It was in the negatives outside when we arrived at the lovely warm house of Brad and Julie’s in Grande Prairie, Alberta. They had a room all set up for us and welcomed Will, Scout and I to stay for a few days. This was the first time in a long time that we had seen the same people three times on our trip and it was great to have that level of familiarity with them already. Even if Julie was still teasing me about my distaste for curling. We settled in over a hearty lunch of our favourite pulled pork and coleslaw on fresh buns and discussed some of the things we hoped to do in Grande Prairie. Julie already had a bit of an itinerary for us starting the next day so there was no time like the present to give the Dodge interior a much needed clean.
We put on some warm clothes and pulled everything out of the Dodge, it defiantly needed it there were dog biscuits, dog hair, food crumbs, mud, ice and road grit all through the car. Will vacuumed while I attempted to wipe it out with hot water that was rapidly going cold. I was also on a new found film everything mission so I was filming Will doing the cleaning as well as everything else. We then organised all the food and rearranged a few things before putting it all back in. We were just complaining to Brad about how uncomfortable our mattress had been getting when he busts out this memory foam and says we can have it! It was a bit small to fully replace the current mattress so we just doubled it up by putting it underneath the old one. We would now be super close to hitting the shelf with our hips but at least our other hip and shoulder could rest in soft heavenly comfort. Back inside we put on a few loads of washing and gave our waterproof jackets and pants a rinse in the bath. Then hung them in the garage to dry. Funny right, it was about -7 degrees celsius in the garage so they just froze solid, better to hang them in the heated basement we decided. Will also asked Julie if she had a heater that we could put in the Dodge for a few hours to help dry it out a bit, she didn’t have one but within minutes she had organised to borrow one from a friend! Ideal. That evening we were treated to some famous Alberta steaks seared on the outside grill with salad and other tasty delights. If you recall the last time we tried to cook steak was on the cooker in the aluminium pan and they were basically raw so this was a huge improvement. You can’t beat a good steak!
We put on some warm clothes and pulled everything out of the Dodge, it defiantly needed it there were dog biscuits, dog hair, food crumbs, mud, ice and road grit all through the car. Will vacuumed while I attempted to wipe it out with hot water that was rapidly going cold. I was also on a new found film everything mission so I was filming Will doing the cleaning as well as everything else. We then organised all the food and rearranged a few things before putting it all back in. We were just complaining to Brad about how uncomfortable our mattress had been getting when he busts out this memory foam and says we can have it! It was a bit small to fully replace the current mattress so we just doubled it up by putting it underneath the old one. We would now be super close to hitting the shelf with our hips but at least our other hip and shoulder could rest in soft heavenly comfort. Back inside we put on a few loads of washing and gave our waterproof jackets and pants a rinse in the bath. Then hung them in the garage to dry. Funny right, it was about -7 degrees celsius in the garage so they just froze solid, better to hang them in the heated basement we decided. Will also asked Julie if she had a heater that we could put in the Dodge for a few hours to help dry it out a bit, she didn’t have one but within minutes she had organised to borrow one from a friend! Ideal. That evening we were treated to some famous Alberta steaks seared on the outside grill with salad and other tasty delights. If you recall the last time we tried to cook steak was on the cooker in the aluminium pan and they were basically raw so this was a huge improvement. You can’t beat a good steak!
The next morning we were up early because Julie had organised for us to go Natural Luging!!!! We would be joining a bunch of high school kids in a Natural Luge lesson for the morning. We weren’t really sure what to expect as Brad and Julie told us all about a famous local named Jonny Luge and drew us a map to the Night Hawk ski hill (http://gonitehawk.com) then waved us on our way. Jonny Luge was awesome and proved he knew his stuff as he glided down the gentle slope in total control. The ski hill manager that Julie had contacted even organised one of their New Zealand ski instructors to join us so there was, quote “someone who could understand us” haha. But it was a great fun family atmosphere all round.
We took a few runs to get the hang of stopping then a few more to get the hang of turning, but really I couldn’t believe they were letting us go down the same slope as the kids on the snowboard lessons, I came pretty close to hitting a few of them. I was still struggling with the turning when Jonny took us over to the beginner luge track through the trees. We all had a run down and it was loads of fun I couldn’t wait to try it again after lunch and get my turning down packed.
