Home sweet home

I write to you from cold, dark Yellowknife. It's dark when you go to work and dark when you come home. Even if you only work bankers hours. But despite the cold and the dark, it is mighty fine to be home.

We got to the Milwaukee airport in the middle of a wild snow storm. I'd guess half of the flights were cancelled, including Jay's first leg to Cleveland, on route to Toronto for his dad's birthday. Alex and I were lucky to get out on our early morning flight to Denver. We connected there to Edmonton. And then made it home to Yellowknife by 10 at night. All the while we were receiving increasingly disturbed updates from Jay about life at the Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee. Eventually Jay caught a flight, a mere 27 and a half hours after arriving at the airport.

Before we left Wisconsin we were hosted graciously in Manitowoc and Two Rivers. Two Rivers is the home of the Red Giant and is now where the beast is resting. Deservedly so after a huge trip. Randy Nickels and Bryan Dax who operated the truck and managed merchandise on the road are also both from Two Rivers and showed us a good time before we set sail for the north. Hanging out at Bryan's favourite place to play pool and chowing down on cheese curds was the first time it sunk in that we were wrapping up the tour. Definitely mixed emotions.

Now that we're home, you'd think that we'd all want a little break from each other. Not so. Jay and I have been texting, emailing and calling frequently since our paths split in Milwaukee. And Alex and I hadn't been home for 24 hours when we got back together to do a radio interview with CBC North's Norbert Poitras. After the interview Alex gave me a ride home and we parked in the alley behind my house to keep yakking.

All of this is to say that it was a great trip. Happy as we all are to be sleeping in our own beds, the adventure of seeing a new place and meeting new people everyday will be missed, big time. During our interview, Norbert asked Alex about being on tour and getting to meet all those fans. Of course there are a few funny stories about obsessive fans (someone wet their pants), but mostly it's a series of incredibly friendly people who offer their homes and their hospitality to make our time on the road, away from home such a good experience. A big thanks to all the people whose paths we crossed in the last 2 months.

Finally, as lots of people have been asking me about the trip, I'm struggling with how to sum it up, how to capture such an epic journey and experience in a few sentences. So I've taken to breaking the trip down by the numbers. Most of these numbers are estimates, none are exaggerations:

57 days on the road (Alex)

52 days on the road (Loren & Jay)

4 loads of laundry (Team total)

25 visits to Denny's

3 home cooked meals (Thank-you: Simone Hardy, Tina Bush, and Barb Carstens)

14000 miles

22,400 kilometres

80 hours of video footage

4000 "stimulus packages" - a tickle Alex delivers to maximize the smile for a photo (estimate based on roughly 100 per event)

3 magazines of Ak-47 ammunition (which was pumped into a New Mexico hillside)

6 surprise visits from Yellowknifers living in different parts of the US

5000+ new fans of Yellowknife and the NWT (who Alex gave a brochure and/or invited over for supper)

24 states

14 lbs gained (3 for Jay, 11 for Loren, Alex unknown)

I could go on. One thing that would be hard to quantify is how much we laughed our heads off. Nearly two months on the road together and you'd figure we would be ready to kill each other. But it didn't work out that way. It was a great time. And if it wasn't for Christmas and our friends and family we've been missing, I think we could have just kept on trucking.

It should also be said that the team on the ground, touring, was only a fraction of the team that put the trip together and kept it on the rails as we hurtled across America and back. Alex's son and manager, Curtis, was the backbone of the operation. A second wave of thanks should be aimed at his wife Jen, who makes Curtis' commitment to the project possible. As well, Carl Carstens, who operates Rockwood Products, was kindly referred to as "the mythic hustler in the sky." Having never met the guy it was impressive how he (and his team: Cheri and Lindsay) could utilize his network of trucker connections and know-how to sort out any wrinkles in our trip. Jillian and James at Anderson PR and Aditi Shaw and others at Wiley were also great. Kelly Hilliker was the behind the scenes guy for the Red Giant team. And finally Louise, Erika and Raegan, who put up with Alex, Jay and I being out on the road for nearly two months. That's a huge level of support to make such a cool experience possible. Big thanks to our ladies. And a big thanks to all of the people above.

This will be my last entry about the trip, but keep an eye on iceroadtrucker.ca to see what's going on with the movie project and what Alex is up to. After Christmas we'll get back to work on all this and keep you updated.

Thanks very much for reading. I hope you've enjoyed it. Have a merry Christmas, gang.

Loren

The Wisconsin Emergency Operations Center

Looking out the window in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where several inches of snow have fallen in the last 3 hours. At 7pm local time, the Wisconsin Emergency Operations Center was activated. This does not bode well for our flight home tomorrow.

