Line-up of W.O.s in Vancouver

Early 2009: This year Roger and I are touring Canada & Alaska in the vintage Bentley. The month of June has been selected because it is after the snow-melt and before the black flies start biting! There are 34 Bentleys and one Aston Martin participating and we plan to cover some 6000 miles/9000 km in 25 days, with rest/washing days planned, we will cover between 100 and 400 miles/600 km per day. The temperatures will vary between 40-95 degrees Fahrenheit/6-30 centigrade, requiring heavy jackets and shorts. We were advised to pack an extensive first aid kit including tweezers to remove ticks as we will travel through wild country. We will be busy packing/unpacking, de-layering clothes, taking pictures of bears, enjoying spectacular scenery, maintaining the car, socializing and having fun. As we get further north we will be able to change tyres in daylight at midnight. (After the South African tyre troubles we are equipped with new heavy duty tubes and Blockley tyres but are prepared to help others!)

OUR ROUTE
	Vancouver to Whistler (site of the 2010 Winter Olympics) via the Sea to Sky Highway 99.
	Travel by way of the scenic ‘Duffey Lake Road’ (still Highway 99) through Lillooet, then north via Highway 97 to Cache Creek and east on Highway 1 to Banff (Canadian Rockies).
	Drive the spectacular vistas of the Banff-Jasper Parkway (Highway 93) to Jasper.
	Head west along Highway 16 to Prince George, BC.
	From Prince George we head north again on the Hart Highway (Highway 97) through the Pine Pass to Chetwynd.
	Take Highway 29 through Hudson’s Hope to Fort St. John (mile 47 of the original Alaska Highway).
	Once on the Alaska Highway we will travel via Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, Whitehorse (Yukon Territory), Dawson City, and then onto Alaska.
	In Alaska, our furthest northern destination will be Anchorage where we'll enjoy a tour of the glaciers on Prince William Sound.
	More spectacular scenery awaits us as we head back through the Yukon to Prince Rupert, British Columbia via the Cassiar Highway.
	At Prince Rupert we will embark on a ferry and travel (12-14 hours) through the Inside Passage of coastal British Columbia to Port Hardy near the northern tip of Vancouver Island (This is the cruise ships route).
	Finally we drive down the east coast of Vancouver Island ending the tour at British Columbia’s capital city, Victoria

Coffee stop at MG Museum

Met up with Roger and the Bentley in Vancouver and we are ready to motor! The other participants are from Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, US, South Africa. We know about 30% of the people from prior trips. A professional photographer will be with us us and pictures and videos can be seen on www.zgraphs.smugmug.com.

We had beautiful weather since we arrived in Vancouver, wearing shorts. Staying right downtown on the water, we went for a walk in the Stanley Park where the totem poles are, representing the various Aboriginal peoples from the the Pacific. Capt Vancouver sailed into the inlet in 1792; today it is the gateway to Alaska for one million tourists a year. Our first run took us to Whistler, a picturesque valley town surrounded by ski slopes, next year the winter Olympics will be held here. Because of that there is a lot of construction going on, requiring careful Bentley navigating. Whistler was only developed in 1966, with pedestrian friendly cobbled streets and beautiful landscaped squares. The valleys are full of lush vegetation, as it rains a lot, with the rocks int the forests covered with moss, plenty of waterfalls and nice hikes.

Driving to Whistler

In this part of the world — Vancouver/Whistler — it seems about 25% of the people are from Asia and the Pacific and generally very friendly. Canada seems a little like Europe, a bit bureaucratic and not as friendly as the Americans. It is rather expensive with gasoline and alcohol heavily taxed, a glass of wine costing between $8 - 13, so we are not drinking too much — yet.

