Jean-Pierre's Escape and further adventures.

St Malo, certainly not the St Malo Jacques Cartier departed from hundreds of years ago. La Rochelle is also close by.  The Atlantic Ocean is not.

Judging by the town names on the map, this is a French speaking area and the one person whose mother tongue is French I spoke with, a park employee, skipped from one language to the other several times seemingly in the same sentence.  Cultural assimilation is a sad fact of life for minorities.

Multiculturalism applies to and is OK for newly minted Canadians but not for French-Canadian minorities.

It rained heavily last night and the radar pictures of the coming storm were heavily streaked in red, not a good sign.  The worst of it ended up being elsewhere and the thunder was far off.

The rain however was extremely noisy on the Escape.  At one point, fire hose quantities it seemed,  I wondered if I had closed the truck’s windows as that as happened before!

First thing I checked this morning…no, closed tight. I may just drive myself crazy before I get home.

But, another checklist to write up and laminate: pre-bedtime check.

Nothing but the birds and the wind through the trees this morning and I am staying put for the day.

At the registration desk yesterday, I asked the two bored university summer job staffers what there was to see in the area and all they could tell me was there was a grotto by the highway, a reproduction of the Lourdes grotto. I have visited the Lourdes grotto and other Canadian and European shrines so I don’t think I’ll be visiting the local reproduction. I wonder if they have a Lourdes grotto reproduction in Vegas, probably not.

If the grotto was the only thing they could come up with I have to wonder about the Manitoba provincial park recruiting practices.

It is a big park though judging by the map. A couple of beaches and boat rentals. No power boats allowed which is good for the water and the ears. I would guess it is a popular campground as it is close to Winnipeg.

The lake is down the path and I will go for a walk after breakfast with my umbrella…dark clouds notwithstanding.

Very breezy by the water! I stayed for a bit with a book but with everything having to be weighed down and my Tilley held by its straps around my chin, I chose to head back to my calmer site and picnic table.

The Escape FaceBook page is a great resource. I had worries about the trailer brakes not being activated once plugged in…actually DEEP CONCERNS, forget the worries! It would work sometimes and not others. I was not driving until I could engage them of course, but what the hell was going on?

And then I was worried I would have problems hitching because I was crookedly parked with the Canyon close to a tree.

When something is bugging me, I tend to try and address it ASAP unless it involves house cleaning.

Anyhow, a couple of FB Escape Group members’ comments calmed me down explaining that the truck must not be running when the 7 pin plug is…er…plugged in and that I should just relax and take it easy. The learning curve steadily flattens. It worked!

Although I had to increase my data plan with Rogers, I am happy to have unlimited, Canada-wide phone and text.  Anything besides these two services just eats up data with the graphics.  Keeping up to date with CBC, Radio-Canada et al. is strictly a quick headline scan.

When driving, I’ll listen to a few Sirius stations depending on my mood. That includes 40s and 50s music, CBC, Radio-Canada, NPR, BBC and CNN. Not for long with CNN as they are totally focussed on Trump and the discussions are the same as when I left in mid-May.  Having said that, I did catch an interesting interview Fareed Zakaria had with Chrystia Freeland our Minister of Foreign Affairs.  It was so interesting I downloaded (data) her speech to Parliament and almost word for word it was Fareed’s interview. I do not know what to make of that!

On the road tomorrow to Sioux Narrows which is a bit beyond Kenora…Ontario. Closer to home. Yippee!

Or rather lack of it is what my friend Fred recommends after a fridge issue discussion,

Enjoy life he says, the small stuff will be taken care of.

Amen.

I spent Sunday evening in Swift Current after what could be called a nervous drive.

The day started off badly when the fellow at the RV storage place gave me shit for entering the site while the gate was open.  This was a member privilege which I did not have. Lesson learned for the next time which will never happen anyway. I apologized of course, many, many times and all was OK.

I managed to hitch the trailer all by myself, backing up, getting out and checking several  times until I nailed it.

I somehow got the electrical connection in wrong because the trailer brakes would not work. I unplugged the replugged and they were OK.  Still, unnerving.

The brake thing came after reading a post on the Escape Owners’ Forum about an issue with a certain refrigerator model (mine, of course) that everyone is trying to fix without much luck it would seem. Temp fixing the issue requires cutting two wires and splicing them…not my cup of tea!

So far, so good because the fridge is working well.

So, I am thinking that owning a trailer is much more fun if you possess various technical skills: electrical, plumbing and of course backing up!

When I arrived at the Walmart in Brandon a short while ago, the lady in the RV next to mine pointed out that I was crooked (reminding me of my mother).  Of course, I eventually climbed into the truck and managed to get it acceptably parked by backing up. I am encouraged!

Anyhow, trailer ownerhip requires a certain degree of knowledge but resources are never far….IF YOU HAVE WIFI! And someone who actually know something is awake with nothing better to do than peruse the forum.

Often replies on forums (fora?) start off with “I really don’t know anything about this…”, click, stop reading.

Having said that, the Escape forum and the FaceBook page have several experts who readily provide useful recommendations. I am  truly grateful!

Hwy 1 through Alberta and Saskatchewan is really great most of the time. At some places it’s like driving over corduroy (washboard as well) with the truck’s and the trailer’s wheels definitely not on the same cycle.

And there are the semis of course. They are going very fast and I had to learn that some of them (have not figured out which just yet) yank you toward them…not my preference.  An air pressure thing. I slow down to let them by and I keep both hands firmly on the wheel.

There are few places to stop, certainly no coffee shops. As my friend Hubert puts it, the priority here if grain and cows, not tourists!

All places where you could stop for gas or a bathroom break are all on the other side of the highway. You can cross over but there are no lights.  Such crossover places are called “important intersections” and you are warned when one is approaching. Some have yellow flashing lights so they must be particularly important or dangerous.

Some of the i i have an extra lane, a merge section, but hairy when a truck pulls out just the same.

On another note, dear Josée prepared all sorts of little packages of food for me and they are in my little freezer which is still working thank goodness!

What a darling!

Time for supper. Off to St Malo Park tomorrow for 2 nights. It’s a three-hour drive and there is no rush.

I may treat myself to an Egg McMuffin in the morning….they have wifi!

After a big storm the other day I kept wondering (worrying??) about the Escape. Had there been hail? Worse, a leak?!  I had left two windows open…like 2 mm, had the moist snuck in that way! And on and on.

That was compounded by worries that water had washed under the pad destabilizing the whole rig, I would not be able to remove the very solid hitch lock before leaving bla bla bla…Newbie nerves!

So, I went this morning and all is good.

You may think I worry too much.

Perhaps.

Having said that, have a look at any RV owner forum and be prepared to read about worries and issues from owners either current or to be. Or You Tube videos. It seems to go with the territory.

The more seasoned owners never seem to have any complaints or issues. Maybe they choose not to mention them in order to retain the expertise aura.

Whatever! It’s all good and everyone pitches in.

Once back, I will have to organise a pantry. I may have been to fast in deciding to use the little closet as exactly that, a closet. Lots of people have converted that space to a pantry by installing shelving and I may just end up doing that.

Josée and I will be preparing “chunky potato soup” later on which will be frozen along with a meatball stew we made yesterday. It was so good there may be only be two meatballs left.  Comfort food.  Easy to heat food is the way to go on this trip.

I finally dragged my butt out of the Doldrums and booked my way home with a couple of Walmart stops, a couple of days in Manitoba at St-Malo near Winnipeg and the following Ontario Provincial Parks: Sioux Narrows, Kakabeka, White Lake, Fairbank, Samuel de Champlain and then home on June 24.  Such a big province! Some driving days will be notably longer but the scenery will be wonderful along Superior.

I had considered stopping along Georgian Bay and Parry Sound but that will be for another day.

Oh yes, all pull-through sites…no backing up!

Well that’s the plan. So, the next time I back up it will be to seriously have my neighbours chuckling at my efforts. NO BIG DEAL!!

It will be great to be home and my dear sister and lovely daughter are overseeing a driveway widening project.

The thought of not going to Nova Scotia and limiting myself to exploring the relative environs of home is really gaining traction.

It took some time just to book the above sites. Considering distances, travel times and park facilities, looking at maps both paper and Google are all part of the equation. Lots of emptiness in our geography.

My friends are generous with their wifi and I now better understand how planning and reserving take on a whole new dynamic on the road. There aren’t always free wifi restaurants on the road and even less out in the woods!

I will try and keep you up to date as I get closer to home.

OK, tomorrow I have to lock in to the WAY HOME.

I received a lot of replies to a FaceBook query on Ontario Provincial Parks along the way home and I’lll check those out in the morning. There will be a few Walmart lots and a park near Winnipeg.

This is a part of the trip that is annoying, figuring out how far I should go, where I should stay and why.

No doubt it’s because it’s all so new. The learning curve that is taking its sweet time levelling out. Perhaps by the time the prairies show up I’ll be feeling better about it.

Having said that, my planned excursion to Cape Breton is seeming like more of what I have been going through over the last couple of weeks.  Hence, a certain lack of enthusiasm about another long trip solo.

Short three or four day excursions to nearby parks appeal to me. I can prepare better food and not have to worry about travel planning. Isn’t that what they invented CAA for?

Well, this voyage of trailer delivery was to be one of (self) discovery and it’s living up to expectations!

So, welcome to the mundane!

After days in the life of a travelling hobo, I have been sleeping in a warm comfortable bed at Josée and Steve’s.

It’s nice to take a break from the road and the white knuckle Rocky Mountain drives. Even nicer to see a friend from long ago. Even even even nicer that it’s like it was only yesterday that we last saw one another.

I am most grateful.

I parked the trailer at Springbank Storage at the gate of Calgary Sunday afternoon.  A staffer walked beside me guide me to a shoe box sized spot that I had to back into.  It was perfect.  Would I be able to replicate? Nope.

He confirmed once again that small trailers are harder to park, so not to worry, it will get better.

He provided another bit of advice and that was to line the trailer with the desired spot as if I had already pulled out.  On my list of tricks to make it easy or to explain incompetence.

All the sites at Kootenay were pull-throughs, a lonely example of smart government planning. Much appreciated.

I returned to Springbank Monday to check on things.  I had this fear that somehow the batteries were draining and I cannot imagine why as I went through the checklist and turned the master to off. The batteries were fine with the solar panels doing their stuff.

This is an ongoing theme, dealing with new (for me) technologies or situations. Answers to questions come from any number of sources: manuals, forums and asking neighbours.

There is a dog in the house. Otto is a very big and incredibly strong Rottweiler, no fat, no tail, just teeth and muscle. He is well-trained and we get along just fine.  Calgary has many parks with lots of parking and unlike Ottawa you can  park without paying.

We went to a park, basically a fairly large hill with paths that is off-leash for the dogs.

I have started to consider my options for the trip home. I intend on parking at the occasional Walmart and spend a bit of time in Saskatchewan and Manitoba parks and I have all the park information with me.

I am looking forward to getting home.

My! Time is just flying by!

There was a bit of rain this morning and now it is just beautiful. The sun is pouring through the pines, there are no flies, just the sound of families preparing supper. And an occasional dog of course.

There was a flock of bighorn sheep walking through a part of the site earlier on. I took a few pictures but losing their winter woolen parkas they were not at their best!

They must be regulars because the few trucks rolling by did not upset them at all as they munched the shrubbery.

Supper tonight is chicken in a tomato sauce with some fusilli thrown in.

I find I am lacking imagination in the food prep department these days.  I really don’t feel like cooking because I have to stay in the trailer to watch over things.

While in Calgary, I’ll hit Costco to see if there is anything half-prepared. My refrigerator is big enough for me to store some frozen food and that so far has consisted of vegetables.

I will be at Steve and Josée’s sometime Sunday. I have not seen her since high school, or thereabouts and it will be interesting!

She tracked down an RV storage centre on the way into Calgary and set things up with them. That is appreciated! It’s only 20 minutes away from their home, even better.

