May 22 The Canadian Border

There was snow on the ground the next day, but it had stopped snowing. The roads were wet and there were patches of ice on many of the bridges. I was glad that I was used to driving in snow!

I started to see mountains in the distance!

Mountains in every direction!

More mountains and scary signs about using chains from October 1 - April 30! I don't have chains and the truckers didn't have chains on their rigs, so I hoped the passes would not cause me any trouble.

The passes did not cause any trouble, but the wet snow combined with the dirt on the road turned the outside of my newly waxed trailer into a mess!

Cold temperatures combined with a wet muddy road made this icy concoction on the outside of my trailer and when it started to melt, the water dripped into the trailer wetting the 1/3 of my bed - blankets, mattress and all! 

I made it! 276 miles to Shelby, Montana! This very cool artwork of the United States greeted me in my room at the Shelby, Montana medical center.  I got the COVID test there that I would need to cross the border. A "doctor" stuck his head into my room and asked my how I felt. I said I was fine and he left. 45 minutes later I had the COVID document in hand that I needed to cross the border, so off I went.

 The border is about 30 miles north of Shelby, Montana. There was a line of cars waiting at the border. When my turn came, I was asked for my passport and an estimate of how long it would take me to get though Canada. I handed the border patrol woman my passport and said I thought it would take me 6 days to cross Canada. She gave me a different piece of paper and told me to go park and then go into a large government building. I put my mask on and went into the building.  I handed my papers to a man behind a counter. He told me to go sit down.  I sat for about an hour (good thing I had my drawing materials with me!) before my name was called. The agent asked my why I was going through Canada, so I showed him my letters from the State of Alaska saying I was an essential worker. He said, "OK" and told me to go back and sit down again.  A little while later, he called my name again and this time he asked my what I was driving. I said a 2012 black Nissan X-Terra. He said ok and handed my passport back with an official paper from Canada giving me permission to travel to Alaska. Then he said I needed to drive to the COVID test site.  I was given another COVID test even though I had just had one that morning and the results were almost instantaneous. I was given a COVID self-test kit to use if I stayed in Canada for more than 8 days and I was told I needed to turn in the government paper when I reached the border with Alaska. I was also given a paper to tape to the inside of my dash stating that I was an American on my way to Alaska. That meant that I couldn't use the rest stops in Canada unless it was an emergency and I had to wear my mask whenever I was outside of my car. I was tired after going through all that so I drove another 60 miles and ended up camping in Lethbridge, Alberta at the Bridgeview RV Resort. When I checked in I was told that under no circumstances could I use the restroom, or laundry, or go in any building at the park. I could not have a campfire. I was to stay inside my camper for the duration of my stay and if I was seen outside, I would be asked to leave.  I thought, this might be what immigrants feel like. It was awful because I paid the same price as anyone else who wanted to camp there ($50), but I couldn't use any of the facilities! I could wait to leave there the next morning.