The excellent weather continued for our 255 mile/410 km ride from Whistler with its mountain passes and glaciers to Salmon Arm on lake Shushop, which is about two-thirds north west between Vancouver and Banff/Calgary. Salmon Arm is a tourist town with many beaches and it is home to the longest wooden wharf in North America. First adjustments to the car and drivers were necessary. The rear shocks needed tightening up as some of the steeper pass roads were very bumpy, but the quality of the roads improved as we descended into the valleys allowing us to cruise at 70mph and enjoy the beautiful views. Due to the recent heavy snow all the mountain peaks are still covered with plenty of snow. Roger needed a cushion to get comfortable in the driving seat, enabling him to see the road and shift gears at the same time. Kurt had a mishap (probably will not be the last!) — his driving goggles decided to take time out and flew off the top of his leather helmet without being noticed by the driver. At the gas station we ran into our photographer and like a miracle he produced the goggles. He had spotted them on the highway and picked them up!

Lake Louise near Banff

In the evening we had a lecture on bears. The white spiked bears — Grizzlies — weigh some 400 lbs and climb trees. A mature black bear with its 800 lbs distinguishes himself with being able to push trees over as they are too heavy to climb them! A good defensive weapon is the Bentley fire extinguisher in case of an unexpected attack.

Today we started with a ceremony at Craigellachie, a place between Salmon Arm and Revelstoke, where Sir George Stephen, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, had his ancestral home. It was critical that the railway came to British Columbia. The new Canadian government had promised that B.C. would be linked to Canada by a railway if B.C. would join the confederation. "The Last Spike" was put in place in 1885. We re-enacted this famous moment because two of our tour members had grandfathers working on the railroad.

We landed safely in Lake Louise near Banff and will enjoy a day of rest tomorrow before heading North. Lake Louise is a glacial lake located in Banff National Park in Alberta. It is named after Princess Luise Carolina Alberta , fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, and wife of the Marquis Of Lorne, Governor General of Canada 1878-1833. The distinctive emerald colour of the lake comes from rock silt carried down from melting glaciers. On the eastern shore lies Chateau Lake Louise, a luxury hotel built in the early 1900s by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today it has a staggering 790 rooms and they charge us $32 for parking a night. We took the opportunity to hand-wash our dirty clothes and hang them up in our enormous 5-star bathroom!!

Our car is running good

This tour is very well organized. We are followed by a luggage van with a flat bed trailer which has a "Smart car" on it. If one brakes down, the day trip can be completed in the Smart car while the "patient" is transported on the flat bed. Most every night there is a program, yesterday BBQ and line dancing, tonight Italian buffet and a film from the Paris-to-Beijing Rally. The tour book gives distances in miles and kilometers and things to see on the way come with pictures! The room accommodations have been perfect. So far we always have two queen size beds — well separated — we wonder what we will get further North.

Beautiful scenery and Derby 3 1/2

Spent the free day walking around lake Louise (5km). Hand fed the Clark's Nutcracker birds as Bruce, our neighbor, suggested. These are medium size birds that have no fear of people. Drove to Banff on the parkway, saw some deer and elk far away and a group of mountain goats on the roadside close up — no bears yet. The Canadian Rockies are very beautiful here, wide valleys with snow caped mountains on either side. Down the middle of the valley runs the river and the Canadian RR track. The trains pull approximately 125 wagons with four locomotives, two in front, one in the middle and one in the back. Weather stayed perfect, but the forecast calls for a big change tonight. We are putting our shorts away and are getting the heavy jackets out just in case...

Canadian Rockies

...Drove on the Glacier Highway to Jasper. On the way stopped at Columbia ice fields, the largest south of Alaska and covering some 300 square km. The temperature dropped considerably requiring the heavy jacket for the first time. Our accompanying professional photographer mounted the video camera on our car today so hopefully we get some good shots...

Canadian RR

...The weather turned perfect again, started at 40 degrees F/5 degrees C, as we drove West to Prince Rubert. Passed Mt. Robson which at 12,972 ft is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. Motoring was fantastic, excellent roads, 100 km/h, with rivers and lakes on each side of the road and snow capped mountains for several hours. Descended into Prince Ruppert and total climate change, 90 degrees F/25 degrees C and the mosquitoes were out in full force. Drove 388 km/140 miles today, rear tires are 2mm down, front ones 1mm, added some air in the rear but a rotation is planned as the rear ones wear quicker due the torque of the car. Will lubricate the king pins tonight and check things over as we have done almost 1000miles/1600 km.

Jasper

...After everybody but us spotted bears, we got creative resorting to desperate measures. Not only did we hide the fire extinguisher but we put the Bentley on heat!! The moose came running after us and the bears (a young black bear and a grizzly) watched the commotion!! Got our Kodak moment!! Crossed over the continental divide, rivers now flow into the Arctic ocean. Visited the Bennett dam and went underground to inspect the turbine room. Capacity is 2,725,000 kilowatts with a 2 kilometer earth filled dam. Bald eagles were diving for fish at the outlets. Did some 300 miles/500 km today, arriving at Fort St. John. The days are getting longer now and it is still daylight when we retire for the evening...

4/8 litre and Mt Robson

Parking at night is secure as the cars are cordoned off in the open parking lots and a security guard is always on duty. As we move north the towns are smaller and the hotels become less luxurious, but the staff make a huge effort welcoming us. Every night a "fool of the day" award is handed out for e.g. driving off without securing the petrol cap, running out of gas, loosing the name badge, forgetting the hotel room number, overtaking on a double yellow, not respecting the numerous construction traffic wardens. The recipient has then the opportunity to entertain the drivers and navigators with a humorous story. Today's drive took us from Ft. St. John to Ft. Nelson in the north eastern part of B.C. It has plenty of natural resources and the economy is driven by logging, gas and oil. As we drive along we can smell the excess gas in the air.

A cold day

Just had the tires rotated and we paid Can$ 102 (same as US and Swiss Franc) for an hour's work, plus 13% tax. Due to the high labor rates here, they send the cod fish they catch in Canada to China for processing and it comes back to Canada for consumption. Crazy world.

Last night the bottle of wine was only $25, so we had two and enjoyed the sing along! We have now been motoring for the second day on the Alaska highway which was built in 1942 after Pearl Harbor to defend Alaska. It took the US army only 8 months to build the road form Canada to Fairbanks. Left Fort Nelson at 8 am for the 335 miles/540 km trip to Nugget City in Yukon (Canadian Territory). Broke down after the start, both distributors stopped functioning. Verdict after mechanic inspection: Terminal. A gear off the auxiliary crankshaft on the bottom of the engine disintegrated. It was driving the camshaft and the distributor drive. Loaded up the car on the tour trailer. 30 miles later another car broke down with a differential problem and we had to make room on the trailer. Our car then had to be towed for a while and then was transferred to a flat bed truck for transporting to Nugget City. Roger and I rode with the tour organizer and saw some wild buffalo and bears.

Broken-down Bentley

Next day left the car behind in Nugget City with two others, covered up with a tarp and guarded by the RV park caretaker from Arizona. He planted flowers 10 days ago and has already a nice garden as the sun is up until 9 pm, it never gets very dark at night. Drove to Whitehorse (capital of Yukon) in the Morgans 1963 S 2 Bentley. Very comfortable in the back as it was designed to be a chauffeur driven car with a partition. Next day we set out to find a rental car together with the Grants from Scotland (who also suffered a breakdown). We have traveled with John and Ishbel in New Zealand and Switzerland. The rental company was called "rent a wreck"! The car has a broken windshield but is otherwise very comfortable for four people. Made tentative arrangements to ship the 3 stranded Bentleys back to Vancouver for $1500 each (2000 kms), after the first quotes came in at a staggering $4000 each. Found the cheaper source by going to the local car dealership and found a company who is going South empty. In the afternoon rode in Rolf Aschmanns Derby to Dawson City. The Yukon valley is very wide, the trees are only 10 ft high due to a wild fire in 1995. We saw a bear on the side of the road close up and a few minutes later had a flat tire. Took 12 minutes for the change. Arrived in Dawson City — all gravel roads.

6.5 litre in Dawson City

Dawson City is a unique reminder of huge gold mining communities of the Yukon Gold Rush in the 1890s. Named after a Canadian geologist who explored the region in 1887; it was the capital of the Yukon until 1952. It was originally a camp for First Nations people and the center of their fishing and moose hunting. Dawson went from that camp to a city of 40,000 people in the Gold Rush and then down to under 900 when gold run out. The tourism industry is the new gold and ironically, modern methods have allowed gold mining to happen again.

Despite the setback with the car we are continuing to enjoy the tour, the weather is still nice enough to wear shorts.

Ferry crossing in Dawson City to Yukon

Had dinner in Dawson City and left the restaurant at 10 pm, needed to put on sunglasses as the sun was still out! Too much light to go to bed and went back to the saloon where a local guy was playing honky tonk music on the piano. Did a little "Bolognaise" with the Bentley ladies. Twenty hours of daylight at the moment here.

Border crossing into Alaska at Poker Creek

Dawson City sits on the Yukon river which is 2200 miles long, the 4th largest in N.A. The Klondike gold rush started in 1896 and was one of the last gold rushes in North America. Most of the gold in this area is placer gold. Placer gold is found in form of nuggets, flakes and dust in gravel in the river bed above the bedrock. Separation of gold just requires water and gravity. The challenge in this part of the world was the permafrost, requiring miners to set wood fires to thaw the ground before they could get the gravel up and wash it. Each claim was 1000 ft by 500 ft along the Klondike river. Went to see the largest dredging dock on the Klondike. This technology was introduced in 1912 and used into the 1950s. This huge machine floats in artifical pond formed by daming a section of the river and worked itself up the small river over the years. With its 30 buckets it was able to bring up gravel from 50 ft deep and was operating 7 days a week, even at temperatures of -40 Fahrenheit. Today you just see piles of gravel along the river thrown up by the dredging machine. Up to 50 of these machines operated in Yukon powered by electricity! Since gold is heavier than gravel, it works its way thru the gravel layers and is concentrated on top of the bedrock, making dredging very productive, eliminating building shafts and tunnels by hand thru permafrost. Tonight we will enjoy a cabaret and some gambling in town and tomorrow morning will cross the Yukon river by Ferry into Alaska.

Moose running away

Crossed the Yukon river towards Alaska by ferry. Dawson City has a levy because this time of year the ice floating down the river can cause blockages and floods. In the winter they drill a hole into the rivers ice and pump water out to build an ice bridge across the Yukon. Depending on the thickness of the ice even trucks can cross. Stopped at the top of the world golf course, the most northerly course in the world and bought a cap. Entered the northern tundra landscape in thick fog and rain. Temperature 8 Centigrade with snow on the side of the road. Crossed the boarder at Poker Creek, elevation 4400 ft, the most northerly landpost. Stopped in a town called Chicken for chicken soup and used the facilities labeled "Chicken Poop" on the way to Tok. The road is now very bumpy from the frost damage. The trees are spindly and not very tall, a huge wildfire destroyed the forest in 1994. We have not seen a single animal today.

Bentleys in Whittier

In Tok (initials of a Norwegian immigrant and clown — each year on August 12 the residents dress up as clowns) we were able to smoke our first cigar in a pub. On day 14 drove on to Anchorage; a drizzly day with low temperatures. The open Bentley drivers were frozen to the bone. The oldest navigator is 84 years old and her driver son never puts the top up There are three father and son teams, two are allowed to drive the Bentleys. The owner of the 4 1/2 Blower has not yet allowed his son to drive, despite pressure from the group. We crossed beautiful wild tundra countryside with lots of lakes, crossed a mountain range in fog and descended towards Anchorage, taking some pictures of the first big glacier. The climate is changing slowly, warmer temperatures and the trees are getting taller, lots of blue iris like in Colorado. Landed in Anchorage at the Mariott Hotel after a few nights in simple hotels.

Beautiful glaciers

Drove to the Whittier Glacier along the Turnagain Arm (part of the Cook inlet), just outside Anchorage. Alaskas most famous bore tide is a huge wave or series of waves that advance 40 miles down the Turnagain in a wall of water up to 10 ft high. When the tide is out the arm is full of mud fields with little water. The Beluga whale gets stranded here sometimes, but has the ability to wait 11 hours and 58 minutes for the next tide. Went through the tunnel into Whittier where it rains 90% of the time. Today we had the best day of this summer according to the captain. We boarded a catamaran on Prince Williams sound, doing the 26 glaciers tour. Spotted bald eagles and rafts of otters. The most prevalent bird is the black legged Kittiwake, which looks a little like a seagull. The glaciers drop right into the sound with icebergs floating in the water and the harbor seals resting on them. They are safe from the killer whales which do not like the noise of the glaciers calving. On the way back we saw a couple of moose standing in the water. A great day in Alaska with everybody clicking away with their cameras.

W.O. in Tundra country

After a quick overnight stop in Tok, headed back to Canada/Yukon via the Beaver Creek border post. Still tundra landscape with Mt. Wrangel(14100 ft) in the background. Temperature 17 degrees Centigrade with an occasional light shower but otherwise sunny. Very lush green with small undergrowth, small spindly trees and plenty of small streams and lakes with an occasional trumpeter swam on it. Covered some 624 km/ 387 miles from Tok to Whitehorse.

Black bear

Day 19. Roger and I took off with the Smart car ahead of the other tour participants, our assignment: supervise the loading of the cars in Nugget City for transportation to Vancouver. Stopped at Carcross Desert, known as the smallest desert in the world. It was created by a retreated glacial lake leaving behind nothing but sand. The winds from Bennet Lake have prevented vegetation from taking hold. Stopped in Teslin for lunch at Dawson's Peak resort on the lake and had a coffee and cigar outside on the balcony, i.e. 15 ft from the building, respecting the new smoking law. Saw a Grizzly bear on the side of the road munching away. Arrived back in Nugget City, population less than 50, where the three Bentleys were stranded. They were well taken care of by Linda and Scott, the owners of the Hotel here. They moved here 15 years ago and started the place from scratch — today it's a million $ business. Doug and Penny from B.C. who take care of the RV park for the season are here in the their 38 ft Holiday Rambler right next to the three sad Bentleys and kept an extra eye on them. They invited us in for a nice chat and showed us the inside of the motor home which sports a 350 hp Caterpillar engine right under the master bed.

Smart car and broken down Bentleys

Day 20. Most of the people we met on the way from Whitehorse to Nugget City were well aware of the Bentley tour and their adventures. They know that the three cars broke down and that some in the group showed a lack of respect for the local liquor laws in Whitehorse, carrying drinks from inside the Hotel to the outside. The day for Roger and I started as promised washing the Grants, Youngs and our car. The Smart car also needed a face lift as the little white car was black in the front from mosquito bodies. Supervised the loading of the three cars in the early afternoon. A flat bed lifted them up and put them onto the long distance enclosed trailer. The tie down of the cars was in Yukon style: a couple of two by fours nailed down in the front and back tires, no straps. The assumption is no sudden stops. In any case the cars are now on their way to Ft. Nelson and then via another stop to the Vancouver shipping company. The exact route is not yet known, but we are all hoping for the best. After a steak dinner we enjoyed the northern lights show on Watson Lake.

Glacier near Stewart

Today we are leaving Nugget City, a stop over place, with a 296/476 km ride to Bell II and Stewart. Road building in the tundra wilderness is a challenge. One technique to avoid frost damage is to dig 5 ft. deep, cover the ground with a membrane and fill it with saw dust and gravel to create a floating road, additionally good drainage on both sides of the road is required. As we drive south through Jade City , population less than 50, we are climbing to a plateau at 3000 ft, the mountains left and right still have some snow. The temperature dropped to 4 Centigrade with some rain. The hot coffee stops are appreciated. The dress code for the day: Heavy sweater and two jackets for open cars plus waterproof hats and gloves. As we descended towards Bell II on the Cassier highway the forest gets lusher. The Bell II Lodge is well known for helicopter skiing. We all stopped for cheese and tea re-energizing our bodies and mind after a long day of driving. For $10.000 one can can ski 100.000 vertical ft in a week. The W.O. drivers overnighted at the nicely set up Bell II chalets and enjoyed a BBQ. The newer cars drove on another 100 miles to Stewart, an old small mining town on the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The drive to Stewart was spectacular. First we saw running bear, then sitting bear. A few minutes later Laurel (Roger and Kurt rode with Colin and Laurel in the Landrover) spotted two bears grazing and Colin obliged and reversed the car allowing us to take more pictures. The scenery is now like Switzerland with very diverse fauna and flora. Lots of snow from avalanches and plenty of waterfalls. At the local fish restaurant we had Alaskan King Crabs which were excellent. The crew then moved to the lounge at the Ripley Inn armed with bottles of wine and Dave's fiddle. After an extended sing along everybody retired happily and in one piece.

