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canadianoverlanders

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,531
Whitehorse, YT, Canada
First Name
Marcus
Last Name
and Laurie
Member #

6196

The next day we arrived at Kakadu Camping in Delta BC. The owner Matt had everything ready for us.
Matt was great to deal with and it would have been nice to have been able to hang out for a few days with him and his wife who also showed up.
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So with our new Kakadu BushRanger 200XT the happy couple started out for EC Manning Provincial Park.
We couldn't get up to Prince George due to the wild fires so we decided to go south.
Unfortunately smoke from the wild fires prevented us from going there. My wife has heart disease and the smoke was seriously irritating her heart and lungs we decided to head back the same route we came in and come back next year.
So back up the Coquihalla Hwy 5. When we got to Hope we were told don't go down Hwy 3, the smoke was bad. So we decided to get a second opinion and asked a local RCMP officer. She said the same thing. So we decided to keep on trucking up the Coquihalla to Merrit BC. In Merrit we actually ran into a kind fellow Chris G. who is a off roader and was teaching his daughter how to drive in his very capable looking 4Runner. He gave us some tips and we exchanged contact info and we went on our way. We took his advice and stopped and stayed in Lac le Juene Provincial Park to shake out and break in the Kakadu!!!!
The tent set up easy. As easy as the video's show. The awning on the other hand first time out was a puzzle but not impossible to put together. After a few times and knowing what pole goes where, it is actually quite easy to put up quickly even with one person. Disassembly is simple and fast. Our first night in the tent was great. We decided on our way to Lake Le Juene to buy a 1.5" memory foam topper. That made the bed complete. It was nice not to sleep on the ground and not to be 8 feet in the air. 4" off the ground is plenty for us. The pictures on Kakadu Camping website do not give this trailer justice. There is sooooo much room! Folks we met later that are overloading in a Unimog were shocked at the amount of room there is that is useable living space. We also got the screens for the awning but have not used them yet on this trip. We decided to get the DSO Drifta kitchen that mounts to the tail gate. Once we have it I will do a separate post. For the record the trailer tows behind the 2005 Jeep Rubicon LJ easy peasy. The independent suspension is nice when pulling on uneven ground and the max coupler gives so much more flex and maneuverability. I will do a separate post with input from my wife later. I got to say, it is every bit as good as any write-up I have seen.
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Lac Le Juene was nice. It was quiet, lots of sites available and no smoke. After a couple days there we decided to make our way back to Revelstoke area. We decide to go to Martha's Creek north of Revelstoke.
We got there and it was full, we were going to stay at the forestry sites further north but something was blowing in. My "Storm" App gave us a severe wind and thunderstorm warning.
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Something bad was blowing in.....
We'll the gentleman at the host site told us that Blanket Creek had room, so we headed to Blanket Creek 40 min south of Revelstoke.
On arrival things looked good. we picked out a nice site and started set up. Then the wind picked up quickly. Then the park ranger came up to me and said he was advising everyone to take shelter or get out of the park. There was a bad storm coming that had just hit Revelstoke and was coming toward us. The we watched 2 trees come down beside the trailer across from us. We decided to heed the warning and left.
Up the road there were trees down all the way back to Revelstoke.
Revelstoke was without power but had the coolest rainbow we've ever seen over the town.
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So at this point, we pretty much decided to suck it up and get out of BC into Alberta.
We decided to pull an all nighter and pressed for Dinosaur Provincial Park in the Badlands of Alberta. Calgary was nice to drive through.....in the middle of the night LOL!
 
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canadianoverlanders

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,531
Whitehorse, YT, Canada
First Name
Marcus
Last Name
and Laurie
Member #

6196

This is where the whole trip takes on a sadness. Due to the storm, which apparently was a freek storm, which knocked out power as far as we know from Revelstoke to Lake Louise. All the restaurants were closed same with gas stations. We were running on fumes after doing the Rogers Pass in the dark, all the tunnels were dark, and people where running through the pass at well over 120 km on wet roads. Needless to say it wasn't pleasant.
We pulled into Lake Louise, the gas stations were not open, so I decided to put in a 20litre jerry can of gas. As I was finishing up, a Jeep Cherokee pulls up and tells us how he drove all the way from Kamloops and there was no gas stations open. He was out of gas. He wanted to buy ours. Then demanded to buy ours. I was done gassing up, he didn't like my answer and drove off. The wife watched him drive across the road, then him and his buddy got out of the car and started to circle around the gas bar on foot. The wife saw this and told me to get in. My wife has a certain tone that when she uses it, it is time to go. As we pulled away they were running behind us.
Now it was stating to be like in some cheep disaster flick, and a sad statement on people in BC and the society we live in.
That was the low point of the trip....but it didn't stay that way.