We've spent most of the last two days at Maritime Ford in Manitowoc. Having the tour finale at the dealership was part of the deal for giving us a Ford Escape to use as a chase vehicle. I piloted that vehicle for the better part of our 14 thousand mile drive. The car became our home on the road, a giant suitcase, and a back-handed aromatherapy chamber. The main thing is that it devoured the miles, didn't put up a fight, and kept us safe all along. Solid.

To say thanks to Maritime Ford and to get people excited about the tour's wrap up in Manitowoc, we made them a wee promotional video when we were in Santa Monica, California. On a night like tonight, it's a nice treat to watch this video and remember that only a few weeks ago we were basking in the California sun. Now, we're getting pounded by a Great Lakes blizzard.

Here's the video, edited in the backseat of a moving Ford Escape by Jay Bulckaert. Hope it's good for a laugh and a little California dreaming. As for this Great Lakes storm, I'm telling myself that it's a good thing that we're not heading straight back to Yellowknife's minus 45. A fellow needs a dose of Wisconsin to bridge the gap between LA and Yellowknife. If you're in California, enjoy the weather. If you're in Yellowknife, stay warm. And if you're in Wisconsin, stay off the roads (unless you drive the snow-plough at the airport). More soon.

Loren

Nearing the end

It's with mixed emotions that I realize we're very close to the end of the tour. But as far as endings go, Wisconsin has been spectacular.

Our second to last event was in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Terry Biddle and his wife Linda organized a huge truck convoy to escort Alex, the team, and the Red Giant into town. Like so many great things, the convoy and the whole Eau Claire event came together at the last minute. No less than 50+ trucks gathered out on the highway to drive together for the last 7 miles to the event. Strength in numbers and also a testimony to how well-loved and looked after Alex is in this part of the world.

The sherrif and local police escorted the convoy down highway 12 to Chippewa Valley Technical College. I only saw one person honk impatiently. The rest of the people we saw had parked along the side of the street and were out in the cold to wave, hoot and holler to welcome Alex. Very nice.

Once we were there, hundreds, maybe a thousand, people lined up to meet Alex, get an autograph, and take a picture. The whole thing culminated in a speech where Alex talked about how dangerous his job is compared to people who drive truck on America's highways. His basic message is that ice road truckers battle the elements and drive in a unique environment, but that people risk just as much, if not more, when they drive on American roads. That gives him, he says, the opportunity to go on TV and represent all the men and women who work hard as drivers, and show others what it's all about.

I guess the whole thing -Alex's respect for truckers and their admiration for him - is so strong in Wisconsin that it's making this last leg of the trip especially memorable. The convoy was a great demonstration of that. My impression of trucking-life is that it's complicated. It's cut-throat competitive and at the same time, truckers are part of a big professional family. It's lonely and at the same time, truckers look after each other and chat away on CB radios.

I have a way different perspective on trucking than I did before this trip. I notice truck brands, I notice how many trucks are out on the road, I see truck-stops differently, and I appreciate how important what truckers do is for the rest of us. And during something like the convoy into Eau Claire, I feel welcomed into an interesting world that I barely knew existed two months ago.

We're not done yet, but we're close. Stepping back into my real life at home is going to be a welcome transition. Sleeping in my own bed and having supper every night with my lady will be such a nice change. But there's a lot about this tour and about life on the road that I'm going to miss. I'd sure like to get back to Eau Claire as soon as possible.

I'll blog again before we sign-off on the tour. That's all for now.

Loren

The story checks out. Sort of.

Hello from America's beer and cheese capital: Wisconsin (burp). Excuse me.

Over the course of our 13,000 mile drive Alex has regaled us with stories from his nearly six decades of marching to the beat of his own drum. The stories - some in the book, some "in the next book" - are wild. The tales get so wild, and there are so many of them that a guy gets to wondering: could these all be true?

Alex often claims that his book is the "first and only time a trucker has told the truth." I can testify that the timelines of his stories have all checked out. It has seemed as though he's a straight shooter when it comes to the historical record. Until we pulled into Minnesota.

We had a visit from an old Yellowknifer, Robb Olexin, who has relocated to Minnesota for his work. He stopped in to surprise Alex with a visit. Robb and Alex used to play broomball against each other. The most interesting thing about Robb's visit is that it gave us a chance to scrutinize Alex's version of history.

Alex had told us a story about cuffing a guy who wouldn't stop chirping at him during a broomball game. Turns out the guy who got cuffed was Robb Olexin. According to Alex's version, he was on his way to the penalty box for something else when Robb got in his face and wouldn't stop yapping. A stiff backhand was delivered and Robb made a lot less noise. A totally believable sequence of events.

