To date, we have managed to keep all four wheels firmly on terra firma. Total mileage since we left home eight days ago is 3,600. If we stay on the course we currently have selected it will take approximately another 2,200 miles to arrive in Homer, Alaska.

For the first seven days of driving we averaged 55 mph. That will doubtless drop as we drive north. We went through a pass this morning just north of Whistler that was so steep and serpentine that our miles per gallon dropped at times to six. A motorcyclists passed us on the incline, but with our 5.9 Cummins diesel in “tow mode” we were able to keep the cyclist within sight for at least seven miles.