It was another quiet night. I didn't even wake up until 7:20am. The dogs were still sleeping, too. The motel's cafe was just opening and travelers were walking in, but I drove off for the Hot springs.
A large bison herd was just outside town. This was a big herd, and several adults were chilling in the middle of the road. Luckily I have not been driving the speed limit as I am aware that wildlife is most active in the morning and watch out for them. Two bikers going north were waiting for the animals to move, but the bison showed no interest in moving at all. And then the dogs started barking and the animals got up and walked off the highway. The bikers were thankful for that, I am sure, as they were finally moving forward.
The wildlife didn't end with the bison herd, though. This morning I saw more wildlife in one 50-mile stretch near the Hot Springs than I've seen any other day along my travels. Several mother bears and their cubs sauntered along the tree line. At one point I stopped to watch three bears saunter along the treeline. One of these bears scrambled to the top of an aspen tree to bite off several branches, then scrambled back down to rejoin its family. A bit later I had to stop for a baby rock sheep that was standing in the middle of the road, oblivious to cars coming toward it. It didn't move until the dogs started barking, then it jumped up and over the median to run up the rocky hillside.
Day use fee for the Liard Hot Springs is USD $5 or CDN $6. The water was very hot and sulphuric, but it was still a nice experience. There are no showers at this facility because soaps and shampoos would leave detergents in the water that would harm the organisms in the hot springs. I dried off with a residue in my hair and on my skin.
The sky was grey in the morning but started to clear up as the day moved on. While I was cognizant of the Check Engine light being on, I also didn't let it keep me from enjoying the sites I couldn't see on my way north to Alaska because of the rain and fog. Now I could see mountainscapes and dark valleys in the distance. It was like a brand new scenery for me. Much of the snow has melted around Muncho Lake and the creeks aren't quite so rapid anymore.
I stopped at the Tetsla lodge, place of the best cinnamon roll in the galaxy (a claim made by the owners). One roll is $5 and is payable in either Canadian or US dollars at par. All I had was a $10 bill and I got a Canadian $5 bill back. The roll was buttery, sweet and very cinnamony. I couldn't finish it all. The lodge is decorated like a hunter's museum. Heads of moose, caribou and sheep hang overhead, with a stuffed wolf howling at the heads. Animal skins are also for sale, displayed near archival photographs of Alcan laborers made in the 1940s.
I met two Louisiana couples while eating my cinnamon roll inside the lodge. One older couple was still in shock for losing an entire wheel off their fifth wheel trailer. Their only option is to return to Fort Nelson for repairs. The lodge owner let them use her satellite phone to make contact with a mechanic. The younger couple was distraught because they had hit a moose the night before outside of Fort St John and learned this morning that the collision caused $10,000 in repairs on their Chevy SUV. They had gotten married in Louisiana just last week and are rushing back to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage to see his two young kids from his first marriage. The airman is a three-combat veteran getting out on a medical discharge. He is 90% disabled. The man showed me the tattoos he made to honor his daughter Cree and his son Titan, one on each upper arm. He also showed me the mandalas he colors in. I wished this couple much luck in their marriage as we all drove off in opposite directions.
Sadie has not been showing much enthusiasm for hiking like she was a few weeks ago. I am either overworking her, she's not feeling so well, or she's not eating enough. I haven't seen her touch her kibble lately. Today I made sure both dogs got an extra can of dog food over their kibble, something I know both will eat. Zeke has been eating fine. It's only Sadie I'm worried about. It's not like these small resort spots have raw meat for sale. I won't get to a regular grocery store until I hit Fort St John.
We did several roadside hikes off rest areas. A very nice one was off the Trout Salt Licks rest area, a hilly .6-mile path to an overlook. The many bison and sheep in the area lick the ground because of the high level of nutrients. That's why we see so many of them in and around the highway here.
I made it to Fort Nelson by 5pm. I stopped by the Visitor's center and chatted with the young employee, a local named Tyson who gave me great tips for local hikes. Too bad I didn't talk to him on my first visit to Fort Nelson! He gave me a laminated trail guide for the greater Fort Nelson's region of the Northern Rockies. I could see more trails today in the mountains off the road (most start as logging trails), but with the increased bear activity I saw this morning alone, I do not feel comfortable hiking alone.
I ended up staying in Fort Nelson again for the night. I like the people here in this town. My dinner tonight was at the Tim Horton's on the south side. The free wifi is always fast at these stores.
I have now driven a total of 7620 miles on this road trip, 244 today alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment