Mucho Gracias for the write up and head up on the part on the North! Really looking forward to explore and appreciate the wilderness
Builds Ozzi, 2000 HZJ78 in Canada - travel/maintenance/build (2 Viewers)
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Mucho Gracias for the write up and head up on the part on the North! Really looking forward to explore and appreciate the wilderness
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- #282
A lot has happened since I last wrote. I'll start by combining a few trips to Southern Alberta and just sharing some pictures, because that's always best.
Nature never ceases to amaze, from the early crocus flowers to a wide range of anemone, lupin, buffalo bean, and arrowleaf balsamroot (among countless others!) of spring. But since this is a Toyota forum (and not a botany one) I will post only one photo because I cannot resist.
And of course the sunsets...
Nature never ceases to amaze, from the early crocus flowers to a wide range of anemone, lupin, buffalo bean, and arrowleaf balsamroot (among countless others!) of spring. But since this is a Toyota forum (and not a botany one) I will post only one photo because I cannot resist.
And of course the sunsets...
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- #283
I was home for a few days, and my dad and I prepared for our "2024 trip". This included washing both cars, the first time we've ever driven the two "in convoy". I also replaced the winch rope with synthetic and the fairlead with an offset, in the meantime noticing damage to the winch caused by someone spooling it while bunched, basically rendering the winch inoperable until I had the parts delivered and repaired.
Our trip of 2024 was quite flexible, with a clear endpoint - Bend, OR. In October 2023, after much deliberation, I decided to go ahead with a roof conversion on the Troopy, and @Willis at Fit Garage was where I decided it'd be best to install. I'll spare you the details of ordering, having the conversion delayed in transit, and adjusting my plans as a result.
After the terrible fires of summer 2023, I decided a safe haven (from fires and fire bans alike) would be Haida Gwai'i, so I booked ferry passage there and back as well as an inside passage sailing from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. Unfortunately, in the days leading up to the trip, the weather forecasts were absolutely terrible - rain, rain, and more rain, and temperatures not exceeding 13C. An executive decision was made to pull the plug on Haida Gwai'i, and instead a quick redirect was made for interior BC and then heading south through WA and OR. I was actually working in Seattle, and managed to cancel my original flight and rebook into Cranbrook, BC, where I met my dad after he spent two nights camping on the way.
Tying into the roof conversion, I sold the roof rack in the nick of time, and Ozzi was "shaved" in Fernie, BC.
After meeting up with my dad at the small Cranbrook airport, we headed south for the night, since the goal for this trip was to avoid bad weather - no awning & no MaxTrax, both due to the sale of the roof rack, and no working winch as explained above.
Just outside of Cranbrook we encountered a lot full of Land Cruisers, and had to pull over and stop. Along with the many 40's there were two Land Rover Series, and of course those were the only two leaking fluid.
With the forecast calling for rain in the evening, we crossed into Idaho at Kingsway.
Our trip of 2024 was quite flexible, with a clear endpoint - Bend, OR. In October 2023, after much deliberation, I decided to go ahead with a roof conversion on the Troopy, and @Willis at Fit Garage was where I decided it'd be best to install. I'll spare you the details of ordering, having the conversion delayed in transit, and adjusting my plans as a result.
After the terrible fires of summer 2023, I decided a safe haven (from fires and fire bans alike) would be Haida Gwai'i, so I booked ferry passage there and back as well as an inside passage sailing from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. Unfortunately, in the days leading up to the trip, the weather forecasts were absolutely terrible - rain, rain, and more rain, and temperatures not exceeding 13C. An executive decision was made to pull the plug on Haida Gwai'i, and instead a quick redirect was made for interior BC and then heading south through WA and OR. I was actually working in Seattle, and managed to cancel my original flight and rebook into Cranbrook, BC, where I met my dad after he spent two nights camping on the way.
Tying into the roof conversion, I sold the roof rack in the nick of time, and Ozzi was "shaved" in Fernie, BC.
After meeting up with my dad at the small Cranbrook airport, we headed south for the night, since the goal for this trip was to avoid bad weather - no awning & no MaxTrax, both due to the sale of the roof rack, and no working winch as explained above.