I decided to interview Robb and asked about the incident. His memory (slightly weakened by the concussion he likely had), was different than Alex's. Robb claims he took a face-off against Alex and before he knew what was going on, Alex had drilled him. Dazed, he says, he reeled towards Alex petitioning for an explanation and possibly an apology. Robb says it was the second crack of Alex's big hand on his jaw that turned the lights out. Also a totally believable sequence of events.

Thinking I had Alex on the ropes and that I could say "hey, there's a hole in your story!" I asked him how the two stories could be so different. "Simple," he said, "Robbie and I tangled a bunch of times." I asked Robb. The story checks out.

Despite the old rivalry it was awesome to have a chance to meet Robb and see him heckle Alex, yet again, about being a bit slow out there on the broomball ice.

We're getting close to the end of the tour here. Enjoying every last minute of it. I'll post again before we're done.

Loren

Sunday best

Aloha from Maple Grove, Minnesota. This place is great. We drove through Wisconsin to get here. This whole region seems to be Alex's home away from home.

The other relief about being here is that we finally made it to church. Yesterday was our 7th Sunday together since we got out on the road in October. And on each Sunday, while we are hustling from one event to the next, Alex reminds us that we should be in church. To be honest it's not a regular part of my weekly routine at home either. That is also something Alex has set out to work on. Since the beginning of the trip he's been telling people, "Loren is Roman Catholic, but he's wandered a bit and we're going to straighten him out." Not sure if this trip has straightened me out or made me more bent and crooked than ever. But Alex's spiritual concern is welcome.

His faith is definitely a defining characteristic of who he is and it supports much of his success as a celebrity. Several times a day Alex connects with a fan who says thanks for Alex's regular, public displays of his faith on television. If fans are created by their finding something about a celebrity to relate to or connect with, Alex has made a lot of fans by being prayerful and admitting he's flawed and that he needs to forgive and be forgiven.

One of the frequent comments from Alex's faith based fans is that they just don't see religion practiced in popular television very often. I can see where they're coming from. It's an interesting decision made by the History Channel, which airs Ice Road Truckers, to include Alex's faith as part of his character. Whenever people express their gratitude for that to Alex, he also encourages them to thank History Channel.

I'm not sure if it's a religious axiom, but I've always been told "what goes around, comes around." That is definitely the case with Alex's religious practice. The fans that are grateful to him often bear gifts: they pray for Alex, they share prayer books and ultimately, they share a very personal part of their life. From where I sit it makes the fan-celebrity relationship much different. It is not superficial or hysterical. It is personal and heartfelt.

So yesterday we made it to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, on the outskirts of Chicago. Thanks to Father Hickey and the congregation for taking us in. Next Sunday we'll miss church again. We'll be flying home to Yellowknife. Roads are getting icy, drive safe.

Loren

Signs of home

Just a short note from Lancing, Michigan. Only a few days ago we were in Tennessee. Time flies and the miles fade into the rearview (too cheesy?). It's bitter sweet, pointing the compass north. It means the trip is nearing its conclusion. It also means there are signs of home.

Last night, pulling into Michigan, there was snow blowing across the road. I'm ok with the colder weather, but the south's warmer climate definitely won me over. Alex on the other hand sees snow and his thoughts turn to frozen roads and the coming driving season. And when we neared Okemos, the side-of-the-highway food-plaza included Tim Horton's. I won't say Tim's coffee is anything special, but I'll concede that Tim Horton's is a legit Canadian institution. Definitely turned my thoughts to getting home.

Anyway, that's enough out of me. I'm off to JavaBarn. More soon.

Loren

The ambassador of kwan

Hello again. Writing to you from rain-drenched Lavergne, Tennessee. We saw rain drops today for only the second time since we got out on the road more than a month ago. I'm sure that will get a groan and an eye-roll from anyone reading this in Yellowknife. According to reports, it was 26 below zero this morning. The good news is that the gasoline and food shortage has blown over. Sorry, I'm gloating.

We had a great event today at the Ingram Book distribution centre in Lavergne. It was a private event, but hundreds of people showed up to hear Alex do what he loves to do more than just about anything else: dispense advice. He figures he's held down enough weird jobs and raised enough heck-raising kids to qualify him to give advice on everything from how to cure whatever ails them with herbal remedies to where people should set up shop to raise their families and find good work.

The more people who turn out to hear what Alex has got to say, the thicker he lays on the advice. Today, around 300 people heard about the merits of having a big family. He encourages people with 5, 6 and 7 kids by saying, "That's pretty good, you've already got half of a family, keep going." He also says having 11 kids and 10 grandkids (with an 11th on the way) is the surest way to start your own fan club.

