We crossed over into Canada on Wednesday at the Osoyoos BC crossing. The crossing was relatively uneventful which is always nice. The guard had the standard questions but this time added a new twist by asking current employment status and most recent employment history. Guess he decided we were not going to be a leach on Canadian Society as he let us proceed. First stop after crossing into BC was at a local fruit stand to load up on some of that great Okanogan fruit. Found some yummy peaches, apricots, corn, cherries, and apples. We made overnight stops in Cache Creek BC, Prince George BC, and tonight are in Smithers BC.
Today we stopped at a grocery store in Prince George for a few items and we are still shocked at the prices. Our observation from a few years ago that groceries are about 2-3 times more expensive in Canada than at home still holds true. A half gallon of milk that we would typically pay around a dollar to a dollar and half for at home is $3.62 here. Likewise, a gallon of water that we could get at home of $0.89 was priced at $3.99! Of course, on the flip side they do not directly pay of health insurance or health care so in the end it probably works out about even. Gas has been running around $1.45 per liter, which works out to about $5.50 a gallon. We expected gas to be this much in the northern reaches of Canada but it is unusual for it to be this much in the southern part.
Tomorrow we start the most challenging part of the whole trip as we head up the Cassiar Highway. The Cassiar is a 725 km wilderness highway from central BC up into Yukon Territory where it joins the Alaska Highway near Watson Lake. The highway is very remote with only one real town about 2/3 of the way up called Dease Lake which has a population of about 300 people. Last time we were on the Cassiar, it was very eerie as it was not uncommon to go 10s of miles without seeing another person. We are hoping to see lots of wildlife. Our plan is to spend about 4 days on the highway including an extra day at Boya Lake where we hope to finally get the kayaks wet.
A beautiful sunset on the banks of the Osoyoos Lake near Oroville WA
A robin says it bath time!
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An old truck in a field just outside of Cache Creek BC
A beautiful drive between Cache Creek BC and Prince George BC
From around our campsite near Prince George BC
When we were planning our trip, we discovered and joined a Facebook group called "RVing to Alaska 2018". The group is a way for travelers to share ideas, experiences, and tips along the way. To show membership in the group they produced these small blue signs for the back of your rig. Every since leaving home we have been keeping and eye out for other group members. Finally, at a rest area south of Quesnel BC we spotted a fellow group member. Was great to meet Ken and Sue from Grants Pass OR hope to see you again along the way.
Track Logs:
Day 8 – July 17, 2017, 247 miles
Day 9 – July 18, 2017, 206 miles
Day 10 – July 19, 2017, 266 miles
Day 11 – July 20, 2017, 245 miles
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