WELLLL ... we had went through what could have been a very disasterous situation last week! Coming back from Whitehorse with an empty trailer we were travelling along the Alaska Highway between Summit Lake & Steamboat in northern BC when, while rounding a curve we hit a patch of ice, the drive wheels kicked out and the nose of the truck headed for the ditch. We caught the snowbank, spun around, the trailer crunched the cab knocking it off the frame rails, the tractor came to rest backwards in the ditch and the trailer spun around 180 degrees and came to rest in the ditch as well! We are all right, no injuries at all ... yes, we were very lucky. This is the truck in the snowbank.

We waited almost 2 hours for another vehicle to come by ... it is a bit isolated up there. No cell phone service either and we called out for help on our VHF radio. Oddly enough, our pals, Darby & Leigh were just coming north over Steamboat Pass and heard us and within a few minutes stopped to pick us up! They were on their way to Whitehorse. They dropped us off at the Liard Hotsprings Lodge which is almost 200 klicks north! Like I said, it is a bit isolated up there. We spent the next 2 nights in this beautiful log lodge with the very friendly people who run it. We also walked over to the hotsprings to check 'em out ... definitely gonna stop back there!

Darby & Leigh picked us up on their return from Whitehorse and took us to Fort Nelson 3 hours away. From there we had to find somebody to look after our little poodle, Truffles and the folks in the Fas Gas station put us in touch with a great fellow named Rueben who took Truffles while we got on the Greyhound bus for a 30 hour ride to Vancouver. Here's a couple of pics after the truck got pulled out and towed to Fort Nelson.

We made it to Delta, picked up our pick-up truck and went to the new Challenger yard in Aldergrove. We went through the accident review process with the Safety Co-ordinator and then up to Whistler to await the company's decision on our future.

Well, we heard from the company today and they still wants us to work for them and continue the Yukon run which is great news for us. There is some disciplinary action involved and we'll get through that too and do the best job that we can. Lesson learned ... slow down, take longer strides!

Speaking of our company, Challenger Motor Freight, whoever we talked to there, without exception, first asked how we were. There was never any accusing comments just genuine concern ... very heartwarming from good people. Jo & I have always said that Challenger is a good place to be. They give us good equipment to use, pay us well and treat us great. Can't beat that ... we're happy to be here.

Check out our new truck pic, eh! This is our Yukon truck and JoJo likes to keep a clean windshield. It is a 2007 Volvo VN 660, moose bumper, moose lights with a Cummins ISX 450 HP engine and an Eaton 10 speed automated transmission. It has a nice, comfy, smooth and quiet ride. It has a great compression brake too, the Cummins Intebrake, that holds the whole truck back on serious downgrades without using the air brakes. We were stuck in Whitehorse for almost a week with a faulty sensor on the tailshaft of the transmission. It did get replaced and we were on our merry way. Our friends, Darby and Leigh, the other Yukon team, have an identical truck that had the same, identical sensor failure a week after ours!

We also posted a really great video featuring JoJo flirting with "her boys", the Norquist Bison Herd! These are truly magnificent animals, who show no fear and will waltz across the highway right in front of you. They really "own" the highway. Check it out.

Gots to get on the way. We are resolving a few work issues with info to follow.

Geeeez ... It's Tuesday evening and we've been stuck in Whitehorse since Friday night with a broke truck! Seems the Vehicle Speed Sensor gave up the ghost! Without this sensor operative the truck won't exceed 1200RPM and the automated transmission won't shift gears. And of course the part has to be flown in and the dealership (that seems to keep banker hours) didn't get it today so hopefully it'll be here tomorrow.

JoJo & I cabbed it into downtown Whitehorse on Saturday and had seen all there is to see there by 6PM. We have learned the Yukon Brewery makes a pretty good draught beer and it's become a favourite of ours! Time for dinner and maybe a couple more brewskis!

Back on the road tomorrow ... Fingers and other appendages crossed!

Well Hello There......

Billy Boy is having a nap as we are heading out tonight to Calgary, so I thought I would add my two cents worth while he is having sweet dreams. We are having a great time with these runs and enjoying the scenery, and with each trip are finding out more neat things and places to visit.

Apparently in northern British Columbia, there are hotsprings at Liard River that are located near the Highway and have parking space for trucks. It's just a short 10 minute walk into the park area from the road. After looking at the website for the hotsprings, there is a warning sign that they close the springs when bears are too active in the area ... yikes! We really do have to try the springs though just for the fun of it. The other team, Darby & Leigh, that do the Friday night run to the Yukon stopped for a dip and told us that the water temperature was quite hot. It definitely is on the "bucket list". I will take some photo's of Bill in his "speedo" and post them in the blog when he's not looking.