Perhaps Alex's favourite advice is to sell people on the idea of coming north to Yellowknife. In the last 40 days, almost nobody has managed to shake Alex's hand or get a photo taken without getting a tourism brochure or DVD from the Northwest Territories or Yellowknife. It amounts to thousands of people hearing a quick story about how to cope with the cold or how they could ply their trade or skill to great success in Canada's north. At the very least people leave with the knowledge that the north is vast and beautiful, and if they do make it up north, they're welcome to look him up.

It is nice to hear Alex trumpet the north (over and over and over and over) because it's a good reminder that we actually do have a home. This road trip is a constant adventure with a new location, with a new set of faces and personalities everyday. The daily refreshed audience constantly gives Alex a new crowd to regale with advice. He clearly enjoys it and it can seem like life on the road is his natural habitat. But his focus on the north roots the whole trip in our real home. Which is good.

The photo here was taken this afternoon in Tennessee. Alex is explaining where we're all from. The video is one of a couple northern reels that we play on the huge LED screens on the outside of the Red Giant big rig at events.

Hope this finds northerners digging the onset of winter and southerners contemplating a trip to Yellowknife. My advice: March and July are the best months to visit. Take care.

Loren

Too late and too many miles to say a lot tonight. We're shacked up at a Motel 6 in Mississippi. I can confirm that Thanksgiving in Corpus Christi was out of this world. We picked up Louise in Houston and drove south to the coast. When we pulled in, we were bag piped into town by Alex's nephew Tim. He piped two tunes: "The Clumsy Lover" and "Itchy Fingers," both were dedicated to Alex. I did not ask why.

Alex's sister Simone, her husband Dave and their sons Adam and Tim opened up their home to Alex, Louise, Jay, myself and three visiting university students: two from Taiwan and one from Saudi Arabia. The exchange students were part of a larger group that were farmed out to local Corpus Christi families so that they could experience a "typical American Thanksgiving." Not sure who's definition of "typical" the Debogorski/Hardy gathering would have lived up to, but it was great.

Before the big meal, Alex, Louise, Jay and I all spent some time down at the beach. Nice to dip our toes in the gulf. The beach and the home cooked meal were a healthy break from the road. And it was nice to be around while Alex and Louise had time to relax and catch up. Adding Louise to our team for a few days shaped us all up. Now that we've said goodbye to Louise, and we all realize that a woman's presence helps keep our team on track, we've switched the voice in the GPS to "Jessica." Her Australian accent is just a bonus.

Tomorrow we'll arrive in Nashville in time for a 6pm radio gig for Alex. He's co-hosting the Billy Block show, which should be available on the web here.

That's all for now. Have a good night.

Loren

Thanksgiving in Texas

Howdy Gang. Hope this finds everyone well. Thanksgiving is just about upon us and we're hanging out in Texas. After a stop at the George Bush Airport to pick up Alex's wife, Louise, we're all going to head down to Corpus Christi for a home cooked meal. It'll be the first in a month.

Alex's sister Simone and her (truck driving) husband Dave live down there on the gulf coast and have been kind enough to set two extra places at their table for Jay and I. Simone even went so far as to check in with me before hand to ask what's my favourite kind of pie. I said I'd eat whatever she made, which is true, but Simone, if you're reading this, my absolute fave is pumpkin.

The picture here is from a great guy we were lucky to meet in San Marcos, Texas. His name is Lamar. He opened Lamar's Barber Shop in 1972, the same year Alex started driving truck for a living. Alex had a trim and a hot shave at Lamar's under the watch of John Wayne, who's image is plastered on just about every wall in the shop. Lamar told us the story about this past August when he was working in the yard and was stung by 1200 bees. This thanksgiving, the people of San Marcos are all lucky Lamar is still around to cut hair and tell stories.

As Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on the kindness and generosity that people have bestowed on us during this trip, I've been thinking a lot about Texas and Texans. Like people from anywhere, the state and its people have developed an identity. Part of it is the wild west, cowboy thing, but another big part of it is kindness.

When you drive into the state, the speed limit drops by 5 miles an hour and you're asked to drive like a Texan: friendly-like. Everyone we have met makes a huge effort to be friendly. Neighbourly, you might call it. People stop us and say, "I hope everyone here in Texas has been awful welcoming to y'all." It's a great trait to build a state's identity around. And it has been obvious in our Texas travels that people are serious about it. So, among many other things (like family, friends, my lady, and safe travels) I'm grateful for the warm, neighbourly hospitality of Texans.

Happy thanksgiving to all.

Loren

The economy and the stimulus package

Just about to call it a day in San Marcos, Texas.

It has been significant to meet so many people on this trip who have lost their jobs in the last couple of years. Most often when someone mentions that they've been laid off, others standing around chime in with their own similar stories. Definitely a lot of people who seem to take a bit of solace in sharing a common, difficult experience. Can't say that I've seen so much of that in Canada.

