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<-- Day 11: July 31st, Bison, Bears, and (no) Breakdowns | Day 13: Aug 2, Perma-Grins Despite Melting Permafrost -->

Yesterday the group split, with the Eilers and Vidals leaving Watson Lake early for a special event. Eventually, we met up again in Whitehorse.

The group split for most of Tuesday. Ann and I and Fernando and Hugo took off earlier than the others for a special birthday event for Hugo. Before we left, we stopped at Watson Lake's sign forest, which I thought was just a few hundred signs. In fact, one count places the number of signs at 75,000!! It truly is a forest of signs. It's so big, that the convoy crew told me they spent almost an hour there. Here is a mix of photos from there.

Ann took this Facebook Live video as we were driving away from the Sign Forest (before everyone else arrived). You can see just how large it is:

Marty crafted a couple signs, one for his family and one for Alaska Or Rust.

The reason the four of us left early, was due to a special event in Hugo's honor. To explain it, we must step back in time.

A BRIEF HISTORY:

In November of 1955 winter had already descended on the Yukon when the three boy scouts from Sao Paulo, Hugo Vidal, Charles Downey, and Jan Stekly, arrived at the Marsh Lake Lodge at mile post 883. There, Hugo left an illustration and message in its visitor's log book:

Several decades later, the wooden lodge burnt to the ground. It was a total loss. Unknown to everyone, the lodge visitor's book survived, stored in a basement elsewhere.

In the summer of 2016, Stephen Reynolds was offered a chance to look through the book. He randomly opened a few pages, then came upon the drawing of a jeep with the words Alaska and Brasil. They caught his attention, partly because Stephen had contacts in Brasil. One thing led to another and eventually Stephen was able to track down Hugo, then learned it was Hugo who had drawn the illustration!

Our story might have ended there, but then some crazy jeep nuts from the US decided to launch Alaska Or Rust. They released a press release, which Kaiser Willys picked up and published on its site. Hugo spotted the release in early 2017 and immediately contacted his son Fernando, who was living in the United States by that time. Both requested more information about the trip. That's when they discovered that the trip organizers had scheduled an itinerary that would take the group past the former Marsh Lake Lodge on August 1. That date just happened to be Hugo's 84th birthday.

Call it serendipity, coincidence, or fate, but with the stars aligning like that, Hugo and Fernando realized they had a chance to visit the spot where Hugo illustrated the drawing and it would happen on Hugo's birthday. With that realization, the father-son team knew they had to join the Alaska Or Rust crew. So, they contacted me.

What Hugo was not told was that Stephen Reynolds not only had a photo of the book, but that he had access to the book. That would be a secret between Fernando, Stephen, me, and a couple others.

FAST FORWARD:

We arrived at mile post 883 (the Alaska Highway was originally marked in miles) at 11:30am. There to greet us and give us a short tour was Carson Schiffkorn, owner of Inn on the Lake , the lodge that eventually replaced the burnt-down Marsh Lake Lodge. Also there was, of course, Stephen Reynolds. In addition, author Lily Gontard joined us; she recently released a book on the history of Alaska Highway lodges called Beyond Mile Zero: The Vanishing Alaska Highway Lodge Community. It's a beautiful book and Lily was kind enough to give us a copy.

Two folks joined us who documented the event. One was a cinematographer from the Fiat-Chrysler group that owns Jeep, there to document our trip from Watson Lake to Beaver Lodge. The second was a free lance author from Brazil.

Finally, two more folks joined our small get together. In fact, they'd been traveling with the Alaska Or Rust Group since Dawson Creek.

One of the items I haven't shared yet is the story of Hugo's Brazillian friends Luis and Giselle (I probably have not spelled their names correctly, so my apologies). Two of Hugo's closest friends, Hugo and his wife have travelled all over South America with them. When Hugo told the couple that he'd being participating in Alaska Or Rust, they asked if they could tag along in their motorhome. Why of course, he told them!

So they picked up their motorhome, which was stored in Phoenix, drove to Los Angeles to fix a snag in their Visas, then high tailed as best one can do in a Class A motorhome for Dawson Creek, arriving, in just four days of driving on the eve our departure! Luis can drive the motorhome like's its a Porsche. He has little trouble keeping up, whether we make sudden turns or cruise down the highway.

