Avalanche STOPPED By Avalanche.

[Leather]

The day started out great. The family and I thought we would spend the day at Columbia Ice Fields, Columbia Ice fields are located NW of Calgary in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta.

Weather was great and we had a fun day of hiking and sight seeing, we had seen Elk and Mountain goats. Around 4:00 the dark clouds moved in and we knew we were in for some rain. So we headed toward home, a 3 hour drive.

But just before our turnoff to Hwy 11 we encountered a Avalanche (Rockslide). It had slid across the Highway blocking both lanes. Luckily no one was hurt and the park rangers got there quickly to keep people away.

We waited for a couple of hours for the clean-up to begin but had heard it would take at least 12 hours to remove all the rocks from the highway also we were told to move back a few Kilometers as the area was still unstable.

Now we want to head SW and the only way out is N, so we start driving N to Jasper then W then S down a road that I thought woud be the quickest (because I'm tired and I wanna get home). It ended up being a gravel road that was windy and slick in areas with clay from all the rain.

In hindsight ?I wish I had stayed on pavement, because driving at night on slippery, windy hard to see roads when you are tired is difficult. Add in stupid deer crossing the road and I wish I had just gotten a hotel up north and left for home in the morning.

We made it home around 2:30 AM and I went straight to bed. In the morning I saw I had one diryt truck and spent 1/2 the next day trying to get all the clay off.

BTW the AV performed great. I can't imagine any other vehicle I would of rather been in. Here are a few Pic of our trip.

Avalanche stopped by Avalanche

 

[Blueruck]

WOW leather - that was a HUGE slide

That pic looks like an opportunity to lock it in 4lo and show off the AV as you went over the slide

I know the rocks are much bigger than they seem in the pic - I am just dreaming - LOL

Glad everyone made it home safe.

 

[Leather]

I know u would have tried to get over Blueruck, I have seen ur pic's Ranger wouldnt even let anyone get close. Believe me, I was so close to my turnoff I wanted to try to get around it!

 

[Ambalanche]

Cool pics Leather! Av stoped by Av! now WASH YOUR TRUCK!!

 

[Blueruck]

Leather - UR right - I might have given it a good looking over and did some walking around to see if the AV could do it

 

[Alaska_AV.]

nice. It would be hard not to go poking around for a faster way home

 

[Boar-Ral]

You have all the fun, Leather.

As you and I have driven the same roads, I can relate to how difficult it is to get clay off of the Avalanche. The worst part is the cladding's texture. I can wash the truck twice and wipe down the cladding and it looks fine when wet. But after two hours, everything becomes hazy again. I have found that the best way to clean it with a pressure wash two times, then use a tiny detailing brush to get out the remaining bits. Just make sure it is soft so you don't scuff the cladding. Then, wash it one last time and detail it with tire dressing. Voila!

 

[spork_av]

glad to hear you made it through safely.

 

[Leather]

Boar-ral you are so right we washed the AV 4 times the next day, it was like the dirt was magicly reappearing. Looks great now again

 

[Leather]

Tks Spork, I think we will head up that way this weekend for more hiking. This time we will bring sleeping bags just in case

 

[MissAV]

"In hindsight I wish I had stayed on pavement, because driving at night on slippery, windy hard to see roads when you are tired is difficult. Add in stupid deer crossing the road and I wish I had just gotten a hotel up north and left for home in the morning.

We made it home around 2:30 AM and I went straight to bed. In the morning I saw I had one diryt truck and spent 1/2 the next day trying to get all the clay off.

BTW the AV performed great. I can't imagine any other vehicle I would of rather been in. Here are a few Pic of our trip."

Avalanche stopped by Avalanche
[/quote]


Glad to hear you and your family and the AV got home safely.

Your AV looked like it was Pewter at the end of your journey home....

Thanks for sharing your story...

MissAvalanche

 

[nh_mark]

Awesome pictures. I'm glad nobody was hurt.

-Mark

 

[ShapeShifter]

But just before our turnoff to Hwy 11 we encountered a Avalanche (Rockslide). It had slid across the Highway blocking both lanes. Luckily no one was hurt and the park rangers got there quickly to keep people away.

