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Old 05-21-2016, 09:46 AM   #161
Old Henry
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

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Just curious , with that many miles, did you plan any oil changes or lube intervals?
I didn't plan any but, it turned out, I have been putting a quart or two of oil in every day. So, I guess that equals an oil change every few days.
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Old 05-21-2016, 09:51 AM   #162
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^^ That's what I was thinking!

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Old 05-21-2016, 09:55 AM   #163
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

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Your daughter in law's father's feat made the evening news on TV.
And I didn't even get an "honorable mention" for driving a 69 year old bone stock automobile to Alaska.
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Old 05-21-2016, 10:24 AM   #164
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

Henry - - you don't know me, but you are definitely on my honorable mention, and I'm sure on a l0T more here on the Barn. You are doing a fantastic job, You have taken me with you on your trip. Your photos are great and you will be commended for your work. I had a 1949 ford p/u with a 53 merc. flathead in it that used oil like you described your Ford does. It ran for miles,. and miles and never complained once. I just made sure I carried the oil with me on trips, and go like hell. Anyway, I can't thank you enough for what you are doing, It's great, thank you. - - ONLY ON THE BARN !!!! Pat
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Old 05-21-2016, 12:20 PM   #165
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

You have made friends all over the USA and over seas. You have done good as they say. I would love to do that as you have done. Keep up the good work.
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Old 05-21-2016, 12:25 PM   #166
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Thanks for sharing this wonderful trip.
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Old 05-21-2016, 12:28 PM   #167
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

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I didn't plan any but, it turned out, I have been putting a quart or two of oil in every day. So, I guess that equals an oil change every few days.
Let's see.......so that means you're averaging something near 200 miles per quart of oil? Wow! DD
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Old 05-21-2016, 02:27 PM   #168
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This is great adventure you are sharing, I have looked forward to each segment, much better than anything on the tube. With all that time on the road have you been planning your next trip?

And to Redneck, I love your post about the radio and your wife. Is that a Cadillac in your thumbnail?
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Old 05-21-2016, 02:49 PM   #169
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Thanks so much for sharing this trip. My wife and I are restoring her late father's '41 Ford p/u and I have been reading your stories to her. When she received the truck, the sbc in it was in desparate need of a rebuild, the three speed Saginaw was locking up and she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with the truck. I race at a stock class hill climb in our Model A every year and she asked if she might be able to run her truck and I explained that if we restored it to original she would. She has dove in and we found a top loader, '41front and rear axles last year and a '41-'42 99t this year that we are in the process of dissassembling currently. Your view on balancing is much appreciated as she intends on driving her truck far and often. Thanks for the encouraging tales!
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Old 05-21-2016, 06:06 PM   #170
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Thanks for filling in with the interesting back story. It all makes a lot of sense now. It's a remarkable feat. We all enjoy following the travelogue.

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Old 05-21-2016, 06:50 PM   #171
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Yes, you do need an Honorable Mention. However, I'll give you several "'Atta Boy's". For achieving something we all wish we could have done. but the best part of your journey Was: taking us with you. Thanks for the adventure, I enjoyed the ride.
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Old 05-21-2016, 07:58 PM   #172
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So professor it's really none of my business but I feel the need to inquire. When you pull off into one of those obscure campgrounds and setup your tent in the middle of nowhere do you feel safe for the overnight? What I am asking is do you carry a pistol? Beside the four legged critters there can also be two legged varmints looking for opportunity. Like I said it's none of my business but I wonder if any other barners think the way I do... Bill
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Old 05-21-2016, 08:03 PM   #173
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Professor,

I have been following your adventure, but by the time I got around to it, the back seat was full! When I grow up, I want to be just like you.

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Old 05-21-2016, 08:33 PM   #174
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

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So professor it's really none of my business but I feel the need to inquire. When you pull off into one of those obscure campgrounds and setup your tent in the middle of nowhere do you feel safe for the overnight? What I am asking is do you carry a pistol? Beside the four legged critters there can also be two legged varmints looking for opportunity. Like I said it's none of my business but I wonder if any other barners think the way I do... Bill

Old Henry, I've really enjoyed the trip through your story and pictures. Great job !
On a side note of the above, as far as a pistol, it's not a wise idea to try to cross into Canada with one. I know you camped in a tent, which may be the only way traveling with your car, but it's not generally a good idea in bear country. Not trying to be critical, you had an absolute great adventure.
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Old 05-21-2016, 09:00 PM   #175
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Really enjoying your trip Professor. The pictures are beautiful.
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Old 05-21-2016, 11:28 PM   #176
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

Day 11

461 miles today. Total of 4,432 miles so far.

Pretty uneventful. It was kind of amazing that I drove through two total states and into a third one in one day when it took me 4 days to drive through just the Canadian province of British Columbia.



The vistas opened up in central Washington and I came upon this nice view of a lake between cliffs.



