British Columbia Tips for Visitors.

[SilverRanger]

"The height of the pass has little bearing on the grade % one might encounter or the sharpness of that corner at the bottom of that grade...

... This is all beautiful country to look at, but remember, your driving is #1. Let your partner take the pictures."


Truth!
There seemed to be a challenging sharp corner at the end of most grades, which added to the excitement. At one point, while my wife was hanging out the window to take pictures, I was actually considering fabricating a safety belt for her so I didn't have to worry about her falling out on the curves.

Although we encountered more of them in the Yukon, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned those little orange flags.



Good times.

[10Smiles]

I have to second the steep grades comments. Several years ago my wife and I were tent camping on Vancouver Island. We were taking a day trip from Port Alberni to Ucluelet. There was one grade that was 18% (yes, that's eighteen percent!!); 8% is steep, 18% is very steep. The hill wasn't very long, but it had turns.

[masseyfarm]

That nice hill (Hydro Hill HWY #4) and lots more that come with the corners is still there and waiting for others to experience the thrill of travelling to the "Pacific Rim National Park".
This is the East side of Hydro Hill.
http://g.co/maps/gupej
This is the pullout at the top of Hydro Hill at Larry Lake.
http://g.co/maps/smfjs

Cut and paste this into Google MAP and you are at the top of the Hydro Hill.

49.116597,-125.438483

Hauling fuel over there in 1969-70 with a semi, KW and 4 + 4 transmission, it was 1+1 gear at the top.
Dave

Originally Posted by 10Smiles

I have to second the steep grades comments. Several years ago my wife and I were tent camping on Vancouver Island. We were taking a day trip from Port Alberni to Ucluelet. There was one grade that was 18% (yes, that's eighteen percent!!); 8% is steep, 18% is very steep. The hill wasn't very long, but it had turns.

[masseyfarm]

"Where the highway is heavily marked with pot holes, the pot holes and rough sections of the highway are identified by small orange flags."
Don't believe everything you read.
On our journey into Dawson City in July 2008 we found the road to be better than we expected. Very little traffic and only a few frost boils which were consistently well marked with the orange flags.
I will have to go to my journal to pin point the exact location, but to make a long story short, ====
heading north, about 2 hours south of Dawson City the road had been pretty good and we were enjoying the scenery at about 45 MPH. Came over the crest of a hill and dropped down into an S turn to the left and hit an unmarked frost heave halfway through the corner that put the CLIPPER into hang glider mode. No traffic, so was able to recover and land with the shiny side up.
There were no markers on this so I marked the mileage down to watch for it on the way back.
Because of this incident and the experience on our return trip, I later installed a camera in the upper windshield to record such events in the future. (see ARC)
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post938938

On the return trip I was watching for this same spot, and sure enough we met a pickup/SOB trailer coming at us airborne and fishtailing, the drivers mouth was open wide = like you might see with a cartoon character, and I am sure I could see bones sticking out of his knuckles on the top of that steering wheel.
If I can remember to look in my journal I will try to post a Goggle Maps image of that stretch of road at some future date.

Moral of this story, always expect the unexpected.
Dave

Originally Posted by SilverRanger

.

Although we encountered more of them in the Yukon, I'm surprised you haven't mentioned those little orange flags.

Good times.

[SilverRanger]

"Moral of this story, always expect the unexpected."

That's the best possible advice when in driving in YT and BC. I gather most of the road repairs were complete by late August/early September, but we still encountered a number of orange flags, and even a couple areas of road construction. Although the road conditions were generally good, we quickly learned to take the flags seriously. Some ranged from a minor blip, but some were memorable.

Good idea to mount a camera in the windshield, and a very clever arrangement. As I mounted, and used, mobile cameras for years in our patrol vehicles, it gave me some ideas for future trips. I found this little gadget a few days ago. It's sold for about $300 by a company named Gadspot, located in California. I've bought several security cams from them over the past year, and am impressed with the quality, so this may be a good investment. It may even save some wear and tear on my co-pilot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldWe1798yio

[Gene]

Traveling across Vancouver Is. sometime in the middle of the last decade, we had to wait while a box truck and trailer were cleared off the side of the highway. The driver came around a curve too fast, tipped over and almost made it into a pond. My recollection is fuzzy at this point, but it looked like the trailer started it and I believe he was at the bottom of a hill. It took about an hour for the wreckers to get the vehicles upright and a bunch of us stood around willing to give advice, but no one asked. I don't remember an 18% grade, but it was a challenging highway though we were not towing anything. It was a very pretty drive and Vancouver Is. is worth a visit except for the very high ferry fares (I mention that every chance I get hoping the BC gov't will do something about it).

