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RE: Hwys closed and wild fires in BC & Alberta
Saw that on the news last night, still need a lot more rain, and hope it keeps coming your way.
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SideHillSoup
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05/24/23 08:17am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Hwys closed and wild fires in BC & Alberta
Planning a trip from our home on Vancouver Island to the Banff and Rockies in general in Late August-early September, and returning via the Okanagan. I've already reserved a few spots in the busier areas, but I'm beginning to think I may have to cancel and stay on the Island. I'll be keeping a careful eye on the long range forecasts as I don't want to leave it too late to cancel and lose my deposits.
Living in the Kootenays we have wildfires and smoke just about every year now, last year was good relatively speaking.
I know that Banff & Jasper campground are either fully booked or are close to it for the summer.Now because of the smoke some people may have canceled but talking with a neighbour, he was scrambling to find a spot or a couple of nights in August.
I do know that around here the last couples Leto weeks seethe campgrounds start to empty out except for Labour Day weekend. After Labour Day, there are only us Grey Hairs hanging around. The only time I make a reservation in the Kootenays after the third week of August is Labour day weekend.
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SideHillSoup
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05/17/23 06:56am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Hwys closed and wild fires in BC & Alberta
I just found the map showing the smoke path.
BC and Alberta wildfire smoke.
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SideHillSoup
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05/08/23 08:22am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Hwys closed and wild fires in BC & Alberta
Just a heads up:
BC Hwy 37 ( Cassiar Hwy) is closed between Bob Quinn Lake and Dease Lake because of Washout. Crews are working on it and next update is at 10:am May 8, 2023.
Scroll down to Hwy 37.
Also there are Wildfires near the Alaska Hwy from around Dawson Creek to north of Fort St. John.
BC Wildfires
There are also huge wildfires in Alberta from east of Jasper all the way north to east of Fort St.John BC, even one up to the Yukon boarder.
Alberta wild fires
DriveBC indicates visibility issues on the Alaska hwy ( BC hwy 97) north of Dawson Creek, earlier today, however that warning has been lifted as of the typing of this.
Keep an eye on the News for theses areas if you’re headed north through BC and Alberta.
Safe travels.
Soup.
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SideHillSoup
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05/08/23 08:17am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Banff around the beginning of dec
You don’t need chains or require them
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SideHillSoup
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04/07/23 02:10pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Vancouver, Seward, Anchorage and Fairbanks
Nice trip
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SideHillSoup
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03/24/23 03:26pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Vancouver, Seward, Anchorage and Fairbanks
I see cruise not camping, deleted post.
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SideHillSoup
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03/22/23 10:25am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Waterton & Lake Louise early May.????
Just to add another thing about your post:
May 1st is not late spring in the mountains. Yes there are campgrounds open, however things really start to “open up” so to speak is Victoria Day long weekend, which is the 3rd Monday of May. That’s the unofficial opening day of Camping for the season.
I can’t count the number of times over the years that we have had snow on that weekend. Like I said in my earlier post, we had snow on the mountains the last Thursday before the 1st of July.
We are retired so we start camping as soon as Campgrounds from around here open for the season and we go out every week and come home every weekend to restock the camper.
Last year year every week were were out camping was cold, windy with rain and snow, we packed it in a couple of times as I was loosing to many crib game to my wife.
Not saying you won’t have a great time the 1st week of May, but in my experience the odds are against you.
As for your awning, there isn’t anywhere where I leave my awning out especially along lakes rivers or in a steep valley. Winds can come out of now where and your awning just won’t flop over the roof, I have seen gusts of winds so strong it ripped the awning right off the side of trailers, at least now a days, the US Airforce and NORAD will help you bring it back down to earth for you. :W
we must just have opposit luck, I have been camping in Banff and jasper for 40 years as soon a campground start to open. ya I have woke up to the odd skif of snow or had a bit of rain but its generaly been good.
your pics of the highway not one of them would stop me from going out with the camper , but the 1st one might make me chek the forcast a little better before taking the 5th wheel out, but I would probably still go. The next ones are just wet roads.
