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Old 01-13-2017, 11:13 PM   #1
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Baja 2017, Maybe

2016 was a crazy year and so far 2017 has been pretty crazy.

The unusual, for Vancouver, prolonged cold weather and snow has added another dimension for preparing for our trip South. First hacking and breaking up ice and snow from the canopy (cap in American Speak ) and then the trailer roof and having to deal with a trailer cover than was frozen and stiff.

Then today having to take a pick to the 2" of ice coating my power cord, pouring boiling water over my stabilizer pads and having to thaw the receiver to remove a reflector before I could put the stinger on.

But we're loaded and ready to go. Neighbors must have been wondering about a guy putting a kayak on roof racks in below freezing weather.

I-5 weather has been discussed lots recently and we're hoping for a clear shot through. If all goes well we'll be through Siskyou on Monday before the nasty stuff starts again.

The bad weather also did a lot of damage to the main highway in Baja and things tend to get repaired slower there. We're prepared to deal with that.

The real wild card right now is political protest. Gas prices were deregulated on Jan. 1 and this has caused widespread protests with blockades of tanker trucks. This is winding down but there are still some problems. The real worry is that the Mexican government has scheduled a price increase that will result in another increase in gas prices. Not a great idea to throw in a second increase while folks are steaming mad about the first.

So we'll be looking at the situation very carefully before we make a final decision.

Ron
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Old 01-14-2017, 12:16 AM   #2
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Drive safe....
Enjoy wherever you may end up--we await pictures..

It is warmer today than it has been , but our trailer still has a huge snow pile in front of it--very little on the roof as Doug cleared it a couple times, but no way we could go anywhere with it...
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:21 AM   #3
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I must start watching more BBC news on TV. Didn't know Mexico is currently in an uproar over gasoline price hikes. Needing more real news reporting, instead of the constant drumbeat of...well, let's not get too politically ugh-correct.

Glad you're not currently on the road south and into that awful mix currently in everyone's path. Had been wondering if you'd left yet. Once arriving at Quartzsite... I have been toying with a day trip across the border just, as Edmund Hillary once said, because it's there. Of course, now if I do it it will be with a full tank. We shall see.
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Old 01-14-2017, 10:48 AM   #4
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The gas situation is one thing but the civil unrest could increase and turn it into something else. When the Generals start distancing themselves from the government there's cause for concern.

At any rate, time to go out, unthaw my frozen doors and start down the road. Or as we say every time we head off, "on the road again".

One way or another, see you in Quartzsite.

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Old 01-14-2017, 12:31 PM   #5
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Myron our local public radio broadcasts BBC news early in the morning so I enjoy waking up to news from around the world with a very different perspective!
Maybe I should rephrase "enjoy waking up"!!!
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Old 01-14-2017, 05:49 PM   #6
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At any rate, time to go out, unthaw my frozen doors and start down the road. Or as we say every time we head off, "on the road again".
So, hey, do you have a blue tow vehicle and you were just south of Seattle around 2PM today? If so, I saw ya! I saw what looked like some darker colored objects on the roof of the tow and wondered if they were kayaks. too much traffic my side (going north) to get a really good look, but wondered if it was you.
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Old 01-14-2017, 08:02 PM   #7
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Yup, right time frame. Just moving with the flow through my favorite Everett-Olympia corridor.

We usually overnight at the last rest stop in WA but it's cold so we decided paying at an RV Place, Camp Kalama, was a better option. I'd rather have an electric heater than the furnace cycling on and off all night. Must be getting close to Portland because the amount of snow on the ground is increasing.

Should be heading through Portland in a.m. and stopping at Rogue River.

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Old 01-14-2017, 08:06 PM   #8
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Ooh, jet boat ride on the Rogue.
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:12 PM   #9
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Must be getting close to Portland because the amount of snow on the ground is increasing.
Just be careful when you come through Portland, we're still slippery as $not here, because we can't get above freezing! It's currently 24 degrees with a 14 mph wind at the airport. 21 degrees and an 18mph wind at my house! The snow and ice aren't going anywhere
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:27 PM   #10
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Just be careful when you come through Portland, we're still slippery as $not here, because we can't get above freezing! It's currently 24 degrees with a 14 mph wind at the airport. 21 degrees and an 18mph wind at my house! The snow and ice aren't going anywhere
Donna, weather aside, how is I-5 through Portland, in general, on a Sunday? It looks like we'll probably be going through there the 22nd.
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:34 PM   #11
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Yup, right time frame. Just moving with the flow through my favorite Everett-Olympia corridor.

