 |
Day 16 - 10:00 PM
Watson Lake, Yukon to Smithers, BC
Before blogging about today's drive from Watson Lake in the Yukon to Smithers in British Columbia, I thought I'd share a word or two about the significance of the expedition undertaken by our modern-day explorers from Italy. (See www.articrouteadventure.com)
Led by Stefano Vichi, the Italian group consists of Roberto Occhialini, Ignazio Piazza, Gualtiero Frassati, and the husband and wife team of Tiziano Godeas and Mara Vecchiet. Several other intrepid Italians participated in the first two legs of the tour (Vancouver to Whitehorse - Whitehorse to Anchorage) before I joined the third leg of Anchorage back to Vancouver.
 |
| Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com |
Several members of the Italian group hale from Pesaro, Italy, while the others reside in surrounding towns. What binds this group of passionate explorers together is their fondness of Porsche vehicles and their membership in a Porsche Club.
The adventure for the Italian Artic Route group (misspelling of Arctic is intentional) began the third week of March, when they climbed aboard airplanes and headed to Vancouver, British Columbia. Once in the land of heavy rain, the Italian group met up with the Porsche reps and Canadian journalists that would accompany the tour. After preparing the Cayennes and obtaining a much-needed night's rest, the combined entourage headed north to Alaska.
Since their departure on March 30th, the Artic Route Adventure group has been pushing onward everyday in the 2011 Cayennes, which provide an outstanding driving experience. The majesty of the northern landscape keeps the group highly motivated while their collective zest for adventure keeps them united in passion and purpose.
The trip, which reached Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, before turning around, is comprised of many long stints behind the wheel, and today was another example of how the long days and many miles pass quicker than expected. We got an early start out of Watson Lake, Yukon, and headed north on the spectacular Stewart Cassiar Highway (Highway 37), which cuts through some of the most remote and visually stunning geography of British Columbia.
This route, while not as straight and wide as a major highway, was by all accounts exceptionally rewarding as it wound its way through the mountains toward the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) and onto Smithers BC. The rough surfaces along the Stewart Cassiar Highway offered the opportunity to fully test the Cayenne's suspension system, its ride quality and handling ability.
The demanding portions of this rugged, sometimes narrow road would put great strain on any vehicle's underpinnings, yet the Cayenne was particularly adept at mitigating the roughness without sacrificing the vehicle's impressive athleticism through the corners and occasional hairpins.
 |
| Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com |
At no point did our vehicle feel anything but secure and locked-down over the undulations of the roadway and its pockmarked surface. And to ice the cake, the 2011 Cayenne is notably quiet. Little road, wind or other irritants seep into the tightly assembled cabin. These factors aid greatly in reducing driver fatigue during extended durations behind the wheel, and of this we speak earnestly.
Our arrival into Smithers corresponded with dinnertime, so off we went for a meal prior to hunkering down for the night. Rain has beset us and tomorrow's departure is looming. We will head for breakfast at 7:00 am and be on the road to Williams lake, BC at 8:00.
Until tomorrow, Ciao (as our Italian friends say).
Rob