We got to Dinosaur Provincial Park at around 630am and were treated to a spectacular sun rise.
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canadianoverlanders

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,531
Whitehorse, YT, Canada
First Name
Marcus
Last Name
and Laurie
Member #

6196

Sunrise over the park
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Camp set up and nap time!
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FYI, the 2 solar panels run to a 30 amp charge controller and feed our ArcPak730 which feeds our devices, ARB 37quart fridge freezer and our LED lights that light up the inside of our tent and under the awing.
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After a good afternoon sleep we did some exploring and hit the hay. The next day we went out for a drive.
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This was hands down awesome.
After 3 nights and 4 days in the park we decided to make for Ontario.
We had met some really nice folks in the park which more than made up for our experience in BC.
 

canadianoverlanders

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,531
Whitehorse, YT, Canada
First Name
Marcus
Last Name
and Laurie
Member #

6196

Sunrise coming into Ontario
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Just a quick over nighter in Blue Lake Provincial Park. The park was noisy and packed. Not our cup of tea. So we moved on to Neys Provincial Park.
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Neys Provincial Park is a quiet park situated on Lake Superior. The camp sites are spaced out nice so that you can actually feel separated and alone. The beach is great and there is a historical significance in that it was a POW and internment work camp during the war.
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near the visitor centre big lake trout carved out of aluminum
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The Group of Seven artists painted and drew here a lot apparently.DSC_0294.jpg
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The beach was great....they also had a dedicated portion of beach for dogs which was awesome!
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Our overland lab calls it quits and curls up to lamby
 

canadianoverlanders

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,531
Whitehorse, YT, Canada
First Name
Marcus
Last Name
and Laurie
Member #

6196

After 2 nights 3 days in Neys we moved on to Pancake Bay Provincial Park.
This park was the icing on the cake. What an awesome park. We stayed in the 450 section of the park which was quiet and near the dog beach. The park boasts a 3km beach and it is beautiful.
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When we got there and set up I had to run up to the gate house and ran into these guys. Jan and Renata and their 2 teen boys and teenage girl are rolling across Canada in their Unimog. They landed in Halifax Nova Scotia and are making their way across Canada to Alaska then Vancouver. They only stopped here for a day use swim of the park and decided to camp with us over night. It was a great night of getting to know each other. The next day we said our good byes and they headed on their way. We exchanged info and promised to stay in touch......I got to say I have Unimog envy!!!!
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Mama bear watching over our lab out for a swim on a calm sunset swim.
 

canadianoverlanders

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

1,531
Whitehorse, YT, Canada
First Name
Marcus
Last Name
and Laurie
Member #

6196

We spent another night at the camp ground and met another couple from Ontario Huntsville area who we will also stay in contact with.
We left Pancake Bay for Killarney Provincial Park for a quick stop over and of course fish and chips at Herbert's Fish and Chips.
Our starter went at the fish and chip place, and with the help of the owner of Herbert's I got the jeep started and we decided to end our trip on a full stomach of fish and chips and make the 6 hour run home without shutting off the jeep.

We accomplished what we set out to do and that was to pick up our trailer in BC and camp on the way back to Ontario.
We learned some lessons on the trip and got good at set up and tear down.
We enjoy overlanding. We need to trip plan better. Neither of us likes crowds. We both rather the rugged wilderness to urban jungle. We fit in great with the folks that live on the road as much as they can, living out of their vehicles, motorcycles, and back packs. These people are really nice if you engage them and give them a chance, we already have one thing in common....overlanding.
One of the biggest lessons I had to relearn is that my wife is an awesome partner, co-pilot and a good sport...not sure why I forgot that one.

So thanks to Michael and the founders of this website Overland Bound for planting the seed many months ago. This was just the beginning for us.
 
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