Trip Report: Peace River Alberta to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories May 20-24 2010

[TacoRocco]

Day 3 Cont























The guys at the local FD were nice enough to get me one of their t-shirts - I collect t-shirts.



We had to heat up our ice cream to be able to take the wrapper off.
Ahhhhh the North!

 

[TacoRocco]

Day 4: Mon. May 23, 2010

Objectives:
1. Leave Yellowknife at 0300 hrs
2. Reach first ferry crossing at 0630 hrs
3. Go home







So here I stopped due to natures calling and I step out of the vehicle and find 2 random shotgun shells laying on the highway. Thought it would make a nice picture - and it did. I guess that since there were alot of ducks hanging around the roadside water holes guys just jump out of their vehicles and take a couple of shots. Easy dinner I guess?

P.S.

From 0300 hrs to 0600 hrs - 300 km not one single vehicle either passed us or was behind us!



So along the way we were passing a roadside turnoff to Chan Lake TP and lookie lookie! Made a quick U-Turn and snapped off these pictures!

 

[TacoRocco]

Day 4 Cont - FINAL POST!



We hit the ferry just in time. Only vehicle onboard going towards Hay River, NWT.





















Checked out the falls along the way back. The weather was alot nicer.









----

Hope you guys/gals enjoy the pics.

I was gonna write up a lessons learned but if anyone has questions about the trip I'll be more than happy to give my advice based on our quick trip.

One of the best trips / visits I've been on!

NWT ROCKS!!

 

[skysix]

Day 2: Sat. May 22, 2010
The security guard on deck was cool enough to show us around the officers and WO/Sgts mess after I told him I was currently posted with the Canadian Rangers.

There's a Ranger patrol in Peace River now?

 

[skysix]

Did you know that SAN was once one of the first 3 dedicated civilian Air Ambulances on the western side of the Atlantic? (The Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia was the first in the world) She was a Saskatchewan Government Air Medevac aircraft circa 1947. Her sister ship SAM (#2) is in a museum in Saskatchewan and was on a stamp... Can't remember which was the first dedicated air ambulance, but it was another Saskatchewan Government aircraft in Feb 1946

History link
Museum link

CF-SAN Delivered to Saskatchewan Government Department. of Natural Resources, Regina, Saskatchewan and registered on October 5, 1946 as CF-SAN. Registered to Saskatchewan Government Airways, Prince Albert, Sask in 1947. Damaged at Ile-A-La Crosse, Saskatchewan on June 16, 1960. Aircraft was taxied downwind for takeoff. Turning back into wind the right wing dipped into the water and the aircraft tipped forward and capsized causing considerable damage. Pilot George Greening and passenger (a nurse) both escaped injury. Re-registered to Saskair, Prince Albert, Sask. in 1964. (Company name change) Registered to Dolphin Airways, Lynn Lake, Manitoba in 1966 and then in 1968 to Ontario Central Airlines, Kenora, Ontario. Registered to Ilford-Riverton Airways, Winnipeg, Manitoba May 28, 1971. (Lease from Samuel Breen) Registered to Northland Fisheries, Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 12, 1972. Again registered to Ilford-Riverton Airways on June 7, 1973. (Lease from Northland Fisheries) Re-registered to Northland Fisheries in early 1974 and then on June 4, 1974 to Ignace Airways, Ignace, Ontario. It was registered to Simpson Air Ltd, Fort Simpson, NWT. on August 10, 1978. Registered to R. and M. Smith (Sportsman's Outfly Air Charter Service), Armstrong, Ontario on July 11, 1979. Again registered to Simpson Air Ltd. in 1980. Suffered substantial damage when it crashed at the Fort Simpson, NWT. airport on December 15, 1981. Take off was attempted with frost on wings and the aircraft overturned. C of A expired on August 12, 1982. Shipped to Calgary, Alberta for rebuild but found to be beyond economical repair and donated to the Calgary Aerospace Museum in 1993. Sold to Joe McBryan (Buffalo Airways) later the same year. The aircraft has since been rebuilt and registered to Buffalo Airways, Hay River, NWT. Current as of April 2010.

 

[skysix]

Interesting
I didn't think Yellowknife was that big.

20,000 or so but with the infrastructure to support the old NWT (about 60,000 but now 48,000). Even has hi-rises, although the ladder truck is only 125' so recently they had to call a helicopter to drop buckets of water on a roof fire while the firefighters got up the stairs... (Forestry firebase is minutes away)

(sorry about poor pic...)

 

[johnnyrover]

Thanks for the pictures...brings back some awesome memories!

 

[TacoRocco]

There's a Ranger patrol in Peace River now?

Since 2004-5 I think.

 

[deadbeat son]

Great report, great photos! I'd love to get up there sometime.

 

[Ford Prefect]

That was great! Very cool report, thanks! I have wanted to head up there for some time now, perhaps when I get going on my 'world tour' I can make the trip.... Give me twenty years or so!


Brian