FIRST LEG OF THE AL-CAN

Day 48 – 2015-06-07

Not much cool to say about today’s drive except that we saw a coyote and a lesser sandhill crane in golden phase.  We started out with a detour to the Kiskatinaw Curved Wooden Bridge, the only wooden bridge that is still in daily use on the Al-Can (although this is now on an alternate route, not the main highway). This bridge was originally supported by a wooden trestle, which was replaced in the 60’s with steel I-beams.  Its original construction took 8 months, almost the same amount of time it took to build the rest of the road.

The Curved Bridge

On Our Way Across

After the Curved Bridge, BC 97 took us through farm country, then entered rolling hills.  Mostly, it was mile after mile of boring highway.  At least until 

Bettie spotted a Sasquatch.

Oh well, nobody said everyday would be special.  We stopped in Ft. Nelson for the night at a commercial campground.  Nothing special here either, except that our camp mates tell us things change dramatically for the better tomorrow.  We are looking forward to it and plan to spend a few days in the area just ahead of us.

What we are noticing now is that the daylight hours are getting MUCH longer, something like 18 hours of daylight, and that the fuel prices are getting MUCH higher.  Today we paid $1.35 per liter – that’s about C$5.40/gallon. OUCH!  282 (7,025)

Day 49 – 2015-06-08

As our camp mates Rick & Evelyn predicted yesterday, today’s drive was spectacular.  After making the highest pass on the Al-Can at about 3,800 feet, we were treated to mountain vistas that eventually lead us into the Toad River area.  Along the road we encountered a herd of Stone Sheep.  Apparently, they are attracted to the highway to lick the minerals that accumulate there.

And, as always, the Big Daddy is standing up on the hill overseeing the harem and kids.

The sheep were obviously not intimidated by big trucks.

But, while we were taking pictures, a pickup sped by just as one of the ewes wandered into the road.  She made a split second decision not to be rammed by the Ram and with lightning quickness, she dodged the Dodge.  So, instead of roadside carnage, we saw this ewe reverse course, go to full speed in a heartbeat, run up a vertical wall of rock, and stop on a ledge that couldn’t have been more than a few inches wide - right next to her ram.  Mighty impressive.

Once past the sheep, we continued to Muncho Lake Provincial Park.  After a couple of failed attempts at other places, we stopped at the only place that had a working diesel pump – remember the lesson about keeping a full tank?  Thankfully, we were able to fill up.  C$1.70/liter or about C$6.80/gallon.  I’m beyond wondering how high this will go, so no more complaining.

Many thanks to Pat & Don, our Alaska gurus, for recommending a stop at Muncho Lake.  The road into the park was beautiful.

The lodge down the road offers fly-in fishing trips.  We saw the float plane land while we were eating dinner.

Our campsite at McDonalds Campground is certainly in the competition for best in class, although the mosquitoes are DENSE, they did not bite much.  The water in this lake is JADE GREEN.  The most beautiful and unique either of us have ever seen.  The pictures just can’t capture the brilliance of the water color. Here are a couple of shots of the lake and surrounding area, one from camp, and one from an overlook. 180 (7,205)

  

Day 50 – 2015-06-09

We stayed another day at Muncho Lake.  It’s just too pretty to leave.  Here’s the view from our campsite.

We were glad to see this morning’s weather brought clear skies and light winds.  It was cloudy, rainy, and howling yesterday.  After a quick trip to the lodge down the road so we could use their phone to book a ferry reservation from Skagway to Haines for later in the trip, we unloaded the kayaks.  7 (7,212)

This picture is one of the better looks at the color of the water.

From the middle of the lake looking north, you can see that the western shoreline is heavily forested right down to the water’s edge while the eastern shoreline is almost bare stone mountains. 

Looking south, we get snowcapped mountains.

We crossed the lake and paddled up the shoreline into this jade green cove.

All of this is so unique to our experience we just want to sit and look at it.  We are so happy we brought the kayaks.  We would not have seen a lot of this without them.

I was about ready for bed when we heard a knock at the door.  A camp mate (one of the folks in the little red inflatable in the foreground of the float plane picture) was standing there with a stringer of 3# lake trout – wanted to know if we would like to have one.  That’s an easy answer, so I slipped on a shirt and went over to John and Diane’s camp site.  Diane proceeded to perform the most surgical filet job I have ever seen.  Make what fun of me you will for my anal technique, but I’m not even in the same league with this woman.  

During conversation, she admitted the only reason they wanted to share some of the trout was because of the daily possession limit and they wanted to go back out to try for some bigger fish.  Whatever the reason, we are glad to have a couple of filets for tomorrow night.  The meat of these fish is the color of salmon because their diet consists of pink shrimp.  We had this in South America and it was excellent eating. 

Day 51 – 2015-06-10

We made the short drive to the Liard River Hot Springs Campground this morning.  37 (7,249) This is a natural hot spring on the Liard River that has been “improved” by the park service to make a very nice set of lounging pools, one a lot hotter than the other.

The lake trout we were given last night was sautéed in butter and olive oil and paired with a Poplar Grove 2013 Viognier from the Naramata Bench of the Okanagan Valley (wow, that really sounds pretentious doesn’t it ?!?).  Pretty darn good eats for livin’ in the boonies. 

Day 52 – 2015-06-11

We drove from Liard River hot Springs to Watson Lake today.  125 (7,374).  Good road through low mountain forest running alongside the Liard River.  We have not had much luck spotting wildlife until today.  On this drive we saw wood bison and 5 black bears, so it was a good day.

We are staying in the Downtown RV Park in Watson Lake.  This is a gravel lot with everyone stacked in on top of everyone else.  BUT, it’s convenient to all the amenities in town and it’s only for one night.  Watson Lake is famous for the Signpost Forest, started during the construction of the Al-Can by GI’s who were assigned to the work here, it has grown over the years to include an estimated 80,000 signposts.  We failed to plan ahead, so ours is not one of them. OOPS!  Maybe next time.