I must say that the Vancouver weather is a real bonus. Bill and I did a little exploring the last time we had our 2 days off and ended up in White Rock along the boardwalk where there were a lot of little shops and bars. Here it was the middle of February and we were sitting outside, along the boardwalk watching all the old classic cars cruise by on the sunny Sunday afternoon. Next week we are going to explore Granville Island where there are little shops and boutiques to enjoy.

The time seems to be flying by as we're having fun and before you know it, it will be December when we are planning to return home. But before that we are looking forward to the girls coming out in June to visit and we will take the week off and enjoy. I have already warned them that the Zipline in Whistler is a "Must Do" so prepare themselves for the thrilling ride. Victoria Island will also be on the itinerary.

Well, this is just a short message. I need to go out to the truck and wake my babe up and cook dinner. George Foreman is going to help me cook some chicken breasts. Ciao for now!

Here it is ... a rainy night in Vancouver and we're getting ready to head off to Calgary on a Canada Post run. From there to Edmonton and back to Delta to pick up a Yukon load leaving Wednesday night. We have a new, unblemished windshield and hopefully it will stay that way for a long while. On the roads here they used gravel rather than sand and the stones get flying pretty easily.


We had lunch today with my son, the constable (Christopher). He's doing real well and is moving this Sunday to a new place in Vancouver with a couple army buddies. He still has his place in Whistler and I've told him he can never sell that place. His cousin, Erin, has come out from Ontario and is staying at his condo while she tries to get a new life started in Whistler.


On our last trip to the Yukon, JoJo took some great pics of the bison there. I've been looking them up on the web and it's very interesting learning about them. There used to be about 30 million of them in North America in the 1800's but rampant hunting nearly decimated them. In the late '70s populations of wood bison were introduced into northwestern Canada and some of the herds have flourished. In efforts to keep them off the roads, various methods have been used including helicopter hazing but the bisons just wait in the woods for the choppers to go away and then come out. We come across the Norquist Herd along highway 97 in BC around the Muncho Lake area. They truly are a magnificent looking animal as you can see here. Imagine running into one of these fellows in the night!


Truffles got out in Whitehorse and tore up some real estate running around the parking lot of the truck stop in her "cold weather gear". She has a blast running around in her booties! I guess it is all of her pent up energy that she blows off from being cooped up in the truck.

Also on our way back on our last trip we had a "Level 1" Vehicle Inspection done at the scale in Prince George. This when they check EVERYTHING on the truck including all the documentation as well. We fared pretty well with just our cracked windshield and our rear licence plate was dangling at the back of the tractor! We've had those items fixed and should pass any other inspections with ease! Hmmm ... I'm amazed I can type with my fingers crossed!!

Time to have a snooze as I'm piloting our rig at 23:00 hours when we leave for Calgary. See ya!

With all the turmoil going on in the world it's no wonder that all of the so-called role models are falling off their pedestals. What ever happened to the everyday hero anyway? When you think about it, a woman having a baby might seem commonplace but in reality childbirth is frought with danger and the possibility of so many things that can go wrong. Now think of the woman who, later in life, decides to have a child and those risks just multiply. I know of a woman who took that risk at the age of 39 and gave birth just past her 40th birthday. A brave lady to say the least ... right? Now, this lady did this in 1950 and in giving birth in 1951, she instantly became my hero! I call her "Mom"! Mom passed on in 2000 but left our family with a lifetime of measures we try to live up to. She passed on her nutty sense of humour to me and I have passed it on to my children as well. I try to spread a good dose of it around everyday ... it seems that this is my mission.

JoJo & I are leaving tonight on another Yukon run. Today is our 5th wedding anniversary and I told her that I'm gonna take her to see the Northern Lights for our anniversary. I am so happy that we met and got married. There has never been a person in my life quite like her. What an amazing, wonderful person she is. She has a nutty sense of humour too ... how lucky can I get, eh? I truly am the richest man on earth.

February in southern British Columbia is a very beautiful time. The city crews in Delta were laying sod today as we came in from Edmonton! It is a delightful +9C here in Delta with the sun shining and just a few clouds. Our little poodle, Truffles, got out for a nice walk today and got to sniff a myriad of telephone poles, posts, bushes, trees and other dogs' poop. She musta been in heaven ... LOL