I am a Banana Eating Fool

 As I approached Liard (lee ard) Hot Springs Lodge around noon day before yesterday, I decided I could go no more.  Going in with the attitude that they could screw me over any way they wanted,  I got a room for about $200C and told them I would like to charge at one of their "30 amp" RV stalls.  Another ~$70C.  The next morning, I found the RV park full so they were justified in charging the $70C.  I stayed in bed for about 20 hours there but recovered little.  I subsequently learned that they have a poor reputation.  Something about "First Nation" land.  "First Nation" seems to be Canadian politically correct speak for Indian / Indigenous Peoples / etc.  Since most such lodges in the area have gone to StarLink, I was surprised to learn that I could not immediately get a wifi password.  Why?  They were in the middle of a daily password change.  That lodge seemed to be trying to squeeze customers for every dollar possible without regard to customer inconvenience.  The daily password change was to minimize the number of drop in customers using wifi but not paying.   I later learned that they are still on geosynchronous satellite service.  StarLink data is MUCH cheaper so that there is no incentive to squeeze customers.  Changing the password is a significant labor cost.   I was not permitted to hook the car to wifi so the car had no internet presence.   The car was nearly visible from my room but I could not access it.  Normally, I leave raising car windows and locking to be done from the comfort of my room.  To do that in areas with no cell service, hooking car to wifi is required. The walk to the car was arduous in my condition so I left the windows down during an overnight rain.   They were on a boil water notice so they gave me two pints of bottled water to carry up the stairs to my room.  Over the night, I drank all that water and could find no more even though I looked. 

I left just after dawn and was surprised that I was doing so poorly.  I attributed to my two week diet of almost exclusively junk food.  Normally, I eat one or more bananas each day.  I could not find a comfortable driving position.  All limbs hurt.  Normally, only my left leg hurts significantly.  After a few ~40 mile stops to walk a bit, I got to a place I had stopped on my way up.  It was quite a contrast to Liard.  On the way up, I was allowed to charge off of a normal 120vac outlet.  But, generator voltage fluctuations limited charge rate to about 3mph;  "normal" is about 5mph.  That place is Testa River Lodge (as I recall).  The first time through, the guy did not want to charge a fee but I made him take $10US.  I later learned that the fee for charging in that area was $60-$70C.  This time, I asked the guy if he had any bananas and/or Tylenol.  He gave me two slightly old bananas and three sample packs of expired Tylenol.  I took Tylenol and ate both bananas in short order.  And, immediately felt a lot better; little pain in three limbs.  I was able to drive normally without un necessary stops.

I had to seek a charge going up at Testa because a Rivian was sitting on the 6kw J1772 charge station provided at the Ft Nelson visitor's center.  In Ft Nelson, I had stayed at Blue Bell Inn which is probably the cheapest of the Ft Nelson options.  By my standards, completely acceptable at $80C.  So, I'm staying with them again tonight.  Between my two stays, I had acquired a TT30 to normal 120 adapter which allows me to charge off of "30 amp" RV outlets.  Right now, I am charging at 9-10 mph at the hotel.  Should be ready to roll about 4am.  I did the same at Liard and, charging to 95%, brought it up to about 250 miles.  About 260 miles should be a 100% charge.  When the car was new, 100%  was 315+ miles.

Tomorrow I hope to get to Ft St John early enough to get my cell phone glass replaced by the guy that saved the trip last time through.

Edson is the closest SuperCharger.  I have a report that Edson was evacuated because of fires.  So. I'm eager to hear more news on that situation.