Just outside of Cranbrook we encountered a lot full of Land Cruisers, and had to pull over and stop. Along with the many 40's there were two Land Rover Series, and of course those were the only two leaking fluid.
With the forecast calling for rain in the evening, we crossed into Idaho at Kingsway.
Really love to ride up. Jan! And looks all so beautiful. I did have one question though and that is am I meant to understand that you were expecting 13° C in the middle of summer?
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- #285
Thank you John! Yes, mid-June, highs of 13C... not to foreshadow too much, but the weather had some surprises for us on this trip!
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After crossing into Idaho and taking a secondary road towards Bonners Ferry, we turned East and headed into Montana. Despite having been to around 100 countries and explored them fairly well, I hadn't visited neither Idaho nor Montana - sometimes the things right around the corner are those you don't do! Our campsite for the night was described as a former fire lookout within Kootenai National Forest with a beautiful view and a good trail (don't follow Google Maps, however, as it takes you through impassible roads). The road up was amazing - an even ascent, well-graded (save for a few eroded spots) - too narrow to be a forestry trail, too well-surveyed to be merely a fire lookout - and led to a hill with a spectacular view. At the top, there was some rubble dispersed around, a few remaining concrete slabs, and even some asphalt. It was quite obvious this was a former military installation, and though no online source links this specific hill with it, there was a Cold War-era signals station in the area which was decommissioned in 1960.
As we had the entire hill to ourselves, we had our choice of campsites, so we settled on one that offered wind protection and green grass around.
The view was perfect - lush greenery, no man-made objects in sight, and complete silence. I set about collecting wood for a fire: despite the hill-top location there was plenty of deadfall to gather. We had a mini-disaster on the way up - keeping our water canisters in the back as usual, the bumps had toppled one over and about half of it had leaked out, soaking parts of the mattresses and sleeping bags. Luckily it was rather windy & sunny, a good combination to dry everything out in no time.
Dinner was a simple affair, but included baked potatoes, of course.
For a few brief moments a drizzle blew by, but otherwise we were completely successful in dodging the rain that evening, and were treated to a spectacular sunset.
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- #286
After a good first nights sleep (and my first-ever night camping in the USA), we woke to a beautiful sunrise, made breakfast and had a shower.
Back down the hill and towards Idaho, we stopped in Bonners Ferry for a look around and a coffee. Upon parking, immediately a nice gentleman pulls up and says he loves our Troopy. We had a nice chat, he was the owner of a 40-series Troopy from Australia and many other LC's in the past. Car culture is definitely quite different in the USA than in Canada!
The coffee wasn't great but the town had the typical North American small-town charm, which I love. Post Office, Courthouse, Bank are reliably the most impressive buildings, and a Main Street with small shops. We crossed back into Canada ("how long were you gone for?" Only one night. "Why?" To run away from the rain) at another small border post, and drove straight into Creston, a larger centre where we could easily stock up on groceries and other necessities.
Back down the hill and towards Idaho, we stopped in Bonners Ferry for a look around and a coffee. Upon parking, immediately a nice gentleman pulls up and says he loves our Troopy. We had a nice chat, he was the owner of a 40-series Troopy from Australia and many other LC's in the past. Car culture is definitely quite different in the USA than in Canada!
The coffee wasn't great but the town had the typical North American small-town charm, which I love. Post Office, Courthouse, Bank are reliably the most impressive buildings, and a Main Street with small shops. We crossed back into Canada ("how long were you gone for?" Only one night. "Why?" To run away from the rain) at another small border post, and drove straight into Creston, a larger centre where we could easily stock up on groceries and other necessities.
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- #287
We continued North, hugging the shores of Kootenay Lake, until we came to the ferry crossing to Balfour. The longest free car ferry in the world, it is a beautiful and scenic ride. As we were waiting to board, some rain started to fall, as well as a strong wind and foreboding dark clouds on the horizon.
Off of the ferry, we pointed the Troopy North once again, and stopped in Kaslo for a walk and some small groceries.
Ominous...
The wind was incredibly strong, and there were small branches littering the whole highway. We decided a safe haven might be found in Sandon, a "ghost town" which has quite a lot to offer (for more info on the area, see @Rigster's post). The only paid campground we would stop at on this trip, the reasonable $15 fee was seen by us as a payment for firewood, of which we were told to use "as much as possible".
