We are hurrying home hoping to stay one step ahead of the weather. There is lots of snow here in Ft. St. John, about five inches and the weather is cold (-13c) for this time of the year. The weather forecast does not look too overly promising but we have a ‘window of opportunity’ today and we mean to take advantage of it. There are only a few little dips and dives in the highway today except for the climb up Steamboat Pass to Summit Lake and then after that Muncho Lake and Stone Mountain. I am worried about Steamboat. It is a long, high climb and if the road is snow packed, it will be interesting. Nothing else gives me any cause for concern today in our quest to reach Liard Hotsprings. Our concern that the highway would be snow covered is unfounded. Thanks to some great highway work, the road is relatively bare and dry. Thank God! We are able to make good time and by the time we arrive at Steamboat the sun has loosened up the snow pack and we have no problems at all, we even stop to take some pictures!
The section of the Alaska Highway (its original name was Alcan Highway), from Ft. Nelson to Liard Hotsprings has some of the best scenery in Canada. It differs from the highways through the Banff/Jasper area in two ways. One, there is not the volume of traffic and you have more time to gaze rather than concentrate on driving. In other words it is less stressful. Secondly, you are right in the mountains. There is no big ditch or distant vistas, you are literally driving right on them. This is great country!
Oh one hazard you should be aware of are the caribou and stone sheep that are on the highway licking at the road salt. Watch out around the bends!
The hotsprings area is famous around these parts for its springs of course, and its resident herd of bison (okay buffalo, whatever you like). We manage to find a herd of about fifty just before we arrive at Liard Hotsprings Park. Unfortunately, we manage to botch the pictures and not one turns out very good … sorry. The B.C. parks branch is keeping half of the park open so we have a campsite for the night. It takes us no time at all now to set up and in the gathering dusk we find ourselves off to the hotsprings for a great soak! Well into everyones life a little rain (in this case – snow) must fall. We are expecting to have the springs all to ourselves but there are about twenty people already in the pool when we arrive. There’s a road crew working on the highway and they are camped just down the road and believe it or not, they too like this natural hot tub. Can you believe that! Also, it takes me about fifteen minutes to find Lynn in the crowd and the steam and the dark, as we didn’t arrange a rendezvous point once we left the change rooms. It is still a great soak though as we manage to find a little corner all to ourselves. Do not miss this place if you ever find yourself driving to Yukon!
There is one other couple in the campground, (in a tent – we used to do that) so the dogs are let loose to ramble about at will. They are very happy about this as they have not been getting the amount of ‘free time’ they have been used to. Our trailer is nice and cozy and is handling the cooler weather very well. After a great supper, a few games of Rummikub and a quick walk with the dogs, we pack it in for the day. Next stop, home, we hope.