Hugo was both thrilled and touched by the event. Here are some photos:

MAKING THE NEWS:

Not long after lunch had ended and as we were making our way to Whitehorse, Todd Penney shared the fact that Alaska Or Rust was front page news!

THE CONVOY CREW:

As we dined in style at the Inn at the Lake (a lunch of barbecued pork loin, lemon rice, and vegetables was the best food I've had on the trip), the rest of the convoy made their way north. Here are some photos from the trip:

MILES CANYON:

If you are driving the Alaska Highway, just before reaching Whitehorse, there's a turnoff for Miles Canyon. Take it. There's are a couple different places to park and see the beautiful Yukon River as it courses through Miles Canyon.

MORE PATTERSON SIGNATURES:

We got some more Patterson signatures. Picture below are Bev and Doug (aka Gold Nuggie Douggie), who drove into Whitehorse to see our jeeps. They best part of our journey has been meeting all the interesting people!

HUGO'S BIRTHDAY PARTY:

The day wouldn't be complete without a photo of Hugo opening his present from the Convoy Crew. What do you get a man who travels around with Operation Pineapple on his jeep? A pineapple of course .. not easy to find in the Yukon province! Many thanks to Stephen Reynolds and his employer The Department of Tourism & Culture who paid for the Convoy Team's meal Tuesday night!

This morning we head to Beaver Creek.

<-- Day 11: July 31st, Bison, Bears, and (no) Breakdowns | Day 13: Aug 2, Perma-Grins Despite Melting Permafrost -->

I can say the place looks a little nicer than it did back in '42.

"1942 Press Photo Army Jeep passes the Dawson Creek muddy street.
This is an original press photo. Dawson Creek, BC. There are fewer spots these days than Dawson Creek BC. U.S. Army Troops and engineers are gathered there to lay out preliminary plans for building the highway to Alaska. Rain and mud are a set back but Army engineers say they will push her through". An Army jeep is shown on the muddy main street of Dawson Creek. Photo measures 9 x 7.25 inches. Photo is dated 3-15-1942."

View all the information on eBay

The seller believes this photo is from the ALCAN, but the photo is blank on the back, so I'm not sure why the seller thinks this. Squamish is just north of Vancouver and closer to San Francisco than Dawson Creek. Still, it's a neat old photo. (Squamish has been used as a film location substitute for Seattle-area-based movies like the Walking Tall remake).

View all the information on eBay

"PLEASE SUPERSIZE ALL IMAGES OF THESE WONDERFUL AND GENUINE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF WORLD WAR II AND THE BUILDING OF THE ALCAN HIGHWAY THROUGH BRITISH COLUMBIA, YUKON AND ALASKA. CIRCA 1940'S. THIS CLEAR AND CRISP PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS:
1) A SUPERB IMAGE OF A WILLY'S WAR TIME JEEP CONVERTED INTO A ENTREPRENEUR FROM SQUAMISH BRITISH COLUMBIA. EMPIRE MILLS LIMITED SQUAMISH B.C. IS PAINTED ON THE SIDE OF THE VINTAGE 4X4"

<-- Day 1: July 21, Alaska Or Rust Has Begun | Day 3: July 23,  Alaska Updates  -->

UPDATE: To clarify this post, I'd been spending several weeks getting Patterson ready for the trip. Like everyone else, I had to deal with last minute issues, like my front hubs getting too warm. Here's my efforts to pull our 1956 DJ-3A from Seattle to Pasco, Washington, where we would officially start our leg of the trip with Brazilians Hugo and Fernando Vidal.

Original Post July 22, 2017: Well, folks, we are one step closer to Alaska; I successfully pulled Patterson over to Pasco yesterday. Normally, the drive takes just over three hours. However, I took the scenic, slow route, with some stops along the way to adjust my front wheel bearings. Apparently, I tightened them too tight (I thought I had left some play, but I guess not enough). I suspected this when I finished installing them on Friday, which is why I made a decision to bring along my hub puller.

