Archive for January, 2011

After the Great Journey from Cardston to Vancouver Island, we got off the ferry and drove right to the Living Forest Oceanside Campground and RV Park. Quite the mouthful, indeed.

By the time we got here from the Departure Bay ferry 20 minutes away, it was already quite dark, so we selected from one of the available spots, choosing #77, one of the sites furthest away from the water’s edge. I had thought it would be a good choice as, on the map seen below, it seemed to have a good bit of space around it and would be away from traffic, while everyone else would clammer to be on the opposite side, looking at the water.

We quickly pulled into the spot, got the jacks set up and finally settled into our Home On Wheels. We had made it over.

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I have to admit, I was more than a bit nervous to drive over the Rockies, in January.  Throughout December I checked the weather network several times a day and watched several storms come and go.  I read website after website trying to find information that would tell us which mountain pass is the best to conquer in the winter and even did a test drive to the beginning of Crowsnest Pass in the Jeep to see if I felt we could handle it in the motorhome. Of course, well meaning people all have their own advice to give and some of the most discouraging comments came from people that have never driven over the Rockies before.  I have been over the pass several times before but those trips were many many years ago before I had any concept of fear. As the time to leave drew nearer a storm began to develop on the West Coast.  Vancouver was scheduled to have freezing rain then snow, and temperatures were forecast to drop.  The storm was to continue towards the Rockies and would cause blizzards at the higher elevations.  It was a difficult decision but we finally decided to risk it and leave as planned and drive as far as Creston and if need be we could stop in Creston until the storms passed. Read more…

I understand that I am supposed to be filling in the gaps.  Gaps like spending the month of December in Leavitt and then driving over the Rocky Mountains in January.

We arrived in Leavitt around 11pm December 2.  It had been an extra long day of driving and just as the end of the road was near we experienced the mysterious fogging mirrors.  We had stopped for fuel just outside of Lethbridge and there was a light fog but as we entered the city the fog thickened.  Visibility was poor and we were looking to find a turnoff to the highway to go to Cardston.  Minutes before we were to change lanes to turn I noticed that the rear view mirrors had all iced over and I couldn’t see a thing behind or beside us.

Driving a 30 foot motorhome through the city is hard enough but without mirrors it’s darn near impossible.  I didn’t dare change lanes so we just followed the road we were on until we were able to safely pull over to the side of the road.  It just so happened the first safe spot to pull over was completely on the other side of Lethbridge going the opposite direction than we needed to go.  When it was finally safe I pulled over and we scraped the mirrors, turned the rig around and headed towards Cardston, our destination for December.  The fog and the moisture was not necessarily a bad thing as it was the beginning of a chinook which was a nice break from the unbearable cold that we felt in Winterpeg.

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