We usually overnight at the last rest stop in WA but it's cold so we decided paying at an RV Place, Camp Kalama, was a better option. I'd rather have an electric heater than the furnace cycling on and off all night. Must be getting close to Portland because the amount of snow on the ground is increasing.

Should be heading through Portland in a.m. and stopping at Rogue River.

Ron
Camp Kalama, huh? Mary was raised in Kalama and her Dad owned the pharmacy there before becoming a Port Commissioner after he retired. Should have stopped here in Tumwater instead-our driveway has better rates! 😜
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:49 PM   #12
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Must be getting close to Portland because the amount of snow on the ground is increasing.

Should be heading through Portland in a.m. and stopping at Rogue River.

Ron
Further south on I-5 as when you cross the Columbia is Hayden island, there is a commercial campground there called Jantz ... something. We like it because its very close to Portland which Kim and I love spending time visiting as it's not your typical big US city, very unique.
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:51 PM   #13
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Ooh, jet boat ride on the Rogue.
Lots of fun there. What a John Wayne movie was filmed there. I can't recall.
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:54 PM   #14
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Donna, weather aside, how is I-5 through Portland, in general, on a Sunday? It looks like we'll probably be going through there the 22nd.
Dave, normally Sunday's on I-5 are pretty quiet unless there's a home Blazer game. If the weather cooperates, you can take I-205 and go completely around downtown by coming out east and connect back up to I-5 north of Vancouver, WA. I've given up trying to predict the weather however!
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:56 PM   #15
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...a commercial campground there called Jantz ... something..
Jantzen Beach.
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Old 01-14-2017, 09:59 PM   #16
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Just be careful when you come through Portland, we're still slippery as $not here, because we can't get above freezing! It's currently 24 degrees with a 14 mph wind at the airport. 21 degrees and an 18mph wind at my house! The snow and ice aren't going anywhere
Thanks for the warning. I've already had a taste of the slippery part. The road in here was a downhill sheet of ice. If I have to do this too often I think my next mod will be ABS trailer brakes.

Portland seems to have won the weather lottery with the wind storm tonight.

Glad we have an electric blanket with us.

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Old 01-14-2017, 10:06 PM   #17
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Jantzen Beach.
Yes that's the campground on Hayden Island Donna, thank you.
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Old 01-14-2017, 10:36 PM   #18
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Dave, normally Sunday's on I-5 are pretty quiet unless there's a home Blazer game. If the weather cooperates, you can take I-205 and go completely around downtown by coming out east and connect back up to I-5 north of Vancouver, WA. I've given up trying to predict the weather however!
Yeah, I'd advise taking 205 over 5 any day of the week. I detest driving 5 through Portland. Scares the willies out of me!
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Old 01-15-2017, 12:16 AM   #19
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Hi Ron,
I'm not in your drivers seat nor am I watching the weather continuously .... but here is some free advice and probably as valuable:
I recommend back tracking if necessary to get to the coast ... 101. Tonight New Port, Ore is cold but tomorrow and for the next three days is in the 50's by day and not much colder at night. Sunday - mostly sunny 46day/37night, Monday 51d/50n partly sunny, Tuesday about the same with rain heavy at times. Coos Bay .... by the time you are there ... out of freeze zone but perhaps heavy rain and wind.

If it were me ... and I'm not a weather routing expert, I'd avoid Portland. Trouble there is all the idiots that don't know how to drive in slippery conditions. They have 4wd go but don't know that they don't have 4wd stop. Head to the coast and avoid the ice.

Hope this helps,
Tom
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Old 01-15-2017, 12:50 AM   #20
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More free advice .... get to the coast and continue on down 101 til just north of Ukiah ... look for highway 20 ( Capella exit). this is a pretty good cut over to I -5. Probably taking I-5 past Sacramento (heavy freeway traffic) is easier than 101 through San Francisco (heavy stop and go city traffic).

Good Luck Ron,

Tom
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