Week 6 plus 3 nights

June 7, 2023

1.    British Columbia, Our new home province

With the fan running, the noise from the highway wasn’t too bad, but we woke up to 9 degrees, quite a difference from yesterday. We worried about Romkje, Lauchlin and the kids, who were on their way to Kingston. Lauchlin and Alexander already suffer from asthma. And the bad air would make it even harder for them to breathe.

We decided to have another down day. We went for walks, showered, read, walked along the river, read and took pictures. Helicopters circled the area all afternoon and we figured they probably did sight -seeing tours.

The Bow River 

Snow melting 

from mountains

gathering momentum,

rushing by

the campground.

Strong current 

gathering

driftwood,

rocks,

debris.

The Bow River

giving

unforgiving

Suddenly…

People running

Calling…

Crying…

One small shoe

found

at embankment 

Police

Ambulance

Rescue helicopter

Searching ...

Searching …

Searching …

We didn’t feel like eating supper.

Sjoerd sent a text which cheered us up. Mia had won the Victor Stevenson Engineering Scholarship. She was the only female student from her high school to win this scholarship. We were so proud and happy for her.

2.    Revelstoke

Our wakeup call was Albert his alarm to tell him it was time to take his medication.

Bijke wasn’t even ready to get up, yet. He stretched and yawned until his bed was pulled from underneath him. His bed denies us access to the fridge, so he had no choice.

After breakfast, we cleaned up and packed up. Today was the day to test the Tesla. Would the car be able to pull the snail house over the mountains…

As we were ready to go, Heather called. It was so nice to hear a voice from ‘home’. We were relieved that the smoke wasn’t as bad anymore in North Bay and hoped it would stay like that.

Our first stop was the dump station at the tourist information Centre in Canmore, as we had no opportunity to dump at the Bow River Campground. We were debating if we had to top up the car in Lake Louise, a place that was impossible to visit five years ago. It’s a tourist destination, which we're usually not too keen on, but this was our last opportunity to see the town and the lake. The car told us that we would be able to make it to Golden, so we decided to bypass Lake Louise. We encountered lots of construction, which made us go slow and save power.

In Golden, we could barely get the car and trailer in the right spot for charging. Non-electrical cars parked in front of the stalls which made it challenging for people to charge. A young woman parked beside us and had lots of questions, regarding range and towing. She had bought her car six months ago and was still learning. She took pictures of the snail house as she said she really liked it.

Just before noon we entered British Columbia, our new home province. It hasn’t sunk in yet, that we aren’t going ‘back’ home. At Glacier National Park, we entered the Pacific Time Zone and gained another hour. We took many pictures of the mountains during the drive, but they didn’t really turn out. A picture can never do justice to what we see.

At the highest point, at Roger’s Pass, we had lunch. The car had made it. We were impressed. The views were spectacular and we couldn’t resist capturing the magnificent mountain peaks on our phones. We had explored this area before and had loved it when we had camped at Canyon Hot Springs.

To protect the highway from avalanches during winter seasons, we drove through several tunnels  When we arrived at the charging station in Revelstoke, we realized our luck had run out. We couldn’t get to the stall unless we unhitched. Two cars were already charging and there were only six chargers. We decided to wait instead. After ten minutes, both owners arrived and after they left, Albert was able to drive the unit across.

Williamson Lake Campground was a busy place. We were assigned a very small site, where we had to parallel park the car in front of the snail house. But Albert backed right onto the playground and was able to park the car beside the trailer. We didn’t have much space, but there was just enough room to sit at the picnic table.

Beside us on one side were three boys from Germany. They were very quiet. During our many walks around the campground we met a couple from Ottawa. They were taking a trip out west and their first stop had been a campground in North Bay, on Lake Nipissing.

We enjoyed watching the children play on the equipment. There was a place to swim, but Bijke was not allowed on the beach. During the evening all the sites were taken except the one across from us. We were reminded of the campgrounds in Europe, when we were camping some forty plus years ago and the sites were very small and the campgrounds packed. By ten o’clock, all the kids went home and the campground grew quiet.

