cell phone photos from a Canadian Ice Road

[Liquid Artist]

I have recently started my forth year as an ice road trucker and thought that some people may enjoy the photos.
Sorry that they are from a lousy cell phone. I am usually too tired to even consider dragging out a real camera.

This weather front hit us hard the next morning.
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A grader plowing the ice, keeping the road open.
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sorry, I do not know how it got flipped upside down.
My trailers.
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After a security officer, and a grader both got stuck within 10 minutes they parked us there for around 20 hours.
They did not want to risk us getting stuck.

This is a photo of the ice.
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The cracks and bubbles are very similar to what you would see in an ice cube. Just in a bigger scale.

Those pictures were just from my first trip, and I am hoping on 14 more this year. I will try posting photos as I go along.

This year every trip is 3 daya long without any issues.

[RSalles]

Nice! Keep us updated please, it's "cool" to see those infinite roads crossing the snow terrain. White Canada, freezing cold,

Cheers,

Renato

[Mark Sampson]

It's a damn shame that you can't take an LF camera with you... although it's obvious why. Do keep track of your experiences though, one way or another. And stay safe (and warm).

[Liquid Artist]

I do have a box of 8x10 Provia and may be taking my car up for a visit rather than driving it next year. We are based out of Yellowknife, NWT, and it is a beautiful city that I want to explore with the car rather than a big truck.

This year we have to do a little highway travel to load.
This was the highway the other day.
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that was ice, not water. So we parked there until the sand trucks came through. An icy highway is more slippery than a frozen lake, as this trucker proved.
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I am on the trip back to town, and will hopefully see something to pass along other than the story from this trip.

again sorry about the pictures being rotated. This phone does not seem to like me.

[Liquid Artist]

If looks could Kill, I would be Dead.
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It is a Raven, and I think that he wanted to share my lunch.

There is actually a story here about a Raven that eats with a fork. I may post it some time.

Just a truck, driven by a friend.
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[Nodda Duma]

Flipped your upside-down photos for you. That happens sometimes with my iphone. Don't know why it does that, either.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170226/164cbca62063b27bc944fda85117d50a.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170226/aaea826fbdbd5eaddb7ce7f843de8aa9.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170226/8edc74257ea33c246628970dc7a5e705.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170226/83ad21f0de477880d6145c0d8fe2da20.jpg

[Liquid Artist]

thank you Nodda,
I miss my Blackberry which didn't have that glitch. However there isn't any need to rotate square format photos.

[jp]

Thanks
These are fascinating

[Liquid Artist]

not much of a photo, however 5 years ago before I started this job there was an accident between one of our trucks and one hauling explosives. It was a nasty fireball and at least our driver died in the fire.

I had always thought that the trailer was destroyed too, however I just found out that I was wrong.

We had another truck fire the other day, and the driver barely escaped in time. The truck pretty much turned to ashes, and here is a photo of the trailer.
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The same trailer, and the only damage is the placard.
I have started calling it Christine, based on the car movie.

The talk is that they are going to crush it now.

[stawastawa]

sounds like that trailer is cursed, ugh.

[Liquid Artist]

it is spreading it's evil curse.
I was just putting my truck in gear, after posting the photo when I heard on the radio about the next victim.
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4010381

Plus this one happened a few days ago.
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3995134

The second fire the evil trailer caused.
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3995134

The first fire, and death it caused.
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.1368714

I don't think there was a single fire in the five years between.

The good thing is no driver has been hurt this year.
I heard todays driver saying that he was stopping to fix an air issue. Less than a minute later a truck driving the other way told his convoy to stop due to a fireball.

I was the team leader of the next convoy to leave.

[RSalles]

Oh man, dangerous job, hope the payment make it worth. Have driven a gas tank truck few times with a friend as a second driver, sensation of carrying a pile of fresh eggs on my shoulders, maybe worse,

Cheers,

Renato

[BruceO]

Thanks for sharing. I spent several months in Yellowknife and Hay River between 1996 and 2000 testing vehicles. Beautiful area but I sure wouldn't travel alone there without survival equipment. Would definitely love to get back there in the summer. Did they ever put a bridge over the Mackenzie River? I crossed the ice bridge there in between a couple of tankers and that was about as nervous as I've ever been in a car.

[Liquid Artist]

Bruce,
They not only built the bridge, but it is also beautiful.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deh_Cho_Bridge
However it is still scary to drive over.

Cars are free to cross, however commercial vehicles get a huge ticket if they don't pre-pay or have a transponder registered.
I will be crossing it in the next day or 2. If I am not to nervous I will try snapping a photo.

Renato,
When I started they only allowed the best truck drivers they could find to drive the road. Not to mention they also assigned mentors to show us the ropes.
So it was not that dangerous.
However things have changed and they have lowered our wage. So several experienced drivers have quit, and they have hired several people right out of driving school.
So there have been several incidences, including two rolled over fuel trucks.
That is one of the many reasons why I doubt that I will return to drive next year.

[Liquid Artist]

Due to another Blizzard the winter road got closed again, and I happen to be in Yellowknife this time.
Rather than just hanging out with over 200 miserable truckers I chose to head down to the ice castle. Although it was closed I did snap a few photos from the outside.

again sorry if they rotate themselves.

I guess this is a Surfin Bird.
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[Liquid Artist]

I understand that they used to allow people to build floating homes at one time. I love the looks of this one.
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When 4wd just isn't enough.
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[Liquid Artist]

The ice road season is wrapping up, and I am done my last trip.

I haven't seen much worth sharing, however I did meet and shake hands with Alex Debogorski
http://iceroadalex.com/bio/
If you watch the TV show his character is true to life.

Today we went to Buffalo Air, and I spoke to Mike from the show Ice Pilots, and met Joe for the first time.
Here I am with Mike.
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I am the grey haired guy. My friend Jordan is on the other side.

I also went and looked at some ice sculptures.
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I will be heading south to Edmonton Alberta, Canada tomorrow.
Then heading West home to Kelowna, British Columbia within a week.
It has been several months since spending any quality time with my family and I think that I deserve a break.

[RSalles]

Hi,

Nice to read you're safe close to the end of the season.
I use to watch Alex Debogorski at a NatGeo/Discovery series called here "Deadly Roads". He's a great character,
And now, GO HOME!

:)

Cheers,

Renato