We set off early from Grand Prairie, will a full tank of gas and full tankards of coffee. I was able to drive, though getting in and out of the car were becoming most difficult.....meaning Jane got to do all the "running". Continuing west, we passed through Beaverlodge, Alberta, before crossing once again into British Columbia and gaining an hour for Pacific Time.
Soon we found ourselves in Dawson Creek, officially the start of the Alaska Highway. After another round of coffee, we swung north to Fort St. John, where we stopped for more gas. Further up the road in Fort Nelson, we grabbed lunch and yet more gas. This time we even filled the red gas can we brought along, as fuel options were becoming few and far between on this increasingly lonely road.
After Fort Nelson, the road turned ugly, with various pavement patches and stretches of loose gravel crushed into the road. Just past the Liard Highway turn for the Northwest Territories, we got a nice gravel bath on the windshield from an oncoming tandem dumptruck......and spent the next little while trying to differentiate possible windshield cracks from the plethora of existing bug splatters. In the end, thankfully no lasting harm done, just a good scare rounding a corner at high speeds.
Seemingly manageable distances seemed to eat up the day, as we slowed numerous times for bad roads, photo opportunities, or wildlife in the way. A particularly gorgeous stretch of highway escorted us up and over Stone Mountain and down into Toad River, where we decided to stop for the night. One twisty section of downhill hairpins with a dropoff on the left and sheer wall of rock on the right was particularly memorable! (you may have come along for the ride on Jane's Facebook Live)
RV parks in The North are like small cities. They have everything you need in isolation - food, gas, post office, laundry, firewood, gift shop, mechanic and tire repair, a variety of accommodations, and so on. The Toad River Lodge was one such place, and we eagerly grabbed a hot meal and a tent site with a view and two very active beavers.
A little later in the evening, a lone woman headed southbound on her motorcycle checked into the campsite beside us. Turns out she had finished up her season on a fishing boat in Alaska, and was headed a long way to Arizona and her next job.....figuring a motorcycle was the best way to see the country in between. She shared her fire and music, we shared our craft beer and can opener, and we all shared stories from the road as fellow travelers embracing the Middle of Nowhere.
Beaverlodge, Alberta
Our Alaska Highway Adventure begins....
....in Dawson Creek, BC!
Fabulous weather and great scenery!
West of Fort Nelson
A Caribou for you.....
....and a Cariboo for me!
Great campsite at Toad River Lodge
Our day started and ended with beavers - how truly Canadian, eh?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment