A Not So Great Start.

 

Wednesday morning and we are due to start the first day of our trek north with Rick and Karen (Texas), Jim and Jan and Steve and Nancy (both couples from Minnesota). It has been raining cats and dogs for the last couple of days and nights and the park has turned into a bit of a muddy quagmire so it seems like a good time to move.

We are up and ready by 8.00 although Norm was pretty soaked from doing all the ’outside stuff’ in the rain and I am just a tad wet.

And we are off.

Our first overnight stop was at Sikanni (pronounced Sickenee) Chief River RV. Not a long drive although Norm and I did have to stop after about 50 miles to get the new tyres tightened and when we finally caught up with the rest of the group they were just sitting down to coffee and cinnamon rolls at The Shepherd’s Inn. Now I love cinnamon rolls but knowing how big the ones are at home Norm and I decided to go halves. Good idea that one. The rolls were straight from the pan and piping hot and oh so yummy but there is no way that I could have eaten one on my own. They were HUGE!!!! Next time we might even suggest we share and go quarters!!!!!! Apparently the cinnamon rolls at this end of the world are quite the thing with every stop trying to outdo everyone else and having the title of The Best Cinnamon Rolls in the North”. I think I will enjoy being one of the judges for that competition.

One thing that has struck me on this drive and I may have mentioned this before in a previous post but it is the destructive presence of the pine beetle.

                                          A very fuzzy picture of the reddish brown trees
                                          some healthy green ones.

This beetle is making such a mess of the forests up here (we saw it in Yellowstone and in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado). The beetle destroys the pine trees and in the initial stages, the trees turn a reddish brown colour before dying completely and turning black. Apparently the only way to stop them is with extremely cold (like freezing!!!!) temperatures for a period of time. Bit like the DieBack situation in our Jarrah forests in West Australia except for the freezing temperatures!!!!!!

                                          Coming down the hill into Sikanni - very slowly!!!

We pulled into the rv park and had places right next to the river. In fact Jim’s rig was about 10m from the banks. Then Rick and Karen, us and the Steve and Nancy. It was still raining and the owner of the park was explaining the ‘white ties’. There was a steel pole with an eagle carving on the top - the Watcher of the River. It was placed on the edge of the river although the bottom of it was now in the river. The pole had white marker ties up it and the river was lapping at the bottom tie. The owner explained that if the water reached the third marker then we would need to consider moving the rv’s. It was still raining and the river was flowing at quite a quick pace.

Anyway we decided we would be fine and all had lunch then had a bit of a get together to decide on future stops and parks. After that we all checked out the river - yep up a bit - and retired for the night.


    If you look very closely you can see the first plastic tie just above the water level!

The owner did suggest to Jim that he might like to move but Jim decided to tough it out - it was only for one night!

Well at 4.00am we are awakened by a knock on the door. The river is still rising. Rick was up and had decided that retreat was the better part of valour and was going to move his rig. He had spoken with Jim who also decided to move. Norm woke Steve and Nancy and told them our plans and left them to make their decision. They were on the highest ground so decided to stay put although Nancy told me that they didn’t get back to sleep so a really interrupted night for all.

The three rigs were prepared - slides in, power disconnected etc - and then moved to higher ground a bit away from the still rising river.

    The three rigs first thing in the morning.

We woke up the next morning to find the river lapping at the third tie and Jim would have had to drive through a bit of the overflowing river to get out of his site. We would have been fine and so would Rick and Karen but given the rapid rise of the water it was a wise decision. We didn’t know how much water had been dumped up river.

                                                    As you can see the only tie showing now is the top one!!!

Just as we were preparing to leave we were visited by a young man in a truck who had been instructed to come down (some sort of government agency) and check to see that we were all okay. I was most impressed by that gesture and also by the owners of the park who were so accommodating and helpful and such lovely people.

I must add that by the time we left the park at about 8.30am the water had risen above the third tie. No-one is going to be parking in those sites tonight!!!!

As I write this we are driving down the highway, in convoy, to our next stop. The scenery is pretty bland at the moment with the road wending its way through pine forests to the right and to the left and in front. Oh how quickly we get blasé!!! 

I hope I will be able to put this and some photos up this evening when we arrive at our next stop so love and hugs to family and friends, stay safe and be happy!!!!!

And just after I finished this and put the camera away - guess what!!!  Oh well you will have to wait for the next post!!!  Suspenders!!!!
Ooroo!!