First LNG fueling station along the 'Blue Road' inaugurated

BOUCHERVILLE, Que. -- Canada's first commercial liquefied natural gas fueling station was inaugurated this week in a special ceremony attended by Robert Transport president and CEO Claude Robert.

The station, operated by Gaz Metro, is the first in what will eventually become the 'Blue Road,' providing natural gas fueling opportunities along the Hwys. 20/401 corridor between Quebec City and the Greater Toronto Area. The project was key to Robert's decision to purchase a fleet of 180 LNG-powered heavy-duty trucks.

"Robert Transport hopes to continue to be an industry leader. That is why we feel it is critical to work toward a cleaner future, for the benefit of our customers, our employees, our shareholders and society as a whole. This project will help us be more competitive while still reducing the carbon footprint of our operations," Robert said.

Gaz Metro Transportation Solutions says it intends to establish the technical and economic feasibility of LNG as an alternative fuel for a major fleet of heavy-duty trucks, even in harsh winter conditions. Gaz Metro announced it is using its liquefaction plant that has been operating in Montreal for more than 40 years to supply LNG to three refueling sites located in Boucherville, Mississauga and the Quebec City area.

View the original article here

Sights along I-70: Driving through Southern Utah

Driving on I-70 through Utah means cutting across one of the emptiest and least developed regions of Utah, it is a long drive but there is beautiful country to see. It may surprise you how very scenic this road trip can be in any season, with access roads branching off to Moab, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and numerous State Parks; the most popular being Goblin Valley State Park.

You will see jutting rock formations the Native American Indians called the silent cities, slicing into the sky, colors that burn your memory with visions of the Southwest. When you see a wide plateau crossed by two entrenched river systems and surrounded by a ring of upturned strata; this is the San Rafael Swell. It is an arid, very scenic area, with mesas, cliffs, buttes, springs and canyons. The Swell itself is an oval shaped uplifted area of layered rocks, most of which has been eroded away forming the mostly flat central plateau, while the strata at the edges are left exposed and angled near vertically. In the San Rafael Reef are found most of the spectacular canyons especially in the southeast section.

Devils Canyon is a beautiful slot seen in a section of the San Rafael Swell to the north of the highway. Access is relatively easy. Devils Canyon roughly parallels I-70 on the west side of the Swell. Take Exit 114 (Moore Cutoff) and drive south from the freeway onto Justensen Flat. The road winds east and then south as it drops down the cliff face into Devils Canyon but it is only for four wheel drive vehicles, trucks should stick to the rest stop pull-out overlooks to enjoy the view.

The San Rafael Knob is the highest point in the San Rafael Swell. From the top you have amazing views out over some of the most ruggedly beautiful parts of the Swell. It is easy to include the Knob in a hike going east up Devils Canyon if you do have a chance to get out and get some exercise and are so inclined.

It is a little scary getting into the overlook points in the winter if the snow piles up. But during other months of the year there is truck parking up the hill into the overlook and I usually find another truckers stopped there too. Drivers can get out of the cab to stretch or even walk down the trails to the rim. At the pull out view points the Native Americans also sell their wares and tourists stop for pictures.

Goblin Valley State Park, the most visited site in this area is a photographer’s paradise. Near the park area, history buffs can discover rock art left by ancient Indians and ruins left by early prospectors, miners, and ranchers. I will need to explore this area in a four wheeler to scout out if semi trucks dare venture deeper into any of these places. Most of us are so busy and on such a fast track that there is no time to stop but only enjoy what we see from the highway as we go

If you liked that post, then try these...

View the original article here

Bring back the Monarchs along the highways

Monarch at rest stop in Iowa - credit Lindsay Godfree

When you drive along America’s highways do you enjoy the butterflies as much as I do? As I have been driving back and forth across the country, I have developed a feeling of affinity with the migrations of spring and fall. The flow of the animal, bird and insect populations going north and south to breeding grounds or in search of more food is a joy to watch as I drive along east and west in continuous loops.

