Day 14 & 15 - A VERY Close Call and A Final Goodbye to Steele

Good morning, Port Simpson!

Woke up and made six giant sandwiches—gotta fuel up for the day, right? Then, down to breakfast. The location was charming, and while the room was a bit snug compared to my usual accommodations, I slept like a king. Super comfortable.

On the way out, I planned to visit Patsy and Trevor. Maybe they want to try a Nespresso? After that, it was time to face the 1,000-kilometer trip ahead.

First, I filled up at Penny’s Pit Stop. Regular gas—it’s not ideal, but when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, you take what you can get.

Patsy and Trevor: Salt of the Earth

I stopped by Patsy and Trevor’s place for a chat, and we really connected. They live off the grid and an incredible life—growing potatoes, geese, chickens, and even hunting moose!

Did you know that Geese make amazing WATCH GUARDS for the livestock? Yup. If any animals come to attack the coup - they can be vicious!! We can also see in the picture the vasy amount of firewood Trevor has prepared for the winter ( or the next 5 winters) . Truth be told, Trevor told me he enjoys taking out the Snowmobile a few miles out and chopping firewood with his powerful chainsaw.

Patsy, by the way, is the moose hunter of the duo, while Trevor is a commercial fisherman. He fishes for crab, shrimp, cod, salmon, you name it. They invited me back to fish with them one May or June, and I happily extended an invitation for them to visit us in Texas. I think my wife Ronit would absolutely love them.

Seriously, if the world had more people like Patsy and Trevor, it would be a living paradise.

A Full Rainbow

As I got under way - there was a FULL thick rainbow

Hold the Press: Breaking Story

Now, here’s where the day took a turn, and it’s still hard to believe what happened next.

About 43 kilometers before Goose Bay, on a remote stretch of road, I experienced something downright terrifying—some might even call it a miracle.

Coming down a sharp curve on a steep hill, the car suddenly lost control. Before I knew it, we were airborne, flying into a rocky ravine. In that split second, I just held onto the steering wheel, bracing myself. But instead of crashing into the rocks, the car landed on a large patch of soft grass, as if guided there by some unseen hand. It felt like God himself moved the boulders.

When the car came to a stop, I climbed out of the rocky ravine—about 10 feet high—and onto the highway. In total disbelief, I patted myself down: legs, arms—nothing. Not a scratch. The airbags hadn’t even deployed. All the tires were intact, and somehow, I walked away without the slightest injury.

A miracle, plain and simple.

With no cell signal and the dish yanked off the car, I waited for help. After about 10 minutes, three vehicles appeared, and one had a Starlink dish to call a tow company. They informed me the tow would arrive the next morning, and they couldn’t take passengers. One of the hunters who stopped, Dean, offered me a ride, but before I could accept, a semi-truck pulled over and Devon, the driver kindly gave me a lift back to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Dean, the Hunter

Devon the Trucker

Goose Bay Adventures

Checked into the Two North Hotel—hot shower, deep breath, and a realization that I still had a lot of logistics to figure out. Calls to make, insurance companies to deal with, and transport companies to organize. Happy Valley-Goose Bay is a bustling little hive, but I felt completely out of place. People were kind, though, and after I regrouped, I decided to get back to the scene of the accident to retrieve my belongings.

Jamie to the Rescue

I called the local taxi service, and Jamie Cooney—owner of the company—picked me up in his Chevy Impala. On the way back to the accident site, the Impala's engine suddenly died. Just when I thought, "Here we go again," Jamie got a call telling him to wait five minutes, and sure enough, the engine roared back to life. We found the car, grabbed what I needed, took some photos, and headed back into town.

Luck of the Draw: A Moose Encounter

On the way back, we saw a car stopped on a bridge, with two people standing nearby. Naturally, we stopped to check it out. A hunter down in the valley was watching two moose grazing just 200 feet away. It’s moose hunting season, but they’re notoriously hard to find. The hunter faced a dilemma: the moose looked small, maybe calves. If he shot one, that would be it for his family’s moose hunting for the year. He was torn between taking the shot or waiting for a bigger moose, though they’re few and far between. When we left, he was still debating!

Insurance Fiasco

Back at the hotel, I called Mercury Insurance. First, they told me Canada wasn’t covered, then that I had liability-only coverage, not comprehensive. It didn’t make sense. After a heated exchange with my agent, they called back—Canada was covered, but still only liability. Now I have to wait while they sort this mess out because, as far as I know, I do have comprehensive. It’s all logistics from here.

Dinner at the Hotel

End of the Road for Steele

After a good night’s sleep, I woke up, showered, and had breakfast. Steele, my trusty car, was towed to Goose Bay, but it doesn’t look good. The undercarriage is extensively damaged, and it might be a write-off. I’ve decided to book a flight out of Goose Bay and let the insurance and towing company handle the rest. It’s been an incredible journey, but I think this is where it ends for Steele. :-(

I even got a call from CBC—they want to do a radio interview about this whole "Hidden Trails Expedition" adventure. But for now, I’m signing off, thankful, happy, and incredibly blessed to have walked away unharmed.

Until next time,

This is Shlomo, signing off with gratitude and a heart full of thanks to the guardian angel watching over me.