395 miles left to go tomorrow to say I actually did it.
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Old 05-22-2016, 12:18 AM   #177
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

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So professor it's really none of my business but I feel the need to inquire. When you pull off into one of those obscure campgrounds and setup your tent in the middle of nowhere do you feel safe for the overnight? What I am asking is do you carry a pistol? Beside the four legged critters there can also be two legged varmints looking for opportunity. Like I said it's none of my business but I wonder if any other barners think the way I do... Bill
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Old Henry, I've really enjoyed the trip through your story and pictures. Great job !
On a side note of the above, as far as a pistol, it's not a wise idea to try to cross into Canada with one. I know you camped in a tent, which may be the only way traveling with your car, but it's not generally a good idea in bear country. Not trying to be critical, you had an absolute great adventure.
Ever been to Mars? No, probably not. I ask that because the places that I drove through in Canada and camped in were as different from most of the towns and cities that we all live in that they are like they are on another planet. I'll try to paint the picture.

Most of the places (and I use the term "places" loosely, as most would not be what we would call towns or cities or communities or even neighborhoods.) These places mostly count their populations with one or two digits tops. Rarely would one break into three digits, and that would be the low end of those. And, the number of miles between these "places" could not be counted with one digit but only upper twos and low threes. And, the only law enforcement officer I ever saw in a week driving several thousand miles in rural Canada was the one that pulled over for a photography lesson from me on day 5, and I don't think he even had a gun.

Just to give an example of these kind of "places" is the one called "Continental Divide".

(Just found this Google image of the place before the campground)



I hit there at 10:30 P.M. on day 7. I was beat and ready to sleep. This place had a little building called a store with a gas pump out front, a portable building near by called a "motel", and another portable building called "showers and laundry". Even though it was still as light as if the sun had just gone down, even though it had been down for an hour, everything was all closed up and everyone gone to bed. On the front of the "store" was a roughly hand painted sign on a piece of board that read, "New - Camping. $10.00". I looked for such and saw an area back behind the buildings that had gravel among the trees arranged in some semblance of camp sites. No one was camping. An old boat was being stored in one site. I decided to pitch my tent in the spot closest to the "showers", which, I assumed, included toilets. There was no cell phone/internet service there for me to do a report, I was too tired anyway. So, I went right to bed and heard the soft rain on the tent as I went to sleep. The other thing I could hear was the generator running that provided all of the power for the "place". That's how all of these "places" ran, on their own generator. I never saw any power lines anywhere until I got back to civilization.

In the morning I got up and went over to the "showers". There were toilets, OK. But, the lids were off the tanks and there was no water in them. I got dressed and went over to the "store" to use theirs. They at least had running water. I had seen the hand written sign on the gas pump "we do not accept any credit cards. Cash only". I hadn't stocked up with cash before leaving home since I knew "every place" in Canada took cards. I had $25.00. An old hermit looking guy came up from the back of the building. As far as I could tell, he was the only other person there besides me. I told him that I needed to pay my $10.00 for camping but didn't have any of his kind of money. He took my $20.00 and gave me back a Canadian $10.00. After packing up I drove the car to the pump to put some gas in. He had to be the one to pump it and I warned him I only had the $10.00 he'd just given me so don't go over that. He did fine. I paid him and left.

That was certainly the most primitive of the places I camped. But, I have to say, if there was any thug there hoping to make a living on mugging a lone tent camper that may stop there once a week, they'd starve pretty quick.

It was like that other places I camped too, other than the national park camp ground. In all of those little "places", there was no one that had anything worth stealing for any crook to make a living at it. And, if a "highwayman" decided to ply the highways looking for a hit, he'd have to drive hundreds of miles for days and days before finding one.

So, any crooks that ever threatened the pristine peace of those places were starved out long ago and posed no threat nor fear for anyone, including me.

As for bears, they only want food, and mostly dead food and vegetarian. They're not looking for a nice fresh, live human to chow down on, nor even a nice warm little puppy. So, as long as you don't leave any food out nor in your tent, you're safe. At least that's what I've read and had the ranger at the national park campground tell me.

Oh, by the way, none of the above explanation was good enough for my mother, who told me when I talked to her daily, the I should have taken a gun (which I've never owned in my life) and will likely be killed by bears.
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Last edited by Old Henry; 05-24-2016 at 12:59 PM.
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Old 05-22-2016, 02:35 AM   #178
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Good stuff, Prof. Continental Divide is a thing, or feature rather than a place name. It's the imaginary line where water drains into the pacific on one side and the atlantic on the other. So unless this little place was actually really called that name, it may be more likely that it was on or near the continental divide. I've seen the signs, normally at the tops of various mountain passes.

The cliffs in the pic above remind me of the car shaped cliffs in Radiator Springs in the Cars movie.

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Old 05-22-2016, 04:04 AM   #179
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Great pics again, Prof. Your car has done well ! There are many remote stops on that drive. I can remember stopping at a small remote one gas station town in Alberta and eating one of the best meals that I've ever had. The more I read about your trip, the more I want to go back.
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Old 05-22-2016, 04:54 AM   #180
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Default Re: Alaska attempt daily report

In the little picture its a Studebaker Commander 1939. 2 door sdn. It a nice car but I still love my Fords.I will miss each day reading about the trip to Alaska and back. I got my wife a new car so she would hounding me to get rid of all my Junkers as she now calls them.. Wish I had the nerve to take a very long trip away from here. Where would I go? Thanks for the adventure that we all dream of.
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