Day 49

18. June 2000, Terrace to Smithers

The last week has been very busy: We have had test drive after test drive and long drives inbetween. Cars and drivers are starting to feel the strain and there has been a lot of damage to the cars. Tomorrow we have our first real rest day since Anchorage and we are very much looking forward to it as we are all very tired. British Columbia seems to be more lively than Yukon and people are more open. They show their enthusiasm openly when they see us pass by and they start conversations with us. Yukon people are said to be much more self-dependent (not surprising when you look at the population figures). Smithers is a ski resort but also a real town with cattle farms outside: One postscard refers to it as a Canadian "Switzerland".
Our test section today, was given more time (thanks to the rally office for that) so that we could drive it very carefully without penalty. It went up to Babine Lake, the longest lake in British Columbia and back to Smithers.

TC 154: Terrace OUT
8:
 17  
PC Kitgawa      
PC Moricetown      
TC 155: Smithers IN
11:
 17 225.6 km
TC 156: Smithers OUT
12:
 04  
TC 157: Granisle IN
13:
 24

85.2 km
TC 159: Topley Landing IN
14:
 24 9.43 km
TC 161: Telwa IN
16:
 14 137.07 km

Overall 1 hour 11 minutes penalty

The official results can be looked up on this website

Lots of skiing (Heli) can be done around Smithers. Mountains in the background and a farm in the foreground. We are starting to see more cattle now.

Sami, Kevin and Mark (USA) in front of their Mercedes Ponton 220S. Kevin writes articles for car magazines such as "Automotive" so he gets to test-drive all these new cars. He knows about cars and rallies in general, so we often ask him for advice.

  

The tests in the past few days have always looked similar: a combination of dust and gravel, sometimes with broken or "washboard" tarmac underneath.
Gravel does not become the windshields, especially when another car is overtaking: There is a crack going right from the bottom to the top of our windscreen (on the left of the photo). Others have had their screen totally smashed.

Lumber industry: we have not seen much of it until yesterday as trees in the north do not grow very much, but now it is a common sight.