Whoop-Up In Lethbridge

Due to unforeseen circumstances , mainly the weather in BC and Alberta including mudslides, avalanches, Micks mentor trip over the Rockies did not go ahead, hopefully he will be going next week.

Wolf , Kelvin, Javi and Inga are now rolling, good luck guys, I am sure we will meet up again somewhere on our travels.

In the meantime me and Mick have been out and about getting some exercise in Lethbridge, including a walk down to Fort Whoop-Up.
These pictures were taken in the valley behind the hotel, where both the High Bridge, the Oldman River and the Fort are to be found.

Click pictures to enlarge.

This is the frozen up Oldman River.

These two pictures below were taken towards the East of Lethbridge, and yes, there is a car under the bottom picture.




We have been sitting in the hotel for nearly six weeks now, and as nice as it is (the company is quite rightly paying for it, till the training is over) we are itching to get down the road and start earning a crust.

Today is the first time in the weeks that we have been here that the temperature has risen enough to start melting the snow, and we went for another walk in the valley in a balmy six degrees.
Watching a train going over the High Bridge today, I saw it reach the other end (one mile and forty seven feet long) , and then kept my eye on the last wagon which was on the bridge, and that one nearly reached the other end before we saw the end of the train, so we reckon it was almost two miles in length!
I will post some pictures of the Fort tomorrow.

Roll on Summer

A few pics from Florida to keep me sane whilst there is so much snow about the place up here in the wintry north.

This is me and my cousin Paddy from New York

Two fatties at Skinny's

Sun and Sea.

This is what we just had to eat.

One of the nicest places we have been for a lazy holiday.

This is the current view from our hotel in Lethbridge, brrrrrrrrr!

All these pictures go bigger if you click them.

Happy New Year

Happy Birthday for tomorrow Inga.

Today we went for a stroll to the Cup and Saucer Cafe on 7th Street south, for a nice breakfast but it was a little bit nippy at minus 18 and a windchill of minus 32.

As soon as we got back to the hotel we decided to go for a dip in the pool to warm up a bit, as you can see below.





Mick is still waiting for confirmation of his second mentor trip, so could be here for another week or two, but we did choose to arrive in the Holiday Season, which affects logistic companies the same as everyone else.

New Years Eve

Happy New Year, Y'Hear!

Lethbridge, Alberta 2008

Mentor trip to Los Angeles

Post by Mick

My first mentor trip with Mike Nash down to L.A. and back went really well although the weather at times was pretty poor.
The choice to come over to Canada in winter was made with the weather in mind, as it would have been a massive shock to have a nice summer then get hit by stuff we hardly ever see in the UK, so I did my driver training in snow and ice, and then was out on the road driving at full pelt on snow covered highways.











The pictures above were taken at Idaho Falls truck stop (I think), where we had pulled in for the night.
The weather does not really stop people driving, but the American truckers seem to crawl along compared to the Canadians.

Thanks to Mike for the lessons and the laughs on the trip.

Mike leaning on the truck (don't know why!)

His usual pose with arms and legs crossed.

I could have taken this Sat Nav picture below, a long way back, but didn't realise how it looked at first.
The manoeuvre in 483 miles is not a turn, it's only a lane change LOL.



This flatdeck driver had his tractor fully chained up in the Dads truckstop, but we just powered on through all the snow and ice.









On the way back north we found that the Police had blocked the road at Dubois, so we had to pull off for a couple of hours while it was cleared and I had a chance to snap a few pictures.

The road prior to this had been solid ice and snow for hours and when you looked in the mirrors all you could see was a silver ribbon of ice behind the truck glinting in the sun.






All in all I had a great mentor trip with Mike, following a similar route to Javi, who managed to make some beautiful pictures in the canyons in Arizona/Nevada, which me and Mike travelled mainly at night.
Be sure to visit Javis blog to see the pictures by clicking here.