I’m not even in the Rockies and we get snow while camping in the spring, you must have the best luck with early spring camping. I will admit this last spring ( winter) lingered until the last week of June, and then it was summer right up until the 3rd week of October. We were working on our snowmobile cabin at 5,000 ft and it was so hot we were shedding cloths to keep cool. 18 days later there was 12 inches of snow there.
I recall in the early 80’s driving through downtown Greenwood on August long weekend, in a snow storm, by the time I got to Grandforks is was sunny and people were water skiing at Christina Lake.
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SideHillSoup
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02/19/23 10:16am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Waterton & Lake Louise early May.????
Just to add another thing about your post:
May 1st is not late spring in the mountains. Yes there are campgrounds open, however things really start to “open up” so to speak is Victoria Day long weekend, which is the 3rd Monday of May. That’s the unofficial opening day of Camping for the season.
I can’t count the number of times over the years that we have had snow on that weekend. Like I said in my earlier post, we had snow on the mountains the last Thursday before the 1st of July.
We are retired so we start camping as soon as Campgrounds from around here open for the season and we go out every week and come home every weekend to restock the camper.
Last year year every week were were out camping was cold, windy with rain and snow, we packed it in a couple of times as I was loosing to many crib game to my wife.
Not saying you won’t have a great time the 1st week of May, but in my experience the odds are against you.
As for your awning, there isn’t anywhere where I leave my awning out especially along lakes rivers or in a steep valley. Winds can come out of now where and your awning just won’t flop over the roof, I have seen gusts of winds so strong it ripped the awning right off the side of trailers, at least now a days, the US Airforce and NORAD will help you bring it back down to earth for you. :W
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SideHillSoup
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02/18/23 03:13pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Moraine Lake parking -- Disable October 20, 2023
Your best bet is to contact Parks Canada Banff and ask them the questions that you have.
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SideHillSoup
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02/18/23 03:00pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Waterton & Lake Louise early May.????
Here are a few picture that I captured off of Hwy Cams around Southeastern BC and Alberta over the last few years.
Weather is a strange beast especially in the a mountains. You should always be aware of what is happening with the weather and check weather reports when traveling at least once a day of the towns that you will be traveling that day.
Never take the weather for granted.
https://i.imgur.com/bGhIUx6l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uFz1NIul.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8NATRBUl.jpg
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SideHillSoup
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02/16/23 04:46pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Waterton & Lake Louise early May.????
@ Soup:W
Lol. Not sure that anyone outside of Canada knows what a toque is! But I've been wrong before.....:)
Lucky I never wrote down beleclava :W
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SideHillSoup
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02/16/23 02:26pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Waterton & Lake Louise early May.????
Reservations for Parks Canada don’t open until mid March. They are bringing on line a new reservation system…. And we all know how good reservations systems work especially the “new” ones.
Snow in the Mountains…
I have kids in Calgary. I sat in one of their front rooms on June 6th not to many years ago looking at 6 inches of fresh snow on the lawn furniture.
Heck I live in the Kootenays, we had fresh snow on the mountain tops here on the Thursday before July 1st long weekend last year.
Now you are in Alberta, however for reference about snow…
There is a reason why every mountain pass and most Hwys in BC have a winter tire requirement until April 30th every year.
Winter tires BC
Bring a toque and enjoy your trip. :B
Soup.
https://i.imgur.com/M8nfk2il.jpg
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SideHillSoup
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02/16/23 09:26am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Cassiar Highway
From Stewart it’s still 1,400 miles to the Canada / Alaska boarder at Beaver Creek.
I think your mixing up miles with KM. it is 1400km which is a 14+ hour drive between stewart and beaver creek.
Oops… :S
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SideHillSoup
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01/27/23 01:02pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Cassiar Highway
Sorry about my misunderstanding on your post…
As for the spot and garmin, it’s most likely has something to do with the SOS feature, as it could be triggered accidentally, not easily but it can.
I know around here were I live the BC Mountains, S.A.R’s. ( Search and Rescue) are getting a bunch of false alarm SOS notifications from Apple Wrist Watches after people who are wearing them fall down skiing/ snowboarding and snowmobiling. There is some feature on the phone that activates an SOS type alarm when there is sudden impact or something, not sure if the feature, but it can be disabled on the watches.
