The 1999 GMC Suburban 6.5L Turbo Diesel, my new Cold War camping vehicle

Someone's head will explode when they read this, but the Bombardier Iltis may not be the perfect vehicle for my Cold War tourism hobby.  Let me compare, contrast, and explain what I've figured out.  I've taken three different vehicles to various Cold War sites across Canada.

In August 2011 I drove from Carp, ON to Parent, QC in a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix.  The Grand Prix is a 205HP Front-wheel-drive 4 door sedan.  Travelling with one passenger (DA), and a ton of camping gear, was extremely comfortable, and we only spun out in a torrential downpour on a dirt road once - no damage.  The road between Carp and Parent was paved for the first half, and dirt for the 2nd half - there was never any fear of getting stuck or being unable to take the vehicle anywhere.  It even went up to the operations site of the former RCAF Station Parent.   Overall I didn't regret taking the car, there wasn't anywhere I didn't go because of it, but with a more capable off-road vehicle we would have gone to more/other locations I think.

In the March or April of 2012 I drove from Carp to Foymount in the Iltis, and had a great time.  The ride was smooth, most of the road was paved, the day was sunny but chilly, and I didn't get filthy.  The trip wasn't very long either - there and back in a day.  This confirmed to me that the Iltis was an awesome drive-anywhere vehicle.

In April of 2012 I drove from Ottawa to Parent again, this time with friends.  Carp to Parent is a much longer drive.  It had snowed heavily the day before (and during) our trip.  Capability wise the Iltis got stuck offroad only once, and used it's own winch to get out of the spot it was in.  I was able to take the Iltis anywhere and everywhere, and this time I crossed terrain that would have obliterated the Grand Prix.  To get from the town of Casey to the airstrip at Casey required a vehicle that had better approach and departure angles than the Grand Prix - by a long shot.  The Subuaru we were with barely made it (AWD was great, but angles were a problem in one spot), the Jeep Liberty performed well, and the 2WD Dodge Ram did OK (it may or may not have made it to the Casey Air Strip, we didn't attempt it)  Off-road/On-road the Iltis showed it could go anywhere... However...
All items in the Iltis were filthy by the end of the trip, we had the rear plastic window rolled up, and everything was either covered in dirt, snow, or both - mud.
All passengers in the Iltis were cold, wet, or both.
We were travelling with the doors on, because of the cold weather; else we would have been colder, dirtier, and wetter.

In August of 2012 I drove from Carp to Oba, ON via Hornepayne, ON first along HWY11 and then back along HWY17.  Part of the trip I had a passenger (RH), and I was driving the aforementioned Dodge Ram 1500 2WD regular cab pick-up.  Along this trip I was conscious that I wasn't driving the Iltis, and I wanted to question myself whenever I did something in or with the Ram; IF I was driving the Iltis, would I do this?  If not, what would I lose/gain from using the Iltis?  The results of this self-questioning were somewhat sobering.  The drive to Oba was ~16Hrs, and the drive back seemed longer - perhaps because I was already exhausted from getting there, and had naps on the side of the road along the way home.  That's the first tell; if I was driving the Iltis I wouldn't be napping IN the Iltis, it's too uncomfortable.  The interior of the Dodge Ram was leather, and has a bench/captain's chairs - when not travelling with a passenger, LOTS of room to nap.  My passenger was also heat/cold sensitive; if I'd taken the Iltis they would have died, I'm sure of it.  The Dodge didn't fare as well as the Iltis would have in the rough terrain, BUT the Dodge didn't get stuck - to be fair - I didn't put it at risk of getting stuck either.  Another surprise was the tonneau cover on the back of the short box Dodge Ram wasn't sealed enough to keep the dust off the camping gear.  By the end of the weekend, everything in the pickup truck bed was covered in road dust.  The whole reason I didn't bring the Iltis was because the rear differential went, and I haven't bought or installed a new one.  Gas mileage on the Dodge Ram with it's 5.9L Magnum engine is poor, but after driving thousands of kilometres, it got down to 15.4L/100km.  I would have wanted, in hindsight, to have a 4WD extended cab pickup, Jeep, or SUV; I would have been able to go more places, with better piece of mind, still napped in comfort, and not got everything filthy.  But how to decrease my gas consumption?  Diesel?  4Cyl of 6Cyl gas engine?  Maybe just a new modern engine (A Dodge HEMI is far superior to the Magnum when it comes to horsepower AND fuel economy...)?

