ATV on Crack.

Yesterday, my friend Ian, a student up here on an elective, took me Off-Roading in his 1999 Jeep YJ. I've never done off-roading before, and wasn't even sure what it would involve. All he told me before hand was, "wear some shitty clothes, because you might get muddy". In a CAR? I wondered. But good thing I listened. 

It was incredible. I had never really witnessed what a vehicle can do when you push it to the rocky limits. It really made me respect these Jeeps, and not your average SUV at that. These machines are like ATV on Crack, with roll-bars and all. The experience gave me a whole new appreciation on 4-wheel-drive (for quite often our trip depended on just two or sometimes just one wheel to keep us going). There's quite a lot of technical skills it takes to do off-roading safely. You don't just go recklessly into the woods and tear up the trail. But it was amazing. He even let me drive his jeep for a few practice trails. I've always wanted to drive a Jeep. Working the long stick of this heavy-duty machinery was just a blast. 

Ian preparing his blue beast for the trip. 

Entering into the trails. We choose trials that were meant for ATVs in the summer or snowmobiles in the winter. They are like obstacle courses, basically, with hills and poddles and mud and all. We went about 30 minutes south of Dawson Creek into the Bear Mountain and Radar Lake area. 

Me behind the wheel of his blue beast. 

The mighty Jeep tackling another muddy route. 

Ian and I scouting out this mud pile to find the best seam to take. 

More surveying the area before keeping on. 

This was probably the riskiest area. Down a steep slope and onto a bridge that was blocked, so we had to go on the side and into the stream where we almost got stuck. 

Our car richly embedded into the stream and the front bumper catching on the log. We successfully backed the car up and got enough of an angle to craw up the log and get out of trouble. 

Success!

The muddy ride. I even got mud in my HAIR at the end of the trip. That's how much mud we kicked up. 

Ian and I with our proud moments after we finished the trip. 

Dawson Creek Rodeo and Fall Fair

Every year, Dawson Creek holds an annual "Fall Fair" (even though it's in the summer), rich with Rodeos, Chuckwagon races, rides, fair games, and an abundance of cowboys and cowgirls and horses. It's quite a bit thing here, and plenty from nearby towns come by for a piece of the action. In the evening, the fireworks kick start a night of good times and the vibrant beer gardens keeps the fun rolling. It was quite a treat to be here at the right time to be a part of this crazy event. 

Living like high-school boys.

Living here at the dorm room of Northern Lights College reminded me a lot of my first year of medicine at the Grad House in Toronto. University-style dorm rooms, shared kitchen and bathrooms, roommate to play ping-ping with. It was a treat having Mike, a dental student, as a roommate. When I first moved in, although I haven't yet met him, the first thing I noticed was that in the bathroom there was evidence that he flosses. He'd be alright, I thought, for anyone who cared to floss would probably be a decent guy. I was right, he turned out to be a lot of fun as a roommate, and I think we enjoyed each other's company in the solitude that was otherwise in Dawson Creek. He also enjoyed a healthy interest in photography, and we had a good time playing with our toys a little towards the end of our stay together before he left. 

Mike and I trying to shoot the moon on one clear evening after I came back from work. 

Biking around town on our bikes. It was like high-school days again. We went everywhere on bikes and hit the 7-eleven when it was too hot one day. Things slow down when you're in a small town. Life is simpler. We felt like kids again. 

This was our dorm. 

Mike and I playing with our toys. 

Trying to make the best of what was in our kitchen for dinner one evening. 

Our computers head to head.