I Don't Hate Mondays

I went out for lunch with my gal on Saturday before heading to Marsh Lake to spend the weekend with a friend. We took some photos by the local riverboat that has been docked for decades as a museum. It's right in the middle of town, of course, and once carried miners and their supplies up and down the river.


Now that I'm not rousting early and heading into a 9-5 job every day, I don't hate Mondays anymore...and today is a bright and sunny one, here in Whitehorse. Yes, Whitehorse. My intention was to drive out from my friend's place at Marsh Lake where I was to spend Saturday and Sunday night. I wasn't there long before I discovered I had forgotten something at my daughter's - the barbecue, and I had come out to barbecue for everyone...we solved that by cooking over campfire instead, which did turn out quite well.  Sunday we went for a nice walk in the local area past several spirit houses that are erected by the local First Nations folk. The lake bed was quite dry so my friend's kids were out paddling in the remaining channels.




After recalling more than 4 things I had forgotten, i finally decided to return to Whitehorse for the night with my daughter and pick up the items. So I packed up the van, and had it warming up while I was saying goodbye to my friend when she asked where the spare tire was. i told her it was underneath so she took a peek and noticed the oil running out of the van in a small but steady stream. Holy shit. So I checked the oil level - nearly non-detectable...holy shit again. I dumped in two litres that I had, and it managed to bring it up to the low notch...holy shit.  I decided to take off for town right then and get the oil leak checked out the following day.




Once back in Whitehorse, my daughter's boyfriend took a peek underneath where it was leaking and figures the oil filter has become punctured and I'm losing oil there.  Apparently the oil filter is exposed beneath the engine, and I had driven in 5kms of rough road on the trip to Skagway, as they were repaving and laying new gravel underneath - it is entirely possible that was what happened, and the rock became dislodged once I was home.  There are two long drip lines from the driveway here to the street from Saturday I reckon, when I left for Marsh Lake.  So I have an appointment for another oil change, and if that isn't the issue, I have the number of a reportedly good VW mechanic just outside of town, so may have to check into that.






The implications of this issue though impact my next move. If gravel roads can easily damage the oil filter, as the b/f told me it appears to be very vulnerable with no guard to protect it from rock damage, then I may not be able to drive my intended route.  I had planned on driving west to Watson Lake, and then south on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, however much of it was unpaved the last time I traveled it so shall have to check into that as well. I really don't want to drive south again on the Alaska Highway to my sister's in Houston as it is a much longer route, though in better shape. Decisions, decisions...


As well, not being able to drive to Boya Lake today puts me behind another day. I don't really want to keep much of a schedule, but sometimes the visits have to coincide with the schedule of the people I'm visiting, so I've had to switch things around, cut visits short, stay longer other places while work is done on the van, etc.