I contemplated and studied the obstacles and my lessons learned.  I came up with a solution.  The GM Suburban, Tahoe or Yukon (Chevy or GMC, long or short) in 4WD, Diesel and with leather would be the target.  Unfortunately, there are precious few of those on the road, let alone for sale in Ontario (or anywhere else).
Let's review the pros and cons...

• GM Vehicles in general do not have a great reliability history, but, they're predictable, well known by all mechanics across North America and the parts are plentiful.  This is not true for the Iltis.
• The vehicle comes in leather, that's a feature I won't compromise on.
• The vehicles comes with 4WD, again, that's something I won't compromise on.
• The vehicle can be kept clean on the inside (no dirt/dust)
• The vehicle has amazing cargo room, and the possibility to mount additional aftermarket roof racks.
• Diesel is an option, and the 6.5L "Detroit" Turbo Diesel is not the most powerful Diesel in the market, but delivers respectable fuel economy.
• It has a 158L diesel gas tank.  Yes, 158L.  It should be able to go over 1200 highway kilometres before a fill-up.
• The vehicle can realistically be kept warm, it doesn't have canvas or vinyl sides, and should warm up comfortably after hours on the road.

So I dropped the hammer, and after three tries, got a seller via Kijiji to actually SELL me a 1999 GMC Suburban... I bought one.  It isn't precisely what I wanted; the gears are 4.10 rather than 3.42, but it will do!  All the other features are right in line with what I wanted.  It should be more fuel efficient than the Dodge Ram, capable enough with 4WD, and have enough space to bring everything AND the kitchen sink.  I'm very excited to take it to Belleterre, Val D'Or, and Senneterre in the coming weeks.  Reviewing the popular industry magazines, the Suburban is in the top 10 best "road trip" vehicles with good reason, and the '99 places better than the Excursion, Yukon and Expedition for overall ride, comfort and performance.  I'm looking forward to the next outing to give my own opinions on the 1999 Diesel Suburban :)

1999 GMC Suburban 2500 4WD
6.5L Turbo Diesel (L65)
190 HP @ 3400 RPM
385 ftlb @ 1800 RPM
4.10 Axle Ratio
7,500 lb Towing Capacity
GM 4L80-E Transmission
158L Fuel Tank
Goodyear Wrangler AT/S P245/75R16 tires
Exterior: Pewter Metallic
Interior: Light Grey Smoke with Grey Leather

Westport Gap Filler Annex (CG18 / C-3A)

Current driveway of the domicile which was once the
Westport Gap Filler Site

(Updated and Reposted)

The gap filler site just north of Westport Ontario is conveniently located a short distance off county road 10, a paved well maintained road - so no climbing of mountains was needed.  The drive to the site is serene and picturesque.  The last leg of the road is one lane and one lane only.  When the Gap Filler stations were sold off in 1964, it was sold to Norkum Construction of Porcupine, Ontario.  Today, as you can see from the (dated) satellite picture below, no vegetation grows around the perimeter, and little vegetation grows within the circle.  I visited the site on August 5th 2012 and was quite surprised to find that it was not currently owned by a business or industrial interest, but a private owner.  As I didn't catch his name, we'll call him Cletus for no reason what-so-ever.  Cletus "greeted" me in his gitch, while his three giant German Shepards were circling and barking at me.  He was a man of few words and even less patience, as I tried to explain who I was and why I was interested in visiting his property.  The terms "Cold War", "Pintree Line", "Gap Filler", and "Military History" didn't interest him much; he informed me this was his private land, he didn't want any visitors, and I should best be on my way.  I apologized profusely for interrupting his lunch, and bid him good day.  I can't say he was rude exactly, but not very neighbourly, by my neighbourhood's standards anyway.

I did not get any pictures of the site, very unfortunately, because the two Steelox buildings have been clad in white vinyl siding, and green detailing added around the windows that have been installed.  They also have a windmill and solar power; I'm not sure if they're living totally off the grid, but they're at least half way there.  The ring road around the buildings is still very visible, although there doesn't seem to be any reason for traffic around the ring, so I can only assume whatever herbicide the military used to cleanse the area was potent stuff.  Agent Orange has been rumoured to have been used at Pinetree line sites; could it have been used at Gap Filler sites?  I would have liked to ask Cletus if he'd had difficulty growing his vegetable garden, but alas, he wasn't in a chatty mood.

