The Big Trip - Toad River to William A. Switzer Provincial Park

Greetings at Toad River Lodge.

2915 km - We're having a pleasant drive on Hwy. 97, we've seen six more sheep, a black bear, and some deer. We also made a pit stop at Toad River and had some scrumptious cookies.

Hey sheep!

Space sheep.

That'll be close enough, thanks.

Bears are best from a safe distance.

3004 km - Foiled! Or maybe 'saved' would be a better word. A friendly gas station attendant told us the road in the NWT was in rough shape and apparently it has been closed and washed out for awhile. We are disappointed to miss the NW but we'll try to take advantage of the time in Jasper/Banff. For now we will make do in Fort Nelson.

What more could you want in a store?

Stay classy, Fort Nelson.

3005 km - After a nigth at the Lakeview Hotel, we are heading out on our altered route. We showered, which was great. And Dan's Neighbourhood Pub supplied us with a hot meal. Life is good.

3308 km - Our detour route is a pretty boring drive, there was even an odometer check at one point. We have seen some wildlife though. We saw a mother bear with three cubs putting our black bear count up to 17. We saw 6 wild horses but what we've really been looking out for are moose or caribou. Unfortunately we saw one a few minutes ago, she was dying a slow death on the shoulder of the road.

It was strange to see horses just wandering around by the road.

In Dawson Creek.

3480 km - We have spent much of our trip on Hwy. 97, but after reaching Mile '0' of the Alaska Highwway we are heading southeast on Hwy. 2. This will be our last BC highway. We're almost in Alberta.

3521 km - Weeeeee! We are in Alberta. We will miss BC. BC Parks and Tourism sure made planning the first leg of our trip easy. Thanks to all the wonderful people we've encountered so far in BC, AK and the Yukon.

Province #2!

My, that's a big beaver you've got there. (In Beaverlodge.)

Grand Prairie is the proud home to the 2nd biggest Sun Dial in N.A.

3852 km - So, Cam and I are chickening out. We drove over 800 km today to camp a couple of hours out of Jasper, only to decide to drive another 100 km and find a hotel. The reason? Crazy lightning and intermittent downpours. Rain we were ready for, we have the tarps to prove it. But the lightning scared us off. Are you supposed to sleep in a tent among the trees in lightning? I guess the truth is that Cam and I are still fine tuning our camping skills. We still have many camping nights ahead of us - let's hope we actually camp.

3937 km - Ok, I take back some of my last entrry. Cam and I did camp after all. We drove about an hour closer to Jasper and the lightning storm seemed to stop - so we set up camp. And saw a moose, completely alive and everything. Now we are off to Jasper.

Moose at night.

Cam at night.

Cam's hair at dawn.

The Big Trip: Boya Lake to Muncho Lake

2334 km - Not much to see on the road today. We did see a fox, and the welcome sign to Dease Nutz . . . I mean Dease Lake was pretty awesome. We're just leaving Boya Lake P.P. now. It is a gorgeous spot, the water is coloured like Lake Louise and it is surrounded by thousands of trees and some mountains.

Technically leaving BC for the third time on the trip . . .

. . . This time for the Yukon.

2482 km - We have now been to the Yukon . . . and left it. The last stretch of highway in BC was pretty dodgy, but our tough as nails Loon made it through. We toured the sign forest, picked up some essentials (gas, ice & chips) and now find ourselves back in BC. We have our eyes peeled for buffalo and are looking forward to some hot springs. The people sure were friendly in Watson Lake, maybe one day we will be back with a sign of our own.

The sign post forest's size is mind-blowing.

No towns named Cam, but I bet your hometown is there.

Salt Spring and Waterloo content.

2628 km - The Alaska Highway is a pretty smooth road. So far we have seen two buffalo and stopped to see a whirlpool on the Liard River. It's a pretty hot day for buffalo so the ones we have seen weren't interested in doing much besides wagging their tales.

Whirlpool action.

En route to the hot springs.

Steam coming off the pond.

Awesomeness.

