Smithers Time

Next day we headed to Prince George. We needed to stock up on some supplies and food. The town is fairly large with all the typical chain stores and restaurants. We have been trying to get some miles under our belt but the going has been slow and we spent the night at Dave’s RV near Vanderhoof. This place was immaculate and owned by a friendly elderly couple. Good place to do an overnighter. Headed out in the rain, it has been raining for the most part since we left Lake Louise.

Still trying to make some time but luck had other plans. We were driving along enjoying the lush forests and snow capped mountains and occasional bear spotting when “BOOM”! Oh, not a good sound when pulling 14,000 pound 5th wheel. Jack immediately pulled over so we could investigate. We were thinking it was a tire but they all looked good. Jack soon found the cause a large ominous looking metal pipe leading to the turbo charger was no longer attached. Hmmm. Jack to the rescue! One of the real perks of being married to a mechanical engineer is he can pretty much figure out how anything works and find solutions to fixing almost anything that breaks. He dug out his magical tool chest and assortment of handy dandy items and found an old sewer clamp. Five minutes later we were on our way. The nearest town Smithers, BC was about 50 miles away but this time luck was on our side. There was a Chevy dealer. Unfortunately, this was Canada Day and we had to wait to the next day to take the truck to the dealership. Turns out it was not the clamp that was the issue but the pipe itself. They had to order the part and the earliest would be Tuesday before we could get back on the road. Good thing it was under warranty that pipe ended up costing 1,400 dollars. Yikes!

So what does one do for five days in Smithers? The area is very pretty with snow peaked mountains and green meadows.

They had a glacier at one time but technically it is not one anymore. Looks the same to me. There is pretty hike to “Twin Falls” cascading off the glacier, wild life rescue shelter( we saw baby moose, bears and a coyote pup) and just some really beautiful areas. I read it also has some of the best fishing rivers in the world – I ‘ll take their word on that one. And of coarse skiing in the winter. The town itself has some shops and lots of statues of odd things around town for such a small place. The farmers market was one of the best I have ever been to too – lot’s of yummy food. I was even able to take a yoga class. Jack and I also celebrated our 8th anniversary and had a nice dinner at the local Alpenhorn Bistro. All in all, if you have to be stuck somewhere for 5 days Smithers was as good place ( beats Saskatoon). The RV park we stayed at was Riverside Golf and RV park. It was pleasant enough but the Wifi had some issues and no sewer.

Next heading for the Cassiar Highway 37. Still cloudy and raining when we left Smithers.