UPDATE: I took the above picture on September 1st 2012 showing that the driveway is well maintained.  "Cletus" did not seem to be home, and I did not trespass on his property.

No tower is on the site (anymore?), and I did not see any fuel tanks or auxiliary buildings of the same vintage as the Gap Filler site.  It was a disappointing visit, but I'm glad I saw the gorgeous job they've done on refitting the Steelox buildings into proper homes.


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Westport GFA Location

The Whirlwind Tour of Northern Ontario

I departed from Carp, Ontario at ~0100hrs on Saturday August 18th, and headed through North Bay to Kempis Mountain, my first stop.  There had been a troposcatter repeater at the top of Kempis Mountain to feed the signal from the Mid Canada Line (MCL) to North Bay.  After the MCL was shut down, the site was derelict, but other peaks of the mountain still had antennas on them - so the entire mountain wasn't shut down.  In 2009, as part of an environmental cleanup, the entire troposcatter site was dug up, and nothing at all was left behind, except a brass plaque on the cliff.  I wasn't expecting anything there, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found a fire tower on one hilltop, and an old Microwave repeater on another - the microwave repeater, from the architecture of the tower and the adjoining buildings, are surely military circa 1950s.  This makes sense, as all the pinetree line sites were joined by microwave towers which communicated hilltop to hilltop between each other and (I presume) down to hard wired locations further south.

CFS Ramore

From Kempis Mountain I travelled North on HWY11 just a little further to the former Ramore AS / RCAF Station Ramore / CFS Ramore.  Ramore had been built by the USAF in the 1950s, and it's architecture was subtly different than the Canadian built RCAF Station Parent I visited last year (and again this spring).  Ramore was sold to a private interest after it was shut down, so it wasn't demolished by the Canadian government as some of the sites were.  Some of the buildings have been razed to the ground, but a significant part of the operational site on top of the mountain still stands today.  I was very excited to see it, as I'd seen pictures of the derelict buildings taken by previous urban explorers.  The highlight of Ramore is the asbestos "Canada Tile" clad generator building, which doesn't have any windows left, but does show where the 5 massive Diesel generators powered the complex from.  It's an impressive warehouse-sized building.  Parts of the operations building and some kind of transformer building are also intact, as well as one of the radome buildings which now has an antenna on the top (purpose unknown).  Taking my truck where only ATVs should go, I also found the former COMMs building, hidden on another hilltop - but visible to the discerning eye using Google Maps sat imagry.  Some of the buildings at the base of the mountain have been re-purposed by local interests and seem inhabited; I didn't scour the entire area, I was on a short timeline.  I headed North (West) on HWY11 to stop next at Moonbeam to get a picture of the UFO, then on to Lowther.

CFS Lowther

Lowther AS / RCAF Station Lowther / CFS Lowther, as had been pictured in other people's photos online, was totally scraped off the face of the planet after it was decommissioned.  The only thing left is asphalt and concrete foundations, and even some of them seem to have been dug up.  I went to the highest point and got a few pictures, but there isn't much to see.  It felt good to know I'd seen it, but I was disappointed I couldn't see more of what had been.  I did notice across HWY11 there was an antenna tower, perhaps a microwave antenna tower... and sure enough there was a rusting microwave dish toward the top, and a 2nd one that had fallen off (!) the tower, and lay on the ground below.  The Steelox equipment building matches the dimensions and construction of the others, so I will assume it is a microwave repeater of military origin.  The day was getting late - I headed off towards Oba, but I had to give my exploring partner RH a call... but there was no Cell signal...  I visited the next LCBO I could find and asked for directions to the closest Phone Booth (SEE, I ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS!!) - it was a couple of blocks away... and after getting even more change from the corner store I was able to afford the long distance charges (HIGHWAY ROBBERY!)  RH was on her way, and I was on my way, to Hornepayne Ontario to meet up.