Another down day, but we needed groceries. First, Albert tried to book the ferry to Vancouver Island and the campground in Merrit, but he didn’t have much luck. Our only chance to get to the island was at five o’clock on Tuesday the thirteenth. We would arrive in Nanaimo at seven forty-five in the evening. We decided to go for it and he booked the ferry; then, changed the dates for the campground. It took all morning, but eventually it all worked out. The rain came down hard and we waited till after lunch, when the sun returned before we ventured into town.

First, we went to the market, but we were too late. The market closed at one. We walked around the centre of town and found a nice patio. We ordered coffee and cake and watched the tourists. In the wintertime, Revelstoke is a popular destination for skiers and in the summer, tourists use the many trails for biking and hiking and the rivers and lakes for kayaking. We enjoyed the afternoon and dreaded doing the groceries, but we needed to fill the fridge and the little pantry.

A family of four had set up tents beside us, when we got back to the snail house. They had a hard time fitting three tents and a car into the small site. As soon as their tents were up, the sky darkened. Thunder rumbled and Bijke needed to sit on me. Albert decided to order a pizza and pick it up, as it was too hard for me to make dinner with a dog on my lap.

When the rain stopped we went for a nice walk. The temperature was much more pleasant. On the way back we talked for a while with the couple from Ottawa. They were planning to go to Kelowna on Monday. We wished them a very nice trip and they wished us luck finding a house on the island.

3.    Our last campground in Merrit (so we thought)

The first hurdle, we encountered on Sunday morning,  was that the car was angled down and the snail house angled up. It was almost impossible to hitch the trailer to the car. What made it stressful was that the car now blocked the main road out of the campground and several campers were leaving. They were all very nice about it and told us to take our time, but it didn’t help. Eventually, Albert succeeded.

The road out of Revelstoke was winding and at times quite steep and with few passing lanes, we often had several impatient drivers behind us. The scenery was again breath taking. At Salmon Arm, our first stop, we encountered the second hurdle. As soon as we drove onto the ramp to the turnoff for the road to the superchargers, we were stopped by police. An accident at the intersection was the cause and a damaged pickup truck blocked the ramp. We had to wait for the tow truck to pick up the vehicle. We waited about 15 minutes, so it wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t busy at the chargers, so it all worked out.

On our way to Kamloops we noticed large farms on either side of the highway. The turnoff to the charging stations was confusing and we took the wrong turn. In hindsight this was our third but most insignificant hurdle as we picked up the right way after a few right turns.

We ate lunch and met a very interesting couple. They owned an 2015 Tesla model and told us that they were very frustrated that their car wasn’t able to tow a small trailer, so they had ordered the cyber truck. We had to chuckle. With the cyber truck they would be able to tow anything and any size.

Just after two we arrived at the Moon Shadows campground. The site was different from the last time we were here. The campground had changed quite a bit since the flood two years ago. The Cold Water River had spilled its waters and ruined the shoreline. The campsites were smaller due to the loss of property. The riverbank was build-up high with rocks and not accessible anymore. Did Bijke swim in the river the last time, but it wasn’t possible now and he needed it. He kept rolling in the sand which turned his hair grey. Later on he shook himself in the snail house of course. We had a quiet afternoon, except for watching trailers and motorhomes coming in.

This campground was quite a distance from the highway, which was a bonus.

Later in the evening a large trailer arrived by tow truck. We imagined what it must have been like for the people to have their car break down.

We had a quiet night and slept well.

The wifi was half descent and this morning we caught up answering email. The showers were pretty good, too; another bonus. Many campers left, even our neighbours, a young couple from Germany with a  7 month old baby.

We cleaned the snail house and after Bijke had rolled again in the sand, we decided to take him to the river. At a treacherous, rocky spot, Albert guided him into the water. Of course, he barked up a storm, but at least the dusty sand was washed off, for the moment.

The agent in Duncan called and told us that the little house in lake Cowichan was gone. We were disappointed and assumed it wasn’t meant to be. Something better would come up.

After lunch, we quickly picked up some groceries and for the remainder of the day, we relaxed in the shade. It became uncomfortably warm and the wind had died down as well.

After supper it cooled off quite a bit and we went for a nice walk. Not many new campers arrived, today. When we got back the wind really picked up and a nice breeze filled the snail house. We were the only campers with open-your windows-air conditioning.

- 4 Our Last Day on the mainland…?

The temperature had dropped drastically and it was quite windy, when we woke up. During breakfast we had already a text from Rikst and Johny. They advised us to go to the ferry early, we would have a chance to take an earlier sailing. By 9:30 we were on the road. Soon past Merrit the road became steep and windy and… a headwind pushed us back. We drove slowly so we could make it to Hope on one charge.

A U-Haul with trailer stood on the side of the road and on a stretch a little further a large transport trailer had broken down. Next, we hit construction.

Just after Larson Hill, there was a bang. Startled we looked at each other and at the same moment a message popped up on the screen: ‘Flat Tire drive to a save spot.’

Albert got the car and snail house off the highway and onto the shoulder. The rear tire on the driver's site had blown. We called CAA. They checked our number, but unfortunately they didn’t provide roadside assistance in BC for the car and trailer. The gentleman suggested we call a tow truck and CAA would reimburse part of it. We called a tow truck in Hope, which was still 66 kilometres away plus they had to find an exit to get to the southbound road, which we were on.

The traffic raced by at 120 km an hour speed and the highway was busy. It was scary. I tried to place a triangle on the road but most big transports ignored the sign or our flashing lights.

Albert drove our unit a bit further off the shoulder and onto the gravel, as it was too dangerous to even getting out of the car. We called Tesla, they suggested we have the car towed to Surrey. That was too far and too expensive, we found.

After several phone calls with Kal Tire and the towing company, both in Hope, we decided to have us towed to Hope. The tire company didn’t have the right size tires in stock, but they would have a look at the flat tire first and then they could order them.

We made lunch and went to the bathroom, thankful for our snail house. Now we were the poor people stranded along the highway. The traffic was so bad and so fast, that the trailer shuddered every time the big transports zoomed by.

At 12:45, the tow truck from Hope, arrived. First the car had to go on the flatbed and next the trailer was hitched onto the back of the tow truck. We all got to sit inside the cabin, including Bijke, who didn’t like it at first. It was quite noisy and not all that comfortable. He was a bit stressed at first, but after a while he put his head down and was fine. It was a long bumpy ride to Hope.

The driver, a young man named David, was very nice. He told us all about the fires and then the flooding, two years ago. He pointed out parts  of roads and bridges that had been washed away. Construction was still going on to replace parts of the highway and one of the bridges had just re-opened the week before.

We had visited the Othello canyon and the five tunnels, the last time we were in Hope, but the whole area was still closed, due to the flooding. Such a shame as we really enjoyed the canyon and the tunnels.

At Kal Tire, David unhitched the trailer and lowered the Tesla off the flatbed. He suggested he would tow the trailer to a campground for us and he mentioned the Coquihalla Campground. I called and explained our situation. The staff at the campground told us to come and they would make sure the tow truck could back the snail house into a large campsite. 

Albert stayed at the tire place to sort out what should be done, while David hitched the snail house back onto the tow truck and drove us to campground. This time Bijke sat in the passenger seat and I was unable to move him off the seat. He'd left me a small corner and I hung on for dear life, without a seatbelt. At this point I felt numb and was just grateful that David was taking us to a site and that we could be in our little house and feel safe. He backed into site #12, unhooked the trailer and left. He didn’t want to take any money. Such a nice young man.

