Leaving the not so sunny Shuswap

Leaving the not-so-sunny Shuswap seems to get a little more difficult every year. Mainly, this is a question related to carrying loads of “stuff” up from the cabin to the trailer. Maybe age and a general lack of interest in becoming a Sherpa are factors. In any case, my new wheelbarrow (half price at Canadian Tire), came in handy and all the usual things – fridge defrosting, water pipes out of the lake (done in mid-November), putting my ratty looking Lake Louise flag back in its drawer to eliminate that attraction for winter vandals and a host of other things, all got done (read that sentence quickly and it sounds better). The trailer axles, which were being inspected for possible misalignment, checked out perfectly at Salmon Arm Frame, so, if I wear out a tire every 3 or 4 years, that’s the price of doing business.
The week prior to leaving was fairly cool by Shuswap standards, temps dropping to -7 or 8 at night, barely recovering to freezing in the daytime. Naturally, we had some snow just before I pulled out and I had to install chains on the trailer just to get down the steep hill on Sunnybrae Road. In fact, the Maintenance crews had plowed and sanded before I got there, so the chains were superfluous but, I got some practice for when I really need them
The Walmart in Omak is a traditional first night stop. This is about 5½ hours and an easy first day. Other than allowing me to stock up on a few items taken by the border guards - this year 6 chicken eggs, apparently because of the duck in the Fraser Valley who caught Avian flue somewhere in its travels, plus other supplies, Walmarts encourage campers to use their parking lots – and it’s free! Evidently, inflation has come to Omak. Franzia wine (available in BC for Cdn $25.95 for a 3 litre box) is sold in the U.S. in 5 litre boxes and has gone up from US $7.99 last year to $10.47 this year, or, $2.09 per litre for those who are counting. Multiply by 1.175 to equate with Canadian dollars and we come up with Cdn $2.46 per litre. At these rates, I’ll have to slow down consumption. Maybe, the fact that my particular model of Franzia is designated as a “chillable red” makes it pricey – who knows? Bitterly cold in Omak last night (Saturday) with temps down to -12° C. This keeps the furnace working overtime but the trailer is still quite comfortable. Tonight’s stop in Stanfield, OR is one of my few commercial parks of the winter trip. The main reason for this is to flush through the antifreeze in my lines and fill up with a half load of water – also to have a shower, enjoy complimentary wi-fi access and watch Desperate Housewives on cable TV. For those who live without water once their lakes freeze, this (the shower) is quite a luxury.
I took a stroll around the Park this evening, just in case there were any spare DHs in need of cryptic crossword guidance but the bait was rejected - like most of my fishing expeditions. Because it was so cold up in Omak, I assumed that my fridge was having a moment of rebellion when it declined to start in propane mode. The interior of the trailer would have been well below freezing, as were most of the veggies in the fridge crisper. No harm was done if crunchy, then limp, green onions were on the menu but …. fridges can’t have minds of their own and the mystery had to be solved. Tonight, I poked around with a long screwdriver and got rid of the rusted metal flaking that fell down the interior of the fridge stack and covered the orifice, after which it worked as the manual says it should. Actually, this is the third time that I have had to do this in the last year or two.
From here, the plan for tomorrow is to conquer the dreaded Blue Mountain Summit, where snow and ice often create treacherous road conditions. Once over the pass and safely down the other side, I hope to make it to Jackpot, Nevada, where Cactus Pete’s Casino offers one of the better buffets on my route. The next day should get me to Lake Pahranagat Wildlife Sanctuary, about 90 miles north of Las Vegas, after which I hope to meet up with the MIchauds (Lyn and Linda) at Craggy Wash, near Lake Havasu City on or about Dec 8th.
This e-mail is a little short on pictures, since one Walmart looks much like another and it is now dark here at the Stanfield Pilot Station RV Park. Therefore, my driveway with some snow will have to do.
JW