And so it begins!

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Things got going the night of Tuesday the 20th. The bulk of that day was spent running last minute errands (read: buying a new iPod and closing an account at the 407 ETR office), and then through the afternoon and evening I finished packing the last of my gear. Val was at the house in Hockley from 4 pm onward to help with that, too.

I can't believe that everything fits! The truck is definitely sitting pretty low in the back - particularly on the left hand side where the toolbox is sitting in the bed. Some others (mom) contend that I'm a fatty in the driver's seat. I beg to differ.

We pulled out of Hockley at 4:20 Wednesday morning and got as far as Alliston before stopping. Timmies was in order for a cup of tea and a donut. From there we pressed on. And on. And on some more, until we couldn't press any longer.

The drive was beautiful through Sudbury up to Sault Ste Marie, even though the pictures hardly do it justice. I was worried before leaving that we would miss the prime of the autumn colours, but I was incredibly surprised that we got more than a few hours of reds, yellows and rich browns.

Then came Wawa and the snow. It started off as wet flurries at first, but after eating dinner there at a local diner it switched over to proper snow and became fairly heavy. Now we were coming out of Wawa around 6:30 at night with our bellies full, the sun setting and 500 snowy kilometres across twisty 17 to Thunder Bay. Oh joy!

Things were slow and at times nervous - there were bits where the truck was in 4x4 just to make sure that she was firmly planted through the corners. However, come midnight we pulled into the hotel at Thunder Bay to end a very, very long day.

Today calls for about 8 hours to Winnipeg. Surely that's a walk in the park!

Stompin' Tom is right. It is definitely a "long, lonely road to Thunder Bay".

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Photos

Prep
Packing the truck the night before we leave

Sudbury - The Big Nickel
You just have to stop, don't you?

Somewhere on 17
Fall colours

Posing in Wawa
Goose Juice, no Moose Juice

The morning after
Just a bit of snow left in the AM at the hotel in Thunder Bay

Comments

[Jan]

Thank you...
Hey Ty and Val... so glad things are going well (despite the weather you came into in Wawa) and that you guys are filling us all in here about your trek West. I won't tell you to drive safe Ty.. because I know you will. I will tell you that you are both in my prayers and that I wish you an incredible journey. Enjoy!!! and thank you for taking time to start this blog. For those of us still here in Ontario.. it means a great deal. love you Ty Aunt Janice

[Samantha Henrickson]

WAHOOO!
I am so very jealous that you guys get to take this trip! Please enjoy every moment even the tense or nervous ones...As you know, they make the best moments! Can't wait 'till you arrive! love, Sam