Northern BC ( Canada ) drivers, question for you....

[Graymist]

If you're pulling a super B upto Fort Nelson from FSJ at this time of the year, how bad are the switchbacks at Sikini ( not sure about the spelling ) Chief ? Could any of you, who have driven this route, point out to me the most dangerous / challenging stretches ? Is chaining up mandatory ? Thanks in advance.

PS
Which are the good truck stops in this area ? Are there many pull-out areas off the main highway ?

[LadyNorthStar]

Chain up is not required. There really aren't any switchbacks at Sikanni. (Otherwise known as "Sickening Chief") Just a hill you want to sit up and pay attention to. You wouldn't want to be flat out hitting those corners at the bottom for sure.

Taylor hill is another one that you want to watch out for. Wildkat has a story about that one. Not really long but steep and not much on one side but a drop off. That hill is just before Taylor, which is a tad before Fort St John. (I'm assuming you're starting from down south?) They changed the road on it a while back but most say its worse now.

Nothing too serious other than those. FSJ to Fort Nelly is one of the most boring stretches of road possible. Edmonton to FSJ is a walk in the park, get to FSJ and its zzzzzz for 3.5 hours. Unless of course the weather is crap, most people drive like its summer no matter what.

[wildkat]

Graymist, I used to run that road all the time up till 3 years ago, winter & summer. The best advise I can give is pay attention to the speed limit signs...DON'T exceed them! Sikkani Cheif is not that bad but is posted at 50 kph for trucks, DO NOT EXCEED IT! There are brake checks before every steep hill above 6%, & I seem to recall Sikkani being 8%, make sure you use them, as it's against the law to bypass them, even empty. There are a few good swithbacks along there, nothing really major if you keep your head about you...

I seem to recall on that is worse than Sikkani, but for the life of me can't recall the name of it, maybe Lady North or COLT can help me out here.. Pink Mountain & Steamboat are 2 that I can recall, but maybe they are further along the route to Whitehorse.

Best advise is to take your time & remember the speed postings are for CARS!

BC is famous for a 30-50 kph corner at the bottom of steep hills, so just take your time & remember one cardinal rule about the mountains.... go down the hill in the same gear you crested it & you should be fine...in other words it you got to the top of the hill in 5th gear, that's the fasted you should go down in. And always be aware that with Super B's you are grossed out at about 140,000 lbs pulling 2 trailers, try to stay off your brakes amuch as possible & if you have to brake do it well in advance using steady pressure, don't fan or pump them, use youor jakes as much as possible & take your time. Nobody is going to fault you for going slower, but if you go too fast nobdy will be too happy about scraping you off of a mountain pass OK?

Be safe & take care out there

[COLT]

It all depends on the weather, and how long it's been since we had snow storm.

The road has been very icy lately, it looks better than it really is...

Lady is soo right, we drive like it's summer all winter, if you don't, you in a super b will be leading a parade of disgrunted truckers and most dangerous of all, workers in pick-ups and the famous WELDERS who can apparently, see around corners and over hills... (only 1 pass lane from Ft St. John to Ft. Nelson) Help people pass you, it could save your azz, radio chan. LADD 1 if the road is bad, most truckers will be on that one.

At 140,000lbs. the road is not boring, report back to me after the trip. :wink:

The first serious hill to climb is the M.126 Jedney hill,(about 1.5 hr from FT.ST. John) lots of supers spinout on that one if it's icy, get way over to the edge, as close as you dare, sand is a precious commodity around here at times.

The sikanni hill is well taken care of, but it's a two stage hill, in the dark if you didn't read the signs, people have let'r go before the bad spot, and paid the price....

As soon as you see the bridge, let'r go hard, coming back south M/T, this will be your hardest hill to climb, followed by South Taylor...

It's really quite hilly at 140,000lbs. rolling foothills from Dawson to Profit River, a few miles out of Dawson you'll be in the bottom box, 4th direct, maybe 3rd, there's lots of exercise for the bottom gears.

Just hope for good weather.... and drive it like you stole it :shock:

[COLT]

get to FSJ and its zzzzzz for 3.5 hours.

:P You've obviously never done it heavy :P

I'll bet it takes Grey 5 hr's from John to Nelson....

Any nice restaurants in the Creek ?

[LadyNorthStar]

Groceries COLT.... gravy loads.

No... no good restaraunts. lol

[COLT]

I would like to hear about Grey's trip / adventure ( depending on the weather )

I think Grey works for Cascade / Caron ? seen lots of them today...

If we can't bet dinner at a restaraunt, what would you want ? :P

[Graymist]

Thanks for all your responses, guys. I was supposed to do this trip tomorrow, but it's now been assigned to an o/op ( not that I'm complaining though, 'cos, honestly, deep within me, I'm relieved...I don't think I have the experience to tackle such challenging conditions at this point of time. I've been to FSJ 2-3 times, but that was in summer 2 years ago, and I haven't driven in the mountains since then ).