Bijke and I went inside, checked if everything was still in place after the bumpy ride and headed to the camp office. It had started to rain and I had taken our rain coats out of the car, realizing now that Albert didn’t have his. The staff at the campground was also very accommodating. We could only stay at this site for two nights. I told them I had to wait what kind of news Albert had regarding the tire and I paid for one night.

Albert texted me that he would walk home, as the campground was around the corner from the tire place; a ten minute walk. As soon as he arrived, we realized that the cable for the electric receptacle was still in the car.

We had tea and a snack and then the three of us walked to Kal Tire to retrieve the cable and Bijke his bowls. Amazingly, it was only a ten-minute walk to the car.

The tire shop had ordered two tires and they couldn’t be installed until Thursday afternoon at two. We made dinner and after we went to the office again and paid for the second night and we told the lady, Nicky, that we needed one more night at different site but we had no idea how to get to that site. She said she would ask around if anyone with a hitch could help us out.

We went for a nice long walk around the campground and discovered that the property ran all along the Coquihalla River. We could also see the snow-covered mountain peaks.

The other campers were all very quiet. Most units were rentals and we heard many people speak German. One man wanted us to have his bear spray. He came from Belgium and didn’t need the spray anymore, as this was his last night. He wasn’t allowed to take it on the plane. We even spoke some Dutch, while he spoke Flemish, but we didn’t want his bear spray.

We thought we had encountered some hurdles on Sunday, but today’s big hurdle was not comparable to Sunday’s mini hurdles. And it was an expensive hurdle plus three more nights on the mainland.

We had cancelled the ferry this afternoon and rebooked for Friday afternoon.

Wednesday morning, this was supposed to be the last travel blog day, but I have decided to end the blog, when we’re really at Rikst and Johny’s on Vancouver Island.

Despite all the stress from yesterday we slept well. Without the car we couldn't do anything and decided to clean house, get groceries and do laundry. The grocery store was also a ten-minute walk from the campground.

As soon as we'd finished groceries we walked over to Kal Tire and got a large bag with dirty laundry from the trunk of the car.

Next,  we bought tokens for the shower at the office. Nicky told us we could take site #10, tomorrow, but she hadn’t found anybody who could tow us there. She suggested we call the tow truck again. At the office, a man was busy laying new carpet. He called after us and said he had overheard our conversation with Nicky and that he had a hitch for his van. He could tow us, tomorrow. Wow, how nice was that? We thanked him and said we’d pay him, but he waved his hand.

Well, the showers were a disaster. The cubicles were very small, with one hook and a tiny spot for the bag with towels and toiletries. The shower curtain was tiny and I wondered how I was supposed to keep everything dry. I hung my clothes on the hook and left my towel on the edge of the bag, which was a big mistake. Sure enough when I finished showering the towel was soaking wet. Albert had a similar experience. For the rest of the afternoon, we went back and forth to the laundry room. As nobody was using the facilities and we even washed our bed.

Later, we went for a long walk along the river, underneath the bridge and into a beautiful park. We read it was a disc-golf course. When we were almost at the end, we read a sign that said, this park was only for disc golf players and not a hiking trail. Just then, Bijke discovered a fresh mole’s hill and he started digging like mad, but never got the mole. He had dug a deep hole in the path and we had no means to close it. We quickly left the park, no wonder there was nobody there. What a shame that non-disc golfers couldn’t enjoy this beautiful park.

A large rental unit had arrived in the spot across from us on site #10, where we would move to, tomorrow. Three young men with a big film camera were filming the site, their motorhome, the trees, the road and the surrounding area. They did several takes and retakes and spoke German while filming. We assumed, they must have gotten fresh off the plane in Vancouver and an assignment to complete.

After supper we went to the picnic table beside the office to check our e-mail. It’s the only spot at the campground to access the internet.

I received a beautiful email from a literacy coach in New Jersey. She wanted to buy the book, Hero,and she wasn’t able to buy copies anywhere. Could I help her out?

I explained that the book was out of print and not available anymore, but that I would try to get her copies from the Afûk, in the Netherlands. I’m very interested in her response.

