Day: May 11, 2009

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First Enjoyable Bike Ride

It’s a long weekend here in British Columbia, so I suspected that Canadian Tire would have a major sale on outdoorsy stuff. I therefore waited to purchase my missing kayak and bicycle accessories.

The Canadian Tire in Dawson Creek didn’t have everything I wanted in stock, but I was very happy with what they did have, being able to finish kitting out my bike at rock bottom prices. As for the kayak, I scored a life vest at a great price, but I’m still up the creek without a paddle! I’ll try the one in Fort St John tomorrow and if that doesn’t pan out (ooh, nice pun considering the road I’m on!) there’s always the one in Whitehorse where I could have the paddle I want brought in for me.

For the bike, what I needed most was a good pump. The few times I’d been out, the riding wasn’t enjoyable because of underinflated tires. I had a pump, but it was crap! This time, I got a really good pump, with a pressure gauge, for 60% off. The other item I got is very self-indulgent: a silicon seat cover!

I got home and decided to try out my bike on the Dawson Trail. Getting it out of the trunk was easier than I’d expected and getting the front wheel back on only took moments. The reverse was equally easy. Now that I know this, I won’t hesitate to take the bike out on those nights when I’m urban dry camping and want to explore.

The tires pumped and the gears lubricated, I set off for a short ride that turned out to be very enjoyable! What a difference properly inflated tires make! I am absolutely in love with this bicycle. It handles like a mountain bike but is lightweight like a racing model; the best of both worlds! I had no problem navigating gravel and potholes.

Here are some more pictures of the Dawson Trail:

Rotary Lake; Dawson Creek's manmade lake and popular swimming hole

Rotary Lake; Dawson Creek’s manmade lake and popular swimming hole

This charred area still has a very strong burn smell

This charred area still has a very strong burn smell

This sort of sky is apparently very common in Dawson Creek; the weather changes quickly and for short periods.

This sort of sky is apparently very common in Dawson Creek; the weather changes quickly and for short periods.

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The Alaska Highway

While being something of a WWII history buff, I’ve always focused on Europe with little attention paid to the conflict in the Pacific. So, a lot of what I’ve learned about the building of the Alaska highway surprised me. Of course, I take some of it with a grain of salt, recognizing the scent of American propaganda, but the facts are not in dispute.

First, let me comment on the various names this road has gone through, of them ‘AlaskaN highway’, ‘Alaska-Canada highway’, and ‘Alcan highway.’ The latter is my favourite as it seems more inclusive. But since the purpose of the exercise was to create an inland route to Alaska, I can accept the decision to go with ‘Alaska highway.’ 🙂

The Alaska highway was commissioned in 1942 a few months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. There was a very real fear that Japan would attack the west coast of North America. The Japanese even had an outpost just 700mi and change for the Aleutian Islands. The air route across Canada and into Alaska territory was unreliable as were the off shore sea routes. The Alaska highway would serve two goals: provide a secure overland route into the territory and reassure the American public that the Americans were doing everything possible to secure North America against the Japanese.

The building of this highway astounds me. It was done in eight months with very little planning by a team that had no experience in sub-arctic road construction, cold-weather survival, or heavy equipment handling. The American army engineers basically blasted their way through the wilderness and in doing so created a feat of engineering some say is only second to the building of the Panama Canal.

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Some 4,000 of the 11,000 men who built the highway were black, working in segregated troops under white commanders.

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These men worked against formidable prejudices–that they were too lazy, stupid, and unsuitable to cold climates to be of any use. Yet, they persevered in the hope that they would be rewarded with changed circumstances back home.

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Dawson Creek has a relatively new (2007) museum devoted to the building of the Alaska highway. It is located right behind the Mile 0 post that stands in the centre of the intersection of 10th Avenue and 102 Street. Admission is free. Plan an hour and a half to visit the museum in order to take in the 60 minute PBS movie about the building of the highway. This movie is peppered with commentary by actual engineers, both black and white, involved with the project. My favourite part of the museum was the showing of home movies by one of the engineers; they are in colour!

Today, the Alaska highway is shorter and straighter than it was back in 1942. It is paved and lined with all the comforts and trappings of civilization. And, yet, it is still synonymous with adventure.

A friend said to me, about being at Mile 0, that I must be ‘vibrating.’ Oh, yes. Very much so. 🙂

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Mile 0

Like Moosejaw, Dawson Creek is a faded old town milking its heyday for all its worth. Even though it sits at Mile 0 of the Alaska highway, it is not the place to place to stock up on supplies and enjoy one last taste of civilization. Locals recommend heading about 75km up the Alaska Highway to Fort St-John, a larger community. It is still a ‘must stop at location’ for history buffs or if only to catch a glimpse of the famed Mile 0 markers:

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The town is quiet and sleepy. Some folks, like the managers of the Mile 0 RV Park where I’m staying seem jaded to all the folks who come and go while others, like the gals at the tourist info centre or the wonderful manager of Read’s Books, recognize that giddy tourists like me are not only the lifeblood of this town, but also the source of memorable stories.

The city, like Dawson City in the Yukon, is named for George Mercer Dawson, a Canadian scientist and surveyor.

George Mercer Dawson, from one of Dawson Creek's many murals

George Mercer Dawson, from one of Dawson Creek’s many murals

Dawson Creek was originally a farming community, but soon became a railroad hub until it was invaded by American troops in the dead of winter of 1942. That invasion will be described in further detail in my next post, but to show that I’m not exaggerating:

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Most of the town being shut tight on Sundays, I only did a walking tour yesterday afternoon. It was disappointing and I quickly gave up. Most of the landmarks on the tour have been destroyed and I got tired of markers saying that ‘such and such was located here in Dawson Creek’s hey day.’

