Dateline April 23, 2014
Rainbow Lake AB.
Okay, the blog was supposed to be about Walter and adventures involving him, but this was a trip I thought I should to write about.
So how do I find myself in a location as far north as I've ever been? Well it started with a message from the office asking if I'd be on board for a project up north. I'm thinking north would be perhaps a couple hours north of Calgary. No, somewhat farther north, Rainbow Lake...wheres that? Okay, okay, I've heard of the place before. After all, I'm employed by the industry everyone loves to hate, the Alberta oil and gas industry. Yep, the big bad oil and gas companies help keep a roof over our heads. However, to ease the minds of the environmentalist in all of us, we're tasked with corrosion prevention.
So how to get here? Basically you drive past Edmonton and go west up 43 then north to Peace River. now keep going north on the Mackenzie Highway. When you get to High Level Alberta, turn left. Go west young, man go west.
After 14 hours of driving, we arrive at the Rainbow Lake oil facility at 11:30 am. Get an on-site orientation and a work permit and we'll be on our way. Easier said than done. We make phone calls to persons with permitting capability...we make more phone calls to persons with permitting capability...we make more phone calls to persons with permitting capability...we make...well you get the picture. 4.5 hours later, we throw in the towel and head to the hotel. I suppose to pass time I could have taken a few selfies, but I didn't think of it, and lets be honest, it just ain't the same when you're a Jack Benny-39. Besides with the blizzard outside, there isn't much of a background shot available. I'm hoping things will be better tomorrow.
Yes, I hope we get a work permit from the client tomorrow. I hope the weather lifts so I can get some pictures of the area. I hope that perhaps I can get pictures of some Canadian wildlife of the natural variety. Maybe a lynx, wolf or bear?
See? I'm just full of hope. Of course if we don't get a permit, we will turn around and head home and this trip will have been all for naught. I think we will succeed.
What is the town of Rainbow Lake like you ask? First things first..."Virginia there really is a Santa Claus" but, there is no Subway in Rainbow Lake. Perhaps because the movie predates the town by almost twenty years, but I digress. Rainbow Lake takes its name from lake south of town, coincidentally called, you guessed it, Rainbow Lake, which is so named because of its shape (according to Wikipedia; and since its on the internet it must be true). One would think it might be due to the sub-arctic climate and the amount of rain that falls in the summer...when it isn't snowing. When I look at a map of the lake, I'm not seeing a rainbow shape. Perhaps a snake, but who wants to go to a place called "Snake Lake"? Of course it could have the Greenland/Iceland effect on travel and tourism.
The town is small, quite spread out, quite wild in a wilderness sort of way. I thought it would remind me of Mackenzie BC and it does, just not as big. If you can call Mackenzie big. Ironically, Rainbow Lake is located within the Alberta County of Mackenzie. Since I have had a distinct dislike of Mackenzie BC, largely for work related reasons, I will offer these observations of Rainbow Lake: If fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, camping, ATV's etc. are your kind of thing, this is a prime place to live. Same applies for Mackenzie BC. Now, I like being outdoors; I'm not crazy about hunting; but wouldn't tell someone else not to; to me, fishing is an excuse to drink beer single handed; snowmobiles are fun, but noisy and smelly. Camping? I like camping, but camping in the north must be quite the experience with endless sunlight and landing lights for the flying insects. ATV's? Yeah I enjoyed riding ATV's.
As I offered a comment on fishing, I thought I should see what Rainbow Lake (the lake not the town), has to offer. Well, as I look out the window, it is snowing. Seems fishing might be delayed for the local residents. Snowmobiling might be extended though. So, I checked the internet, from what I could find, there are some pretty large fish in the lakes near here. Again, since its on the internet it must be true.
Where do we start with this Journey? Bill and I have been married 27 years and 2 boys. Why Write a blog? 2014 is going to be a busy year for our family. Our youngest is on a downhill bike team whose races will take us all throughout Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. With some 10,000km already mapped out we've purchased a retro 1973 Winnebago affectionately named Walter, to take in some of those kilometres, and to ensure the road is always colorful.
