One way to be prepared for the Winter Alcan Rally is to do other rallies that are on ice and snow. This weekend is the annual Thunderbird rally that begins in Merritt, Brittish Columbia. Having little to do on a wet and rainy weekend, what better than to drive all night into Canada, to drive some more all weekend, then back home for work on Monday? If it involves a challenge then count me in!

The Thunderbird rally is BC's premier winter rally that first began in 1957. It's a 2-day event that covers the backroads of the nearby mountain ranges. This brisk TSD proposes a challenge to drivers and navigators alike in that it's almost entirely on ice, snow, slush, or frozen gravel through tiny,twisty roads. It's not uncommon to be cruising along in these conditions around blind corners with a cliff on one side and a bank on the other. Keeping a constant speed throughout the course is typically a difficult task to accomplish.

Determined to do well at Alcan, my navigator Marcus and I decided to get some practice in this week by entering the Thunderbird Rally. Extensive planning goes into a weekend rallying. Figuring out where to keep the 4 snow tires and 2 spares, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, personal gear, emergency supplies, food, rally computer, laptop, GPS, tools, jack, business radio, and the camera can become a tedious job. Being organized and taking the time to prepare the vehicle for this space is essential in case of an emergency like a tire change.

On the way up to Canada this evening, we found that we had to detour off the beaten path because Hwy 5 in BC had been closed due to an avalanche. Earlier this morning, Hwy 1 was closed due to a different avalanche. Follow along for the next couple of days for live updates on how Team Mitsubishi does in the Thunderbird Rally and how conditions are where the road goes.