I’m betting people with SPOT’s have activated the SOS feature by mistake on a few cruise ships which send a whole bunch of people running around trying to figure out what’s what, and when a SOS signal comes in and the location is out as sea… there would be planes choppers and ships moving before they found out it was a false alarm.
Last weekend we had the area’s SAR’s team up practicing / training in our snowmobile area with Avalanche Beacon’s and that exact subject came up about the watches.
They said that SAR’s have to go out and check every time one is activated just like a “hang up” 911 call.
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SideHillSoup
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01/27/23 08:32am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Cassiar Highway
I think you’re underestimating the distance from Seattle to just the Boarder at Beaver Creek Yukon and Alaska, and in a RV to from Seattle to Alaska in 4 to 5 days?
I live in BC and my wife is from Stewart which is on Hwy 37-A, we usually take a week to drive/ camp and that’s just to get to Stewart, which is still a long ways from Alaska.
From Stewart it’s still 1,400 miles to the Canada / Alaska boarder at Beaver Creek.
It’s just about 1000 miles from Seattle to Stewart BC.
And if your final destination is Anchorage Alaska, that’s another 425 miles from the Border at Beaver Creek Yukon.
Seattle to Anchorage is just about 2300 miles.
If you’re using Google drives times don’t they are wrong, especially in the mountains, they are never correct, you always need to had time to your trip, and sometimes a lot . When Google came up with theses drive times, they were in a car, not a RV.
You will be stopping more often for fuel in an RV, plus traffic, slow semi’s in front of you on hills on 2 lane Hwys, road construction, wildlife and possibly of hwy accidents they all slow you down, your not on a interstate hwy.
I’m using Stewart as it is located on Hwy 37-A which is a sub hwy off or Hwy 37, and probably one of the most spectacular 35 mile drives anywhere (Meziadin Jct on hwy 37 to Stewart BC on Hwy 37-A)
You’re going to be having a lot of windshield time on this 4 to 5 day “trip” to Alaska.
You also won’t have much time for hiking with an average daily drive distance of 400 to 500 miles depending, and like I said RV’s don’t travel as fast on the Hwys as a car.
It will be spring and with that comes pot holes and frost heaves everywhere especially the farther north you go, that will also slow you down. There will probably be guys out working on the Hwys which will also slow you down.
The other thing about May, is “when” in May are you planing this trip to Alaska?
The start of May is early for most campgrounds in BC where it is cold especially at night.
There will be some campgrounds open at the begging of May however you may find a lot of campgrounds won’t be open until “around” the third week of May which in BC, we have Victoria Day long weekend ( 3rd Monday of May) it all depends on where they are located. I know of some that don’t open until June and I’m taking BC Provincial Parks campgrounds.
There are some campgrounds that will open at the begging of April however theses types of campgrounds are either on Vancouver Island, the lower mainland ( Vancouver area) or the Okanogan valley, where it’s much warmer than most of the rest of BC.
There are private and some community campgrounds as well, but the colder the weather the later they open.
Now a lot of people say just to boondock, but those places are getting harder to find because of ignorant people the last few years that have left theses road side “parking spots” in a mess. My wife’s friend works for the Hwys dept for Hwy 37 and he says they are starting to block so off “spots” because of ignorant people. I’m not saying every place is blocked for access but they are starting to watch and block access where needed.
Have you thought about a side trip Barkerville or over to Watson Lake and the Sign post Forrest? or up to Dawson City Yukon, of the Klondike Rush fame? Or visiting all the little museums in the towns and villages on your route?
In my opinion you’re going to be missing a lot on your super fast trip through British Columbia and the Yukon.
Myself I would be spending way way more days in the trip north to Alaska.
I hope you guys have a fabulous trip whatever you decide.
Soup.
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SideHillSoup
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01/26/23 10:08am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Best itinerary for Alaska
In BC Park Campgrounds, Campsites are available for anyone, doesn’t matter the size of type of rig, with the exception of Handicapped Sites.
