Port Angeles Part Deux

Complete control...usually

Dateline: Port Angeles Wa. (Part 1)

Under the category of "better late than never", herein is an account of our trip to Port Angeles.

Our trip started at the bright and early hour of 4am so we could get through security in time for our flight to Abbotsford BC. After a nice short and smooth flight into YXX, we picked up the rented POS. Okay it was supposed to be a small fuel efficient POS but we were pleasantly surprised to be handed the key fob (no key for this one) to a black Dodge Charger. It turned out to be a very comfortable choice for the four hour trip to Port Angeles.

We made a quick stop at the Glass Hive Studio in Abbotsford to catch up with family and pick up a "get out of the Mothers Day dog house" gift. If you're in the Fraser Valley, stop by and check out the fusion glass products and maybe sign up for classes.

How far down?

From there we pressed on into Washington. I must say things have changed along Guide Meridian Road. Several round-a-bouts and stores have sprung up since we left the (s)lower mainland in '97.

After a short detour courtesy of Miss Garmin through downtown Mt. Vernon we were off to Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands. A view not to be missed is Deception Pass. Absolutley stunning from 180' above the sea. Why the name? It harkens back to when Captain George Vancouver was exploring the area. He believed that Whidbey Island was a pennisula, however he George Whidbey to map the coastline of what would become Whidbey Island. Whidbey returned to report that his crew had circumnavigated the island. The pass had deceived the good Captain and he christened it Deception Pass. The island that the bridges connect to was named Deception Island. 

Deception Pass

Back from the brink

The road from there contiues on to Coupville. Unfortunately time did not allow a side trip to downtown Coupville as we needed to catch the ferry to Port Townsend. The ferry terminal is adjacent to Fort Casey State Park. Actually, you have to drive into the park and double back to terminal. While it takes you two miles out of your way, it is pretty cool to see the barracks dating from 1897. For camping enthusiasts, there is a really picturesque campground near the terminal. Of course you do get to watch the ferry every half hour.

Port Angeles...a place worthy of a visit on its own. No need to go any farther if you don't want to. A little piece of eclectic Victorian heaven if you please. 

The Victorian architecture survived due to the rapid economic decline the town experienced during the early 1900's. Fortunate for those of us who enjoy the period buildings that it survived. After a quick lunch at the Nifty Fifty's Diner and a little shopping for good measure, we were back on the road for the final stretch to Port Angeles.
I would absolutely recommend a drive around the Olympic Penninsula. One forgets just how lush and large the vegetation is in the PNW (Pacific Northwest).

Water feature outside our room

Busy Bee

Who doesn't love an old 60's VW Bus?

The NW Cup, the reason for the trip. Its always fun to see the different modes of transportation people use to get to the events and perhaps live in while they are on site. Everything from cars and trucks to classic VW's and small motorhomes. Of course whats really impressive is the bikes and the speed that the riders careen down the mountain...honest they're in complete control...

He finished the race unhurt

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.

March 22. 2014

What a month...so far. sadly we had to make a difficult decision and said good bye to Stewie, our little Yorkie cross. Unfortunately he developed kidney disease at an early age and it didn't reveal itself until his last few weeks of his life. You will be missed but never forgotten.

On the bright side, we were blessed to have Y.I. come and visit us for a couple weeks. Y.I. came and stayed with us for her grade 11 year a few years ago. It was wonderful to have her here even for a short time. She went skating on Lake Louise and made a road trip to Vancouver BC and Victoria BC to visit her Canadian friends. She was indeed, a ray of sunshine at a rather bleak time in our home.

Since it is March, and it has been a rather brutal winter here in Alberta, it was time for a re-set. We flew into L.A. and after a brutal 2 hour wait for a rental car, and a short sleep at the hotel we left the hustle of L.A. for the calm of the Coachella Valley, collectively referred to Palm Springs. Of course the valley has many communities including Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Indian Springs, La Quinta, Indio etc. 

We spent the few days we had touring Joshua Tree National Park, golfing and walking around San Jacinto Mtn.  We were fortunate to see Ocatillo trees in bloom as well as other cactus starting to bloom.

A quick drive around 29 Palms, revealed a character...I'm not sure how to describe its character actually. It is a place where, to the new, uninitiated visitor, it appears the tattoo parlors out-number restaurants. Seriously, it is like Starbucks in Seattle. There is one on just about every corner. My guess is the members of the  Marine base keep the ink artists in business. If you're looking for more of a western flair, Joshua Tree, Ca. is a short drive west of 29 Palms.