 

As I made my way to Hornepayne, which I would get to via HWY631, I passed Constance Lake.  Constance Lake is a native reserve ~100-150 miles south of where an F-102 crashed and it's pilot went missing on December 17th 1959, and is still missing to this day.  I suspect I'll be back there another day, looking for information.  HWY11 by this time was sparsely populated with trucking traffic, and once I turned off on HWY631 all that dropped off, and I saw very few cars or trucks.  Hornepayne was about an hour to an hour and half from Lowther, and after driving through town I eventually found the Esso (the meeting spot) and waited for RH. ...I might have indulged and grabbed a nap...

RH had found a hitchiker along the way who was headed up the 631, after saying our goodbyes to him, we packed up the truck, parked her little SUV, and headed to find food.  I wont say where we went for food, but it was in Hornepayne, and the food was... lacking.  

Probably not a good idea in a 2WD truck without a winch

We headed off toward Oba at 2100hrs on August 18th, as the darkness was falling.  Oba was only supposed to be an hour away, and setting up camp there, or at Hornepayne, was going to be equally challenging; so why not get closer to where we wanted to be?  After two hours on the dirt and grass covered back roads of rural-middle-of-nowhere Ontario I saw a berm ahead and hammered the brakes.  Getting out and investigating we found a dirt covered culvert (that was the berm), and some marshy ground past the culvert - then the road continued ahead... RH, who didn't want to be called a "Debbie Downer" for mentioning it, said she'd rather wait till morning and re-assess the situation.  She was right, getting stuck 2hrs by car away from Hornepayne would really suck.  My truck is a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport 2WD with Posi and the 5.9L Magnum engine.  It's heavy, and it can haul ass - but when it gets stuck, it's stuck for good.  I'd brought straps and a come-along, but none the less, getting stuck at 2300hrs in the middle of nowhere, in a swamp, would have been bad. 
We set up camp and waited till morning.

That's as close as we got to the Oba Gap Filler Site. ~2Km away
Can't you see the fire tower over the trees?

The next morning I was up and checking out the location at 0645.  RH had been right, it was mushy for about 50ft past the culvert, and I couldn't tell how deep the mud was.  There had clearly been someone with a truck-width vehicle through here, the tracks were evident - but I couldn't tell if they went through in 4WD, or if 4WD would be necessary.  We turned around and found an alternate route, the Oba Cutoff was a marked road half way back to Hornepayne - we'd missed it in the dark.  The Oba cutoff wasn't a short route, it took us across a scary looking bridge (the route actually took us across at least 3 or 4 scary bridges) and eventually dumped us at Oba.  By now I was beginning to have doubts of the Garmin, Google, Topo, Satellite photos, and provincial maps I'd consulted before the trip.  Many of the roads which were marked on the topo map as a solid red lines (driveable) had deteriorated to a condition that would barely allow ATV traffic.  After circling Oba, we headed East along what I thought was a road that would take us to a logging road, which would take us within 1km of the Oba Gap Filler Site.  Unfortunately, I now know the road on the topo map isn't the same as the road I'd seen on the satellite view, a road which isn't on the topographic map at all.  The road we took became impassable, covered by swamp.  At one time it was a passable road, so said the topo map, but today it no longer supports vehicular traffic.  There were large areas along the road which have been clearcut and now have no trespassing & pesticide use signs - we tried to head south through them, but none of those would let us all the way through either.  We had pretty much given up by the time we headed back toward Hearst, when we saw a little back road... it turns out that was the road I'd been trying to get to before, and we were then on the road I'd thought we'd been on all along...  Once we were along a couple of kilometres, road conditions blocked us, with a bridge that had fallen apart, so we walked the last three kilometres to a place where we could see the fire tower, where the Gap Filler Steelox buildings should be... 2.1km away (we were standing at 48.99823, -83.93338).  It was getting late and we had to head back to Hornepayne, via Hearst - a significant distance, so we called it quits and turned around.

I don't know when we got to Hornepayne, but it was really late - after seeing RH to her vehicle, I headed to the rail yard in Hornepayne to watch the trains and see if I could get some pictures of the night operations... however, without a tripod, my plan was foiled.  I did witness a change of train engineers around 0500 - and I had a nap before heading toward The Sault.  My route back would be along the 17, with frequent stops for bio breaks, stretching, and some napping.  

By 1730 I was in Sudbury, checking out CFS Falconbridge.  Unfortunately, the gate had just been closed - I spoke to one of the employees, and he thought if I talked to the owner who runs the place I would be able to get permission to ascend the mountain while the facility was open (a nine to five operation)  I have his number, and will give him a call before I go back the next time.