About 10 minutes into my journey I pulled over and felt both front hubs. They didn't feel hot. Then, I got stuck in stop-and-go traffic for about an hour heading eastbound on I90 (for those that know the area ... from Tiger Mountain on Highway 18 all the way to the first big curve on I90 east of North Bend).

I climbed the pass on Interstate 90, then pulled off at Snoqualmie and felt the hubs. They were hot to the touch. So, I loosened the bolts, let them cool, and had some delicious BBQ at Webbs. We've eaten there twice and everything that we've tried -- pulled pork, brisket, sausage, potatoes, coleslaw and corner bread -- have been excellent and surprisingly affordable!

There are worse places to hangout and eat.

The hubs were still feeling hot by the time I reached Indian John Hill east of Cle Elum. So, I readjusted them again. About that time, a father and his sons walked up and asked about the jeep, so I had them sign the right fender.

After Ellensburg, I took the Ellensburg-Selah Canyon Road (not sure what the name is offhand) and stopped to feel the hubs again. Loosening the bolt wasn't working, so I retrieved my tools and worked on the driver's hub.

It wasn't easy, but I finally got one stubborn hub to give. The second hub (passenger side) was more difficult and, after breaking an older torque wrench (it was already in bad shape) I decided to leave the nut a little loose AND try some rougher back roads. It took several hours at 30-40 mph, but finally the bearing was pushed out a little. After that, I was able to up my speed to 60 mph without any heat buildup.

I made it back to Pasco about midnight feeling victorious!

<-- Day 1: July 21, Alaska Or Rust Has Begun | Day 3: July 23,  Alaska Updates  -->

<-- Day 18: Aug 7, Long Drives | Day 20: Aug 9, Whitehorse to Lake Deese (On our own) -->

On Tuesday August 8th, the last remaining Alaska Or Rust folks decided to gather for breakfast at Tim Hortons in Whitehorse, Yukon, before everyone left for home (Except Ann and I ... we planned to stay one more day).

After breakfast, Ann and I returned to our room at the Town & Mountain hotel. Even though I slept well Monday night, I went back to sleep for two hours (and that was after drinking some espresso), woke up, then slept an additional hour! I am finally feeling like I'm feeling more normal.

With two successive naps out of the way, we decided to walk around Whitehorse and visit the MacBride Museum of Yukon History. We spotted this neat statue on the way.

When we reached the museum, we discovered there was a bunch of construction underway, so not everything could be seen. But the museum did have a great set of photos and explanations of the Alaska Highway construction (with lots of jeeps) and the Klondike and the effects of the stampede for gold.

Upstairs in the museum was an extensive look at Yukon's wildlife:

Downstairs was a great ALCAN exhibit:

Ann suggested I work on the jeep ...

This explains how the sign forest in Watson Lake started:

The Klondike exhibit and evolution of Whitehorse was interesting:

This was in the museum's lobby. It's made of colored plastic thumbtacks!

Once done with the museum, we walked along the river. It was beautiful! (and I took a third nap of an hour after the museum!).

While at the museum, I received a call from Marty. He informed me that a tanker truck had overturned, closing the Alaska Highway. The tanks were full and had they ignited, it could have set off the surrounding forest afire. Oh my, that could have been disastrous!

The accident forced Rob, Diana, Marty, Don, Merlin, Brittany, Fernando and Hugo (who'd stayed just south of Whitehorse on Monday night) to hunker down in the small town of Teslin. Some, but not all, got rooms, so a few are sleeping under a gazebo. Kudos to Don who pleaded for a room for Hugo and Fernando at the local hotel. I believe there were tears and promises of a first child or something drastic like that. The remainder of the crew slept outside ... at least they had each other (and beer)!

On Wednesday morning, assuming the ALCAN is cleared, Ann and I head for Dease Lake, BC, where we will reunite with Hugo and Fernando.