I will be pulling a load to Mildred Lake / Jack Pine ( not far from Fort Mac ), instead, and hopefully, I should be back home late tomorrow evening. Today, it was mind-numbingly cold here in Edmonton...at around 8am, when I was blowing off a load at Nisku, the temperature read -27c....and then this weird ice-fog rolled in.

Once again, thanks for all the tips. Stay warm, and drive safe out there.

[LadyNorthStar]

Er, what exactly were we betting on Colt?

Edited: Oh, the hours? I was talking about my loads, just what came to mind. Shoot don't get so excited!!

[COLT]

I just got back from Tumbler Ridge

Huge temperature changes, warm up high and in some valleys, very cold in other places...

A chinook is coming, no doubt.

Frost forms on the road in warmer areas, even on top of a ice covered road, the warmer air holds more moisture and freezes on the colder road surface. ( makes ice covered roads slicker ) :shock:

Around here we say the frost is coming out, but to a driver that isn't familiar with this, they can't see how slick the road is, ( no shine yet )until they hit the brakes :shock:

The road will look like it has a little snow dust on it for the first while, then it quickly turns to ice after a few warm tires run on it. ( a few hr's )

In the dark you have to watch the road reflection from oncoming traffic's headlights to ( get a grip ) of what your driving on...

Anyhow, my logbook will catch up to me if I don't jump into the shower and have a nap soon...

P.S. L.N. If I was excited, you'd be too :wink:

[COLT]

How slick does this road look?




This is what I was saying in my post, it's slicker than it looks. (from today)

A pick-up is in the ditch behind me, I just started rolling when I took the pic. I did stop for one second,( not a good place to stop a hazmat load ) He just passed me, I was doing the speed limit :shock: Not fast enough for him....

I had a front row seat as this happend, he almost saved it 3-4 times, good thing nobody was coming the other way

There was a 1 ton behind me that stoped, he was O.K.


Oh yah, the guy thats hauling with me, an hr. behind me "smoked" a Moose with his new truck.... Maybe a pic tomorow...
( His truck looks like Garnet's L.N.)

[LadyNorthStar]

Ohhhh how sad.
Garnets truck is soooo pretty. *gush*
Hate to see one like that go down.


This one passed our truck 3 minutes before he went in.

[LadyNorthStar]

Ahhhhhh winter. It feels SO much like Spring today I can't believe it.
This was 2 weeks ago, same day as the other pic.

[COLT]

The pic doesn't show the damage very good anyhow. He has a cow catcher, but it pushed back into his grill, and headlight area smashing it all, plus the back of the hood got smashed into the cab. He's still trucking tho...

I seen the Moose in the ditch this morning (dark out) I think it was a calf, and just down the road a car hit a cow Moose later last night, FREAKIN hamburger and bones everywhere... Ravens "delite"... See them in the pic.... I figure the cow was on the road looking for her calf ? It just disappeared....?

Car was in the ditch, smashed bad... I got a pic... not very good tho, I just don't stop :wink: The car is on the right ( looks like a culvert ) Somebody dragged the cow further down the road to a pullout, it and the calf where gone when I came back north.

He has been lucky, last Moose he hit was in 85, I seem to hit a Moose every 5 years...

They are black and if headlights are coming at you, you just can't see them.... or they see you and run out in front of you, "it" happens... Good Luck :wink:

[Evinrude]

How slick does this road look?




This is what I was saying in my post, it's slicker than it looks. (from today)

A pick-up is in the ditch behind me, I just started rolling when I took the pic. I did stop for one second,( not a good place to stop a hazmat load ) He just passed me, I was doing the speed limit :shock: Not fast enough for him....

I had a front row seat as this happend, he almost saved it 3-4 times, good thing nobody was coming the other way

There was a 1 ton behind me that stoped, he was O.K.


Oh yah, the guy thats hauling with me, an hr. behind me "smoked" a Moose with his new truck.... Maybe a pic tomorow...
( His truck looks like Garnet's L.N.)

maybe you should keep both hands on the wheel, better than takenin pics?

[COLT]

maybe you should keep both hands on the wheel, better than takenin pics?

:P Your funny, If you only knew... go away now... phew...

Yep, That's the key, both hands on the wheel...

If I only went to truck driving school, I would have known that...

P.M. your phone number, so the next time I'm hauling 140,000 LB. load up an icy hill, I can get some advice... Thanks....

After some thought,... Biting my tounge,.... ouch..

[LadyNorthStar]

baahahha

Crappy camera phone pics from the wreck I spoke of earlier in aanother post.

[Evinrude]

maybe you should keep both hands on the wheel, better than takenin pics?

:P Your funny, If you only knew... go away now... phew...

Yep, That's the key, both hands on the wheel...

If I only went to truck driving school, I would have known that...

P.M. your phone number, so the next time I'm hauling 140,000 LB. load up an icy hill, I can get some advice... Thanks....

After some thought,... Biting my tounge,.... ouch..

nothing worse than idiots taking pic of somebody else misfortune and posting on the net.. not mention the traffic slow down because of the time it takes to get the camera out.

[allan5oh]

Nothing like internet trolls telling you how to drive.