We received a text from Helga, mentioning that Highway 5, between Merrit and Hope was also called, ‘Highway Thru Hell’. They had watched a tv show about this dangerous highway. We couldn’t agree, more.

We heard the train several times during the night, but other than the sound of the train whistle, the campground was quiet.

Another cool morning, but we prefer these temperatures. We took our time with breakfast, coffee and clean up as we didn’t have to leave the site until 11:00.

As soon as the German young men had left, Albert went to the office to tell, Jeremy, the carpet guy, that he could move us to site #10 as soon as it was convenient for him. He arrived at 11:30 and within 5 minutes, he had the snail house moved. We wanted to pay him, but he didn’t want any money. We wanted to buy him coffee, but he didn’t want to hear about it.

After lunch we checked our email at the office and asked him if he had a family and if he had kids. He said he had a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. Perfect, now we knew what to get him – a copy of The Paper Wagon. I signed the book for his son, Skip and daughter, Nettle. He was thrilled and told us the book was a better thank you, than buying him coffee.

Now we had to wait for Kal Tire to call when and if the car was ready. By three o’clock, Albert his patience ran out. He called and sure enough the car was ready to be picked up.

We walked over and were glad to have our car back. We made cauliflower soup for dinner, went for a nice long walk along the river and had an early night.

We were glad our trip had come to an end, and even though it was extended by three days, it could have been a lot worse.

We decided to top up the car at the supercharger in Hope. There were 24 stalls and that was not even the only charging spot in Hope.

Hope is also the hub for the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Albert calls Justin’s pipeline. The mountain sides have been ruined to make room for this pipeline, nobody needs, but we all pay for.

The road from Chilliwack to Abbotsford was a bit steep and winding at first, but then we drove through farmland in an area that had been flooded two years ago.

In Delta (Ladner Centre) we prepared lunch while we were charging, just in case we could get a spot on an earlier ferry.

When we got to the terminal, we were told the ferries were all booked and unless you had a reservation there was no chance to get to the island. We were glad we had a reservation for the 3:15 sailing.

By one o’clock we were assigned a lane. It didn’t take long or a couple who were parked two cars ahead of us came over. They were from Peterborough and were wondering how our experience with the Tesla and trailer had been, from Ontario to BC. They had bought a Tesla in the previous fall and would like to get rid off their gas guzzling travel unit. We answered all their questions and the woman got a tour of our dirty snail house. She loved it and ran to her husband to tell him this was what she wanted. When she heard that we had just sold our straw bale home , she wanted to know more about that experience as well. In the end she was going to buy a lot on a lake, take courses in the fall on straw bale construction and build a small cabin on her lot, next year. We had to chuckle, such enthousiasm and so much concern for the environment. They also wanted to be pro-active.

When we finally drove onto the ferry, we ended up beside them. They also traveled with their dog and so did many other people. The dog area on the ferry is very small and when we got there it was already occupied by two large dogs and their owners. There was no room. We ended up wandering the car deck, but the wind was cold. After two hours we docked in the terminal in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island; our new destination and we became emotional.

Driving off the ferry, Rikst texted that dinner was ready and Loesje was sitting in the tree in the front yard waiting for us. It was another 40 minutes before we rounded the corner on to Deborah Drive, and we saw people jumping up and down at the end of the cull-the sac.

We were welcomed with open arms and a big sign on the garage door read, WELCOME TO DUNCAN.

We had dinner on the deck. Loesje had made a list with BIJKE’S RULES, which we read to Bijke. 

Rikst, Johny and Loesje went to bed early, they had to get up at three in the morning to catch their five’oclock flight to Calgary. From Calgary they would fly to Hamilton, rent a car and drive to Romkje, Lauchlin and the kids in Ohio.

After a walk around the neighbourhood, we retired to the snail house.

We had made it. It had been a long trip, challenging at times, but besides the incident with the tire and the three extra days, it had been good.

Now it was time to recharge and find a house and start a new phase in our lives.