Grande Prairie , Alberta

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Having the likes of Wiebo Ludwig for a neighbour (Hythe AB) probably doesn't help their outlook! :lol:
 

Kakato

Time Out
Jun 10, 2009
4,929
21
38
Alberta/N.W.T./Sask/B.C
yes, only once.. and decided to take 5 from then on. Vancouver to Lethbridge run.. still would have been shorter taking hwy 5 I think. lol

#5 would be the long way I think,#3 is a straight shot from Leth. to Vancouver and shortest route to the coast but it's not twinned yet so gets very busy.Been waiting 30 years now for them to start on the twinning.
With the long weekend it would probably take me 20 minutes just to get on to the highway.
 

B00Mer

Make Canada Great Again
Sep 6, 2008
47,127
8,145
113
Rent Free in Your Head
www.canadianforums.ca
#5 would be the long way I think,#3 is a straight shot from Leth. to Vancouver and shortest route to the coast but it's not twinned yet so gets very busy.Been waiting 30 years now for them to start on the twinning.
With the long weekend it would probably take me 20 minutes just to get on to the highway.

Yes it's the longer way as far as miles... but because hwy 3 is winding, curves and steep grades and your climbing or crawling up or down a hill.. it's a shorter time to take 5..

By car, hell yeah I would take hwy 3..with 65,000lbs payload.. I'll take hwy 5, across hwy 1 to Calgary and then hwy 2 south..

Even with a jake break, you're lucky if you can do 30km/h into Osoyoos... if that.
 

Kakato

Time Out
Jun 10, 2009
4,929
21
38
Alberta/N.W.T./Sask/B.C
Yes it's the longer way as far as miles... but because hwy 3 is winding, curves and steep grades and your climbing or crawling up or down a hill.. it's a shorter time to take 5..

By car, hell yeah I would take hwy 3..with 65,000lbs payload.. I'll take hwy 5, across hwy 1 to Calgary and then hwy 2 south..
or the longview road but only if it's not windy.I sometimes take 21,you get to see the starship enterprise in Vulcan that way before it comes to #3.
Sure is a lot of paved back roads in Alberta.The folks in SK would be jealous if they seen how many.:)
 

B00Mer

Make Canada Great Again
Sep 6, 2008
47,127
8,145
113
Rent Free in Your Head
www.canadianforums.ca
or the longview road but only if it's not windy.I sometimes take 21,you get to see the starship enterprise in Vulcan that way before it comes to #3.
Sure is a lot of paved back roads in Alberta.The folks in SK would be jealous if they seen how many.:)

LOL yeah.. and going North.. just before you get to Vulcan there is a nice picnic area at the base of a coolie on the left.. really nice and shady.

Yeah.. been that way plenty a time.. love that road. I cut off and hit hwy 2 at Okotoks.

Hell, going up to Grande Prairie I take hwy 20, to hwy 22 up to Mayerthorp.. then hwy 43.. save myself 1 hour vs going up to Edmonton and running along the Yellowhead.. truck is set at 103 km/h

They are twinning outside Drayton Valley and building a new bridge over the North Sask River..
 

Kakato

Time Out
Jun 10, 2009
4,929
21
38
Alberta/N.W.T./Sask/B.C
LOL yeah.. and going North.. just before you get to Vulcan there is a nice picnic area at the base of a coolie on the left.. really nice and shady.

Yeah.. been that way plenty a time.. love that road. I cut off and hit hwy 2 at Okotoks.

Hell, going up to Grande Prairie I take hwy 20, to hwy 22 up to Mayerthorp.. then hwy 43.. save myself 1 hour vs going up to Edmonton and running along the Yellowknife.. truck is set at 103 km/h

The highwood pass is also awesome but not exactly truck friendly,I take that when I was working in Canmore,it comes out at longview and you can also access the kananaskis road by going that way,all gravel and it comes out in either the pass or Maycroft if you take the gap road through the livingstone range.
Last time I went to G.P. i pulled in at a gas station on the reserve,then I noticed all the windows and glass were smashed out and could see people inside so I got the hell out.