Today we stopped in at the Peterbilt truck plant in Denton, Texas. It was very cool to see these impressive machines come together from scratch. I haven't spent anytime in Windsor or Oshawa, so in a way, being around the well lit, loud assembly line felt like a very American experience. At the risk of getting predictable, it made me think of another Alabama song:

"Hello Detroit, auto workers, let me thank you for your time.

You work a 40 hour week for a living, just to send it on down the line."

The plant can pump out as many as 150 trucks a day with two shifts going around the clock. That's when the market demands it. Right now they're building about 60 a day. One of the plant supervisors who hosted us told me that things are looking up. Demand for Peterbilt freight-haulers is on the rise. That's a good sign for people in Denton and likely for the people we've met all over the country who have lost their jobs. That same plant supervisor figures trucking should be one of the first sectors to feel hints of recovery. As soon as people and businesses start getting busy again, goods need to get moving.

And what about the stimulus package? It turns out that Alex Debogorski is delivering it on a daily basis. Often when he poses for a picture with someone he waits to see if they're smiling as widely as they should be. If the grin doesn't cut the mustard, he gives them his tailor made "stimulus package." He tickles them. It's a sweet gesture and just about always gets people laughing, which shows up in beaming photos.

Jay, Alex and I stopped in to the French Quarter diner in Temple, Texas, off I-35 for dinner. It's a little road side shack with heaps of natural character. Also really, really good grub. Afterwards the cooks and wait-staff came out of the kitchen for a group photo shoot with Alex. Eventually the cameras were turned on Jay and I. Alex gave us our first "stimulus package." It worked. Despite being uncomfortably full of road food, we laughed our heads off. And Alex assures us, and others, we won't be taxed on it. Good night.

Loren

If you wanna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band

Hola a todos de Texas. The lone star state is a great, big place. Beautiful, wide-open high plains. Jay and I are attempting to look the part with our new belt buckles.

Alex fits in more naturally. He's a cowboy, of sorts. Down here people wonder where his drawl accent is from. They say he's sometimes hard to understand. I reassure them, in Canada people also wonder where his drawl accent is from and sometimes struggle to understand him.

And after a couple of years of visits, Alex has friends in this neck of the woods. The cowboy hat he's been wearing was a gift a while back from Tammie and Fred out of Fort Worth. We're hoping to cross paths with them while we're here in Texas. Maybe at the Peterbilt truck plant.

Ever since we crossed the border from New Mexico I've had that Alabama song stuck in my head:

"If you wanna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.
That lead guitar is hot, but not for a Louisiana man.
So rosin up that bow for faded love and lets all dance.
If you wanna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band."

Not sure what that all means to our traveling, non-musical band. But I know that beyond the belt buckles and Alex's hat, we've been missing something. Couldn't put my finger on it. Until we stopped into Shepler's Boots and Jeans.

Alex decided on a pair of boots (s#&t kickers, as I've always heard them called) with leather uppers and ostridge-belly bottoms. Now we're fitting in. Or at least Alex is.

All the best, gang.
Loren

The wild Southwest

Hello from sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico. Just pulled in here after 2 days off the grid around Jamestown, New Mexico. We stayed with Mark Bush, his wife Tina, and their son: Cowboy Zach. What a kind, generous family. They call the 7600 acre "Bass Ranch" home. Tina's family bought the land with winnings from a poker game a couple generations back.

When I say "off the grid" I mean that literally and figuratively. For the last two days, I've been mostly out of cell and computer range so blogging was a stretch. During those two days, I was also getting my boots dusty in the red hills of New Mexico, sleeping under the creepy watchful gaze of a monstrous taxidermy'd elk, and getting out into the fields to shoot Mark's assault rifles and Dirty Harry revolver (44 Magnum). New Mexico is as beautiful and as wild as I had imagined.

Arizona was also beautiful. We made it up to the Grand Canyon and got to peer into that giant hole. But alas, the crack and kick of the 44 Magnum has made everything that happened before it seem like a distant memory. Now having pulled into Albuquerque, I think it's time to dust off my boots, get a latte, go for sushi, and put this cowboy-hillbilly fantasy behind me. But I gotta tell y'all, it ain't gonna be easy. Especially in Texas.

Loren

Veterans/Remembrance day

Hello from chilly Flagstaff, Arizona. We drove here this morning from Phoenix down Veterans' Highway.

I've noticed plenty of times that military people gravitate to Alex and in a way, vice versa. Alex asked a number of times where and when we might be able to sit in on a Veterans Day ceremony, but we came up empty handed. And so we pulled out of Phoenix this morning on the beautiful Black Canyon Highway. About 80 miles out it turned into Veterans Highway. A good day to drive down that road and have some time to think about war and sacrifice and peace.

