We crossed into British Columbia finally, and started our long decent down the province through the Cassiar Hwy. This is a lonely road for sure. You seldom see other cars on the road, and when you do it’s a shit show as the road is narrow and shitty, and there are no stripes painted. But, like I said before, bears and other wildlife are abundant. We see black bears, red foxes, marmots, lynx, porcupine, all sorts of shit. We drove another solid 6 hours to get to Smithers, as I know a good camp spot there and there is a cute downtown to explore.
When we get to town, Cas is starving. We find a pizza joint and bring a pie into the Smithers Brewery. They have WiFi, and Cas needs to catch up some work things. I enjoy a few beers and check out social media, check in with dad, and examine the upcoming weather. Looks like rain. Darn.
Now on this drive to Smithers, I thought I heard a large snap. Turns out, my solar panel had come loose from my roof, and whiplashes itself so badly that it was not holding the correct voltage, and not charging my battery. I have one more test to try tomorrow morning, and if that fails I need to buy a multi-meter. I kick myself, as my dad has about 35 multi-meters back home. Oh well.
After the brewery, we head to the campsite, and decide to go for a short hike. It’s the same twin falls hike I did on my trek up to Alaska, but infinitely more enjoyable now that Cas is with me. We hike to the falls, and even spot a mountain goat adjacent to the water. How neat is that! Pretty neat…
That night, I tried so hard to make a fire, but the rain intensified. Might as well go to bed and read for a bit. As I get into the cab, I realize it’s leaking again. Thought I had solved this tiny issue… Good thing it’s only near my head, and Cas is spared. We have wet blankets, but I have a waterproof cover on my pillow. Thank baby Jesus for that.
After a crappy, wet night, we head into town to get a multi-meter and check out my solar issue. I run through some tests I find on the internet, and find that everything is working fine except the panel. It’s fucked. I need a new one. I spend the next 3 hours trying to figure out how to get a panel sent to me. Renogy (the brand I have) won’t ship internationally. If I send it to a post office in the states, I’ll have to pay shipping twice (don’t ask me how that works). So, I dial up a friend I made while working at FWC who is now a PhD student in Montana. Ellen came through with an address to send the panel, and a safe spot to keep it until I get there. Ellen, I cannot thank you enough! Going to be stocking your fridge with beer…
So, until that gets hooked up, I have no electricity. No worries though, I brought propane for hiking which is coming in handy. Once I get over the stress of calling 20 places and planning my solar panel’s trip, we decide to spend the night in Smithers again. It’s already 2PM, and Cas is tired of driving. We hit up another brewery in Smithers, and chat with the bartender a bit. After some grocery shopping and meandering around town, we settle back in at the same campsite.
The next morning we leave bright at early for Prince George. The last big city we’ll pass through before getting to Jasper National Park. We check out one of the nicest visitor centers there, snag some free books, drop off already read books, and head over to a brewery in town named Crossroads. After a shared flight of 4 tiny beers, we head east to our campsite at Beaver River.
This free campsite is our last stop before entering the National Parks. Camping is apparently a bitch in the parks, so we relish our last night of free and easy camping. A man working cutting lumber lives on site, and stocks us up with awesome firewood. We have a legit fire, cooks some amazing potatoes, and I work on waterproofing the truck. Tomorrow brings us into Alberta and into the Rocky Mountains. We’re both beyond excited!