Now I have learned that the beautiful large, orange and black Monarch butterfly is experiencing a population threat. Due in part to the clearing of land all over the United States combined with changing weather patterns, this amazing mysterious creature is facing crisis. And last year, the World Wildlife Fund included monarchs on its list of the “Top 10 to Watch” in 2010: species that are thought to be in need of close monitoring and protection.

“We have a lot of habitat in this country but we are losing it at a rapid pace. Development is consuming 6,000 acres a day, a loss of 2.2 million acres per year. Further, the overuse of herbicides along roadsides and elsewhere is turning diverse areas that support monarchs, pollinators, and other wildlife into grass-filled landscapes that support few species. … If these trends continue, monarchs are certain to decline, threatening the very existence of their magnificent migration”, said Chip Taylor, Director of Monarch Watch.

Well, roadsides are trucker territory, so it sees logical to me that this is a place where we could make a difference. Fortunately, there is a movement already in place to try to save them that we can join. “Bring Back the Monarchs” campaign is collaboration between a number of partner agencies and organizations called the Monarch Joint Venture, including the University of Kansas’s Monarch Watch program, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and others.

Roadside habitat - by Lindsay Godfree

To address changes and restore habitats for monarchs, pollinators, and other wildlife, Monarch Watch is initiating a nationwide landscape restoration program, “Bring Back the Monarchs.” The goals of the program is to restore 20 milkweed species, used by monarch caterpillars as food, to their native ranges throughout the United States and to encourage the planting of native flowers that support adult monarchs and other pollinators.

Additionally, leaders are also working with the Arizona Department of Transportation on plans to include milkweed in the seed mixes that are planted along roadways. Try to get your states’ department of transportation to support this venture too and to stop the mowing down of habitat.

How can else you help? The easiest way to make a tax-deductible donation is to do so via the KU Endowment Association (they manage the donation fund and provide tax receipts). Just make it clear in any communication that you want your contribution to support Monarch Watch, so 100 percent of your donation will go to Monarch Watch.

To find out more link to this US Forest Service page.

If you liked that post, then try these...

View the original article here

Trucking along I-5: Mt Shasta and other volcanoes

Mount Shasta - credit Lindsay Godfree

Driving Highway 5 back and forth from Seattle, WA to California along the Cascade Range is always a scenic journey trying to catch a new spectacular view of the dormant volcanic peaks such as Mount Rainier, Mount Hood and Mount Shasta. It makes one wonder about the creation of this volcanic range and what it might be like if they suddenly became active again. As we near 2012 and with other cataclysms around the world the possibility nags at the mind.

The facts are that the United States and its territories have about 170 volcanoes that have been active during the past 10,000 years, and most could erupt again in the future. In the past 500 years, 80 U.S. volcanoes have erupted one or more times.

Mudflow 7-1-80 Toutle Bridge - credit USGS

Mt Saint Helens is most famous of these for its catastrophic eruption on May 18, 1980, which was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railways, and 185 miles of highway were destroyed. I am sure there were truckers that witnessed that seismic event.

The USGS provides a current monitoring and activity update for all volcanoes in the Cascade Range if you are curious about the rumbling under the ground. These include Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams in Washington State; Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, Newberry Volcano, and Crater Lake, in Oregon; and Medicine Lake volcano, Mount Shasta, and Lassen Peak in northern California.

The latest activity recorded at the time of this writing, was beneath Mount Rainier on September 20, 2009 with a swarm of small earthquakes. The Sept. 20 swarm has produced the largest number of events of any swarm at Rainier since seismic monitoring began over two decades ago, so they will continue to closely monitor the geophysical parameters at Mt. Rainier.

Dominating the scenes of northern California along Interstate 5 is the glacier-laden Mount Shasta’s 14,000 foot summit making it the second highest peak in the Cascade Range. The panorama is over whelmed by the icy beauty of the “mountain” and then extends to include the magnificent silhouettes of the Warners, Mount Lassen, Castle Crags, Trinity Alps and Mount Eddy of the Cascade Volcanic Arc.