I asked Alex about his relationship with service men and women and he said there seems to be some mutual admiration and respect. It does seem that a lot of people in uniform come up to Alex and say how much they appreciate the show and that they are impressed by the danger. Maybe one of the only things that makes Alex blush is being told how dangerous his job is by a soldier.

When we pulled into Flagstaff, we sat down for a bite. In the time it took us to eat our lunch the street outside the restaurant filled up with people waving signs and flags. I saw signs that said "We are here for Matt." Turns out "Matt" was 22 year-old Matthew Broehm, who died in Afghanistan on November 4th. His remains arrived home in Flagstaff today, according to a local paper.

So one way or another we had our chance to observe and reflect on November 11th.

Tomorrow we're off on a roundabout trip: to Jamestown, New Mexico, by way of a stop at the southeastern end of the Grand Canyon. Lucky us. Take care, gang.

Loren

Home on the road

Just bunking down in Phoenix after a cannonball run from Los Angeles. Had an absolutely great time in LA. Saw a few familiar faces and sang a rough, but patriotic version of the Tragically Hip's, New Orleans is Sinking, at a karaoke bar in Little Tokyo. Also noticed that there are some incredibly eccentric characters that call California home. However, Alex, wearing his moccasins, cowboy hat and rawhide jacket, still stood out at the hipster lounges in Venice Beach and vegan eateries in Santa Monica. Something to behold, real talk.

We filmed a few cool scenes in LA. Spent plenty of time with Alex's management team which was interesting. He's got a hard talking agent, a young high-energy PR team and a thoughtful lawyer that all look after his affairs. There's also Alex's son/manager/corner-man, Curtis. Add the film crew to the mix and all of a sudden Alex is rolling with a pretty serious entourage.

Probably the highlight of LA was a half planned, half spontaneous meeting of Yellowknife's Hollywood contingent. The plan was for Alex to spend some time with 25 year old Yellowknife-raised actor, Dustin Milligan. Dustin rolled up to the beach in his beautiful old Ford pickup. After Alex gave him a pile of advice on how to get it running better, the two walked about 25 feet down the beach before bumping into Tobias Mehler. Tobias was locking up his bike and taking his surf board down to the water. I say this now, because when the movie is done people are going to call BS on the CHANCE meeting of three Yellowknife-to-Hollywood transplants at the beach in California. But it happened, and it was a complete fluke. Wild.

It was very cool to hear Alex and Dustin chat about the upsides and the downsides of the film and television industry. Also great to hear them long for the north country. And if all that wasn't enough, Dustin now knows that he needs to replace the timing belt on his truck.

Off to bed, got a busy day coming up in Phoenix: morning TV show, event at a truck-stop, an event at a bookstore, and then another cannonball run to Flagstaff. Good night all.

Loren

Rat Rod

Up early in Los Angeles. We're on our way to KTLA for a live TV interview. Sorry for the quiet week. We spent most if it in Vegas. I can see why people call it Lost Wages, Nirvana.

We were there for the SEMA Show - a huge specialty auto exhibit. A hundred-thousand so called gear heads turned out to show off their cars and specialty parts and services. That's a lot of gear heads. There were thousands of cars. Lamborghinis, old-school muscle, even Bentleys dressed up as taxi cabs. It was a good look at car culture down here.

Alex was in his element, hanging around with other car lovers. Jay Leno was there, who apparently owns about 100 cars. Alex tells me he has around 140. Although I think only a few of them still turn over (Alex guesses about 20). The rest are yard decorations back home in Yellowknife. Alex's son, Curtis, calls them junk. Alex disputes that and calls them collectibles. I've seen the yard, it's hard not to agree with Curtis.

With Alex's collection of beaters, it's no surprise which car was his favourite at the show. There was an absolutely hideous looking, gnarly old station wagon parked in the middle of a sea of polished-up show cars. The wagon's owner called it a rat rod. A hot rod engine in a rat of a car. It would not have looked out of place as one of Alex's "collectibles" out in the yard.

Ok, off to Sunset Boulevard. Have a good one.

Loren

The Red Giant

Greetings from spectacular Las Vegas.

We got in later than we expected last night because of an unplanned tour stop in Salt Lake City, Utah. The compressor on the Red Giant started acting up so we had to pull off onto the thin shoulder of the humming interstate. The truck's driver and owner, Bryan Dax, spent three hours crawling around underneath and eventually resolved whatever ailed it. While he worked under the truck, his feet stuck out the side just far enough that I was worried they'd go the way of oh so many deer and skunk we've seen on highway 80 west and now 15 south.

That three hours on the side of the highway (in front of a big jail) was plenty of time for all kinds of people to stop. We had a visit from a local trucker who thought the breakdown was actually pretty lucky because without it he and Alex wouldn't have met. Prison guards, motorcycle riders, and a bunch of others either pulled-over or hopped the fence to make sure we were alright and had all the tools we needed. Everyone of those kind souls was rewarded with a bookmark and a couple of signed information brochures for Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories. It was a good stop. And it was good to get going again once the truck was sorted out.