I was home by 0100 on Tuesday August 21st.  That's ~2300km in 72hrs - not bad!

Things I shoulda coulda woulda done differently...

1. Build a Fire   
   I hadn't anticipated making a fire, didn't have a bucket for water, didn't really know where we were camping, and didn't want to attract the attention of the locals if they were fire-sensitive/paranoid.  I should have built one anyway.
2. Bring different maps and satellite imagery
   Someone somewhere must have better maps of the area.
3. Get a handheld GPS with a screen
   It would have been hugely beneficial to have a proper LCD screened GPS while we were hiking to the location of the gap filler site, pre-loaded with all significant waypoints and points of interest.
4. Blow some shit up
   We should have shot some cans at the sandpit we found on Sunday.
   In hindsight, there was nobody around for a hundred kilometres in every direction.
5. Carry a compass at all times
   After the last unexpected stop that took us within 2km of the gap filler site, I was disoriented and couldn't tell if the direction we were pointing was in fact the correct direction of the gap filler site.  This was partially because I didn't have the Google Map Satellite image that I'd familiarized myself with, and partially because I didn't have a handheld GPS or compass with me - they were in the truck.  I was going off of memory as to what the fuzzy Google satellite image looked like.
6. Satellite imagery trumps MNR Topographic Maps.
   Lesson learned
7. Know when to hold them.  Know when to fold them.
   We didn't give up on the Gap Filler site early enough, and RH was late getting back to her vehicle - my fault for poor judgment regarding time, speed, road quality and distance. 
   I'll know better for next time.

Next Time?

Yes, next time.  Going in that same direction there are still several gap filler sites to see, and a few Pinetree Line stations too.  

View Points of Interest Aug 18-19 2012 in a larger map

The trip, minus all the driving between Hornepayne and Oba

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Gap Filler Site Oba (CG10 / M-119D) - Planning

Just to clarify my last experience, I had no expectation or plan of any sort that the Gap Filler site at Westport would be a home of someone, I fully expected it to be an industrial building or garage of some sort.  I'm bummed that I didn't get any pictures, but it really wasn't a "picture taking" atmosphere.  If I'd had my GoPro2 HD at the time I might have got some "dash cam" footage, which would have been priceless.

I think I've mentioned before that the best Pinetree Line sites, and in this case the best Gap Filler sites, are located in the middle of nowhere - because nobody visits them if they aren't easy to get to.  Well, the location of Gap Filler Site Oba is certainly not easy to get to, and I think that makes it a perfect make-up site for the disappointment of the last one.  South East of the town of Oba, Ontario there is a hill with a fire tower and hopefully two Steelox buildings left over from the Cold War.  The Oba Gap Filler was intended to be under the control of RCAF Station Ramore, until it was decommissioned, then it fell under the control of RCAF Station Lowther, for care and feeding while it changed hands to private interests.  Originally Lowther was being maintained by the USAF, so when Oba was being stood up, having the Yanks maintain it wasn't an option. What I really like about the site is, unless you know it's there, and you're looking for it, there's no way you'd stumble across it - there's no road access - AT ALL!  There have been gold mining exploration to the West of the gap filler, so if anyone has visited the site, I'd guess they had to do with either mining, or logging.  That's right, break out the compass and the GPS, we're going hiking in Northern Ontario!

View Larger Map Get Directions View Bird's Eye

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 There pictures are air photos from the 1960s and 1970s.  On them you can see the circle of defoliation that was done to build the base, and if you blow up the picture you can see the diesel fuel tank and two rectangular Steelox buildings which would house the accommodations and equipment.  The 2nd early spring picture shows a good contrast with the snow and the roofs of the buildings, they're quite clearly visible.

Cropped Image of Roll A24345 Frame 193- National Air Photo Library

Cropped Image of Roll A18016 Frame 028 - National Air Photo Library

What I find really encouraging is the following memo regarding an inspection done at the end of 1963, showing that the buildings were complete, but the tower was not erected.  This gives be a good degree of hope that there is *something* still standing at the top of the hill.  The satellite images above show the access road which was also mentioned in the documentation. 

