chapter 69: the long road north

Day 6.

After having spent a couple beach days in Tofino-Ucluelet and then a couple more at my Dad's, Silken and I are tearing ass north. After leaving Parksville on Monday morning, I've spent the last two days driving nearly 1,500 kilometres, 8-10 hours on the road each day. I have to do about 1,800 more to get to Dawson city by Friday for the start of the music festival. I know, life is so hard. I never want to get out of the car, because the roads are empty and I can motor through while rocking out to a random selection of every album I've ever liked. Suh-weet.

Yesterday, I drove through the Stein Valley to Lillooet, and then today the Bulkley Valley and Smithers. I hiked to where two glacier-fed waterfalls converge and make an icy river. I stupidly waded in of course, and immediately froze.

There are so many amazing parks in BC, so camping has been a lot of fun. After a long day of driving, there's nothing better than taking some time to unwind, then staring at a campfire for a couple hours. Trust me, it's fun. Some more fun facts:
Kilometres traveled: 2,069
Animals killed: One bird (hit windshield)
Sunglasses lost: 1
Wrong turns taken: 2
Dirty looks from hitchhikers after I drove by: 7, or 8 if you count the guy I drove by twice after making a wrong turn

Minor bitches:
-when camping, everything, including the camper, is guaranteed to get smoky, plus wet or dirty or both.
-I am too lazy to duct tape the fabric on the car ceiling. The hole in it exposes me to a shower of fossilized adhesive particles every time I open the sunroof. Probably not too healthy. Fix this tomorrow, or if not possible tomorrow, at some point in the not-too-worried-about-it-future.

chapter 68: the Canada chronicles

I've done it. In just three weeks, I've redefined my existence (again). I've gleefully gotten rid of almost everything I own. I've irresponsibly left a good job. I've willfully disappointed some family, friends and colleagues. But in so doing, I've overthrown that fascist dictator we call “life”. And It's easier than you might think to spontaneously throw it all away. New slogan: Impatience – it's worth the wait.

Thursday, I threw my now-meagre possessions into my 1989 Volvo, my Swedish traveling companion, hereafter referred to as Silken. Silken is a boxy throwback with some mileage on her, but she's a chanp. And she's never been accused of cheating. First stop: Tofino.

This will be a truly epic journey. Canada is a hugely gifted, diverse, and of course, immense expanse of land. The distances are mind boggling. I've always thought of it as a travel buzzkill. Canadians have to go further than almost anyone else on the planet to reach exotic climes, especially Westerners.

But distance can be your friend. It's 2400 kilometres to Dawson City alone. That will be just a prelude of what's to come.

Silken and I will take our chances on bumpy logging roads through towering rainforests. We'll try to avoid gravel road showers under eerie constant daylight in the far north. We'll follow the ribbon of the Trans-Canada Highway on the backs of immigrant slaves, through wild mountains, and blood-red prairie sunsets We'll cruise gaudy, riotous cities in eight lane comfort. And we'll trace the rocky coastline that welcomed the first visitors to Canada.

I'm making playlists for the road as we speak.