Date:         Thu, 21 Jan 1999 01:04:58 -0600
Reply-To:     Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@PANGEA.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marshall Ruskin <mruskin@PANGEA.CA>
Subject:      Re: Syncro in snowstorm, (try the Hudson's Bay)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Winnipeg is where you want to be. If that is too tame for you, there is
always Churchill, Manitoba (on the shores of the Hudson Bay, BTDT).

Churchill is where they have the worlds highest concentration of polar bears
in the fall and spring. Lots of beautiful Arctic foxes, too. In the summer,
the bay fills with beluga whales, and the shore is full of exotic migrating
birds. Tremendous bio-diversification. (By the way, it is a 2 hour flight to
Winnipeg from the Twin Cities, and then about 2 hours by air to Churchill
from Winnie.)

When I arrived there by train at about 7:00 am in early November, the wind
was so strong and the snow so thick that I couldn't see the train station
from the train! It was weird, the weather was so intense it seemed to me
that I was on an alien world.

I almost turned around and went back onto the train, but I didn't. The whole
town is like the warm-up shack at a skating rink!

At Halloween (a Canadian Holiday, do you celebrate it in the US too?), there
are armed men with high powered rifles at every intersection to protect
trick-or-treating children from the bears.

The night of the volunteer fire-fighter's ball, the main hotel burned down
(a coincidence?). The next day, a native of the region was stuffing his
parka with meat from hotel's freezer amongst the ruins. A bear smelled it,
and mauled him to death.

It is an area full of historical sights, as the Hudsons Bay had an English
fort in the late 1700's, and was a major port for early Canadian
exploration.

Any questions, how about a Westy gathering there next month?

BTW, I has a "mystical" experience, an empowering experience, as I stood
alone on the shore of the Hudson Bay and felt the winds coming all the way
from the pole. Hard to describe, but those that haven't felt what I did have
missed something in life.

Say, let's get a bunch of synchro's up there, and drive across the tundra to
the fort. It would make National News in Canada, that's for sure. It would
also be a great photo opportunity!

The only thing is, there are only two ways to Churchill, air or rail (no
road). So everybody's synchro would have to be freighted in from Thompson
(The last real rail stop connected near the highway). BTW, Thompson is home
to the cold-weather testing facilities for the Big Three automakers. Want to
get a spy shot of future cars, go there!

Comments on this topic are welcome!

Marshall Ruskin
84 Westy, currently without heater fans (load reduction relay or ignition
switch pblm)


-----Original Message-----
From: NACHTAIN7@AOL.COM <NACHTAIN7@AOL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, January 21, 1999 12:03 AM
Subject: Re: Syncro in snowstorm


>I am so happy to hear your triumphant story.  I too long for intense
>snowstorms where the only car out there that is suitable is the Vanagon
>Syncro.  This is another testament on why we own these great cars.  I just
>love watching everyone else in the ditches and spinning into oblivion.
>Positive stories like this put a big smile on my face.  thanks
>
>
>nigel
>