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| August 01, 2008. Day 51 - Johnny D. Charlie Visitor Centre 1km from Peel River Ferry - 44 km from Eagle Plains |
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| Woke up to a sky so grey and cloudy, we couldn't even tell where the sun
was. Robert Alexie Sr. drove into the parking lot and welcomed us warmly. Fresh coffee, hot woodstove and great stories and personal photos kept us entertained and educated until it was time to leave around 3pm. Not too long after leaving, the back tire is flat. We replace it and get going again. Unfortunately the rear rim got damaged. The Dempster Highway lives up to its reputation. The rear rim got bent after it hit a baseball size rock, the road create another casualty. Marcelo hear unusual sounds from the back wheel so we pull into grounds of Midway Lake Festival to check it out. Nuts and bolts are inspected, the wheel lock nut is tighten a bit more. It seems ok and the occasion allows us to meet some Germans who have just returned from 10 days conservation trip along the Snake River with local Gwich'in students. Tom Andersch explains how the trip was organized by Wilderness International to increase awareness of future encroachment on the lands by mining companies. Filmmaker student Robert Morgenstern asks Marcelo some questions and films our departure. Back on the road, no more unusual sounds from the rear wheel, I guess the rear wheel just need some TLC or Marcelo was looking for an excuse to check out the Midway Lake Festival :) 5 minutes later the XOF1 right front tire blows. After replacing it, we drive on for another hour and half before stopping to charge again. With not much more charge in the batteries, two hours later we move the car to a wider shoulder and call it a night. We cross NT/ Yukon border and continental divide around 7pm. Hey, this is the 6th time we cross a continental divide. Is that a new world record for a solar car? We were wondering how many world records this project is braking, hum lets see... World record for operating below freezing temperatures -12C (back in 2005) World record for the most northern place reached by a solar car - 2 degrees above the Arctic circle (we'll be giving this one another go sometime in the future). World record for crossing the arctic circle - 2 times. World record for the longest solar car documentary on the making 9 years - since the project started. World record for the longest drive on an ice road - we might be giving this record another go next winter. World record for the longest solar car project to be build - not particular proud of this one :) World record for crossing the continental divide - 6 times. Hey, that's a lot of mountain climbing. Whoever designed the first roller coaster must been born in western Canada and made a roller coaster to feel at home. World record for solar car driving on the most rainy days, we lost count on this one. World record for climbing the most mountains. World record for the most flat tires. World record for setting up the array to charge the batteries. What? do we have to set it up again? World record for a solar car driver longest solo drive (the SolarTaxi plugs in to charge the battery. Otherwise, they would hold the record) World record for not taking a washroom break while driving the solar car - 6 hours - Marcelo you are crazy!!!! World record for a solar car fighting government bureaucracy - 3 years and counting! World record for wolf, bear and other wildlife encounter. World record for being called UFO - We start saying "take me to your leader". World record for a solar car team eating the most granola bars, pop, energy drinks, chocolate, trails mix, Mr.Noodles, oatmeal, etc... (Any food or drink company interested in sponsoring us. The media will decently see us eating and drinking your products). etc... There are probably a feel we could come up with but that's enough for now. Hey, here is one last one, world record for setting the most world records! Special thanks to Ron McGill from Pasadena, California, USA for adopting 1km. |
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