Road trips

[MetalPSI]

I work on the road most time of the year.

I live in Alberta, but my territory is BC, mostly by choice. I love the mountains

Being in a union, I bid for a position and get assigned to it, until a more attractive bid comes out. This year I didn't get the posting I wanted, and I decided to stay in Alberta.

Absolutely hated it. Took me 4 or 5 months to figure it out, before I did something about it.

I've been with this company since 2018, and I've been working in BC for the majority of that time, and this year has taught me I belong out there.

Anyways, I do a LOT of driving. In 2 shifts I have driven 3200kms in a month. Going to get winter tires and a alignment done on the car today, and I'm absolutely ecstatic about it. Gave the car a much needed oil change on Friday.

I see a lot of things on the road, and at work, so I'll use this thread to share those pictures

[MetalPSI]

So normally, I'd take highway 1 to most places I work that are in central BC.

This year, and for most of the year, a large construction project has highway 1 closed just outside of Golden, BC. It's quite the detour through the Kootenay Pass, of which rests the continental divide.

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Highway 93 through the Kootenays is a single lane that has passing lanes at points along it. Takes about an hour from start to finish, and some of the highest points through that particular mountain range. Most inclines and declines are around 8%

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[MetalPSI]

So last week had me driving to Cache Creek BC, a little town about an hour west outside of Kamloops. With the dreaded detour it's roughly 820kms from my place to the hotel

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I wish I had taken more pictures of the area, it's very much a desert, and unique for the interior of BC

I'll have to leave around 8am tomorrow to drive to this week's section which is in Merrit,BC , a small town about an hour south of Kamloops.

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It's about 815kms from my house to the hotel I'll be staying at

[MetalPSI]

Earlier this year I was working in the south of Alberta. In this corridor there are exceptionally high winds, and so there are lots of wind farms

This is along the stretch of highway 3 near Pincher Creek, AB.

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These were taken somewhere between Brocket and Pincher Creek

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[MetalPSI]

Whenever I work on southern BC, I'll usually take highway 22 down to highway 3 and work my way west from there

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I like highway 22, its fairly flat, just a bit windy. There are wind speed signs periodically along the highway. It's basically in the deep foothills before the mountain range really starts along the BC/Alberta border. It is mostly cattle grazing/ranches. It's a great hunting area for deer and elk as well.

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[MetalPSI]

Here are some random sights while working in the bush.

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Met this fella or lass, last year. Can't remember where exactly, other than it was BC between Creston and Golden. Which is a huge area lol

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The above series was taken in that area of BC along highway BC95/BC93, between Cranbrook and Golden

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[MetalPSI]

This year was hell. My territory was everything from the Alberta border, eastwards to the Manitoba boarder. The Pincher Creek area is included, which is the most exciting part of this territory. The rest is nothing but flat scrub/farm land. Most of my shifts were at night as well, which I never used to mind, I've done a LOT of night shifts while in the oil field.

Management in this territory is horrible. I'm hoping to never have to work this territory ever again, at least until some sort of upper management change takes place. It's amazing how different the company is from one territory to another. It's almost like working for a completely different company. Anyways, not many pictures to be had this year, but here are a few

This is Vulcan, AB. Many references to Star Trek, some cheesy, some pretty cool. It's a tourist thing, that really doesn't see a lot of tourism.

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[MetalPSI]

This is somewhere in the middle of Saskatchewan. Northern lights. Pictures are terrible, but did my best

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Not sure what bird calls this home, also somewhere in Saskatchewan

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Was caught in a blizzard in Saskatchewan, had to head back home after shift this night as well

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[MetalPSI]

Pam and I went trail riding at a ranch just off highway 40 in the Kananaskis area

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I never been riding before, they gave me the biggest horse named Tonka, and had me at the very back of the pack. He was a strong horse

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[MetalPSI]

Some more BC pics while at work last year

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