Week 14

Day 92:
Woke up on and off over the next 7hours and finally decided to get up. We had stopped at two places along the way and the ship was a little less populated. As the sky started to lighten, I was hopeful of a nice sunrise but as we continued north the skies became cloudier and cloudier. By the time I had another cup of hot chocolate for breakfast (I know, I know) the sun was fully obscured and the grey mist had permeated everything.
We arrived at our second-to-last stop, Klemtu, to drop off the bulk of our remaining passengers. As we pulled away, I could see the hills and mountains along the shores but not much more. I listened to a few CD's and ended up heading to the cafeteria for lunch. As I was eating, one of the crew members noticed a humpback whale slapping it's fin. As we passed, we realized there were a pair of whales as they slapped and dived, showing off their tails. Neither of them did a nice jump into the air or anything, but it was still nice to see a whale in the wild.
Spurred on by this sighting, I took some time to stand on the deck, under the cover of the deck above, and used my binoculars to scan the water for signs of other wildlife. I even listened to my Celtic Mass to the Sea CD but that didn't help either.
I napped on and off until the light started to fade and we approached Prince Rupert harbour. After we docked I tanked up at Shell (more Air Miles), grabbed dinner at McD's and settled at the Pacific Inn.

Day 93:
Got up a little late and packed up, ready to leave the coast and head back to the dredges of winter. Before I left Prince Rupert, I stopped at the Museum of Northern B.C. They have a very interesting exhibit that chronicles a disturbing time in the area's past when European settlers took over native-settled land while they were away for the hunting season. Upon the native's return, the Europeans were supported by the local, provincial and ultimately federal authorities when the native claims were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1991.
The drive out to Terrace was fairly uneventful as I drove along the banks of the Skeena River. When I arrived, I confirmed that the ski hill would be up and running the next day and settled at the Cedar Motel, my cheapest night yet at $29.99 plus taxes. The movie at the theatre was The Waterboy, which I've seen before, so I grabbed dinner at KFC and retired for the night in front of the TV.

Day 94:
Woke up in the midst of a snow storm but I decided to head to the ski hill anyway. The highway wasn't too bad but I did need to slow things down a bit on the road up to the slopes. The slopes were nicely covered with snow - too much snow. The staff hadn't had much of a chance to groom the new snow that had fallen overnight and what they had still wasn't that great. The snow was quite wet and what was still falling was a mix of rain and snow. I soon became soaked and even though I tried to dry out in the chalet, I decided to call it an early day and move on.
The highway from Terrace was still snow covered so I took my time heading to Hazelton. I did arrive in time to visit the'Ksan Village and gift shop before it closed. I registered at the Bulkley Valley Motel and grabbed some dinner at the local deli.

Day 95:
Slept in a bit but it was worth it as the skies had cleared. That also meant that the temp had dropped - fair exchange. The road to Prince George started off a little snow covered but soon cleared up.
I stopped for gas in Houston (I heard they had some in Texas) and for some lunch in Burns Lake. As I approached Prince George, the flurries started to fly but they soon dissipated as I entered the city. I stopped at Zellers to pick up some windshield washer fluid and then registered at the Hiway Motel. Hit the Keg for dinner (surprise, surprise) and settled in for an evening of er and Fraser. As an interesting side note, the sheets were quite statically charged and nearly lit up the room every time I moved.

Day 96:
Good thing I plugged in my block heater, because the temperature dropped to -30 or worse over night. The start of a wicked cold stretch. I packed up and headed off. First stop was at London Drugs (no not to look for a job!) to pick up the latest Medieval Baebes CD - I heard them again on CBC radio (and later on Newsworld) so decided to meet my Baebes needs by buying the CD (since Tim is still enjoying my copy of their first CD).
Deciding on the scenic route back to my sister's place, I headed north. First stop, Mackenzie, BC - popularized by a friend's brief stay last year. Grabbed a sub and went on a driving tour of the town. Didn't really find much but I did come across the road to Morfee Lake so I took a drive and enjoyed my lunch on it's shores.
From there, I headed east into the more rugged mountainous regions of northern BC. Passed thru Pine Pass with packed snow on the road and lots of cold in the air. Tanked up in Chetwynd and then headed to Dawson Creek. Found a nice place, registered, got dinner at Boston Pizza and plugged in for the night.
On the drive out, I sadly said good-bye to the Rockies as I watched the sun set in my rearview mirror. Aside from the flat land, the other big sign that I was back on the prairies was the abscence of cider on the menu at Boston Pizza :(

Day 97:
Slept in a bit (it was due to the time change - really) and then packed up for the drive across Alberta. Tanked up in Dawson Creek and, since I didn't see them shooting the this week's episode anywhere, I headed across the border back into Alberta.
It was a rather long, rather boring drive with the occasional stop for gas or a snack. As the evening approached, I arrived in Cold Lake at about 6pm.
Spent the evening warming up and preparing for a few days of holiday cheer!

Day 98:
Nice quiet Sunday as we went to church for Joseph's dedication. Spent the rest of the day relaxing, surfing and decorating a Christmas tree.