Since last winter went so swimmingly, let's try it again! TFS has very graciously opened her home in the west San Fernando Valley to me again. This time her daughter AS (and dog and cat) are there too. Two women + two dogs + two cats = not my usual solitary winter again. Huzzah! Place name links like Los Angeles, CA go to Wikipedia. Place name links like Los Angeles use a local tourism or government website.
| 2014.05.13 |
The Home Stretch |
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| One final, and long, stretch today. Google Maps says 1032 mi (1661 km) and 15:43 and it's pretty accurate in knowing speed limits and road conditions.
Long, and north of the green bits in the maps, pretty flat and open and dull. | |
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If I can net 10% over the speed limit, I can get the trip done in 15.75 - 1.575 = 14.175 hours. I get 1.575 hours for stops and slowdowns and still get home in under 16 hours.
This is the longest stretch of driving I've ever done. All of a "day," assuming 8 hours of sleep in 24 hours. I figure I can do a whole day of driving, since I'd be doing something anyway, for at least that long. And this time of year daylight nears 16 hours.
I leave at 7:07 am PDT. If I'm up this early, I really mean to do something. |
I started north of Salt Lake City, UT so I wouldn't have to deal with freeway commuter traffic. I-15_UT becomes an urban commuter freeway with a 65 mph (105kmh) speed limit from south around Provo, UT , through Salt Lake City, and north to Ogden, UT . Having been through it last year and then heading south on this trip, it's a long, sometimes slow, high volume of traffic that's no fun at either end of a trip.
The day starts sunny with pastoral views and, as I expected, light traffic. The top is up, and everything that follows is shot through my windows, with at times some reflections, and over time bug guts, in-between stops to scrub them off.
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| Idaho I-15_ID , speed limit is 75 mph. I do 90. |
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8 am, 1 hour | |
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9 am, 2 hours | |
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10 am, 3 hours | |
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11 am, 4 hours | |
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| Montana I-15_MT , speed limit is 75 mph. I do 90. |
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12 pm, 5 hours | |
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1 pm, 6 hours | |
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Up next is the last bit of terrain and elevation and rocky hills and twisty road before the Prairies take over the landscape and the remainder of the drive, about 20 minutes north (for me) of Helena, MT . |
| There are actually north and south passes separated by a small plain. This is my favourite of all the passes, especially the southern portion which is twistier and tighter and rockier. Perhaps because it's the first bit of fun road on my way down and last on my way up it's a sentimental landmark. |
around that corner | |
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and that one | |
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and that one | |
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are craggy rocks | |
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some quite loose | |
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on the plain for a bit | |
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And we're pretty well done with any interesting terrain for the remaining 9 hours. A bit of rolling hill, a river valley descent and ascent, that's the extent of it. |
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collected bug guts ruin the view | |
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what you might | |
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call "verdant" | |
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3 pm, 8 hours | |
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windmill stanchion | |
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At the US-Canada border. Stock up on duty-free cigs and whiskey, and I'm ready to be repatriated. |
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Welcome to Alberta | |
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Canadian prairie flatness | |
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5 pm, 10 hours | |
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distant Rocky Mountains | |
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fertilizer tractor | |
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7 pm, 12 hours
8 pm, 13 hours
9 pm, 14 hours | |
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| Entering Home. |
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Downtown | |
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High Level Bridge | |
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Done. 10:16 pm. | |
Well that was a drive! And I still have some evening left for a hockey game and some beers. |
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