I keep trying to catch up…so more of the out west trip in 2020

Lethbridge was a good choice. It’s a nice campground that is open all year.

Lethbridge - Sunrise in the park
Sunset in Lethbridge

There had been a snow storm before I arrived and everything was covered. The temperature was above zero degrees C during the day and sometimes even stayed above freezing overnight.

Lethbridge - Secret tunnel to Arizona
Wishful that this is a secret portal to Arizona.

As I wandered around the park I saw this sign and a little culvert.

Lethbridge - a good winter setup
A good way to spend the winter in a camper using insulating foam and duct tape.

This camper was great. If we had a larger camper I would consider it as well. I had an idea that if we were somewhere where the temperature would drop lower than freezing, we could use similar stuff like a skirt to protect the underside of the trailer.

Lethbridge - Ice cream
Winter does not stop ice cream.
Lethbridge - Deer at the camp
A morning walk at BridgeView Resort

Since I was there the Bridgeveiw Resort has changed ownership and is under the SummerHill Resorts banner.

Lethbridge - deer in the park
She wasn’t alone.

I wanted to get across the mountains and needed to get chains for both the truck and the trailer. They were surprisingly hard to find. I had to drive up to Edmonton – well LeDuc, Alberta. I used Boondockers Welcome – to find a host who could accommodate me as there are no open parks in November.

LeDuc - Boondocking
Boondocking in Leduc, AB

My host was fantastic and snowplowed an area for me to park and be comfortable until I was able to get the chains for the truck. The hosts were terrific!

The temperature dropped to -24ºC (-11ºF) and the Escape Trailer performed wonderfully. The furnace was able to keep me warm and the moisture accumulation from the temperature differential had frozen my pillow to the exterior wall. It was funny at the time. I was there for two nights and from the cold mornings in Lethbridge I went through one bottle of propane – I thought at these temperatures this was an excellent rate. I filled one up at the local Costco after picking up the chain for the truck at Canadian Tire.

LeDuc - Ice and snow at the boondock
It snowed once again.

The dirt on the trailer from driving in snow…I managed to get a car wash earlier in the week but the trailer is another story.

I thought about crossing the mountains to go to Vancouver Island, but the Covid-19 restrictions became stricter and on my way down to Calgary from Edmonton the reserved campground called and asked if I was on the island. I told him that I had not even been able to make it to the West side of the mountains. He was kind enough to offer me a refund minus a small fee for the credit card transaction…I took him up on it and then called and cancelled the Nanimo reservation as well and turned left towards home.

Swift Current - Overnight at the casino
At the casino in Swift Current.

The roads were still icy leaving Alberta, but there wasn’t the 100km/h crosswind. I made it to Swift Current and the boondock site didn’t exist any more. I went to the casino and asked about the overnight stay in their parking lot. They were great about it, so I entered and dined inside and donated some fun funds to the slot machines. A cold night but the trailer’s heating worked just fine.

Northern Ontario - Stopped at the plow turnout for heavy snow to pass
Northern Ontario near Upsala.

The prairies weren’t too bad driving as the roads were straight. Once I entered Ontario, I stopped for the night at the Information Centre and that was easy to do and comfortable. In the morning, the snow had started and I filled up fuel in Kenora then started driving once again. There was a blizzard and the roads were horrible. I had to pull off a couple of times just to relax to regain composure. The above photo is in a rest area near Upsala at a snow plow turn around. My footprints are across two lanes of highway at this point.You can see how much snow is on the road.

Northern Ontario - Back driving into the blizzard
Not the best travelling day.

I eventually made it to the Flying J just past Thunder Bay and spent the night. In the morning, the road looked good, but that quickly deteriorated and driving the Lake Superior coast was a very challenging experience. Finally stopped at the Flying J at Sault-St-Maire and found a place to park. There were many trucks parked there this time. In the morning the roads were better and I drove all the way home. The roads had been saline solution covered and I found later that was damaging many parts.

Trailer in Garage 2020
Safely getting into the garage.

At home and back to cooking once again…

Carleton Place - Grilled eggplant with rice
Grilled eggplant with red rice and olives.

Back to Hector walks and not too much snow.

Carleton Place - Hector at the river
Hector by the river…so much less snow.
Carleton Place - cookies for new year
Treats for New Year’s Eve.

It was good to be home…this was my first attempt at fancy cookies. These were delicious but didn’t look as good as they should have…they each have a fortune inside.

That’s it for this trip…let’s see where this blog goes from here.