<-- Day 18: Aug 7, Long Drives | Day 20: Aug 9, Whitehorse to Lake Deese (On our own) -->

It's the 10 year anniversary of eWillys! Whoo hoo! Below are some thoughts, memories and photos from 2017, along with a brief preview of 2018.

eWillys now boasts more than 45,000 posts, which averages out to 12 posts per day for 10 years. In terms of photos, I'd guess there are more than 150,000 jeep photos. It's a unique treasure trove (in my eyes anyway) of information bits, a gigantic database/puzzle that sometimes add up to interesting discoveries and articles. It also continues to serve as my jeep brain, as I have forgotten so much of what I've posted. The summer traffic was particularly good this year, reaching 300,000 page views a month. Given the niche-nature of this site, I'm pretty happy with that.

This year was certainly a unique year for me. I notched my 50th state (Alaska, finally) with the Alaska Or Rust group. In addition, over the past year I've published three Dispatcher Magazine articles (Laurel C. Worman's biography, Free-Lock Hubs and The Alaska Or Rust trip). Worman's family has been surprisingly appreciative of my efforts, as I uncovered some history they didn't know.

I was gratified this year when my book SLAG received critical acclaim from a professional historian who wrote, "Reading SLAG was a real pleasure for me - it was SO WONDERFULLY READABLE - and moreover, I believe it's a real contribution to the historical body of work on American mining/smelting." The woman who wrote that had encouraged me years ago to write a book on my family, so to hear her acknowledge the quality of the work was particularly special.

Though I may not have a PhD next to my name (perhaps I do deserve JpD? .. Doctorate of Jeeps, lol), I figure I am a professional historian in the sense that, whether in my books or on eWillys, I try to document the history I report about as accurately as I can, hopefully providing insights along the way, and I even earn some money doing it! But, that's got me thinking ... maybe I ought to see what it would take to get a PhD in history? I like the idea of it, just for kicks. We'll see ....

On the travel front, I will be heading to the Spring Willys Reunion in Aurora, Ohio, this summer. Bob Christy is overseeing the event and is hoping to get more than 100 jeeps for the event. My goal thsi year is to do another long east coast trip, one that takes me along the northern border of the US, then on to Ohio, then Virginia, then a bit of an east coast run south, before turning west towards home. Along the way, I'm planning on stopping at Montana Overland, then on to a reader out of Ovanda, before heading towards Chris McKay's place, where I can finally see his collection of stuff. From there I'll go down to Dan Devries, then over to see felow-Alaska-Or-Rust-participants Russ and Cowboy. I've got a cousin south of Richmond, VA, I plan to visit and a long time friend in Arkansas. Other than that, I don't have any firm plans. Ann might accompany me on some or all of the trip ... that's to-be-determined based on our elderly parents.

I have a goal this year of getting Biscuit running again so it can be driven this summer, perhaps even at July's Northwest Jamboree near Yakima. As for the DJ-3A "Rusty", I am thinking of selling it. A lot of work has been done on it, but there's plenty remaining, especially body work. I just don't see me getting to Rusty anytime in the near future, so if it can find a new home, all the better. As for Patterson, that DJ-3A continues to run just fine. I'm hoping to bring it over to Pasco this Spring so I can enjoy driving it on short errands.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who has provided documents, information and commentary that makes the site valuable and helps all of us learn a little more. It's definitely a collective effort! Have a wonderful 2018!

<-- Day 1: Newfoundland 2019 (Or Rust) | Day 3 August 4th: Maine'ly Driving Late -->

The Ingram's and Ogles won the Newfoundland 2019 (Or Rust) trip yesterday by reaching Newfoundland first on Saturday. The problem is, they reached the wrong Newfoundland ... I don't know how they found it, but apparently there's a Newfoundland, Pennsylvania. Those folks from Paris (Paris, Illinois), weren't messing around! Well played folks!

After celebrating their achievement, they left for Monticello, New York, where they joined most of the rest of the crew for the first group camp. Below we have Bill's CJ-5 and trailer from Alaska Or Rust 2017.

Jim and 'Kelvin' will be bunking in Jim's new camo-palace.

Joe's tent is the same setup he used for Alaska Or Rust.

Russ has got himself a new trailer, with his rebuilt wagon well tested on the drive up to Monticello.