The main thing I noticed on my trip was the vastness of the landscape in every direction ...unbelievable!

Hopefully I will have a second mentor trip this weekend over the Rockies to Vancouver and back, then we (me and Cath) will roll together, and when we do get moving, she will be posting lots of pictures, and although her blog is not about the company I work for, I'm sure she will be happy to answer any questions from the women out there as we travel along.

Cath is not employed by the company so it will not be her business to comment about them or their methods, but if anyone wants any specific details about my job, please leave a comment and contact details.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Caths readers, and our family and friends.

Quick one ...

Mick is back from his very enjoyable mentor trip to L.A. and back, more to follow...

Mick Is On The Road

Just a very quick post, Mick has gone on his Mentor trip today, he has gone with Mike Nash and they have gone to LA.
I will be waiting for him to bring some pictures back to post on the blog, and he will probably do a post to let everyone know how he has gone on.
Thank you to everyone for the good wishes, Happy Christmas and have a great New Year.

Woo Hoo He Has Passed

Today Mick passed his Class 1 Canadian driving test, in road conditions which would keep UK drivers at home and off the roads, so that's a little bit of his stress gone for now, but he still has to pass the theory test.
He was very happy with his instructor, Weldon at SK Driver Training who had lots of patience.
Andy asked some questions in the comments section of my last post, so I'll try to answer them here.



Yes Andy it is Christmas looking, and the decorations don't seem to get vandalised like they might in the UK.

Has the Volvo got a crash box too?

There are three tractor units at SK Driver Training Ltd, a Volvo, Kenworth and a Freightliner and they all have the Eaton Fuller 'crash box', which he says take a little getting used to.

What's it like doing your training in the sub zero temperatures? You must be spinning out all over the place?


One of the reasons for coming over in winter was so that we would not be surprised by the conditions, and Mick thought it was very important to get driving tuition with snow and ice on the ground.
Spinning out has not been a problem, but delicate use of the gas pedal is required, and minimum use of the brakes. Working outside the truck in sub zero conditions is required, as the pre trip can take 45 mins, but you should be well wrapped up and probably will end up sweating anyway.
The danger of wind chill should not be ignored even if you feel warm and all exposed skin should be covered to prevent frostbite.
It feels strange to us soft Europeans when we first feel the ice forming on the inside of our nose.

How are you coping Cath?

I am finding it very difficult to cope in the nice, warm cosy, Lethbridge Lodge Hotel, with free wireless internet access, full size fridge, microwave, large TV in the living room, TV in the bedroom, coffee making facilities and swimming pool and hot tub a minute away, but I struggle on lol.
On a serious note I am quite content and even thought it has been as low as minus 23 we have been getting out and about and enjoying the City and the Canadian hospitality.
As you will have read in earlier posts we have also been lucky enough to meet some very nice people since we have been here.
My feelings and emotions may change completely when we start to travel around Canada and the lower 48 US states in the truck (Mick has been lusting over Dave Caldwells new truck lol), but so far I am very happy.

Is the winter clothing expensive?

Mick bought some strong, warm, comfortable steel toe cap boots for $69, but his other clothing he brought with him, although the material on his English winter coat takes on the consistency of a crisp packet after 5 mins in the sub zero tempratures, but he did bring it strictly for work, and during the pre trip it gets pretty dirty.

He also has a couple of smaller jackets which, when combined with a hat and scarf are ok for short trips.
Tell Amanda to forget about fashions during Canadian winters as the choices seem very dull, and warmth and comfort seems to be more important.
I brought jeans, jumpers, tee shirts and long johns (not joking) because you will need them, the cold will cut straight through denim. My winter boots came from Walmart, they were graded to withstand temperatures of minus 20, they cost $40, they are nothing to look at but keep my feet dry and warm. I also bought a winter coat at Walmart, again it is not a fashionable one but it does the job, that cost $85.

Thanks for the best wishes guys.

This is just after Mick finished his test today.