We took a few runs to get the hang of stopping then a few more to get the hang of turning, but really I couldn’t believe they were letting us go down the same slope as the kids on the snowboard lessons, I came pretty close to hitting a few of them. I was still struggling with the turning when Jonny took us over to the beginner luge track through the trees. We all had a run down and it was loads of fun I couldn’t wait to try it again after lunch and get my turning down packed.
For lunch we joined the kids in the cafe for a burger before getting back out there by ourselves. We had one awesome fast and in control run then another in which I had to dive off in order to avoid colliding with a tree. After a few more runs the learner track was getting lame and the full track wasn’t in a usable condition so they let us go down the actual ski run. It was the most exhilarating thing we had done in ages we were both absolutely flying and then giggling like loonies at the bottom full of adrenalin. We both had really good control of the luges too, though thankfully there weren’t many other people around. At the bottom the lifties all knew who we were, everyone seemed to know us as 'The New Zealanders’. It was like we were famous thanks to Julie putting out the word! But to our devastation the lifties explained that they were about to close the lift. We pleaded with them for one more run, we even said we would walk back up. They debated the idea over their walkie talkies until it was decided they would let us do one more run and we would come back up on the back of a snowmobile, perfect! So we zoomed down the empty slopes again feeling like we were breaking the sound barrier with the GoPro on on Wills helmet. Then returned one at a time on the back of the snowmobile. It was only later back at the Dodge we realised the GoPro wasn’t on video mode and had instead been taking photos. That made us a little sad but we were excited to drive back to Brad and Julie’s and tell them all about our awesome day! The day was topped of by the fact that we had put a curry on in the slow cooker that morning and it had been slowly cooking away all day with no effort. When dinner time came around we cooked some rice, made up some mango lassis and browned up some nan bread on the hotplate of the grill before tucking into our feast. There was heaps of food so luckily Sean Julie’s nephew was there to share as well.
On Saturday morning we woke to smells of crisping bacon, french toast, fresh fruit and cheese mmmmmmmmmm. Brad and Julie were having a brunch with their friends and we were luckily invited to join in their meal. If they kept feeding us like this we would never leave we warned them as we blobbed out on the couch afterwards. While relaxing we did a few jobs like booking in Scout with the pet exporter and I started writing another blog. That afternoon as our tummies returned to their normal size we went down to the pool where Emily, Brad and Julie’s daughter works to have a go on the FlowRider. One of those giant wave simulators that you can surf or body board on. We were excited to have a go as well as a little nervous as some of the brunch guests said they would come and watch as well. However as we arrived a sign was being put up saying the pools were getting evacuated as a pipe had burst. We snuck inside anyway and watched a few people have a go on the FlowRider before being told we had to leave. Instead we returned back to the house to blob some more; it was a nice afternoon.
On Sunday I continued to blob/blog while Will filled out some paper work and made some phone calls about Scouts export. He needed a printer for the paper work and Julie was onto it quick smart and got it printed for him in town. Julie was so good to us every time we needed something as well as getting all of these goodies out for us for lunch each day.
Later that afternoon we went out with Brad to buy our fishing licences and some bait and what not, because we were going ice fishing the next day! I think Will was just as interested in using the auger to drill the hole in the ice and use the quad bike as he was the actual fishing but I was excited and certain that I was going to catch something! Getting the licences was a bit of a hassle because of a new system and us being from overseas but we got it sorted eventually and found everything else we needed. Determined Brad must of had about ten different types of bait in the end and Will was more than happy to look around yet another outdoors store.
That evening after what I’m sure was a lovely dinner even though I don’t remember what it was, we were watching TV in the lounge when Brad decided to put on an old DVD called Alone in the Wilderness. It turned out to be amazing footage of Dick Proenneke as he builds himself a long cabin on the shore of Twin Lakes, Alaska. The clips are narrated through readings from his diary throughout the film. It’s old time footage from an old time man but everything he dose is meticulous. He even builds his own wooden hinges for his door and ends up living in the cabin for over thirty years. Will and I were utterly captivated and wanted to know more. We Googled him and found out that Dick had since passed away but there was a book and another DVD available that we would have to get one day! Brad did his best to top the first DVD by putting on another classic called '50 outdoor skills everyone needs to know to survive’ and despite making us watch for 20 minutes to see the guy accidentally mix a bug into his quinoa porridge we failed to see any point in watching it further, the female host was terrible. Emily thought it was all quite funny but sorry Brad I think we liked the first one better.