The Ingram's have brought their mini trailer along with their cool new Rubicon Gladiator.

And the Ogles have their Geo-Pro camper, which sounds pretty high tech for a Cowboy!

Merlin will only joining the crew for a few days of the trip; he'll be tenting it as he did for Alaska Or Rust.

Once their sleeping quarters were setup, they all gathered to talk over important matters and news events of the day .... naw, just kidding. Clearly they were just having fun, though I can't say for sure what is happening in this next photo. I don't remember this greeting from Alaska Or Rust?

A few more random photos from camp:

I've learned that the group plans on working its way north on Sunday, hoping to reach a camping spot near Portland, Maine. How they plan to drive it is still a mystery to me, so I've taken a wild guess with the map below.

<-- Day 1: Newfoundland 2019 (Or Rust) | Day 3 August 4th: Maine'ly Driving Late -->

We were a little slow getting going, but eventually we got back on the road.

This kindly Canadian waved us goodbye from Prince George.

Upon leaving Prince George, we headed south, straight for the fires; and, it showed.

We were driving south in hopes we could see the Frasier Valley (Hugo's wish), but the relentless fires in BC drove us West at highway 24, a normally scenic backroad made a mess due to the traffic diversion coupled with road work. It made the short detour a very long one. When we finally reached the end of highway 24, we were greeted with a long, steep downhill drive that required I shift down to 2nd. Patterson was pushing us pretty good down that hill, the first time I'd felt that the entire trip.

At Hwy 5 we turned south toward Kamloops, then ran into stop and go traffic. We also picked up just enough cell reception to text. About then I received a text from Marty. We began texting back and forth about the fact that we were stuck in a traffic jam. It turns out we were only about fifteen minutes apart. Throughout this trip this group just found ways to run into each other.

Since the four of them planned to stop in Abbotsford, we stuck with our plan to reach Renton as soon as we could. What we didn't expect were the mountains between Kelowna and Abbotsford. There were multiple climbs and multiple drops, larger than any others we'd experience anywhere else in the trip (the exception being the steep drop earlier in the day at the end of highway 24 .. it was steep, but not as long). It was the first time I felt our Grand Cherokee struggle a little as we pulled Patterson. It was relief when we left those mountains behind!

It was also a relief when we arrived at the Sumas border and found a short line to cross into the US. We went through first. Fortunately, they didn't ask where all our t-shirts went! Though our crossing was easy, the customs discovered that folks at the Alaska border hadn't stamped Hugo's passport, which meant they had to go inside and explain why. Inside, they asked when Hugo was flying out of the country. Fernando told them the correct date, but Hugo got confused and said a different date. This caused some confusion. Ann and I waited about twenty minutes before we saw their jeep approach us.

After that, we began our two hour drive to Renton, arriving in the dark. The next morning, we put Patterson away, effectively ending his trip. He might have only driven a small portion of the highway, but it was a blast while we were doing it. It worked out better that way in the end, as I could drive while Ann took video and snapped pictures.

EPILOGUE

On Saturday morning we unpacked quickly, carefully washing Patterson in the process. The ol' DJ-3A needed a gentle wash before being put away. We plan to preserve all the signatures with a clear coat.

While Patterson's journey was over, we still had some traveling to do. At noon, Hugo and Fernando dropped their rented jeep off at Seatac airport, then piled in our jeep (which had been cleaned up earlier in the morning .. it was a bit messy after three weeks on the road) and made a short drive to Pasco. On Sunday the 13th we drove them down to Rupert, Idaho, where Fernando had a van he'd purchased waiting for him.

Upon completion of the purchase, we said our final words to our venerable, trustworthy, happy-go-lucky traveling partners and new-found friends. Rather than goodbyes, Hugo summed it up perfectly in Portugese "Ate Logo", which means "until next time". We couldn't agree more.

At that point, we drove back to Twin Falls, spent the night, then drove home. Hugo and Fernando hit the road once more, driving cross country, bound for Florida, in a newly purchased vintage van.

