Alcan Day Three

Thu: 580 Miles

We left Toad River at 11:30 am and made it to Ft. Nelson at about 3 pm.  We had to go very slow because of the condition of our tires and so we wouldn't set our brakes on fire coming down out of the Rockies.

 

The tire shop had more heavy duty tires, so we got those replaced and were done by 3:40.  Right down the street was a nice park with a playground and a splash pad, so we stopped for a meal and a play.  We were just so relieved to have made it and get the tires taken care of so easily!  We hit the road again at 5:20 and are planning to drive through the night and get to Calgary tomorrow afternoon.

11:11 pm:  It feels strange riding in the dark by 10:30 pm.  I'd gotten used to 22 hours of light.  The darkness feels foreign and a sense of loss lingers as we drive south, our backs to the midnight sun.

Fri 4:30 am: We pull into Valleyview, Alberta at sunrise and have to wait for a gas station to open at 5:30.  While we are waiting, Ben discovers that the front axle on the trailer may be bent.  We find a mechanic and wait until he opens at 7.  He tells us it could be the axle or just the bearings, but is too busy to look at it himself.  So we go to a park until 8 when he can call around to other mechanics for us.  We get into a mechanic at 8:30.