So, on my last night in Fort McMurray on Thursday, I decided I would try and see the Northern Lights! Based on polar activity predictions, the tips on best viewing times suggested I try anytime after midnight, into the wee hours of the morning. On that note, on Thursday night after class I went to bed early, set my alarm for 11.30 pm, and set out from my hotel at midnight.

My plan was to drive north past the oil fields as far as the road would go, and then continue further on the “winter road,” which is basically an ice road that only exists during the winter. During the summer it becomes a marshy swamp dotted with rivers and lakes, so the only time vehicular traffic goes north is in the winter. There is more info on the winter road here and here.

However, Fort McMurray is the last town on Highway 63. The next “hamlet” is Fort Chipewyan, about 200 miles north, and only accessible by road in the winter on the above-mentioned ice road.

In fact, immediately after the bridge that brings you out of Fort McMurray headed north, you encounter this sign:

Of course, to me, that is an invitation! So, here goes…

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Last week as I trained engineers from Suncor Energy in Fort McMurray, I learned a few things about how they mine for oil up there. It is quite a fascinating process!

First, some information about the oil sands:

• The oil is just laying around naturally in the area, packed into the sand. The Athabasca river actually cuts channels into the oil sands, and the banks of the Athabasca are rich in oil. In the summer, say the folks who live there, you can actually see the banks of the river oozing oil as the sun heats the sand and the water, making a clayish glob of oozing tar that flows down to the river.
• This has been the case for many thousands of years, and various species of wildlife in the area have adapted to life with the tar sands. I heard from the folks there of a beetle called the Tar Sands Beetle, and also of a certain kind of toad that lives in the river and depends on the tar to protect itself from predators.
• The Native Americans… err… would they be Native Canadians? Errr… Oh, right, Wikipedia to the rescue: The First Nations peoples of the area knew about the tar in the river, and they used the tar to waterproof their canoes.

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As a traveling trainer over the past two years, I have frequently observed just how little control we really have over things. So many little things can go wrong, and some trainers go out of their way to ensure they are fully prepared for every little contingency. Others, however, seem to revel in walking into the situation with a gleeful readiness to deal with whatever happens. I find myself more in the latter camp: it is actually quite liberating to realize just how many options become available when things don’t go as I planned.

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I made it safely into Fort McMurray, and my hotel even has Internet access! The tourism board’s slogan for the town is: “All that’s missing is you!” Apparently they’ve missed me here, glad to oblige!

Actually, this town is fairly well developed - I even hear rumors of a Starbucks in town that I’m going to have to check out soon.

I arrived at the Fort McMurray airport on Monday afternoon, and promptly took my Avis SUV out for a spin up north on an exploration. Here are some pictures (click on them for bigger versions):

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Flying in the 20^th century used to be a luxury.

Flying in the 21^st century, on the other hand, is a consumer-driven gateway to a vast and previously unexplored terrain of glitches and minor annoyances that cumulatively test one’s spirit and make one question the validity of human civilization.

So Air Canada promptly misplaced my bag, and I face the reckless prospect of being in Fort McMurray without my clothes. I hope they have a store where I can buy some, although I wonder what kind of clothes they’ll have… I may end up looking like a yuppie lumberjack-wannabe, but at least I’ll be warm.

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