From all of us, thanks for following our trip:

PS. Yes, Hugo and Fernando made it to Florida in just four days. How many people can say they've driven with one of their parents from Alaska to Florida and, better yet, still liked them afterwards? Hugo has since flown off for Brazil. I hope I have even half the energy and enthusiasm he has at his age!!

On Wednesday, our last day on the road this trip, we drove from Elko, Nevada, to Pasco, Washington.

We began the day with a free breakfast courtesy of Stockmen's Hotel and Casino. But, what I was really looking forward to was "second-breakfast" at the B. J. Bull Bakery, which specializes in pasties and pies. The Yelpers out there rated them highly and, given they sell some cold (so they can be reheated later), I figured it was an opportune time to try them, given the shop was a block away from our hotel.

On our way out of town, we pulled into the parking lot. We walked inside and found a small shop, with tables and an eating bar that allowed eating-in or taking-out. The menu was split between the pasties and the pies (which I thought would be pastie shaped, but instead were a normal pie shape).

The menu shows several beef options, but there was a chicken & rice option and a special chile/pork one that looked delicious. All the pasties on the menu were available warm and ready to eat. There were also leftovers from the day before that were a dollar less and cooled (ideal for taking home).

I decided to get a warmed breakfast pastie and then several cold ones to try when we got home. I also purchased a small and large pie to take home. Our purchase complete, we stepped outside and wasted no time biting into the breakfast pastie ... "second breakfast" never tasted so good. It was filled with scrambled eggs, potatoes, and chunks of Jimmy Dean sausage. Importantly, the mixture was just moist enough not to be dry, but not moist enough to make the dough wet, which would have quickly devolve into a mess.

Following our photo shoot, I wolfed down it down. Yum! If you are ever through Elko and like pasties/meat pies, give this place a try!!

My belly bursting, I squeezed myself into the front seat and we set off for the hinterlands of northern Nevada along a route new to us, Highway 225. The road quickly climbed through a river canyon, before topping at what felt like the top of the world. For the next hour, like we had yesterday, we sped along another straight, lonely road. To the west of us, a mountain range emerged. You can see it in this panorama:

Eventually, the farmland gave way to a large reservoir, still half frozen. Highway 225 wound around the northern end of the reservoir, which made for some beautiful photos:

The road then plunged into a narrow ravine, at which time we descended through the canyon through endless "s" curves. Not long after we exited the canyon, we came to the town of Mountain City, Nevada. Highway 225 ran right through the quiet little town.

Soon after, we arrived at the Duck Valley Reservation and the town of Owyhee (pronounced similar to Hawaii and named for several Hawaiian miners who disappeared into the area).

What surprised me about the Owyhee area and the land south of it was how open it was. My sense of the area from looking at maps was that there were many more canyons and terrain unwelcoming to farming, but this was not true at all. This is a corner of Idaho I've wanted to explore for years and I hope to get a better feel for it over time.

From Owyhee, which sits at 5,400ft, we descended over the subsequent hour until we reached the Snake River, giving us the best gas mileage of the trip. A short time later, we were in Mountain Home, ready to hop on I-84 for our trip home. I guess the weather sensed were heading home, because we barely left Mountain Home before the rain began. It's been a rainy spring in the Northwest and I guess it isn't done yet!

That's it for this trip. Stay tuned for continuing updates on Rusty and preperations for Alaska.

UPDATE:  **SOLD** Was $7000

(07/07/2015) This looks to be a good price. It's an Ansul Model Dry Chemical Fire Truck serial #320. The FC serial number is 61568 19861.

"1961 Jeep Forward Control (FC-170) 4WD. 6192 miles on speedometer. It used to be a chemical fire truck in Cold Bay, Alaska. It now has a flat bed on the back. Much work has been done on this truck to make it a reliable vehicle for running errands. It would not keep up with traffic out on the highway (top speed might be 50 without an overdrive). It has a 226 CI Continental engine, 3 speed manual transmission, two speed transfer case, 5.38 differentials, locking hubs. This would make a great rig for hunting. It definitely gets a lot of attention wherever it goes. There is some minor rust-through at the bottom of the driver's door. Both doors shut easily; windows crank up and down easily; all glass is good. I am asking for $7,000. I will not accept lower offers or trades."