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« Last post by oscar on June 23, 2025, 11:14:42 am »
I just got back home from a three-week road trip, including two weeks in Canada (my first visit there since 2022). I crossed into Canada from Buffalo NY via the Peace Bridge, and back into the U.S. via BC 21/ID 1 north of Bonners Ferry ID. Both border crossings were quick and painless.
In-between, I traveled through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan (spent less than a day there, only on Trans-Canada 16), Alberta, a side trip to the Northwest Territories, and southeastern British Columbia. I spent several days in the Winnipeg area, including for a road meet there.
I re-clinched TCH routes in Ontario (relocation of TCH/ON 11 in Geraldton) and British Columbia (short extension of TCH Business 1 in Chase). I'm still missing part of TCH (Main) in eastern Quebec, where the route is being relocated onto new Autoroute 85 segments I expect to cover later in 2025 or 2026.
The wildfire smoke was annoying, but only one road I had wanted to travel was fully closed while I was there, short Manitoba provincial road 312. It got more interesting in Alberta, north of Edmonton. Both highways between Edmonton and the Northwest Territories were subject to on-and-off wildfire closures. Alberta 35 between Manning and Paddle Prairie was just barely open when I drove it, with low-level flames visible within a few feet of the edge of pavement near Twin Lakes. On my way back from the Northwest Territories, I instead took Alberta 88 south toward Edmonton. That highway was passable, with heavy smoke in the Loon Lake area. But with evacuations of most of that area's residents, all but one of the local gas stations were closed. With no other gas stations in about 250 miles between Fort Vermilion and Slave Lake, I was getting nervous about my fuel supply, so I was lucky to find that station open.
Other highlights of my travels:
-- Traveling the two-hour Chi-Cheemaun auto ferry from Tobermory ON to Manitoulin Island, connecting the two segments of ON 6. I had hoped to clinch ON 6 as well, but a few km through Fergus were closed.
-- Finally clinching the new NT 9 between NT 3 and the Tlicho village of Whati, thereby re-clinching the cannt system. The highway was opened during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the Northwest Territories were essentially off-limits to non-residents, and it took me awhile to get back up there.
-- Re-visiting Vulcan AB ("Star Trek Capital of Canada") during the annual Spock Days festival.
-- On the way back home, diving down to southwestern Virginia to clinch the short (but extension in progress) US 121 near Grundy.
My route clinches from this trip (* indicates I'm the only TM user to clinch the route so far):
NY 179
In Ontario, SH 538, SH 638*, SH 670*, SH 550*, SH 565*, SH 552*, SH 563, SH 531*, SH 580*, SH 594, SH 573*
In Manitoba, MB 301*, MB 11, MB 44, MB 230, MB 200*, MB 52, MB 15, MB 190, MB 424, MB 26, MB 425, Winnipeg city routes 17, 52, 90, 115
NT 9*
In Alberta, AB 2 Smith and Smoky River spurs, AB 28A, AB 201, AB 22X, AB 524, AB 901, AB 1X
In British Columbia, BC 97B, BC 33, BC 21
ID 1
MT 37, MT 35
NE 87
KY 3174 (Robinson Creek), KY 3174 (Elkhorn City)
VA 460 (along with the KY 3174 segments, also signed as future US 460), US 121