A lot of the time people coming into a campground might only find the one site is available and it is a large site, so that’s what they take. Other times it might be the location of the site, like right on the lake shore so it’s taken for that reason.
The BC Parks reservation site map when clicking on a particular “site” will show the size of the site. And in the reservation system when you fill out your profile and there is a box where you add the in your rigs type and length and when you enter a site number, it will show you if you will fit.
You don’t have to necessarily book a reservation, but you can use the system to help you find the sites that will be big enough for your rig, then you would have a list of sites to drive by to see if they are available or by using reservation system see if it is already full before you even get there.
As well a “lot” of BC Park overflows are basically a gravel parking lot or a field which will also be available if required, and that if the campground has an overflow.
You can’t just boondock in a Canadian National Park or a Provincial Park, you must stay in a campground. Southern BC and south western Alberta are very busy in the summer time for camping, so just driving up to find a site, May already be putting you in the over flow, for the more popular campgrounds. Once you get about 1/3 of the way up BC and Alberta things open up more for vacancies in campgrounds and places to boondock.
Prince George BC and Edmonton Alberta are just over 1/3 of the way up the provinces.
I pulled a 35ft 5th wheel all over western USA and western Canada and I didn’t ever find a place that I couldn’t park, but I did do some research.
The biggest issue and one that ever person with an RV should remember is that a lot of theses campgrounds are in the Forrest, and with that comes low hanging branches. In my truck and camper I’m inches under 12 ft high, and I am for ever looking up and around when driving through campgrounds for those low hanging branches. I have been bitten by some of those branches before, so I am talking from experience, so heads up.
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SideHillSoup
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01/03/23 11:25am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Best itinerary for Alaska
It’s been a few months since this post was really moving along, however today, someone asked a question and the tread is alive again.
I will add a couple of comments:
Slow driving:
If your going to drive slow because of wildlife, road conditions or just to better view the sights, check your mirrors often and if you start backing up traffic, pull off to the side of the Hwy when safe to do so and allow the faster traffic to pass.
Even if there is no place to pull completely off the road to allow people to pass, don’t hug the Centre line, this way people behind you can see what coming down the Hwy towards you, and they don’t have to stick their nose out into on coming traffic to pass.
The worst offenders of the “backing up traffic” I find are RV Caravan tours, them people like to bunch up and drive close to each other for some reason, and if they are driving slow, they can back up local and other types of traffic a long long ways, I especially see this in the Mountains around here.
Rock chips:
Getting rock chips in your windshield or on front facing body parts of your vehicle is an every day occurrence in Canada. Our vehicle insurance policies here in BC cover the repair of rock chips for free or you might have to pay a small fee like $20.
Every winter we get snow and ice on our Hwys, and every year the Hwys people sand and plow the Hwys. Them rocks usually will have been moved off the Hwys by traffic on the Hwy by late spring, but some little sneaky rocks will hang around waiting just for the right kind of windshield or colour hood to put a rock chip in.
On long trips I carry the manufacture’s touch up paint with me “just in case ” I also have an old glass cutting tool that I also carry incase of a rock chip that looks to maybe turn into a spider. I put a deep scratch across the rock chip finger to “try” and stop it from spreading.
When I bought my truck new, they day I drove it home in July a car passed me going the other way, threw up a rock, and yup, first rock chip in my windshield,,, and only 28 kms on the truck… I cried… and I only live 3.5 hrs north of Spokane Washington, in southeastern BC, no where near Alaska.
Enjoy your trip
Soup.
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SideHillSoup
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12/30/22 10:10am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: its about time
I take it you talking about Ontario ?
BC it’s a maximum length of stay of 14 nights, and has been fir years.
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SideHillSoup
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12/29/22 08:24am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Icefields Parkway first week in June
SideHillSoup
C to F
1. double the C (20 + 20 = 40)
2. subtract 10% of the result (40 - 4 = 36)
3. add 32 (36 + 32 = 68f)
Did you see the part in my post that said “ By no means is this calculation exact but it’s close”
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SideHillSoup
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12/23/22 08:41am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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