5th May 2015

Today we have about a 524 kilometer drive to Dawson Creek on our way to Alaska.It’s drizzling rain and overcast, quite a contrast to yesterday as we drive past lakes and pine plantations. We see elk and deer on the side of the road and the temperature is only 1 degree outside, although it’s quite cosy in Shiraz with the heater and fan going flat out its 21 degrees. Blacky has a thermometer built in so we can get updates on the outside temperature! The rain turns to snow as we approach Grande Cache, poor Dave in RIP which is open to the elements.When we arrive in Grande Cache it’s snowing quite a bit, we fill up & the roof goes up on RIP. As we have a cup of coffee the snow gets heavier and the cars are soon covered in a thick Layer of snow, as is the ground in the service station.We ask some of the locals what the conditions as are like further north and they tell us the snow isn’t settling on the ground, the road isn’t icy it’s just wet and it’s not snowing in Grande Prairie which is about 187 kilometers away. Dave warms up and puts some more clothes on and we get on the road again. The ground is slippery trying to get out of the service station and the snow is really heavy now, but the main highway is clear and we don’t have any traction issues. Our windscreens keep icing up as we drive along so we have to stop regularly to clear them.We pass a coal mine just out of Grande Cache and further on we pass several oil and/or gas fields. The trees and ground are covered in snow, it’s very pretty but very intense driving.The snow continues until about 60 kilometers out of Grande Prairie when it turns to rain. We stop for a cup of coffee and when we go to leaveÿ Shiraz has no ignition again.ÿ This is a problem that we have had from time to time since Bolivia, so after Michael fiddles with some wires we have ignition and are good to go.The last section of today’s drive starts in the rain, but turns to snow and the heater fan in Shiraz decides to start making noises, it’s amazing how much difference the fan makes to the temperature in the car. By the time we arrive in Dawson Creek it is only snowing very lightly.ÿ ÿ