2683 km - We just saw a buffalo pee. It is going to be a good day. The Liard River Hot Springs were all we expected and it was great to relax in them. They were too hot for us at the source, so we chilled near the middle with all the American RVers. It was another great night. It was still light out when we packed it in at 11:30 last night. And after calling home and filling up with gas, we are on the road again.

Buffalo pee action shot!!!

Trout River valley.

2720 km - We are now in Muncho Lake Provincial Park and have just returned from an unsuccessful sheep hunting expedition. The Trout River is home to a mineral lick which sheep frequent, just not this morning. It is likely that Frito Lays Muncho snack is named after this park since Munchos are basically salt licks.

Tasty minerals.

Approaching Muncho Lake.

Muncho is the first big lake in the Rockies . . .

. . . And it is gorgeous.

2741 km - Muncho Lake is beautiful. It is certainly a rival to the other famed lakes of the Rockies. The water is a stunning aquamarine caused by jade and other mineral deposits, and on a clear Sunny day like today the mountains and trees all reflect clearly on the surface. AND!! As I am writing we spotted two sheep! A female was right in the middle of the road and the male (with big horns) was off to our left. We stopped on the road because we didn't know what to do, but an impatient truck driver pulled out from behind us and drove right between them. That was enough to get the sheep off the road and now we are once again heading south.

The waters of Muncho Lake.

Road sheep.

Apparently she has the right-of-way.

I'm a ram.

The Folded Mountain.

The Big Trip - Bear Glacier to Dease Lake

At Strohn Lake.

Bear Glacier cutting through the valley.

And emptying into Strohn.

Entering Stewart.

1702 km - Stewart, BC and we have just now reached gas more expensive than Victoria at $1.40/L.

The paved road ends at the border.

Good advice while in the Tongass National Forest.

This pylon is all that marks this particular border crossing. Easily the least intense American border crossing we've ever been a part of.

End of the road. Even in June the road to the edge of the glacier was snowed in.

The Salmon Glacier in all its awesome glory.

Marmot sighting!

Trapped! There was just enough room to manoevre around this rock slide.

Swords?

1767 km - Just leaving Stewart now. So far today we've crossed the Can-U.S. border four times and seen two glaciers and some marmots. Hyder, AK is the dustiest town I've ever been in, the Loon has gone from green to grey. Glaciers are awesome to behold, massive rivers of ice. Parts of them are white, some are a vivid light blue and other parts are dark with the earth they are dragging along. The road to Salmon Glacier from Hyder was pretty treacherous but we survived and the scenery was worth it. Today Alaska, tomorrow the Yukon, our trip kicks ass.

1840 km - Our black bear sighting count has increased to 6 so far. No grizzlies yet. But we did see a porcupine.

Bears like it near the road.

Bell II?

1856 km - Make our count 9!

1926 km - Ouch! 148.9 ₵/L for gas in Bell II, one of B.C.'s most ridiculously named communities.

1991 km - Finally we have escaped the clutches of the nefarious CBC, we are unable to pick up any radio signals and the MP3 player is out of juice. I am slowly going crazy, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, switch.

2011 km - Holy fuck! Brenda's swift action just saved the trip, and the Loon's brakes saved us from injury. A black bear bolted out on to the road and we just missed it, seriously, like within a foot or two. Holy fuck. Our bear count is now at 11.

Setting up at Kinaskan Lake.

Another gorgeous spot.

Nice pokey stick.

2046 km - We have our first campfire of the trip going now, it was too windy yesterday. Once again we are right on the water, today we are on Kinaskan Lake. Also once again we are the only intrepid explorers with a tent, everyone else has RVs or are sleeping in their trucks. We are also into the vodka for the first time on our trip and I am full of hot dogs, life is good.

Angry grey jay.

Brenda at dusk.

2063 km - Day 6 & we are Yukon bound. We had a great night despite the valve to the air mattress not being closed properly. We saw some new birds and I survived an attack from a couple of angry birds. I wonder what today will bring.

Breakfast on the beach.

DEASE NUTS!!!!!!!