The turkeys and the pass

Elli and the wild turkeys 

After a restful sleep over in La Conner, we got up to see wild turkeys crossing the street right behind us.  Elli's never seen wild turkeys before, so she just kind of sat there wondering what to do.

We then headed north for the border and decided to cross on Route 9 at Abbottsford instead of going Interstate 5 toward Vancouver.  There were only two cars ahead of us, and while the questions were tedious and lengthy, it all went smoothly.  So we headed off to Harrison Hot Springs, with the thought of staying overnight.  Beautiful as it is, with Lake Harrison using the Cascades as a backdrop, it was overrun with tourists on this warm and sunny August day, so we decided to push on.

Lake Harrison with the Cascades as a backdrop

And then the challenge began.   Poor little VanGo did not have enough oomph to make it to the top of Coquihalla Pass without losing her steam, slowing to under 35, and almost overheating.  Was I nervous, or what!!   There are absolutely  no services between Hope and Merritt, and I was envisioning all kinds of things, not the least of which was having to be towed over the pass.  There are no photos to support this, though the van was traveling slowly enough that I almost could have gotten out and snapped a few.  There was no shade and the temp was close to 100, which was apparently part of the problem.  When I finally got to Kamploops, I had my fluids checked and asked them what to do if it happens again.  They said that given the heat of today, and the steepness of the grade, that I should have turned my heat on to help cycle fluids through the engine (or something like that).   I must say this makes me a little nervous for the trip through the Rockies.  Cross fingers that the temps cool down a bit!