A number of people have asked about the truck, so Jay and I put together a sort of "MTV Cribs" tour of the big machine. I'll let driver/owner Bryan Dax take it away...
Loren

80,000 people and a marching band come out to see Alex!!!

Just bunking down after a beautiful drive through Nebraska and much of Wyoming. From the great plains into the foot hills and then in the evening through some incredible rock formations. The rocks and mountains are a sign of things to come. We'll pass though Utah tomorrow with the goal of getting to Las Vegas by supper time.

Yesterday we pulled up to the bookstore on the University of Nebraska campus. Just so happened the book signing was scheduled on game day. The U of N Corn Huskers' football team, ranked 15th in the country going into the game, took on the 6th ranked team from Missouri. I can not begin to explain to Canadians what a big deal college football is in the US. And Nebraska is a perennial powerhouse. They've won 5 national championships.

With kick-off scheduled for 2:30pm, by 9:30am the streets were packed with Huskers fans dressed in red & white. Parking lots in the downtown core of Lincoln were turned into little villages of haywire tailgaters. Picture a scene from Mad Max, but everyone is wearing red and white and they're all in a good mood. Definitely no big deal to see someone hollering at passing cars, chowing down on a smokie, and enjoying a wobbly-pop at 10 in the morning. All part of getting ready for the game.

Our massive tour truck, the Red Giant, is...well...red. Which made it an accessory to the fan madness in Lincoln. We were also parked on one of the main walkways leading to the Memorial Field, which some say is a "cathedral of college football." If I didn't know better I would have thought that there were 80,o00 people lined up to get their copy of "King of the Road" signed. No such luck, but the excitement of the day was definitely part of our stop there. And there was no shortage of people in face and body paint who lined up to say hi to Alex before heading into the game.

Jay and I were wheeling and hustling through traffic and managed to get in place to see the Husker team arrive out front of the stadium. Thousands of people were absolutely rocking, including the marching band. The whole production was out of this world. A nice little slice of culture from this part of the world. And an absolutely contagious energy level to get into our veins as we filmed the street level action.

The Huskers put a whooping on Missouri: 31 - 17. Add the big victory to Halloween festivities and I think Lincoln was the most exciting place in the country yesterday. Eventually we had to split, but I'd bet there are a few people in Lincoln who are still celebrating. Jay and I are now big time Huskers fans. We've got the hat and shirt to prove it.

Loren

ps - Coming soon: thanks to a request from a reader, our next post will be a video tour of the Red Giant with owner/driver Bryan Dax. I'll post it tomorrow.

What you don't see

Hello gang. I've always eaten like a trucker and at times I even swear like a trucker, but I've never really lived like a trucker. Until now. It's different than I had imagined. In some ways, it's not all it's cracked up to be. In other ways, it's something special.

When I decided to come out on the road with Alex, I envisioned stops at dusty roadside saloons. I imagined a gonzo journey laced with interesting glimpses of americana. Some of that goes on, but I've been surprised by the straight-ahead, hard-driving pace of trucking-life. Yesterday, for example, we spent the day in Cleveland. We met a lot of good people, but we didn't get to know the city. Arrived in the dark of morning, hosted an event during the day, and pulled back out onto the road into the dark of night. And that's part of what you don't see: Truckers have "been everywhere man," but a lot of times they don't really get to see those places.

On the other hand, there is something special about a trucker's life on the road. Driving through a storm at night in Pennsylvania the CB radio chatter was all about how people are doing and what they ought to be careful about. The chatter was a mix of shared concern, raunchy humour, and a remedy for loneliness. It's a side of trucking life that the rest of us don't see. And the family-style chatter (with an R-rated edge) made it easy to see how Alex the trucker-philosopher-storyteller fits into this world.

Today we pulled up to Iowa 80, the largest truck stop in the world. It is massive. It has been a cool, sunny day. Within minutes of the Red Giant pulling up, people were outside taking cell phone pictures and asking about Alex. In a way these are his people. And Alex is definitely theirs. People wait in line to pray for Alex, to make sure he's taking care of his health, and for the first time so far on this tour: to play music for him. Another side of the road that the rest of us don't see.

Here's a reel Jay put together of a new trucking friend playing a tune at Iowa 80. Drive safe,

Loren

Good for a laugh

This is too good to leave on the cutting room floor. Jay and I asked Alex to look sternly into the camera for a hero shot in Times Square, NYC. Apparently Alex the TV star can't take direction. Rather than a stern look, we got an uncontrollable laugh. And as a good laugh often does, it spread. By the end of it Jay and I were also howling and so were people around us. Jay just put together a quick reel of Alex having a chuckle in the city and the Red Giant rolling through Times Square. Enjoy.

