Back to Likely!

On the second day of their visit we took Syb and Dave out to Likely and Quesnel Forks.

After lunch at the Likely Hotel we drove down the gravel road to the Forks.  Halfway down the hill we heard a hissing sound.  We'd blown a tire!

We pulled into a Placer mining operation to change the tire.  Leo pulled out the jack and tried to lower down the spare tire from under the truck.  This was the first flat we'd had since we bought the truck.  There was no way the jack extension would fit into the mechanism to lower the tire.  We pulled out the manual and we were doing everything right.  It still wouldn't work.  It was clear that the thingy would not connect to the other thingy no matter what we did!  Leo was not relishing walking the 13 km back to Likely to get to a payphone (no cell reception out here!).

Finally he rummaged around under the back seat and discovered a small chrome piece in a plastic bag.  It fit into the tube so that it connected to the thingy and Leo was able to lower the tire!  No mention of the connecter anywhere in the manual!

Then after the nuts were loosened on the flat tire, the wheel was stuck fast.  No amount of kicking it would knock it off.

Leo tries to knock wheel off with piece of wood. That didn't work either.

Fortunately, the placer miner had left his tools lying around, including a mallet and an expensive axe.  Leo didn't want to bend his rim, but half measures were not working.  Eventually he whacked the axe with all his might and the wheel finally came off.  Phew, disaster averted!

With the tire changed we pulled forward a few metres and entered the townsite.

Sybille checks out the Tong House

First time I've noticed this old truck

Inspecting the Forks of Cariboo and Quesnel Rivers