Rookies, Wannabees, & superheroes. This is a true run about Heavy Haul.

Second heavy load to the mine...


Meanwhile back in YK...
Now after having the meetings I had with the logistics team I have now learned that I can't just grab my building and go when ready. With loads over 16'W they get a bunch of them together and schedule a road closure to get them the 70km (44mi) up the Ingraham Trail to the ice road, and they have an Ice Road Security truck help make sure all the portages are closed so there are no incidents. This takes several days to arrange, and they try to limit the closures to 3-4 per season...
So...STILL not moving my building! Begin the process of organizing a big load convoy and schedule a road closure...
Alright, there are two crusher shafts that weight 99,640lbs ea to go, so I drop one of them on the wagon after a day of figuring some stuff out and wander back up to the mine.
It was a beautiful crystal clear sunshiny day for the run from YK to Lockhart for this one...but that in itself brings it's own challenges. It's an ice road, everything is white or bright, and that sun is extremely bright with all that reflecting goin on let me tell ya! It also does one heck of a job of shining up the ice! Whoa was it slick! And grossing over 172,000 it let me know it too. I had a few curves where she just wanted to pushed straight. It's still cold, so the grease on the 5th wheels and the booster pins was very thick and didn't want to turn very well. There was a couple times when I came off a portage with a curve onto the ice where the booster would stay in the turned position and the back end started trying to pass me! I had one where I made the decision I had to get up against the snow bank to hopefully straighten it out. Now here's what you've gotta know, snow is an excellent insulator. That's why they clear the snow and the road so wide...as you get closer to the snow, the ice gets thinner! Lucky for me the booster caught a ridge about 20' from the bank and straightened itself out...oh what a relief!
There has been a caribou carcass near the road for several days...on this trip there was a beautiful big white wolf taking it's share when I drove by! Got some nice pics of this one. One the first trip there was a big black timber wolf taking it's part, but it was more skittish and would back up to the trees when trucks came by...and it was on my far side to get a good picture of him...(I'll post the pics later as I have to download them from my camera to the iPad)
The second day, from Lockhart up to the mine...not the same as the first! I little breezy, making poor visibility. Without " black" roads to follow there were a few interesting times this day! In order to not overload the ice and cause fractures or failures, we must keep a 500meter (0.3mi) separation...well there were times I couldn't see 100. But everybody running up here must run VHF radios and monitor and communicate positions on set channels for different parts of the road, so it's unnerving, but all good.
A 100,000# load sitting in 12' of trailer on a road like this sure lets you know it's there, and for many hours.
The road crew on the GKSR has been working hard, and it shows. They have been making constant progress and improvements. They have pushed out the corners wider, & filled in most of the potholes.
Made it in, all chained up again.
Made it, but it was definitely work...the winds have picked up and have started blowing in some of the portages again. Had to push & dig on some of them, but I made it...yanked off the crusher roll and quickly stacked the jeep, gotta go! The winds are sill blowing and I GOTTA get out of here! I helped coordinate an oversize load road closure convoy for Monday, I can't be late....
It was a tough push through the blowing in drifts, but I made it out.

some shots taken with the iPad on this run...

1st: the crusher roll doing a circle check at the Sugarshack. 2nd: one of the portages on GKSR. 3rd: on the ice during the second day. 4th: one of the portages still below the treeline. 5th, 6th, & 7th: some of the cracks in the ice. 8th: a pic of the warning sign for Waite Lake, it has ice issues, and we must cross at a max speed of 10km/hr (6mph). It takes approx 26 mins to cross this lake at 10km/hr! 9th: the view of the boring ice road...
Back into YK...


Time to load up my building out of QC, again...

 

Weather Alert...

oh great! got the building all loaded up, and an oversize road closure scheduled for Monday Mar 3...
the ice road is closed, and everything is "Plus 14hrs of previously booked T-times! and holding"
looks like it's time to break out my toolbox and look for some more patience...

stay tuned for more...

 

It's a stupid show, what few episodes I've actually watched makes us all look like idiots.
Yes they have done a great job of improving that road...

ah, cell service...it's the little things in life that get taken for granted.

 

I asked repeatedly about this. I was told that as long as it is MY jeep and part of MY equipment, yes I am considered "empty"! I asked many times, because I too did not believe it...security has not said anything to me, if I was misinformed, I'm sure they would set me straight.

 

There are a few corners/curves tight enough where I'm concerned if things "bite" it will shear the locking pin. If that happens then if I do get into a jam,there no way to pin up and back out of trouble.
Also, with it pinned and I have to stop while "bound up" being on ice, I may not have the traction to start moving again...I despise chaining up when spun out.
I'm probably overly cautious, but parts are in short supply up here. I broke my pin in December, and the QC load took way longer than I expected. So when I came through home with it, a spare pin was forgotten...hence the caution