We quickly parked and headed to the hydro power station, which was closing in a few minutes. Still in use and with much of the original equipment in place, it is a delight to visit.
Off of the ferry, we pointed the Troopy North once again, and stopped in Kaslo for a walk and some small groceries.
Ominous...
The wind was incredibly strong, and there were small branches littering the whole highway. We decided a safe haven might be found in Sandon, a "ghost town" which has quite a lot to offer (for more info on the area, see @Rigster's post). The only paid campground we would stop at on this trip, the reasonable $15 fee was seen by us as a payment for firewood, of which we were told to use "as much as possible".
We quickly parked and headed to the hydro power station, which was closing in a few minutes. Still in use and with much of the original equipment in place, it is a delight to visit.
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- #288
The rain was blowing through, but we were faced only with short bursts of light drizzle - and presented with a beautiful rainbow.
The main building in Sandon has been recently repainted, and interestingly also outfitted with Starlink internet access - my first time using it, and I was amazed by the connection latency.
Dinner was rice with chicken curry and some fresh veggies, plus some local beers purchased enroute in Lundbreck, AB by my dad.
The firewood was free & unlimited, and seasoned (i.e. not green), but had to be selected, split, and dried since it was stored in a giant heap of pre-cut logs. This means maintaining a large fire was key, as well as pre-drying the next logs next to the fire. Cedar smells wonderful and burns well, too, and we said: "what a campfire, this'll be tough to surpass".
Fire, picnic table, Troopy, wood pile.
The main building in Sandon has been recently repainted, and interestingly also outfitted with Starlink internet access - my first time using it, and I was amazed by the connection latency.
Dinner was rice with chicken curry and some fresh veggies, plus some local beers purchased enroute in Lundbreck, AB by my dad.
The firewood was free & unlimited, and seasoned (i.e. not green), but had to be selected, split, and dried since it was stored in a giant heap of pre-cut logs. This means maintaining a large fire was key, as well as pre-drying the next logs next to the fire. Cedar smells wonderful and burns well, too, and we said: "what a campfire, this'll be tough to surpass".
Fire, picnic table, Troopy, wood pile.
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- #289
In the morning, I woke early and decided to go make use of the internet to get ahead on some work items. Sitting outside in the sun was pleasant, but it was quite chilly and after an hour of typing my fingers were numb. Thankfully my dad had gotten up in the meantime and kindly started the fire as a first priority.
Beautiful morning-light ferns and forget-me-nots:
Breakfast.
After taking a shower, we headed to the building/cafe/internet hotspot for dessert, since we had been informed the previous evening that a rhubarb pie was in the works. While eating the pie, we were regaled by stories of black bear encounters the previous evening.
Afterwards, we went to check out a few of the many electric trolleybuses.
Beautiful morning-light ferns and forget-me-nots:
Breakfast.
After taking a shower, we headed to the building/cafe/internet hotspot for dessert, since we had been informed the previous evening that a rhubarb pie was in the works. While eating the pie, we were regaled by stories of black bear encounters the previous evening.
Afterwards, we went to check out a few of the many electric trolleybuses.
Jan, this is one of my fondest places in all the explorations I have done in and around the "Circle of Silver" area. I hope you got a chance to meet and speak with Hal, the fellow who runs the power station and pretty much the whole town. Very knowledgeable, wise, and just an all-around great person to spend time with and talk to. Glad you got a chance to visit!!
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- #291
We retraced our steps to Kaslo, passing through the town briefly and continuing Northwards towards Duncan Lake. After crossing the narrow strip of land between Kootenay Lake and Duncan Lake from West to East, we continued North to scout out a few locations I wanted to visit. Following a narrow and steep track up towards a fire lookout, it soon became apparent that the road was being worked on for a future logging operation and was blocked by heavy equipment, forcing us back down to lake level. We continued North to another few campsites I had wanted to see, all on the lake. The issue we faced is that the lake serves as a hydroelectric reservoir, and as such the fluctuating water levels make it not so appealing to the eyes, while the debris makes it challenging for fishing (which I really wanted to do!).
Pictured here, beautiful campsite, "lakefront", but the lake was far below with a gravel & log wasteland in between.