Couple more years and I should be able to say I have driven every road in the province maybe.
I get lost lots.The boys on the pipeline call me "wrong way"
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
I can't say you're entirely wrong about GP. Boom towns have that effect. Transient populations make for a loss of the sense of community, and create a toxic environment.

But, I will point out that walking in and in less than a week doing nothing but judging, sniping and mocking the people, is exactly WHY that environment exists in the first place.

Get off the main drags, out of trucker central, go walk Muskoseepi Park where families are playing with their kids (or, perhaps not being a trucker all by yourself but you get what I mean), and you'll see another side to the city too. Hit the Multiplex. Check out the Farmer's Market. There's more to a city than a brief trip through the transient arteries of it.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
I can't say you're entirely wrong about GP. Boom towns have that effect. Transient populations make for a loss of the sense of community, and create a toxic environment.

But, I will point out that walking in and in less than a week doing nothing but judging, sniping and mocking the people, is exactly WHY that environment exists in the first place.

Get off the main drags, out of trucker central, go walk Muskoseepi Park where families are playing with their kids (or, perhaps not being a trucker all by yourself but you get what I mean), and you'll see another side to the city too. Hit the Multiplex. Check out the Farmer's Market. There's more to a city than a brief trip through the transient arteries of it.

I like your attitude. :smile:
 

B00Mer

Make Canada Great Again
Sep 6, 2008
47,127
8,145
113
Rent Free in Your Head
www.canadianforums.ca
I can't say you're entirely wrong about GP. Boom towns have that effect. Transient populations make for a loss of the sense of community, and create a toxic environment.

But, I will point out that walking in and in less than a week doing nothing but judging, sniping and mocking the people, is exactly WHY that environment exists in the first place.

Get off the main drags, out of trucker central, go walk Muskoseepi Park where families are playing with their kids (or, perhaps not being a trucker all by yourself but you get what I mean), and you'll see another side to the city too. Hit the Multiplex. Check out the Farmer's Market. There's more to a city than a brief trip through the transient arteries of it.

1st off, this was pretty much a regular run.. GP 3 times a week.. for 6 months.. little more than a week..

2nd. I get off the main drags and I am not in "trucker central"

3rd.. going back up there with another load today. yuck.. but $$$$ talks

Maybe this time I can get some pics of live bears or a moose to post in this thread.. woOt!
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
129
63
Toronto
1st off, this was pretty much a regular run.. GP 3 times a week.. for 6 months.. little more than a week..

2nd. I get off the main drags and I am not in "trucker central"

3rd.. going back up there with another load today. yuck.. but $$$$ talks

Maybe this time I can get some pics of live bears or a moose to post in this thread.. woOt!

Good for you, you make a good living doing stuff this country needs. Cheers to you
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
1st off, this was pretty much a regular run.. GP 3 times a week.. for 6 months.. little more than a week..

2nd. I get off the main drags and I am not in "trucker central"

3rd.. going back up there with another load today. yuck.. but $$$$ talks

Maybe this time I can get some pics of live bears or a moose to post in this thread.. woOt!



Too bad you're stuck in a truck and can't wheel off toward Sturgeon Lake... plenty of wildlife back in there. Highway 40 is really where you want to be for wildlife though.

BTW a side note..... I've lived in plenty of these oilboom towns, and between HighLevel, Fort St John, and Grande Prairie, and what I've heard of Fort Mac, GP's still not the worst one to be stuck driving to.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Too bad you're stuck in a truck and can't wheel off toward Sturgeon Lake... plenty of wildlife back in there. Highway 40 is really where you want to be for wildlife though.

BTW a side note..... I've lived in plenty of these oilboom towns, and between HighLevel, Fort St John, and Grande Prairie, and what I've heard of Fort Mac, GP's still not the worst one to be stuck driving to.

