I thought I might re-cap a little of the trip so you would know what to expect for the return.
Thirty hours after I had started I was seriously wondering what I’d gotten into.
Oct. 2nd, 11:30 a.m.
The Ferry came in on time but the Whittier dock ramp was not functioning. At 3:00 p.m. as the ferry was preparing to leave for Valdez to unload all the vehicles, the ramp finally functioned. I rushed to catch the one-way tunnel traffic to avoid having to sit another hour, only to be flagged down exiting the tunnel by persons wanting to see my ‘Oversize’ permits for the State of Alaska. One hour later I was handed papers and told “good to go,” and to stop at the three weigh stations to the border.
Around 6:00 p.m. I had the good fortune to meet both Dune and Pamela in Anchorage. After which I headed straight North, normally a 7hour drive to Tok- I pulled in 11 hours later at 5:00 a.m. due to snow and slick roads.
At 5:30a.m., ten miles North of Tok I pulled into the 3rd, but only “open” weigh station between Whittier and the border. I was informed I could avoid a $400.00 ticket if I returned to Tok and purchased a 360 degree rotating beacon (for the last 80 miles of Alaska roads). At 9:00 a.m. NAPA Auto Parts opened and I was back on the road- for a little while anyway.
The new boat trailer is equipped with “electric pushing hydraulic breaks.” Right on the trailer it says that this system is not compatible with all brake controllers. I assumed this to be the case since the controller in my truck did not give me adjustable braking from the foot pedal or separate manual control by hand. Both of these features I enjoy with the electric brakes on my other 5 trailers.
Now traveling North of Tok on snow packed and frozen roads I started noticing the problem of some, but not sufficient braking coming from the trailer. At the top of a hill marked by a sign I came to a complete stop. Being unfamiliar with the length or the curves of the down grade, I decided to creep my way down. With the boat trailer being longer, wider, and heavier, than the truck itself, I’d only gone a few hundred feet before I realized I could not stop the boat from pushing me. I kept feathering the truck brakes to keep them from locking up on the icy road but eventually the boat pushed me down hill, across the road into the up hill lane and jack-knifed me across the road with the rear tires digging into the dirt as they left the road and the boat trailer coming to a stop perched half-way over the bank. It’s amazing how fast a cold sweat can develop while you are losing control of a vehicle in slow motion.
With gloved hands, snow and dirt was sufficiently removed to jack up the tires and install the new chains- they actually fit! During those 2 ½ hours I was glad to be straddling the opposite side of the road since the two semi’s that passed me could neither have slowed down nor swerved around me had I been in my own lane.
Chained up and in 4-wheel drive, I jerked the trailer back onto the road and un-eventfully covered the next 60 miles to the border in 4 hours.
Ahhh! The Canadian Border…As I stood before the man at the counter with my packet of plentiful paperwork, he looked out at the rig and said “that’s a commercial boat and you’re not a commercial carrier.” With the large net reel on the front of the boat it was hard to deny either of those accounts. Next was to show papers of Dune being the owner, again he says, “Well this is a company.” In the future it may be wise to avoid company letterhead and words like “president,” when trying to convince Canadian Authorities it is simply a private boat.
After getting through to my personal travel agent, she told me the boat was actually owned by two private individuals, the counter-man took this info, looked at the other dozen truckers in line- with various entry problems, handed me back my passport and papers, and told me to hit the road. I wasted not a minute!
Late that night I reached Whitehorse (40 hours from the start), got a hotel, and took a short snooze.
The next 1200 miles were just slow, averaging 40-45 mph while dropping down through the Canadian Rockies on narrow winding roads and 900 miles of rain. I drove almost non-stop to stay ahead of more snow.
October 5th, 10:30 p.m., U.S. Border, Blaine Crossing:
‘Overload’ or ‘Oversize’ required the use of the wide-truck lanes. Where after showing passport and the usual questions I was handed a pink paper and told to pull around the back of the building. Oh-oh! I was asked to step out of the truck and escorted around the back of another building to a lonely small bus-stop-type enclosure with a hard bench, a heater and an overhead camera, of course. Here I was told to remain while the boat was being x-rayed.
Fifteen minutes to ponder… How well do I really know this Dune- Craig- Carol- Pamela…? To keep positive thoughts I was thankful for the many conversations with you and having personally met Dune and Pamela, where the good impressions were immediate. Also picturing Pamela’s, sparkling eyes and cute smile, didn’t hurt either.
At last. Passed! No contraband lurking deep within the boat hull that I had not bothered to look into. Instead of jail I was now looking for the first hotel across the border- only the second descent night’s sleep since the trip began 5 days earlier.
October 6th
I delivered the boat to Greg & Marilyn, again some “very descent folk.” I took advantage of the boat drop location and drove 40 miles South of Portland to take an old high school sweetheart out to dinner (since 41 years ago). Then after dinner I started back-tracking to Montana for a previously arranged “Halibut Bake” with old friends on the 7th, and finally on the 8th, after almost 4,000 miles of driving and four complete books on CD, I was home.
I was home on the 8th, Each drive to and from Alaska has been a pleasure, the expanse of the country excites me: I’m sure I belong there instead of the Utah desert.
Getting my cabinet shop back up to full speed has been difficult- there’s plenty of work into next year but my heart isn’t in it.
Someday- I hope to meet you Carol- working with you makes me wonder if your whole life has centered around extreme efficiency. Our limited conversations portray you as an exceptionally neat lady, full of vim and vigor…and well, efficiency.
May our paths cross again,
Ed