So we drove back to the West side of the lake, and continued North on Highway 31, which soon turned into a well-graded but narrow gravel road. This was a wonderful discovery in a popular and generally touristy region - no traffic and beautiful views.
There was a recreation site on the shores of Trout Lake I wanted to stay at, but after following the narrow track, there was a bike packing couple who had just arrived. For us, it is easy to turn around and find another spot, but for them it isn't, so despite there being enough room for all of us, we gave them the peace and quiet they deserved and continued looking for a campsite for the night. Though it appeared lots of people camped at the edge of the lake in a car pullout, this was still within the Provincial Park and given the ample area outside of the provincial park available, was far from necessary. Instead, I consulted both my offline satellite maps and my drone and found a beautiful spot overlooking the lake in an area which had been logged a few years ago.
Pictured here, beautiful campsite, "lakefront", but the lake was far below with a gravel & log wasteland in between.
So we drove back to the West side of the lake, and continued North on Highway 31, which soon turned into a well-graded but narrow gravel road. This was a wonderful discovery in a popular and generally touristy region - no traffic and beautiful views.
There was a recreation site on the shores of Trout Lake I wanted to stay at, but after following the narrow track, there was a bike packing couple who had just arrived. For us, it is easy to turn around and find another spot, but for them it isn't, so despite there being enough room for all of us, we gave them the peace and quiet they deserved and continued looking for a campsite for the night. Though it appeared lots of people camped at the edge of the lake in a car pullout, this was still within the Provincial Park and given the ample area outside of the provincial park available, was far from necessary. Instead, I consulted both my offline satellite maps and my drone and found a beautiful spot overlooking the lake in an area which had been logged a few years ago.
Another of my favorite places... SO many places to explore from Trout. Though a loaded Land Cruiser would require at least a rear locker (recommend both) to reach most of the places around there.
Incidentally, for future reference, you can camp lakefront on the beach at the northwest end of the lake just outside of the town by donation ($10/night suggested last time I was there)
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- #293
Absolutely, a beautiful spot! I saw the campground there through my binoculars; my goal is always to find seclusion, and that would not be the case on the north-western shore!
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There was plenty of firewood for a fire, and once again we said "wow, can the fire get any better than tonight!" Dinner was made on the fire - "Russian" sausages we had purchased in Kaslo and baked potatoes. A perfectly-sized log was procured and carried up to serve as our table.
The sunset was spectacular, and we enjoyed sitting by the fire and taking it all in.
What a view...
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- #294
The following morning, we woke to a blue sky with some small clouds offering interesting effects on the opposite hillside.
Breakfast, as usual.
An idyllic setting...
We proceeded to drive on Highway 31, and stopped at the town on the northern shore - mainly to see the famous Windsor Hotel.
We eventually made it to the Galena - Shelter Bay ferry, where we were surprised by cell phone service (a notable thing, since there must have been a very small repeater only at the ferry terminal).
Breakfast, as usual.
An idyllic setting...
We proceeded to drive on Highway 31, and stopped at the town on the northern shore - mainly to see the famous Windsor Hotel.
We eventually made it to the Galena - Shelter Bay ferry, where we were surprised by cell phone service (a notable thing, since there must have been a very small repeater only at the ferry terminal).
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- #295
Following another enjoyable ferry crossing, we turned off the highway to follow the western side of Arrow lake and find a new campsite for the evening. This occurred much faster than we expected, after we drove through a very large and rather busy recreation site but found an idyllic spot to spend the night. Tucked away in a corner, with a stream running immediately behind, and a lakefront view, it was perfect. I was really hoping to fish; for this the lake was not ideal - again, a hydroelectric reservoir, lots of debris, and rather large for shore fishing. But I was determined to give it a try, and we headed out to some rocks where the water became deep rapidly and where I could cast without too much risk of debris. After a few casts, I caught a nice rainbow trout for dinner - not bad for my first time fishing in well over a decade!
It was not going to fit on our pan, so on the fire it went.
And the view:
It was not going to fit on our pan, so on the fire it went.
And the view:
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- #296
Later in the evening I went back and caught another (yay!), which went into the fridge for the following evenings' dinner.
For breakfast, I mastered my own naan bread recipe, thereby solving the problem of a lack of fresh baked goods while travelling. After making a dry mix at home with baking soda, flour, and salt, I add yoghurt before kneading, shaping, and frying on the pan.
The hot topic of the morning was the weather forecast for the following days, which was rather dramatic. I had been following it in internet, but it had been steadily getting worse, as confirmed by my inReach weather forecast that morning. The next days were to have rain, rain, and rain and highs as low as 11C! Of course this meant we had to high-tail it south - rather unfortunate as this area still had so much more to explore!
For breakfast, I mastered my own naan bread recipe, thereby solving the problem of a lack of fresh baked goods while travelling. After making a dry mix at home with baking soda, flour, and salt, I add yoghurt before kneading, shaping, and frying on the pan.
The hot topic of the morning was the weather forecast for the following days, which was rather dramatic. I had been following it in internet, but it had been steadily getting worse, as confirmed by my inReach weather forecast that morning. The next days were to have rain, rain, and rain and highs as low as 11C! Of course this meant we had to high-tail it south - rather unfortunate as this area still had so much more to explore!
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- #297
But we did not leave before taking a shower, and here I can show you the beauty of this campsite!
There is a road on either side of Arrow Lake - the eastern side being highway 23 (a sealed and well-travelled road) and the western side having multiple logging roads. Of course we followed the path less travelled, which to begin with was extremely uncomfortable. Multiple logging operations were beginning, and the road had been widened but not graded, and was jarring, necessitating speeds of under 10 km/h. But the views were occasionally worth the struggle!
There is a road on either side of Arrow Lake - the eastern side being highway 23 (a sealed and well-travelled road) and the western side having multiple logging roads. Of course we followed the path less travelled, which to begin with was extremely uncomfortable. Multiple logging operations were beginning, and the road had been widened but not graded, and was jarring, necessitating speeds of under 10 km/h. But the views were occasionally worth the struggle!
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- #298
Between a few active logging sites, there were some beautiful campgrounds, on small lakes with mountain views.
The weather forecast meant we continued pressing on, and we reached the Arrow Park Ferry, linking the more rugged western side with the developed eastern side, in the nick of time - a few minutes before the over two-hour lunch break (unbeknownst to us!).
The weather forecast meant we continued pressing on, and we reached the Arrow Park Ferry, linking the more rugged western side with the developed eastern side, in the nick of time - a few minutes before the over two-hour lunch break (unbeknownst to us!).
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- #299
The ferry was electric and very new, with plenty of space for the three vehicles - an unladen logging truck, a pickup, and us.
We backtracked a little north towards Nakusp, where we stopped for cake and coffee and a short walk. After turning east, our next stop was in New Denver, where we visited the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre - a phenomenal museum highlighting the treatment of Japanese in Canada during WWII, and an idyllic setting we had all to ourselves.
In Nelson around dinner-time, we walked around town while running errands (beer + groceries mainly!), and continued south out of town to try to find a decent campsite in a popular and busy area. I wanted to head to a cabin on a lake, and we followed a logging road which turned into an ATV track, and halted to ponder our options at a creek crossing.
Given the relatively late hour, our lack of a reliably-working winch and recovery boards, we decided the crossing was not necessary and found a quiet pullout along the track instead.
We backtracked a little north towards Nakusp, where we stopped for cake and coffee and a short walk. After turning east, our next stop was in New Denver, where we visited the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre - a phenomenal museum highlighting the treatment of Japanese in Canada during WWII, and an idyllic setting we had all to ourselves.
In Nelson around dinner-time, we walked around town while running errands (beer + groceries mainly!), and continued south out of town to try to find a decent campsite in a popular and busy area. I wanted to head to a cabin on a lake, and we followed a logging road which turned into an ATV track, and halted to ponder our options at a creek crossing.
Given the relatively late hour, our lack of a reliably-working winch and recovery boards, we decided the crossing was not necessary and found a quiet pullout along the track instead.
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- #300
We lit the fire immediately, and while waiting for the embers to be ready for grilling, we enjoyed a little charcuterie board with the (oversize!) beers we had purchased in Nelson.
Fish on the grill!
The following morning we were up quite early. The rain began immediately after we finished cleaning up after breakfast, just as we got in and turned the engine over. Perfect timing - we need to get out of here!