Flags and frost heaves are part of life in northern climes. Sometimes the heave gets you. Sometimes the heave is enormous, a sudden hill in the pavement—10 feet of pavement may be a foot or two higher than the originally graded highway and not even across it so you twist as well as bounce. The worst section for the this type of heave in 2010 was between Destruction Bay, Yukon, and the Alaska border as I recall. Flags are usually there, not always. I have hardly ever seen any flags for broken pavement in the lower 48 though; it is a good idea, but you can't rely on flags being there and drive with your eyes closed.

Gene

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by 10Smiles

I have to second the steep grades comments. Several years ago my wife and I were tent camping on Vancouver Island. We were taking a day trip from Port Alberni to Ucluelet. There was one grade that was 18% (yes, that's eighteen percent!!); 8% is steep, 18% is very steep. The hill wasn't very long, but it had turns.

This road is a blast on a motorcycle!

[masseyfarm]

I finally got around to checking my journal and determined the area of that big frost heave on our 2008 Yukon discovery trip.
The location was in the north lane, 32 miles north of Pelly Crossing, just over the crest of the grade. ( approx.15 miles south of "STEWART CROSSING" ) I believe this is the Goggle shot that does not come even close to the experience/excitement of the ride.
63.230342,-136.528215 - Google Maps

Beautiful country, but take your tools with you.
Dave

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

"Where the highway is heavily marked with pot holes, the pot holes and rough sections of the highway are identified by small orange flags."
Don't believe everything you read.
On our journey into Dawson City in July 2008 we found the road to be better than we expected. Very little traffic and only a few frost boils which were consistently well marked with the orange flags.
I will have to go to my journal to pin point the exact location, but to make a long story short, ====
heading north, about 5 hours south of Dawson City the road had been pretty good and we were enjoying the scenery at about 45 MPH. Came over the crest of a hill and dropped down into an S turn to the left and hit an unmarked frost heave halfway through the corner that put the CLIPPER into hang glider mode. No traffic, so was able to recover and land with the shiny side up.
There were no markers on this so I marked the mileage down to watch for it on the way back.
Because of this incident and the experience on our return trip, I later installed a camera in the upper windshield to record such events in the future. (see ARC)
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post938938

On the return trip I was watching for this same spot, and sure enough we met a pickup/SOB trailer coming at us airborne and fishtailing, the drivers mouth was open wide = like you might see with a cartoon character, and I am sure I could see bones sticking out of his knuckles on the top of that steering wheel.
If I can remember to look in my journal I will try to post a Goggle Maps image of that stretch of road at some future date.

Moral of this story, always expect the unexpected.
Dave

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

I finally got around to checking my journal and determined the area of that big frost heave on our 2008 Yukon discovery trip.
The location was in the north lane, 32 miles north of Pelly Crossing, just over the crest of the grade. ( approx.15 miles south of "STEWART CROSSING" ) I believe this is the Goggle shot that does not come even close to the experience/excitement of the ride.
63.230342,-136.528215 - Google Maps

Beautiful country, but take your tools with you.
Dave

I just looked at that link. When I pan out in the satellite view, starting about 5 miles west of that point, the terrain is bright orange. Is that fall foliage or something else going on?

Ken

[masseyfarm]

That orange is the visible YUKON GOLD in the hills.

Not sure, but that area was in the vicinity of the 1995 Pelly River Fire???
Someone from that area may be able to answer for sure.

Dave

[Friday]

Originally Posted by 10Smiles

I have to second the steep grades comments. Several years ago my wife and I were tent camping on Vancouver Island. We were taking a day trip from Port Alberni to Ucluelet. There was one grade that was 18% (yes, that's eighteen percent!!); 8% is steep, 18% is very steep. The hill wasn't very long, but it had turns.

I'll see your 18% and raise you 2%... Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek... perhaps the craziest place in North America an Airstream can go - and also one of the most beautiful.

[masseyfarm]

I can't match you 20% with a picture at the moment, but this trail will be accomplished before I die. (I hope! )

Google Maps

"Highway 20 is famous for the portion of the westernmost stretch, between Anahim Lake and Bella Coola, known as the Hill or The Precipice. From the point where the road crosses the Coast Range via Heckman Pass in Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park at an elevation of 1487 m (4879 ft) the road descends 43 km (27 mi) of steep, narrow road with sharp hairpin turns and two major switchbacks to the Bella Coola Valley. The descent includes a 9 km (5.6 mi) section with grades of up to 18% (about 1 in 6). The road is winding, in some places only wide enough for one vehicle, and in many places bordered on one side by cliffs and on the other side by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails. Tourists who have driven to Bella Coola from Williams Lake have been known to refuse to drive back and have had to be taken out by boat or float plane"

I might even get to travel that Dease Lake section, on the same trip. I can't wait. We tried to do this in 96 but the ferry schedule changed and we had to cancel to meet other obligations.
Dave

Originally Posted by Friday

I'll see your 18% and raise you 2%... Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek... perhaps the craziest place in North America an Airstream can go - and also one of the most beautiful.

[Gene]

I wouldn't take the trailer to Telegraph Creek, but we did take the truck. Some of those grades seemed like more than 20%. If you take the trailer, and drive down to the river once you get into town, you may want to leave the trailer there. Getting it turned around would be interesting. There was a nice little restaurant where we had lunch. A photo of it below plus another one "downtown".

I keep seeing Bella Coola on the map and want to go there too someday.

Forgot the photos, will do another post.

Gene

[Gene]

Here they are:

[masseyfarm]

This incident happened last weekend.

Always have your camera with you when travelling Beautiful British Columbia to record all those memories that are just to hard to explain. (and no one will believe you anyway)

June 25th-Insane killer whale story……

This incident happened here. http://goo.gl/maps/UKUd

Dave

[Len n Jeanne]

I would also like to recommend our part of the world, the Kootenay region of southeastern BC. Well, maybe not to hordes of people,.... but to Airstreamers, anyhow. If you like hot springs, free lake ferries, and beautiful scenery that is a bit closer to Glacier NP and the US "Interior Northwest," check out the International Selkirk Loop at:
www.selkirkloop.org

Not that far from Banff NP (via the upper Columbia River basin and past Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs resorts) to the east. To the west, the Okanagon Valley has lakes plus a lot of wineries with tours and special events.

Between the Selkirk Loop in Canada and the Okanagon are the Nakusp and Halcyon hot springs. The little town of New Denver on Slocan Lake is one of our favourite places to camp. There is a large municipal campground there, with beautiful views of the Valhalla range and its glaciers.

One of our favourite day-trips is to take the Kootenay Lake ferry over to Ainsworth Hot Springs (pools plus vapour caves), perhaps with a side trip to Kaslo or Nelson. The ferries can get crowded in the summer, but arriving early for one of the early morning ferries should get you across with no problem. The ferry takes 35 minutes, and is our idea of a free, incredibly scenic boat ride. The Kootenay pass on HY 3 is a beautiful alternative, but just look out for snow (and mountain sheep) up there in the shoulder seasons! We've hauled Bambi up and down it many times with no problems.

[Friday]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Here they are:

Sadly, both Anne and Francis Gleason (the shop and house photo) passed away this last year. The Riversong has been purchased from the Pakula family and is going to be operated by the Tahltan First Nation.

I quite miss Telegraph Creek...

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Friday

Sadly, both Anne and Francis Gleason (the shop and house photo) passed away this last year. The Riversong has been purchased from the Pakula family and is going to be operated by the Tahltan First Nation.

I quite miss Telegraph Creek...

Friday, thanks for sharing the sad news. We've traveled all over the US and Canada and have many, many memories, but some places stand out more and the Riversong is one of them. It was a well kept little restaurant with good food. Obviously the owners took great pride in their business. The pie was great. It was one of those unique places that we stumble into sometimes. The energy there was perfect.

Gene

[Fly at Night]

June has been wet and below-average temp. wise, and the start of July the same, but I'd rather have this than those 106 degree cookers in cities throughout the U.S. right now.

Come to this cool, verdant Eden.

[masseyfarm]

Summer is forecast to make another appearance here on Friday.

Dave