I then went home, refilled my Nalgene water bottle, and set off to walk part of a trail that starts about a block from the RV park and which goes straight through town. Some stretches were quite desolate while others had me going through shanty towns.

Dawson Trail

This morning, I visited the railroad museum that gives a bit of general history of Dawson Creek.

Dawson Creek Visitors' Centre and Museum

Dawson Creek Visitors’ Centre and Museum

This exhibit gave me pause. It makes note of the ‘old-style’ Canadian money:

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Old-style?! Heck, I remember how unimpressed I was when these ‘old fives’ were replaced by the blah new version, as well as the kerfuffle when the dollar bill was replaced by the loonie! The former was only about ten years ago and the latter about twenty years ago (already!!!). It’s a bit shocking to be thirty and to see familiar things become antiques! 😀

The rest of what I did and saw belongs in the next post, so keep reading! 🙂

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Power-Sipping Coffee

Lest at RVers Corner asked me the other day how I make coffee in a French press. I thought my reply could be expanded into a post. 🙂

Why a French press?

I switched to the French press in the fall when I was boondocking or dry camping most nights as I RVed across northern Ontario. The only power this method requires is a bit of propane for heating up the water. I’m also a bit of a coffee snob and like my beans freshly ground, so I also use a tiny bit of battery power, through the inverter, to work my coffee grinder. I’ve since become hooked on this fabulous, rich, creamy coffee and haven’t taken out the drip-style maker in about seven months, even though I spent the winter on full hookups!

Isn’t French press coffee a lot of work?

No! It takes about six minutes start to finish, four minutes of which you can spend prepping the rest of your breakfast!

Step One: Buying a French press

I just went to Winners and bought the smallest model they sold that had a glass carafe. It is made by Arcosteel with French-tempered glass and makes exactly one mug of coffee. The carafe was, of course, accompanied by a plunger, as well as (fairly useless) instructions, and a measuring spoon for the coffee grinds.

Step Two: Choosing the coffee

I like a dark roast, ideally Sumatra. I buy my beans whole and favour small coffee shops that roast their own beans, buying only enough to last me a week. One advantage of buying whole beans, besides the fact that the coffee remains fresh longer, is that you can play with the coarseness of the grounds until you find the size that makes the perfect coffee for you.

Step Three: Putting water on to heat

I put about a mug’s worth of water into the kettle and set it on the stove to heat while I prepare the coffee beans.

Step Four: Grinding the beans

There are several schools of thoughts on this subject. Some say that for perfect French press coffee, the beans must be coarsely and evenly ground. Others claim that it must be finely ground. I like a happy medium between the two, which is two short pulses on my Braun grinder. I tried coarsely ground beans, but found the flavour absolutely insipid while a fine ground meant more grinds in the cup. I use the spoon that came with my French press to measure out the correct amount of grinds to dump into the bottom of the carafe.

Optional Step 4A: Preparing the milk

I like my coffee with a bit of hot milk and have found that the easiest way to achieve this is with powdered milk. I add about a half teaspoon to the bottom of my mug.

Step 5: Adding the water

There are, again, several schools of thought as to how hot the water should be. Some like for their water to be boiling hot. Others let it boil and then wait ten seconds before adding the water to their beans. I usually wait until the kettle is about to let off its first scream. I first add a bit of water to the milk in the mug to create instant hot milk. Then, I add water to the beans in the carafe. Mine has a metal ring around the top for holding the handle. The lower part of the ring happens to be the perfect measure of water. You will need to experiment with your carafe to determine how much water you need for the number of people you are serving. The first time I made coffee with my press, I poured hot water into the mug and then into the carafe to determine that the metal band is a good indicator.

Step 6: Letting the coffee steep

The rule of thumb is 4 minutes and then the coffee becomes bitter. Four minutes works great for me with the grind size that I use. It wasn’t nearly enough for a coarse grind and it was too much for a fine grind. Again, it’ll take some experimentation; but the results are worth it! While the coffee is steeping, you can stir it once or twice to release the crema, the golden foam of coffee oil that is so rich with flavour. When the time is up, slowly lower the plunger to trap the grinds at the bottom of the carafe

Step 7: Pouring the coffee

Pour the coffee slowly and leave a  bit near the end to avoid getting the finer grinds in your cup. Because I use a medium, uneven, grind, I always manage to get a bit of the finest grind at the bottom of my cup anyway. Solution: I don’t drink the last mouthful. Those with fancier grinders should be able to avoid this.

Step 8: Savour this delicious coffee!

Pouring the coffee into the hot milk is the only preparation I need to enjoy my French press coffee. One nice thing about this method is that the coffee remains very hot for a long time, so you can truly savour and enjoy your coffee while reading the paper or updating your blog. 🙂

Step 9: Disposing of the grinds and cleaning the carafe

I empty the carafe into the day’s garbage, using a spoon if needed to get the last of grinds. I then rinse the carafe and plunger under hot water. Every few days, I wash both parts with hot soapy water, but some purists will say this is a no-no and that the carafe should be allowed to ‘season’ the way a cast iron frying pan is.

So, while there is a definite method to making French press coffee, there are a lot of variables to play with the make a cup that’s perfect for you. What I like best about this method is that it can be used to make delicious coffee anywhere, whether you’re heating your water on an electric stove while at home, over propane in the RV, or over coals while camping.