Help needed, stuck in BC - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

RatherDashing · 06-24-2012, 04:48 PM

I'm hoping that somebody here can help. Me and my family are stuck in Valenont on highway 5. We are trying to get back to Calgary and Grande Prairie (2 cars). I have only spotty Internet access, and am hoping that somebody can figure out a route home for us. There is flooding and mud slides everywhere that have a number of the highways closed. Help us CP, you're our only hope!

Rerun · 06-24-2012, 04:55 PM

You can't take Hwy 5 north to the turnoff to Jasper and continue on to Jasper on Hwy 16?

drewboy12 · 06-24-2012, 05:00 PM

Buy a map... They exist in a non-Internet verity.

GirlySports · 06-24-2012, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rerun

You can't take Hwy 5 north to the turnoff to Jasper and continue on to Jasper on Hwy 16?

Yes this is correct. Go north to Highway 16.

Rerun · 06-24-2012, 05:09 PM

Looks like heading south on Hwy 5 to Kamloops and then on thru the Schuswap is he worse option... more flooding that way and mudslides.
I think your best option is to head north on Hwy 5 and turn off at the Hwy 16 junction and head to Jasper. There is one area flooded on that Hwy but it looks better than the southern route

Here's what I got from the web about Hwy 16 near the turn off to Hwy 5

Closed in both directions 26 km east of Junction with Highway 5, in Tete Jaune Cache because of Flooding. No detour available. Estimated time of opening 6:00 pm. Low confidence level. Updated on Sun Jun 24 at 2:54 pm PDT. (ID# 134163)

DownhillGoat · 06-24-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drewboy12

Buy a map... They exist in a non-Internet verity.

Paper maps don't exactly show road closures...

freedogger · 06-24-2012, 06:15 PM

North to Jasper seems the best route.
Transcanada closed until sometime on Monday at the earliest near 3 valley gap.
http://www.bchighway.com/report/id/134176.html

We are going to stay an extra day and hope for the best tomorow. We will be down to our last bottle of water by then...

normtwofinger · 06-24-2012, 06:20 PM

Before opening this thread I thought it was going to be about someone actually stuck, like having a car break down or something, yet it's someone asking directions? Carry a map when you travel, or better yet, since you were able to get on the internet, maps.google.com.

oilyfan · 06-24-2012, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by normtwofinger

Before opening this thread I thought it was going to be about someone actually stuck, like having a car break down or something, yet it's someone asking directions? Carry a map when you travel, or better yet, since you were able to get on the internet, maps.google.com.

Did you even read his post? He is asking for help using real time highway conditions, no paper maps show that. Also he has spotty Internet access so doing a full fledged search will be really frustrating, I know from experience.

drewboy12 · 06-24-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Paper maps don't exactly show road closures...

Ahh good point indeed. Lol. Sorry I didn't know there was so many road closures.

Rerun · 06-24-2012, 07:46 PM

Yes, it usually helps to read the OP instead of just the title

From the OP:

Quote:

Originally Posted by RatherDashing

hoping that somebody can figure out a route home for us. There is flooding and mud slides everywhere that have a number of the highways closed. Help us CP, you're our only hope!

RatherDashing · 06-24-2012, 09:31 PM

Thanks for the help everyone. I was posting from an iPhone with about 20% battery life on it and a spotty wifi connection. We've gotten a hotel room for the night and are going to try to make it through highway 16 tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone trying to make it home, and thanks again for the help!

PS-Sorry for the confusion on the original post. Reading back over it it isn't terribly clear why we needed CP's help.

Sylvanfan · 06-24-2012, 10:04 PM

www.drive.bc.ca is a website with current road conditions and updates. Unfortunately the terrain in BC doesn't offer motorists much in terms of alternative routes. You maybe could have tried the far North detour to PG and through Dawson Creek, but that would be a long detour for the GP bound car. Looked like the mudslide was allowing single lane traffic through on 16 West to PG, and after that nothing was being reported.

As of now they're saying 12 am opening for 16 East of Tete Jaune Cache, but that's with a low confidence level. That would seem the best option to get to either Calgary or GP from there if they can get it open for tomorrow morning. At least Valemount does have a fair bit of accommodation.

Russic · 06-25-2012, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

www.drive.bc.ca is a website with current road conditions and updates. Unfortunately the terrain in BC doesn't offer motorists much in terms of alternative routes. You maybe could have tried the far North detour to PG and through Dawson Creek, but that would be a long detour for the GP bound car. Looked like the mudslide was allowing single lane traffic through on 16 West to PG, and after that nothing was being reported.

As of now they're saying 12 am opening for 16 East of Tete Jaune Cache, but that's with a low confidence level. That would seem the best option to get to either Calgary or GP from there if they can get it open for tomorrow morning. At least Valemount does have a fair bit of accommodation.

Your url has an extra . in it, it's just http://www.drivebc.ca/

Getting slightly concerned as my wife and I are taking the 2.5 year old and a 2 month old through BC on Thursday. I'm not in the best of moods taking one kid on that drive in clear weather. A road closure could pretty much do me in.

freedogger · 06-25-2012, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russic

Your url has an extra . in it, it's just http://www.drivebc.ca/

Getting slightly concerned as my wife and I are taking the 2.5 year old and a 2 month old through BC on Thursday. I'm not in the best of moods taking one kid on that drive in clear weather. A road closure could pretty much do me in.

In the same boat trying to go the other way today. 1000 km trip via Jasper or unknown wait time via transcanada.

Street Pharmacist · 06-25-2012, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freakinsaprikin

I think that the cancer that he would be in the dressing room would over shadow any positives that he brings to the table

Single lane traffic through highway 16/5 if you go through Jasper, highway 1 is closed. From Calgary it would be a long trip to go north first then south, but where exactly are you headed?

Edit: Not really sure how that quote ended up there

Meant for the post above

bossy22 · 06-25-2012, 11:16 AM

Why not go through the crowsnest?

Locke · 06-25-2012, 11:25 AM

Someone help this man get the hell out of BC!

Its an awful place.

Rerun · 06-25-2012, 12:02 PM

Well at least traffic is moving on Hwy 16

Here's the latest advisory:

Highway 16 Both directions - Flooding 26 km east of Junction with Highway 5, in Tete Jaune Cache. The road is reduced to single lane alternating traffic. No detour available. Updated Mon Jun 25 at 4:40 am PDT. (ID# 134163)

GP_Matt · 06-25-2012, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

As of now they're saying 12 am opening for 16 East of Tete Jaune Cache, but that's with a low confidence level. That would seem the best option to get to either Calgary or GP from there if they can get it open for tomorrow morning. At least Valemount does have a fair bit of accommodation.

The story going around is that Valemont ran out of rooms, food and even water.
Although I suspect that the water was due to the flooding and not the demand surge. They were stopping traffic well south of Valemont though so not too many people were stranded.