I msread this at first, and thought you came across fellow CAFCNA member Rockslide's Av, which had spun out and was blocking the road! I was glad to hear he wasn't hurt!

The next paragraph cleared things up for me:

We waited for a couple of hours for the clean-up to begin but had heard it would take at least 12 hours to remove all the rocks from the highway also we were told to move back a few Kilometers as the area was still unstable.

Ok, got it! It takes a while for some of us to catch on... ?

We made it home around 2:30 AM and I went straight to bed. In the morning I saw I had one diryt truck and spent 1/2 the next day trying to get all the clay off.

It can be fun (or at least satisfying) getting the mud off, as long as you had fun putting it on. However, it sounds like this mud encounter wasn't fun for you, that's a shame.

At least you made it home safely.

I've had times where, after taking the pressure washer to my old Blazer, I had to shovel the mud off of my driveway as there was too much to hose off! The Av hasn't been that bad yet, mostly just dust with this dry summer we've had. A couple of times I've had to spend time to hose off the driveway after washing the Av, but I haven't had to shovel mud off it yet. Give me time, though... In November we do a camping trip that usually involves snow and logging roads in Pennsylvania's Susquehannock forest, it can get pretty muddy.

Sounds like you had an "interesting" and "exciting" trip, thanks for sharing it with us. Hopefully your next one will be a little less "exciting" so when you get your Av muddy, you'll be able to enjoy it.

-- SS

 

[rockslide]

I msread this at first, and thought you came accross fellow CAFCNA member Rocklisde's Av, which had spun out and was blocking the road! I was glad to hear he wasn't hurt!


-- SS

IT WASN'T ME!!!! HONEST...

I'm glad no one was hurt.

 

[pdxkevin]

Those were some inspiring photos. Really makes it hard to sit here, knowing that the AV is just outside in the first parking space (with a full tank of gas). OOOHHHH man, it's only Tuesday... these photos are goping to make for a long week waiting for Labor Day weekend.

Looks like you made some great memories.

 

[Leather]

I msread this at first, and thought you came across fellow CAFCNA member Rockslide's Av, which had spun out and was blocking the road! I was glad to hear he wasn't hurt!

I can understand ur mix up. I read that part again and it does sound like I was saying Rockslide was blocking the road........Sorry Rockslide, didn't mean to scare ur fans

 

[zeeya2000]

Great Pics, Leather.
How long do you think it would take to get up there from Lafayette Louisiana? ?
My family has done the Florida, Branson, Gatlinburg Tennesse, and The Cruise thing this summer, And yes of course San Antonio. Had to put that in their for Goo,,,,Kids love San Antonio.....
San Antonio has been the kids favorite with Sea World, Fiesta Texas, Schlitterbaum(waterpark), but this summer they said the cruise topped it off.
I want to take them to the mountains like in your pictures or at least to the Grand Canyon. Do you think they will let an Avalanche in around the Grand Canyons?Ha............
Thanks for the story..........
zeeya

 

[Leather]

Zeeya2000 it is only a little drive for u!

Start: ?Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

End: ?Columbia Icefield (glacier)

Total Distance: 4133.0 Kilometers
Estimated Total Time: 42 hours, 34 minutes

Make a weekend of it

 

[Boar-Ral]

Leather:
That is a small trip. I drove that last month to Pennsylvania and back.

BTW, do you know where the Red Deer Creek Provincial Recreation Area is, Leather? Not Red Deer River Provincial Recreation Area, but Creek. I have reserved the entire campsite and was given vague directions, but a map or something would be even better.

 

[Leather]

Start: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
End: Pennsylvania (state), United States
Total Distance: 3569.7 Kilometers
Estimated Total Time: 37 hours, 40 minutes

Thats alot of driving


Sorry I dont know where Red Deer Creek Provincial Recreation Area is.

 

[Avrunner]

Me too! I got confused and thought it was Rockslide who was blocking the road. This fit perfectly with the topic. I originally thought it meant a CHEVY Avalanche.