On Monday the 24th the alarm woke us up nice an early to a chilly but clear -10 degree day. We wrapped up warm then armed with three full thermoses and some sandwiches we began packing Brads pick up. Actually I should say the men packed while I filmed them. The boys organised and tied down the quad bike, a sled, the fishing lines, the bait, the chairs and our ice auger.
On Saturday morning we woke to smells of crisping bacon, french toast, fresh fruit and cheese mmmmmmmmmm. Brad and Julie were having a brunch with their friends and we were luckily invited to join in their meal. If they kept feeding us like this we would never leave we warned them as we blobbed out on the couch afterwards. While relaxing we did a few jobs like booking in Scout with the pet exporter and I started writing another blog. That afternoon as our tummies returned to their normal size we went down to the pool where Emily, Brad and Julie’s daughter works to have a go on the FlowRider. One of those giant wave simulators that you can surf or body board on. We were excited to have a go as well as a little nervous as some of the brunch guests said they would come and watch as well. However as we arrived a sign was being put up saying the pools were getting evacuated as a pipe had burst. We snuck inside anyway and watched a few people have a go on the FlowRider before being told we had to leave. Instead we returned back to the house to blob some more; it was a nice afternoon.
On Sunday I continued to blob/blog while Will filled out some paper work and made some phone calls about Scouts export. He needed a printer for the paper work and Julie was onto it quick smart and got it printed for him in town. Julie was so good to us every time we needed something as well as getting all of these goodies out for us for lunch each day.
Later that afternoon we went out with Brad to buy our fishing licences and some bait and what not, because we were going ice fishing the next day! I think Will was just as interested in using the auger to drill the hole in the ice and use the quad bike as he was the actual fishing but I was excited and certain that I was going to catch something! Getting the licences was a bit of a hassle because of a new system and us being from overseas but we got it sorted eventually and found everything else we needed. Determined Brad must of had about ten different types of bait in the end and Will was more than happy to look around yet another outdoors store.
That evening after what I’m sure was a lovely dinner even though I don’t remember what it was, we were watching TV in the lounge when Brad decided to put on an old DVD called Alone in the Wilderness. It turned out to be amazing footage of Dick Proenneke as he builds himself a long cabin on the shore of Twin Lakes, Alaska. The clips are narrated through readings from his diary throughout the film. It’s old time footage from an old time man but everything he dose is meticulous. He even builds his own wooden hinges for his door and ends up living in the cabin for over thirty years. Will and I were utterly captivated and wanted to know more. We Googled him and found out that Dick had since passed away but there was a book and another DVD available that we would have to get one day! Brad did his best to top the first DVD by putting on another classic called '50 outdoor skills everyone needs to know to survive’ and despite making us watch for 20 minutes to see the guy accidentally mix a bug into his quinoa porridge we failed to see any point in watching it further, the female host was terrible. Emily thought it was all quite funny but sorry Brad I think we liked the first one better.
On Monday the 24th the alarm woke us up nice an early to a chilly but clear -10 degree day. We wrapped up warm then armed with three full thermoses and some sandwiches we began packing Brads pick up. Actually I should say the men packed while I filmed them. The boys organised and tied down the quad bike, a sled, the fishing lines, the bait, the chairs and our ice auger.
We arrived at Swan Lake 40 minutes later and the boys attempted to get the quad bike started but the cold weather meant it wasn’t quite cranking over. So we clipped the sled onto Scout instead and had him drag it to a spot near the lake shore. Next we needed the fishing holes drilled with the auger. The boys fafed around with it and eventually got it started despite the cold. Then Brad was away drilling holes. He drilled them in a row about 6m apart leading towards the middle of the lake. We baited up the hooks of the Tip Ups (little wooden things Brad had brought but apparently weren’t the ones he’d wanted) with colourful imitation bait. Everything looked set for us to start catching fish but not a lot happened not even a bite so Brad left to try and get the quad bike started and when he returned with it running Will decided to take it for a spin. Meanwhile Brad and I sat there for the next hour possibly getting a bite or too but nothing more. We sipped our hot drinks then started to wonder where Will was he didn’t give the impression that we would be gone for so long…. Another thirty minutes later Will still wasn’t back and I was starting to wonder if he was stuck somewhere or something. I decided to go for a walk to see where the tracks lead but they lead off the end of the lake and I didn’t want to disappear to far and have Brad worrying about me as well so I returned. Back at the fishing spot Brad and I mulled over what to do while eating our sandwiches and changing our untouched baits.