The next day was reserved for a day of golf in Borrego Springs. Since my father in law had not been to the Salton Sea, I took a quick side trip to show him the community of Salton Sea Beach. Now I admit, I have a bit of a fascination of the history and the plight of the communities on the banks of the Salton Sea. I've spent some time reading about it on the web. But he had not seen it and was surprised to see a beach community in such decline. Hopefully more intelligent people than I can figure a good way to save the sea. Most certainly a challenge given it has no out flow and is reportedly 25% more salty than the ocean.

I also took the opportunity to show my father in law Fonts Point near Borrego Springs. A 4 mile drive up a sandy wash takes you to what could be described as a moonscape.

Fonts Point

Bottom of Fonts Point, very dry.

I'm sure E wondered if we were going to get out let alone get in to the viewpoint. However, the rented Camry handled the off highway excursion just fine.

A nice visit with my parents and a relaxing round of golf at Borrego Springs...yes golf can be relaxing if you put away the score card. Some great shots were made like the one that landed 8" from the water hazard, or a fantastic 40' putt by yours truly, and some not so great shots like the one that went 50 yards up and 50 yards to the right and about 25 yards out. All in all, it was a fun day for me.

In the right light, a golfer appears on the mountain.

So, what to do the next day?

How about the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway? This little gem of a tourist attraction carries you from the valley to 8,100' above sea level on San Jacinto Mtn. The cars hold up to 60 people, carry water in the belly tanks, food and supplies up the mountain to the station on top. A cool feature of the half million dollar cars is the floor rotates as the car moves. Everyone gets to enjoy the views during the ascent and descent. And the views on the way up and from the top are amazing.

Johnson Falls

Local Resident

Going up, towers and footings installed with aid of helicopters

Tree Hugger

Salton Sea in the distance

Coachella Valley

Somewhere out there in the haze is Mt Charleston, Las Vegas

Palm Springs

All in all a great way to re-set for the spring season in Alberta. Unfortunately spring is looking a heck of a lot like winter did. Perhaps, a return trip is necessary?

Dateline Silver Star BC, March 3, 2014
...no byline...

Frostbike 2014.
Well the season has begun...sort of. A road trip to Silver Star Mountain Resort in the beautiful Okanagan Valley BC for the 2nd Annual Frostbike DH MB Race. Whilst the skis and snowboards chill in the garage, the DH bike is getting its excercise. Seems rather odd to many in the Silver Star Village that these crazy persons are riding their bicycles down the mountain. Me? I'd say I came to terms with the idea when it was first mentioned. Besides it meant a road trip to one of my favourite places in Canada. The Okanagan valley is as beautiful in the winter as it is in Summer. Add to that the fact that the scenery on Trans Canada Hwy through the mountains is 2nd to none, how could one say no to it? Besides, I've spent many hours on Hwy 1 in the winter and can say the BC Highways crews do a first rate job at keeping the road open. The city of Calgary could learn from them.

So whats it like racing on the snow? I can't say. I haven't done it. But from what I witnessed it looks like a lot of crazy fun. From the Gingersnap's coach who couldn't hide the ear to ear grin he carried all weekend to the entertaining stops at the finish line, it was clean, cold, freezing, fun. It should be noted that the racers, female and male, were required to run on normal mountain bike tyres. Studded tyres were not allowed. Training runs were a challenge with the icy conditions but come race day, Mother Nature graced Silver Star with enough snow to make the boarders and skiers drool over the prospect of a day of fresh powder snow.
From an inexperienced witness' perspective of the Frostbike race, I thought the snow made the course not necessarily a challenge to get down unhurt, but more a challenge just to get down. An aspect of winter racing not considered by a virgin observer such as me, is the equipment freezing up. I grew up in a winter climate but I can't say I ever rode my bike in the winter. Dirt bike...yes, bicycle...no. And even if I did, my bicycles didn't have hydraulic brakes. However with the extra snow on the course, the problem for the racers wasn't so much the thickened brake fluid, but the ice building up on the brake discs, chains, sprockets etc. Most racers talked about losing their brakes at some point on the course.

Bikes parked outside at Long Johns, Silver Star Resort

Getting ready for training.

Gingersnap finishing his run

Crazy rider coming in fast...

and finishing in style...

If I'm going to be honest, I have to admit I found the to be finish extremely entertaining in the snow. The racers came it at full speed and would careen through the snow and, in some cases, cartwheel through the snow. With all the fresh snow, it was good to know that the likelihood of getting hurt was diminished.
Some didn't quite make it:

Others made it with a thrilling finish:

Coach Rhys coming in

Coach Rhys, winding up the event.