Long drive back to the USA

Leaving Hyder meant we were leaving Alaska for the last time. Sort of sad but we will take many special memories and what the heck...we still have some great travels in front of us as we head toward the USA. We have no schedule but plan to revisit Jasper and Banff National Parks since we rushed through on our way north.

Just a few miles from Hyder, we came upon a 5th wheel with the owner changing a tire. We stopped to see if they could use some help. Indeed they could, the elderly owner had been able to remove the flat tire but was having trouble getting the spare on the lugs. His jack would get high enough so we blocked the axle and added one of my leveling boards under the jack. Aha, worked like a charm and we were able to mount the tire. We checked the air pressure and found the spare had only 20 psi. The gentleman admitted he had never checked the pressure in the spare. Oh man! I didn't say what I thought but asked if he had an air compressor...no.

Fortunately, before leaving on this trip, I added a few few items to my safety kit. A Viair 300P compressor was one of the things I added. We plugged it in and raised the pressure to the recommended 80 psi in just a few minutes.

Look'n good as the air pressure approached 80 psi.

About 20 miles more, we came upon a big Class A diesel pusher. It looked like they were working on their tow dolly so we stopped and asked if they needed help. Yes, you don't have a jack do you? Sure do I said so once again, I went to my safety kit and pulled the 8 ton bottle jack from the storage compartment.

The tire on their dolly had shred, wrecked the fender and bent the bracket making it difficult to remove the battered tire. My jack lifted the dolly which allowed us to remove the tire and mangled bracket.

The spare tire was installed and...and...yup, just like the tire on the 5th wheel, this one had low air pressure too so the Viair 300P was brought into service once again. This time, it was a piece of cake since only 30 psi was needed in the small tire.

Fortunately, we didn't have to use any of these things but they came in hand for helping a couple other travelers. Carolyn and I continued on our way with the satisfaction that we had helps a couple fellow travelers. 

I've been asked what tools I take when we travel. Keep in mind, a Class B motorhome doesn't have a lot of extra space so I choose carefully. Even so, I probably over do it with a tool box full of sockets, wrenches, pliers and screw drivers. Of course, in today's world, we need both SAE (American) and metric so that adds to the bulk. I also carry the following. 

• high quality jumper cables
• 8 ton bottle jack
• Viair 300P compressor
• Speedy Seal tire repair kit

We didn't use the tire repair kit but everything else was used to help other travelers on this trip. 

Safety kit.

Continuing eastbound on Highway 16, we left the Coastal Mountains behind and settled into the flatlands of the Chilcotin Plateau. The route took us through a number of towns and villages. One of the interesting stops was in Kitwanga, a small indian village with a population of a couple hundred. The Kitwanga region was once the site of fierce tribal battles. Today, it is known as an area with many totems that tell their history. Below is just one totem and the old St. Paul's Anglican Church that was build in the late 1800's.

Wolf totem

Wolf on top of totem

St. Paul's Anglican Church, Kitwanga

While traveling, we aren't concerned about finding a campground with lots of amenities like swimming pools, groomed trails and visitor centers. We just need a place to spend the night.  On this night, it was the Cluculz Lake Rest Area. We park in an out-of-the-way place and almost always have two or three other RVers around us so we never feel concerned about the area.

Female Warbler

This area is relatively flat so we are beginning to see farming operations (mostly beef cattle) and timber. There was a constant stream of trucks like these passing the Cluculz Lake Rest Area.

Timber Truck

Today, we would like to make to to Jasper National Park and the Icefields Parkway. The Icefields Parkway was a beautiful drive when we were northbound so we are looking forward to seeing it again. We were still 30 miles from Jasper when were given an unexpected view. We came around a curve and witnessed this view. HOLY COW!

Then, just a few miles up the road, we came across this big guy. We had seen many elk over the previous few weeks but this guy was amazing.

We ended our great day with a delicious dinner.

We spent our last day in Canada with a beautiful drive southbound on the Icefields Highway through Jasper and Banff National Parks. Even though it is late August, the snow pack on the mountains is still very thick. Truly, this is the Icefields Highway.

Thanks for the great memories Canada!