Our file ref. 10-36 (SOCE)
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
St. Hubert PQ
29 Oct 63

Chief of the Air Staff
Dept of National Defence
Ottawa 4, Ontario

Ref: -- CE M966, 31 Jul
Inspection - Oba Gap Filler Site
An inspection visit to the Oba Gap Filler Site was conducted by the SCEO of Station Lowther with the following findings:

Steelox Buildings:
1. Winterized by the construction contractors; windows covered with plywood and caulked.
2. Several condensation stains were noted on the walls and ceilings.
3. Electrical conduit and boxes installed but the buildings were not wired.
4. Several hairline cracks in concrete floor; floor not tiles.
5. Building thoroughly aired during visit, but no apparent moisture problem.

Tower:
1. Concrete foundation installed for tower base appeared in good condition.

Bulk Storage Tank:
1. This 100,000 gallon storage tank was never painted and is in rusting condition. The unit has been requested to arrange the cleaning and painting of this tank in the summer of 1964. Fuel supply lines are not connected.

2100 Gallon Tank:
1. This tank was not installed and is only slightly rusted. Vent outlet covered during inspection to prevent filling with rainwater.

Access Road:
1. This road is approximately two miles in length and is in surprisingly good condition. There were minor washouts, but the road is considered passable for vehicles. No maintenance required before next inspection visit.

Site:
1. Several items were left outside with the contractor’s departure. A large electric motor was put in the building during the inspection visit. There is a variety of material on site that could be used for repairs such as plywood, caulking material, asbestos board, etc.
2 In conclusion, the unit advised that it is not considered necessary for a maintenance party to visit the site before the next inspection visit in the spring of 1964. It is to be stressed that to reach the site requires a train from Hearst to Oba and then another train from Oba to Neswaubin (approximately 8 miles). From the tracks to the site is approximately 2 miles by the access road or 1 mile by a path through the bush.

Signed:
(JW Johnston) S/L
for AOC ADC

In the coming weeks I hope to have a trip report ready for you to read regarding my experiences near Oba, Ontario - look it up on the map, it doesn't get any more off the beaten path than Oba!

Gap Filler Radar Station - Lac Ste Marie (CG7 / C-2D)

On August 4th 2012 I took a short trip to see one of the few mostly-intact, but seldom photographed, Gap Filler Radar Stations.  The Lac Ste Marie Gap Filler site was being built between 1960-1962, and when the project started to get cut ~1962, the equipment building, the accommodation building, a 50,000 gal fuel tank, a 3 season 3+ mile access road, perimeter fence, foundation for the tower, well and toilet facilities were already in place.  The tower was built to increase the value/use to the new owner (Camp Fortune) after the project was already slated to be cut. It was one of less than a dozen sites considered to be 95% complete, so it is a little special.

Gap Filler sites were built at a varied cost, depending if they had to bring in a road, do significant work on levelling the area, or other local issues. One problem was the time which they were able to work on the site, they could only work from June to December due to the weather, and even then the contractors didn't want to bid or go to some of the places the engineers said they had to build a site.

According to previously classified documents the reasoning for deploying these low-altitude radar sites was to cover off the radar coverage that the Pinetree Line stations were missing, below 6000' was sketchy, "Gap Filler" sites were supposed to firm up the net above the 2000' range.  Other declassified documents show that the intent was to extend coverage to 600' above ground level.

If you're planning on visiting; the road to the top would best be navigated with an ATV, motocross, or mountain bike (if you're an athlete).  It's a steep hike, and I wouldn't recommend doing it by foot.  There is no gate at the bottom, despite what the historical record says or the topo map shows.

Easy to locate, just follow the road "Chemin Du Radar"

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The road to the top is dirt and rock, and meant to be used only three seasons of the year.  I was unaware of that before going, and this is significant because there must be another Steelox building near the paved road where the military would have stored their tracked vehicle(s) for winter transport to the top of the hill.  You see, the plan in 1960 was, for the "Northern" sites to store, locally, a tracked vehicle so the road didn't need to be snow ploughed.  They would store that vehicle somewhere they could get to, right off the local main paved 4 season road.  I have a good idea of where that might have been, and I think I saw what looked like a quonset hut, but didn't think to check it out as it was very far from the gap filler site.  I guess that's something to check out the next time I visit!


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I've added comments to the pictures so it is more evident what they are...