With still no sign of Will Brad gave me some binoculars and a knife and I set out to follow the tracks further. I felt like Bear Grylls and after following the tyre tracks a further ten minutes past the far lake edge I spotted a golden dot jumping around in the binoculars. The golden dot was Scout and eventually I came across Will with the quad bike stuck in some soft deep snow. Surprise surprise… He looked pretty happy to see me after already trying several different times to dig himself out. He had even attached the winch to a buried log and tried to winch out but every time he got it going it would again crack through the top layer into the soft sand like snow underneath. With my help the plan was to dig it out again then for Will to push the rear while I accelerated then jumped on at the last moment so we would hopefully have enough momentum to prevent breaking through the crust again. It worked (just) and I sped away to a more firm spot. Will picked up his gear and rewound the winch before I accelerated again and he ran beside me then jumped on as I got it going. Scout ran behind us as we sped along hoping the speed would prevent us getting stuck again. As we came into view of Brad Scout had fallen behind and Brad thought that we had lost Scout. But no all was well other than the lack of fish! Note to self, if Will doesn't come back when you expect him too take a shovel he's probably stuck...
We tried drilling a few more holes in a new spot while Will ate his lunch but still had no luck so we decided to go to another lake named Surgent Lake. We saw some locals fishing about 1km away and a few of them had driven their pick ups (utes) onto the ice but Brads huge dually was to big to go on the late winter ice. Instead Brad and Will went on the quad while I sat in the plastic sled with the auger and felt every little bump in the ice through my butt as we went along. Some guys told us a spot to try so we drilled a few more holes and set up once again. I took the quad for a spin and Scout found an old deer leg to play with to help the time pass. It had warmed up during the day to a level where we could comfortably sit and fish but now it was starting to get cold again and we'd had not a single bite so we called it quits and returned to the truck. Will had a bit of trouble getting the quad onto the tray and needed a few goes at it before getting it right. In the warmth of the pickup we looked at the time and couldn't believe it was 6pm, we had been out all day and were defiantly looking forward to dinner even if it wasn’t fish. So yes to recap we had spent all day fishing and not caught one single fish…. Dinner that evening was a warming hearty ham and lentil soup luckily made as a backup by Julie just incase.
The next day we just chilled out at the house and finished off a few more rudimentary jobs. Brad and Julie had other plans for dinner so Julie being the awesome mother hen that she is roused us up a lasagne from the freezer and put it in the oven. If that wasn’t good enough already she then made up an amazing broccoli salad and some garlic bread. How lucky were we! We completed our day by watching what turned out to be possibly the worlds worst movie called ’The Grey’ about a group of oil rig workers who’s plane crashes in Alaska and then they’re attacked and followed by some very fake wolves on steroids as they attempt to walk out. For a Liam Neeson movie this really disappoints.
On Wednesday the 26th of March we packed up the Dodge ready to leave. It was really sad saying good bye to the Emond family after they had been so welcoming to us. We can only hope that some of them come and visit us in New Zealand one day so that we can show them the same hospitality. We seriously hope they do heck we even drew Emily this map of NZ with all the must see and do’s on it as she was planning to come to NZ in the near future. Maybe visit once we have settled in a bit though and have a place of our own ok.
Just as we were leaving and Will was setting up for a final photo together Julie produced a bag full of easter goodies that we weren’t to open until easter on the 20th of April. This was on top of loading us up with a heap of frozen pulled pork and curry. The only way our time there could have gotten any better was if Will and I or Brad and Julie or Sean had won it big on the lottery ticket we had each brought the day before. That didn’t happen but we had an unforgettable time all the same. We just hope we can be as giving to others as you were to us. Thank-you.
See you again one day B&J.
Rochelle & Will
Just as we were leaving and Will was setting up for a final photo together Julie produced a bag full of easter goodies that we weren’t to open until easter on the 20th of April. This was on top of loading us up with a heap of frozen pulled pork and curry. The only way our time there could have gotten any better was if Will and I or Brad and Julie or Sean had won it big on the lottery ticket we had each brought the day before. That didn’t happen but we had an unforgettable time all the same. We just hope we can be as giving to others as you were to us. Thank-you.
See you again one day B&J.
Rochelle & Will