Even during the summer the climate has a special appeal at the ski park. While the valleys of California are sweltering in the full summer heat cool soothing mountain air descends the slopes of Mt. Shasta on a daily basis dropping the temperature just enough to bring you much desired relief from summer heat. Visitors enjoy a large variety of alpine trails with hikes from 15 minutes to 2 days.

The recreation area is ideally located midway between Sacramento and Portland and is easily accessible only 19 miles from Interstate 5. Though as a trucker with at 53ft trailer I have never tried to get close, only watching from the highway as I go by. Someday I hope to return as a tourist and 4-wheeler to see the peak from the trails.

Naturalist and author John Muir said of Shasta:
“When I first caught sight of it over the braided folds of the Sacramento Valley, I was fifty miles away and afoot, alone and weary. Yet all my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.”

Theodore Roosevelt said:
“I consider the evening twilight on Mt. Shasta one of the grandest sights I have ever witnessed.”

If you liked that post, then try these...

View the original article here

Scenes along the Million Dollar Highway

Million Dollar Highway - Credit Lindsay Godfree

If you are lucky or unlucky enough to drive the scenic Million Dollar Highway that stretches for about 25 miles in western Colorado and following route U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, Colorado you will always remember the trip. It is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway between Durango and Silverton, the mountain Skyway that loosely parallels the famous Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad route.

As you drive the highway from Ouray to the summit of Red Mountain Pass along the Million Dollar Highway, you drive through three famous mining tunnels; the Meldrum Tunnel, Joker Tunnel and the most famous the Treasury Tunnel located near the top of Red Mountain Pass. The entrance to the Treasury Tunnel is behind the large metal door against the hillside across the highway from the Mining Overlook near the summit of Red Mountain.

Idarado Mine - Credit Lindsay Godfree

During your ascent you’ll see the remains of the Idarado Mine. There is a scenic overlook turnout but not for truckers, to take photos and read the history of the mines. When traveling one way from Ouray to Silverton drivers hug the inside of curves; travel the other, drivers perches on the vertiginous outside edge of the highway. Large semi trucks and RVs travel in both directions, which adds a degree of excitement for people on the edge.

Though the entire stretch has been called the Million Dollar Highway, it is really the twelve miles south of Ouray through the Uncompahgre Gorge to the summit of Red Mountain Pass which gains the highway its name. This stretch through the gorge is challenging and potentially hazardous to drive, characterized by steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and a lack of guardrails. The ascent to Red Mountain Pass is marked with a number of hairpin “S” curves gaining elevation, and more narrow lanes for traffic cut directly into the sides of mountains.  Thrills and chills for gear shifting truck drivers and you better be sure the brakes are in good working order for this drive.

Pinkerton Hot Springs cone - Credit Lindsay Godfree

You will also pass the ski resort of Purgatory which is my current favorite place to ski. Near Hermosa you come across a with travertine mound that minerals of a hot spring has built up over the years a along the side of the road. A family by the name of Pinkerton settled in this area in 1875 and started a dairy farm. The Pinkertons built a bath house so family and guests could enjoy the hot springs known as Pinkerton Hot Springs. In the 1920s, Pinkerton-in-the-Pines Resort offered a pool for swimming, plus music and dancing but all that is there now is the marker by the cone and warm water coming out.

Why is it called the Million Dollar Highway? Some claim that it derives from the actual cost of blasting and paving the route in the 1930s. Some say it was first used after an early traveler, complaining of the vertigo-inducing steepness of the route, said, “I wouldn’t go that way again if you paid me a million dollars.” But the favorite explanation is probably the most likely: When the highway was first constructed, the builders used gravel discarded by nearby gold and silver mines, only to find out later that this dirt was actually rich in ore and worth an estimated “million dollars.”

If you liked that post, then try these...

View the original article here