A dirty Bentley

On day 21 we are driving from Stewart to Prince Rupert. Stopped in Gitanyow for a hot chocolate. Native Indians have built a dozen totem poles around the store. The people used to work at the local lumber mill which has been closed down, forcing the natives to go to the cities to find work. The sun is out again and we are riding in the S 2 once more, this time the rear seats have been upgraded with caribou skins. Stopped in Terrace for lunch and a car show. Ended up in Prince Rupert after 500 km/300 miles, leaving the wilderness behind us. Prince Rupert is an important transport center on B.C.'s north coast. The inside Passage ferry to Vancouver Island and the ferries to Alaska and Queen Charlotte Islands leave from here.

Coffee stop at Fawlty Towers

This is our last report. Boarded the Ferry at 6.00 am in Prince Rupert for the Inside Passage to Pt. Hardy, sailing 274 nautical miles/500 km in 14 hours. The Inside Passage is a narrow strip of water between the mainland of B.C. and the islands of the west. The trip was beautiful with wild fiords and dense forests, killer whales, black bear and deer, otter, seals and eagles. We had a cabin on board to nap in between the most scenic spots. Had perfect weather for this stretch. Arrived in Pt. Hardy at 11 pm and had to pull a Bentley to the hotel as she did not want to start. Another car was on the trailer, but next morning both cars decided to proceed.

Roger and Roger in a big W.O.

Arrived in the northern part of Victoria Island and stopped in Telegraph Cove for a Halibut and chips lunch. In the 1920s the Japanese set up this post with a Saltery and a small lumber mill to build crates for shipping boxes of salmon back to Japan. Today it is a large lumber collecting point, with trains and trucks dumping lumber into the water for transportation further south. In this fishing village the eagles were sitting on top of the trees waiting for the fisherman to clean out the salmon. We took a short lecture on whaling history in the old Saltery where the skeleton of a 60 ft fin whale was exhibited. Saw our last black bear on the side of the road as we departed. Stayed in Campbell River in a very nice resort and had the seventh salmon meal, but this one was excellent and freshly cooked. Sometimes we had buffets and the meat and fish were overcooked as some of us spent too much time in the bar beforehand! My baby picture was selected last night and a reward was offered to the person who could recognize me, but I guess I have changed too much over the years and the prize, a bottle of wine, was presented to me in exchange for a few words to the group.

The Empress Hotel in Victoria

Today, day 24 and second last, we traveled down Victoria Island, which is very built up, with lots of red lights to get used to again after coming from the wilderness further north. The southern part of Victoria Island is pretty with lots of cottages and beach front homes. Stopped at a BDC members house called Fawlty Towers, named after the TV series, and had a wonderful morning tea with scones and vintage car collection. The kilted bag pipers were there as well welcoming us in the pouring rain. This evening we have a dinner show at Chemainus Festival Inn: the show is "Oklahoma" — the musical... Chemainus is an old logging town. When the logging business declined some 30 years ago the town invited artists from all over the world to paint 37 murals depicting the logging history, which started in 1860. At that time Chinese labour was imported to haul the wood around.

Blower with towing equipment

The last day we spent in Victoria, the capital of BC. From the yatch club the police escorted us to the Parliament building for a final photo shoot and celebration — unfortunately our rental "Japanese Bentley" was not displayed. Had a walk around Victoria and a final drink (1908 Empress special — cold tea and vodka) on the verandah overlooking the harbour.

In the meantime the "busted Bentleys" have arrived in Vancouver and ours will be shipped back to Colorado for repair.

A great tour with lots of memories and now we are looking forward to seeing our beloved wives again!!!

Click for larger view
Daily maintenance	Next: A big repair bill

Kurt and co-driver Roger