To: n0abe@qwest.net

X-Type: Email; Outmail

Subject: Day 26 of Retirement

X-Via: VE1YZ

X-Status: Sent

Ole,

We spent Tuesday night in a pull off on the continental divide about 40 miles south of Eagle Plains on the Dempster HWY in

YT. Since we are nearly to the Artic Circle the sun never set last night. Quite a sight! We hope to make Inuvik, NWT today.

Everyone is doing great about not using Reply to my E mails but I have added a few to the list so again it IS BEST TO JUST

SEND ME A NEW MESSAGE AND NOT REPLY BUT IF YOU DO REPLY BE SURE, BE SURE, BE SURE TO ERASE EVERYTHING BUT YOUR MESSAGE TO ME.

The scenery is beautiful on this road! Huge country with big rivers, big mountains and huge valleys. Everything is green

and lush, we are starting to see the tundra and leaving the small, stunted trees!

THIS SECTION WRITTEN LATER: Had some challenges today, road got very rough on the Eagle Plains section of the Dempster Hwy

and we lost a leaf spring on one tire which is very serious as the wheels come together and rub as the trailer drops down

because of the broken screen. I decided to jack it up and wedge a big wood block between what was left of the leaf spring

and the frame. This got the 5th wheel up higher and got the two tandem wheels apart about 2 inches and we decide to try

and limp into Eagle Plains about 33 miles away. It worked good except the spring and frame cut into the block of wood some

and the tires came together some but never did rub again so we made it in. Not much at Eagle Springs other than a hotel,

cafe and garage but the garage was a big one and I only had to wait for about 20 minutes and we ran the trailer in and they

said they would pull it off and measure it and see if the had a replacement. FORTUNATELY they did. It took them about 1

hour and was tough work. They charged me $50 for the spring and $65 for the labor or less than $75.00 U.S. so very, very

reasonable. The could of HELD ME UP and I had no options. We are in the middle of no where! Got headed down the road and

arrived at the Artic Cirle and took pictures and were talking to a couple for WI and he noticed a tire going down on my 5th

wheel. We had a tough time getting it high enough to get the spare on. We are going to have to get a Stand jack to hold

it and then reset the hydraulic! We then went another 40 miles to Rock River CG and parked. We are going to leave the

trailer here and just take the pickup the last 160 miles to Inuvik. I DID NOT COME THIS FAR TO BE DENIED! The plan is to

get the new tire we are carrying mounted as we now have no spares and if we can buy a rim at Inuvik, fix and mount the

second tire.

Written Thursday night in campground at Dawwon City. Back from Inuvik No trouble but did buy another tire when I got back

as one was in tough shape. The trip was worth all the trouble but I have learned a number of things.

Ed and Edith

[MID: 1033_W0SD Sent Via: VE1YZ Date: 2001/06/29 04:51:57]