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August 23, 2014
US Motorcycle Rider Disappears In Canada
http://www.albertapolicereport.ca/2014/08/21/request-assistance-to-locate-an-overdue-traveller/
Update: Looks like he turned up.
http://thelostnmissing.blogspot.ca/2014/08/located-safe-jackie-jack-caldwell-74.html
http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/missing-senior-citizen-motorcyclist-located-at-alaskan-border-1.1971808
I have to tell you this...if this ole' trooper turned up at the Alaska Border on the Alaska Highway after crossing Alberta, B.C., and the Yukon on a 3-wheeled motorcycle, he is a trooper. He made it from the Port of Coutts, Alberta, Canada to the Alaska Border on the Alaska Highway, a distance of 1,890 miles, if he took the shortest route possible. (You have to take the Alaska Highway, at some point, it's the only way to get there). The Alaska Highway through the Yukon is pretty much a joke. Just one busted up section after another...constantly following a Pilot Truck for several kilometers at a time, always waiting for the sign turner to switch from "Stop" to "Slow". If he went up the Cassiar (BC 37), the gas stations are 150 miles apart, and there's very limited lodging options.
Saturday August 16th 2014 - Friday, August 22, 2014 11:52AM MDT
OK. So, I just did the math on his trip. In 6 days, he went AT LEAST 1,890 miles. This puts him at 315 miles per day, again, assuming that he didn't take the scenic route (I have no idea what route he took between the two ports of entry/exit between the US/Canada.) So, yeah...dude is doing just fine. No shame in 300 mile days. Just means he's taking lots of pictures is all.
The reason he wasn't in touch with anyone is probably because he turned his cell phone off to prevent the phone companies from raping him for being in a foreign country...I turned mine off of this reason. So, that's probably why he wasn't in touch with his family.
How he made this trip alone is anyone's guess, but he's a tough old bird. I'll give him that. I've got money he finished the trip just fine an shows back up in TN in 2-4 weeks.
Update: This web page says he left Mount Juliet, Tennessee on August 12, 2014, and made it to Coutts, Alberta on August 16, 2014.
This means that he went 1,927 miles in roughly 5 days (I'm assuming here he crossed into Coutts at dusk/dark on the 16th.) That would make the most sense, I think. That he had 5 solid days of riding (12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th) to make to into Canada from TN. This means he was driving, on average, 385 miles a day.
Then, once he's in Canada, I'd say he drove like this....part of the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd. So, this gave him about 5-6 days for the driving roughly the same distance across Canada. I'd say his speed across Canada was pretty much the same as it was in the U.S. He only slowed down for the road construction, so far as I can tell. Glad he's safe.
Posted by Rob Kiser on August 23, 2014 at 1:15 AM
Comments
Just saw this in the comments section of the link you posted: http://thelostnmissing.blogspot.ca/2014/08/located-safe-jackie-jack-caldwell-74.html
Posted by: dnp on August 24, 2014 at 2:57 PM
Awesome. Thanks David. Good catch. I'll update the post. :)
Posted by: Rob Kiser 
on August 25, 2014 at 12:33 AM