I may stay a week so we can catch up and see things.  She also would like to garden and I love digging and planting. Calgary also means no more big mountains.  It is stressful but travelling Sunday means less trucks on the road

I drew up  list of things to do when putting the trailer to bed for a few days. Consulting the Escape owners’ forum and the Escape owners’ Facebook page were every helpful. You get answers quickly. It’s fun to see how the first replies are on topic and then folks veer off into another universe altogether often with little inside jokes the I just do not get.

Tomorrow I will pack things up so I will not have to dilly-dally at the RV centre once I close the trailer up.  I cannot leave any open food, or easily opened food I suppose. The fridge will be emptied there.

As I did in Osoyoos and Kokanee Creek, I’ll hitch up tomorrow after emptying the grey and black tanks.

I can smell supper…not so bad! Must remember to add parmesan.

June 1,

It is a beautiful day here and I am enjoying the peace and quiet…oops, a dog barked…listening to the wind streaming through the not so tall BC pines. All the tall ones appear to be on big trucks, monster trucks with parts of the engine cover missing so you can see right through. Keeps them cool I guess.

I have decided to stay put until my Sunday departure and I managed to park the truck pretty well in line with the trailer so I should be able to hitch up easily.  I think the yellow tape I put on the trailer and the truck will help. This fear-of-backing up stuff is driving me nuts.

The only way to meet this head-on is to go by the book. So, I back up two inches, put it in park, get out, check, get in, adjust and so on until the hitch can be lowered onto the ball and locked.  I think a well greased ball absolutely helps. Tomorrow I grease! You know it’s locked in by raising the trailer and if the truck goes up as well, you are good. Then it’s the trunnion bars, safety chains and electrics just before leaving. It then takes me a little while to get comfortable and confident.

Still, I am not that confident that I am always checking things because after the Kapuskasing episode tires and hitch components are under my looking glass.

Did I mention I’ll be happy to be out of these mountains in a few days? The drive to Calgary might be a slow one as I will go through Banff. I was there a few years ago and have no intention of stopping.

I gassed up the truck and found a Sobey’s about 15 km from here as the local little grocery store’s prices took my breath away.  Thank you Garmin. This is a high traffic tourism area, so you pay.  Locals must raise chickens to make ends meet.

I have been invited to spend some time with friends in Calgary once I leave Sunday.  It will be great seeing a good friend I knew in high school…close to 50 years ago.

Cooking some pork and veggies tonight, a stir-fry thing. Maybe some rice with that.

May 30 PM

Glenn and Carmen just arrived in their Escape 17 which is a delightful little trailer.

They are from Idaho and are travelling with their granddaughter and two very big and good-natured dogs.

Bedtime logistics must be interesting.  Travelling with dogs is very popular and there is a beach here just for them.

I do not like to talk politics with strangers because you never know…and being a typical Canadian I will agree with them no matter what, if only to be able to nicely change the subject.

Having said that, over the last few days I have witnessed heated discussions between Americans wholeheartedly agreeing with one another on…you know…Trump and his cronies and the damage they are doing to their country and eventually the rest of us.

Still, it’s much nicer to talk about family, roads taken or not.

Glenn is strumming his guitar, it’s quite peaceful right now.  The motorized toys are nowhere to be seen.

Almost time to hitch up! Done! It looks good.

My neighbour Eric suggested a new route to Kootenay for me involving a ferry ride across the arm of water which is either the lake or a river.  Get to skip a bunch of mountains which suits me just fine.

Two huge, smelly buses just pulled in. One of which looks like a converted Greyhound. Off to take some pictures.

May 31

A beautiful ferry ride across Lake Kootenay started the day off very well.

Actually, I got a little lost looking for the ferry and attempted a back-up procedure which did not work. A kind lady indicated a quick way of getting out of my predicament and I was off to the ferry for a 35 minute cruise and then a drive actually mostly alone the base of the mountains.

The same thing happened again as I was looking for the entrance to the park where I am staying for a few days and another kind lady pointed out the proper road.

Another pair of eyes would come in handy!

It is very quiet here and I was able to set up rather quickly.

The wonderful people from Idaho and we followed each other for a bit.  I like the idea of travelling with someone and I hope to do more of the same later on this summer.

Lessons of the day are do not panic, get out and ask questions and check the terrain or the flow of traffic in the parking lot before moving.