You didn't mention Zama- spent a week there a few years ago, not much to do there besides smacking mosquitos and prowling the muskeg. :lol:
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
Zama was never much of a 'boom town' though. I spent some time up there visiting, never lived there myself but my sister did. It was smaller, more friendly, everyone knew everyone. It doesn't come close to the other 4.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Zama was never much of a 'boom town' though. I spent some time up there visiting, never lived there myself but my sister did. It was smaller, more friendly, everyone knew everyone. It doesn't come close to the other 4.

Smaller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we were there the one store in "town" was closed because the owner died. The plan at one time was to punch a road through from Fort Nelson, but not sure if that will ever happen.
 

B00Mer

Make Canada Great Again
Sep 6, 2008
47,127
8,145
113
Rent Free in Your Head
www.canadianforums.ca
Too bad you're stuck in a truck and can't wheel off toward Sturgeon Lake... plenty of wildlife back in there. Highway 40 is really where you want to be for wildlife though.

BTW a side note..... I've lived in plenty of these oil boom towns, and between High Level, Fort St John, and Grande Prairie, and what I've heard of Fort Mac, GP's still not the worst one to be stuck driving to.

Oh eh!! I do.. I have to shut down for 10 hrs rest.. I park it near some houses on Sturgeon Lake.. ;)
 

B00Mer

Make Canada Great Again
Sep 6, 2008
47,127
8,145
113
Rent Free in Your Head
www.canadianforums.ca
Yeah? You don't just go park at the gorgeous gas station? lol.

nah.. here are a few of my favorite over night parking spots..



PCH, El Segundo,CA by LAX - Good Morning.. Santa Monica in the distance..



US/ Mexico border along I8. ICE sat on the far side on my rig most of the night..




Mohave Desert.. found a nice place to pull over for the night.. the mountains in the back ground.. by the way..

what's with all the fuss about mars anyhow... I am happy to say... already.... (WAIT FOR IT)



BIN THERE.... LOL :lol:
 

Kakato

Time Out
Jun 10, 2009
4,929
21
38
Alberta/N.W.T./Sask/B.C
You didn't mention Zama- spent a week there a few years ago, not much to do there besides smacking mosquitos and prowling the muskeg. :lol:

Zama,we left a sideboom up there once for a month and never saw it again.

My buddy used to phone me at 2am allmost every morning,hauling ditchers and stuff up there and his water bottle was froze solid in his Pete.After 2 months of steady hauling he drove the truck to the airport and drug up and flew home.

I can't say you're entirely wrong about GP. Boom towns have that effect. Transient populations make for a loss of the sense of community, and create a toxic environment.

But, I will point out that walking in and in less than a week doing nothing but judging, sniping and mocking the people, is exactly WHY that environment exists in the first place.

Get off the main drags, out of trucker central, go walk Muskoseepi Park where families are playing with their kids (or, perhaps not being a trucker all by yourself but you get what I mean), and you'll see another side to the city too. Hit the Multiplex. Check out the Farmer's Market. There's more to a city than a brief trip through the transient arteries of it.

So true,I get punted all over Sask and Alberta and allways small towns so I usually spend a few hours driving around exploring.You can look at the boom stuff and concentrate on that or go look for a nice fishing hole or visit a museum as most towns have one.
You will allways see what you are looking to see if you look hard enough in any town or city.

I was up at 3:30am yesterday,on the road to sk by 4am and at the jobsite by 10:00. At 5 I was called to go to consort,hour and a half and allmost there and another call to go to Coronation where i'm at now.
I did the Coronation ten inch water line a few years ago so it is nice to come back because I know the town better now.

The Norwegians settled the town of Coronation,lots of pretty blondes!

This is what I like about rural Alberta and SK,it's such a small world.

Went down the the Coronation co-op for something to nibble on and asked a guy on the street about the buck buster bumper on his truck,he noticed my westcastle decal on the truck and asked if I was from the pass,it was Mr. Kovach,he has been away for allmost 40 years,we had a good chat. Small world.
I also have another job contact and offer now.lol!
 
Last edited: