Christmas is over and the house is upside down with packing and cleaning (it gets worse before it gets better). Now we're looking ahead at our drive that will start on Saturday.
Whenever we leave town by road I am reminded how remote Yellowknife is. The nearest major city is a 16 hour drive. The wheels are in motion for 25 hours to get us to Vancouver and we'll pass through the Rockies and other mountain ranges. We also have to make sure it's possible to leave town. Four hours south is the Mackenzie River which cars cross by ferry or, in winter, ice bridge. There can be periods of up to weeks when cars can't come to or leave town. Stores stock up so it's not usually noticeable, but when you've got an eight month trip and need to drive out, it's a worry. Last week we got the news that the bridge and the ferry are operating! Phew.
I'm always a bit nervous about the drive - all of our eggs are in one vulnerable steel basket. And things happen on this desolate stretch of road. A couple weeks ago a co-worker waited hours while authorities conducted an accident investigation after a fatal collision between two transporter trucks. Travelers were stuck with an accident scene in front and no ferry service in the other direction. There were no roadside services in that area and the next fuel stop was 20km ahead ; gas tanks were getting low. Engines had to keep running because it was -30C. What could have been a serious emergency was avoided at least in part because that co-worker was prepared and is very generous. She gave out all of her holiday baking, emergency fuel, clothing, sandwiches, warm drinks and more. We've taken this as a cautionary tale and have flares, extra fuel, and emergency gear at the ready. Fingers crossed we won't need any of it!
So, although the tires on the car never feel good enough and I have to repress fears of dangers like ice, wildlife, drunk drivers or winter storms we've only faced the odd flat tire, speeding ticket, or crack to the windshield. Touch wood, we'll make it safely.