Loren

Furmoans

This post begins with a confession. Hustling down the highway to our next stop, stopping only for food and a few hours sleep here and there: it has been tough to fit in the time to find somewhere to shower. Simply put, none of us are showering as often as we might like to. There have been points where I was concerned that I stunk a wee bit.

Luckily Alex put me straight. For a while I heard him saying, "that's just your furmoans" in his hearty drawl. I didn't know what he was talking about. What are furmoans? Turns out what Alex was talking about are pheromones. They're a subtle part of the not so subtle smell we put out. They are a scent emitted to create attraction between people. In Alex's case, he's got a hunch his pheromones are part of why people love to hang out and chat with him. Maybe so, I've been thinking.

We had an amazing day in Sheppenville, Pennsylvania, at the Clarion County Career Centre. It's a place where students come to learn things like policing, culinary arts, carpentry, and most relevant to the ice road trucking thing: diesel technology. There was a long, patient lineup of students and community members waiting to chat with Alex all day, despite, or maybe even because of his "furmoans."

I found this all comforting. It helped me change how I felt about my own smell. I even started to feel proud of my smell. Until at the end of the day I congratulated Alex on a great day and he turned to me and said, "Good work to you too. Now go shower. You smell like a sled dog!" Now my stench complex has returned.

Big thanks to everyone in Sheppenville for an awesome event. Tomorrow: Ohio. And hopefully a shower.

Loren

We made it!

Just a quick note to thank all the people who honked, hooted, waved, and snapped photos while we sailed the behemoth Red Giant over the George Washington Bridge and eventually through Times Square. What a sight. The truck is now parked at 48 Street and 6th Avenue, looking absolutely out of place and amazing. Sweet relief to have gotten the truck into the city. Alex will be on Fox and Friends in the morning (Tuesday) between 8:15 and 8:30. Should be good for a few stories and a few laughs. Time to catch some zzz's.
Loren

Cross your fingers

Hello gang,
The good news: Myself and another guy, Jay Bulckaert, are traveling with Alex, documenting his wild and woolly truck tour of the US (not the official tour name!). What are we going to have at the end of this? A road movie about Alex, his fans, and the huge truck he's touring in (the Red Giant).

The less good news: We're down to brass tacks now. Tonight's the night we're finally rolling the truck and trailer into lower Manhattan. It's been a full day and night of scouting routes, asking around with NYPD officers, and applying for permits. Now we've got a green light and what we think is the route that's going to work. If you see Alex and the truck rolling across the George Washington bridge, hoot and holler and let us know you're hoping we make it.

Once we get the big machine into the city, we'll all bunk up and get some shut-eye before Alex's appearance on Fox and Friends morning show. It'll be funny to see the crew roll out of the bunks in the truck right in front of Fox TV studios. That's the life of a trucker, I guess. If you're killing time in the morning while you eat brekky, tune into the show. You'll hear Alex's laugh which I'm learning is as good as 5 cups of coffee. In the meantime, cross your darn fingers that we get this big-rig-spectacle down into the heart of NYC.
Loren

BOOK SIGNING IN HOBOKEN NJ Oct.22!!

Alex will be at John Wiley & Sons Friday October 22 in Hoboken, New Jersey from 12pm-2pm at 111 River Street for a book signing. Come out and see the Red Giant and meet this trucking titan!

"King of the Road" books now for sale in our Official Store!

YOU HAVE BEEN WANTING THEM...NOW WE'VE GOT THEM!

Alex's book, "King of the Road - True Tales From A Legendary Ice Road Trucker" is now available in our Official Ice Road Trucker Store! Before Alex headed out on tour he took some time to sign a limited supply of his books...so you guessed it....if you order your book here....it will be SIGNED BY ALEX HIMSELF!

Buckle up folks! Alex and the Red Giant launched his US book tour in
Two-Rivers Wisconsin. The weather was beautiful and Alex was in great
form, meeting fans having a good laugh and taking photo's with the
truck. There was alot of running around and last minute details to
take care of however Team Alex, as always managed to pull off another
successful event. Stay tuned to the evnet calendar as Alex will be
rolling to a city near you!! On to the Boss' back yard in Jersey!

"King of the Road" book tour kicking off today!

Hello everyone!  Today is the day...the official kick off of the

Alex Debogorski, King of the Road Book Tour!

We will be keeping you posted from the road so be sure to keep up with us!  Check back to see photos, videos, and comments that will be updated daily!

Today's kick off is being held in Two Rivers, WI starting at 4pm...it's open to the public so stop on by and wish Alex luck!