RUFUS!! ------------------Andrew & Jim ready to depart in B2B-33
LAB ROVER DOT COM
Trans-American Trek 99 -Sept. 4- Sept. 30
Follow the travels of this station - W2EMT - as Jim journeyed with his son Andrew and his faithful companions, Labrador Retrievers Rufus & Queen Cleo along with other Land Rover vehicle enthusiasts aas they retraced the routes of the Klondike Gold Rush Stampeders through Alaska and The Canadian Yukon and Northwest Territories. With Rufus & Queen Cleo as your official "guides" the team will traveled as far north as the town of Inuvik, N.W.T. above The Arctic Circle.
Amateur Radio Special Events Station K2A (/ VY1/VE7/KL7 & VE8) conducted daily ham radio schedules along with e-mail exchanges, real-time chat room , and message board access from the expedition web page.This enabled students from around the world to continually participate in this exciting "virtual" field trip. Follow the planning and ultimate journey at the Team's following site: TEAM LAB ROVER
UPDATES:
May 4,1999 - Log onto B2B for NEW TA 99 EXPEDITION details and school registration information. Your ADVANCE REGISTRATION provides you with Pre-Trek curriculum materials to assist your classroom participation planning and gives you password access to the entire site's activities. Reserve your space NOW for this educational adventure that will liven up your classroom this coming September.
June 18, 1999 - More information continues to be posted on the Expedition's web pages. We now have schools registered from South Africa, Australia, UK, & USA. You don't have to be a school to sign up - parents and others are welcome too!
June 27,1999 - Teacher/Parent Registration & Curriculum Support Materials are now available on-line.
July 28, 1999 - The education/curriculum materials are now available to prepare for your participation.
August 25, 1999 - W2EMT prepares to leave his home in Maine on September 1st. and travel to Portland, Oregon where his son Andrew and Driver of B2B-33 (Team Lab Rover) and Rufus & Cleo await him. Beginning on Monday, September 6, 1999 (Labor Day) Jim will be calling in daily live radio reports to FM broadcast station WMDI-FM 107.7 in Bar Harbor Maine at 0830 EDT / 0530 PDT. Look for audio streaming files of the contacts to be posted on Lab-rover.com shortly after their live airing.
September 4, 1999 - October 4, 1999 - DAILY TREK REPORTS ARE POSTED AT: TREK UPDATES INCLUDING PHOTOS, E-MAIL UPDATES AND AUDIO REPORTS.
Andrew & Jim arrive!! 09/18/99 0845 AM PDT
Temperature 35F - Wind SSW 20-25mph
Our delayed vehicle off-loading
from M/V Columbia in Bellingham early Friday morning 10/1 proved
correct. Andrew went ashore with the puppies leaving Jim to
negotiate the truck. After 4 days of Doggie-Do on the
Car Deck you can imagine the pleasant odors wafting
about!! Never fear The Crew had done this drill before and
soon there were two HUGE fire department smoke ejector fans put
to use to assist in fresh air circulation. After 45 minutes of
maneuvering, B2B-33 exited the ship next stop Mc Donalds
and off for our final 180 mile drive South to Portland.
Will cellular phone service active again, Andrew checked in with
the world: Mom, Nicholas, Alexander and Cricket advising of plans
for a BBQ that evening. Our final touchdown at SW Radcliff St.
was temporarily disrupted as reality stepped in. The friends
wedding Andrew was to attend in Hood River an hour away
was TONIGHT in three hours NOT on the following
Saturday!! OOPS Off to a quick shower fine a suit and tie
pick up Cricket and yet begin another final drive!!
I took one look at the vehicle in which I had lived (with R&C!)
for 5 weeks and thought better of tackling its unpacking
and cleaning. Specifics are not necessary to describe the
cleaning task ahead though the word demolition came to
mind. Its about all that doggie hair forgotten chips
Pringles Jolly Ranchers - beef jerky etc!!! YUK!!
Luckily no Oregon Health Dept or OSHA reps around. After at least
starting some laundry, Nicholas and JW had a relaxing evening and
dinner at the Fulton Pub and beginning the de-briefing and an
early night.
Sunday 10/3started early with REAL coffee and Dunkin as it was
the official decommissioning and cleaning day. Bags were unpacked
radios unwired equipment sorted repair lists
made - and JW re-packed for his trip back to Maine. Chinese
takeout was in order for dinner after most of the tasks had been
accomplished.
Monday, 10/4 was a quiet, final last minute detail day with the
afternoon spent in Michaels Slades darkroom reviewing
his 1000+ slides of the adventure. We will soon be assembling a
selective collection of slides to present. Michael is
truly an outstanding photographer and we all look forward to
viewing his images. As this was to be JWs final night a
grown-up dinner (coat & tie) was planned at The
Ringside an old steakhouse in Portland. We boys put
ourselves together with Cricket arriving in a splendid black
dress that outclassed us all! It was a great formal Expedition
celebration evening ending a life experience for JW
and leaving many memories and thoughts to ponder for a long time
to come.
(NOTE:
We hope you have enjoyed following our adventures to these unique
destinations. The updates and classroom materials will remain
posted on http://www.lab-rover.com as will your ability to e-mail us
with you comments and ideas.
During the coming weeks, the
site will take on a new look and become a place to explore other
educational expeditions, projects and field trips via The
Internet. If you or your school know of a cool trip that is
being planned and think Team Lab-Rover could help provide an
educational component let us know we would be
delighted to talk to you.
Thanks for your interest and
support and we will see you on the road!!
TEAM LAB ROVER and
RUFUS & CLEO
E-Mail comments, suggestions to:[email protected]
"Ovaltine" shared equally the passion for adventure with Andrew that is now carrried on with Rufus & Cleo.
B2B/EDU is dedicated in loving memory.
(1990 - 1993)
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FOR LINKS & RESOURCES Click Here
FOR Special Events Station "W1C" Click Here
For Team Lab Rover's main Page Click Here
last updated - Saturday, November 06, 1999 16:58
Jim Wilmerding, M.Ed.,EMT-I
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Andrew Wilmerding, BS