Loose Gravel Patches

The day started early, awakened by the world starting up. When all that's between you and them is a camper shell, it's hard to sleep in. That and the need for a restroom.

A short drive to the next town, and I needed to find a laundry. The blankets and things were wetter than I thought, and I needed to run them through a dryer.

Once again, lack of GPS proved complicated. After stopping for directions twice, I managed to find a laundromat, with the GRUMPIEST employee ever. Why do I keep finding all these grumpy people in Canada? Did I happen across bizarro Canada? In the US we're taught that Canadians are happy, friendly people. Sigh. Maybe I'm making them grumpy somehow.

After that, there was a lot of driving. And a nap.

Around dinner time I pulled into a pretty big city: Ft St John. I tracked down some local maps, a wifi connection, and dinner. Did a little shopping for cold supplies (the cold kept getting nastier) and debated staying there. It was approaching 9pm and the next town looked to be 4 hours away... But I'm a night owl, so I figured I'd push on.

Into one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

Driving North along the one road that would lead to my next destination, there was a sign - not a big sign, not even a flashing sign- that said something like 'Rough road for 9 km, gravel on road.' 9 km is about 6 miles. I figured that was no big deal. What's a little rough road?

The only vehicles on the road at this hour in this area are me, semi-trucks, a few people with campers, and large pickup trucks. The semis are generally polite when they pass you, giving lots of room. When you encounter them going the other way they switch off their highbeam headlights. The monster pickups, on the other hand, race up behind you, blast around you, cut back in close, and seem generally annoyed you aren't blatantly disregarding the speed limit and any semblance of safety the way they are. This had happened a few times so I was feeling just a bit irked.

Now, I'm a pretty experienced long-distance driver, but with the repeated pickup hotrodding and the absolutely gorgeous but almost sinister pitch-black night, the conditions were already a bit hazardous. Nothing crazy,  but enough to require focus and going 50 mph instead of 62 (the limit being, generally, 100 kph, which is about 62mph.)

About an hour into the drive I hit the patch they were talking about on the sign. Leading up to it were more signs : 'Intense dust- use lights' (already on, buddy. It's DARK!), 'Loose Gravel,' 'Sealcoating,' (whatever that is), 'No lane markings.'

No what?

I see it coming, and slow way down. The road is covered in loose gravel. There are no markings, no center line, no shoulder line. Just a mass of road. Dusty road. Visibility is low.  And they're not there now, but I know there will be semis and monster pickups heading at me soon. My regular lights give me virtually nothing. My high beams give me about 10 feet visibility, and that's cloudy. I'm down to 30 mph, maybe less. It's a pretty severe drop off on either side of the road and there are no barriers.  It's like this for 6 miles, but it feels like forever. It is utterly terrifying. It's the feeling you get when your dad is driving and he swears quietly with a word you don't know and your mom tells you and your brother to stop talking and you don't question it because that tone of voice only happens when your parents are actually scared and if THEY are scared, well.... then all you can do is just hold your breath and hope you don't die.

I turn off my audiobook.

Only one semi passes me the other way, and nothing comes up behind. Thank the heavens.

Then I'm through it! Ok. We made it. Ok. Stop to work out adrenaline? Good idea. But no, nowhere to stop. Shoulder looks iffy. Just keep going.

More signs.

Loose Gravel Patches 80km.

What are they playing at?

For the next 50 miles, every 100 yards or so there is a 10 foot wide patch of gravel. The road lines cut out for these patches, and they are like tiny, slippery speed bumps. That kick up dust clouds. Sometimes they are longer, sometimes shorter. Sometimes more or less frequent. Unpredictable.

And every half kilometer or so is another road sign:

'Loose Gravel Patches'

Thanks, I know. I see them. I feel them.

'Loose Gravel Patches'

Yes. I noticed.

'Loose Gravel Patches'

You don't say?

'Loose Gravel Patches'

Stop taunting me!

'Loose Gravel Patches?'

Thanks, I'll pass.

'Loose Gravel Patches?'

My pants don't have any holes.

'Loose Gravel, Patches?'

I said no, thanks. And don't call me Patches.

The word Patches doesn't even look like a real word anymore.

After the 80km, and semis passing me ON THE PATCHES, and visibility coming and going, and my mind coming and going, eventually it ends with a long stretch like the first bit, no lines, no nothing. Then signs start for 'increased grades' which is not about school. We're about to get some steep inclines and declines. With no road lines and gravel? Oh, yes, please!

The road lines come back. Gravel goes away. Big hill down. Big hill up.

'Loose Gravel Patches, 50km'

This can't be happening.

That was the last stretch, and I never left the road, and I never hit anything, and only once did I actually feel like I wasn't sure if I was even on the road anymore (Semi rocked past me on a section with TONS of gravel and no road lines- so much dust, I could have been anywhere and not known. Felt like driving in a cloud. All I can say is thank goodness the road didn't turn there.)

I got through it. And I feel like I learned something. About myself, maybe? I dunno. I can't word it right now.

Pulled into Fort Nelson. Half a gibbering idiot, I found a gas station (yeah, hadn't seen one for a while, that was almost a concern, too). No Walmart in town, so I pulled off on the frontage road next to some semis and bedded down for the night. The cold tried its hardest to keep me awake, but NyQuil said 'No!' and I got about 5 hours.

Shooting for White Horse in the Yukon Territory today. About 12 hours driving. There is precisely one city on the google map between here and there. Might splurge on a hotel tonight. If they have any.

I may be on a vision quest. 

But what am I seeking?