We arrived Gustavus on schedule. Lots of friends turned out to meet the ferry and welcome us. Everything got loaded in the cabin. Clutter galore. The next few days were spent trying to find parts I knew I brought along but could not find in the clutter. We got the heat working. That is a good thing because the high so far has been only 45 degrees. Lowest we have seen is 34. Got the water working too. No drains yet for the sinks. They drain into a bucket. Propane now fires the stove. Mom is impressed with the stove and microwave. The bummer is we don't have hot water yet. I am missing one solitary part to hook it up. Should have it by the weekend. The cabin is chilly because a small 10x10 area is not insulated. It's amazing how much cold one small area lets in. Hopefully it will be fixed by the weekend IN the midst of the push to get thing running I got sick. First day was sorta lethargic and I laid low. Day two turned into a full blown flu. (It's going around Gustavus and many have it in sync with my case.) I am into day three and slowly gaining strength. I haven't been sick like that for many years. I need to go to Juneau for parts and insulation and feel well enough to get on the ferry this afternoon. Mom will stay with friends in Gus. No animal sighting yet. only a few tracks... less than usual.

That's a good reminder Mike. Always a struggle on the road, especially in remote Canada where rest areas are few. We spent an easy day driving west from Prince George to Prince Rupert. There were actually rest areas! We arrived 5PM and had to wait until 3AM to begin loading onto the ferry. For dinner we headed into town and found a Subway. One realizes everything must be transported a long way when the price of a foot-long and small drink comes to $11. We split the sandwich. It stormed the whole time we were in the ferry line and the temp was in the low 40s. The terminal was locked until about 11PM and zero bathrooms available to the line. Occasionally one would hear a car door and folks would trek off. Or, about the time one would doze off, the guy parked next to you would start his engine to warm up their car. It's part of the adventure of going remote. After loading on the ferry we got a stateroom and soon crashed to the rolling of the ship. The voyage turned to boring. One sees a lot of islands, and a lot of water. We only viewed two whales the whole time. I decided I would rather drive to Skagway next year than this. Two days and nearly two nights later we arrived in Juneau on time at 2:15 AM and drove to Mick and Sherri's. Sherri had the key under the mat and the guest accommodations comfy. At 6AM my alarm went off. Time to rise and meet the ferry from Bellingham with our supply trailer aboard. Everything we intended to bring is now safely in Juneau. We have very little room to pack anything else we might purchase here. Paulette decided to walk-aboard the next ferry on Wednesday (the ferry to Gustavus and home) so we can pack the passenger seat with Costco items. Smart lady. Instead of a twin mattress, which we wanted to purchase and bring over, we will settle for an inflatable for now. I am anxious to get to Gustavus and begin turning on cabin systems and unloading.

On the Way North

Thursday we crossed into Canada with little problem. Easy traffic day once we got away from the Canadian border. Hwy 1 north was practically empty. The boat tows a bit heavier than I expected. Probably because of the couch and all the stuff I have loaded in it. Tonight we are 450 miles north in Prince George, B.C.. Did go through a freak snow flurry today about 200 miles north of the border. The event only lasted about thirty seconds. Tomorrow we head for Prince Rupert. I suspect we will arrive about 5-6PM. Then a wait to load on the ferry until about 2AM. Not relishing the long wait, but once on board we will have a stateroom and can sleep well into morning. Don't know when we will post next. Perhaps Juneau and perhaps Gustavus. We hope to arrive in Gus the afternoon of the 10th. I have been having neck and upper back spasms from all the driving. I'm probably overdosing on Aleve. At least it lets me function. Glad to be off the road early and kick back. M&P