Alaska Day 15 – Liard Hot Springs to Morley River Recreation Area

John, Paul and Linda

After a great afternoon soaking in Liard Hot Springs and then grilling dogs and burgers around the camp fire, it was off to bed for a much needed rest.  Up early for our goal of the day which was to stop in Watson Lake to place our new sign in the Sign Post Forest and then on to Morley River Recreation Site for the night.  As we left the campground at Liard River, we were full of anticipation guessing what kind of wildlife we would see today and wondering if our sign we placed in the Sign Post Forest in 2011 was still there.  Once again there were bears and bison on or near the road, flowers of many different sizes and colors and the beautiful snow covered mountains to keep us entertained.  As we got closer to Watson Lake, the more excited we got just wanting to find that perfect place to put our new sign and find our old one.  Once in Watson Lake, off to the Sign Post Forest in search of our old sign; guess what… it was right where we had placed it in 2011.  Now to find the perfect place for our new sign was our next mission.  After some time looking for a place for our new sign and reading many of the signs people had left in the past, we decided to place it at the entrance in a place that appeared to be left just for our new sign.

After wandering through the forest reading signs from all over the world (but not all of them, for there are over 75 thousand signs in the forest) it was back on the highway North to Morley River Recreation Site for the night.

The Alaska Highway South of Watson Lake.The scenery was simply beautiful with all the flowers, water and mountains. Pictures just don't do the drive justice.

Alaska Highway South of Watson Lake

Large Black Bear eating beside the road

Some more wildlife we saw along the road South of Watson Lake.

Another view of the same bear

Another Bison

Old Shaggy

We were not sure who had the right of way, so like the vehicle in front of us we gave him all the room he needed or wanted.

Our sign we placed in the forest in 2011

 Putting the final touches on our new sign for 2013.  We liked this location, right on the entrance posts.

A few more signs behind the Jeep

These next four pictures are on the Alaska Highway between Watson Lake and the Morley River Recreation Area.

We are in a single line following a pilot vehicle. They use some type of small gravel, which makes it very dusty with little pieces of gravel flying up hitting the vehicles, to make these repairs in the road.  It is hard to see with all the dust from the traffic and with all the gravel being kicked up we have three new dings in the windshield of the jeep and one on the motor home.  Speed limit here is about 10 - 15 miles/hour.

Gypsy decided after all the wildlife viewing and having to walk through the sign forest it was time for a nap.

Finally a place to stop... Morley River Recreation Area.  This photo was taken at around 11:15PM. Paul and Joyce are in the red truck camper and we are in the motor home

Alaska Day 14 – Ft. Nelson to Liard Hot Springs

Our camp site at Liard Hot Springs

We left Ft. Nelson around 8AM headed for Liard Hot Springs for a good soak in the amazing warm water.  When we left the morning weather was chilly; low 40’s, and drizzling rain.  However, with thoughts of the Hot Springs the cool weather and rain didn't really matter. The trip from Ft. Nelson to Liard was 196 miles through the Canadian Rockies and offered a great opportunity to see some wildlife and stop in for a world famous cinnamon bun at Tetsa River Services and Campground.  You would not believe the competition up here on who makes the best cinnamon buns.  Of course we are always ready to be judges on this subject. Also, on the way we stopped at Toad River Campground, where we stayed in 2011, to see if the big moose that lives in the river was home.  Sure enough, he was out in the water still cleaning the river bottom.  After the stop at Toad River and a hot cinnamon bun in Tetsa River, it was on the road again for a few more miles to Strawberry Flats Campground which overlooks Muncho Lake where we stopped for a nice lunch. This is such a beautiful spot (crystal blue water, snow-capped mountains, beautiful wild flowers) we didn't want to leave but thoughts of the warm water at the springs kept calling us.   Later when we got to the Hot Springs we found out the temperature of the water is between 107 and 125 degrees F.  The warm water was so relaxing and soothing to our travel weary muscles.  On the way to the springs we saw several black bears, some stone sheep and many, many bison.  As beautiful as the mountains, rivers and flowers are, the wildlife just completes the picture.  We just wish the pictures we took could do justice to the beauty we saw.

Alaska Highway north of Ft. Nelson

Muncho Lake

This is one of the most scenic areas on the Alaska Highway, Muncho Lake located in the Canadian Rockies.  The lake is over 400 foot deep in areas with a greenish blue tint and crystal clear.  We only wish these pictures could do better to show the beauty of this area.

Muncho Lake

Muncho Lake

Muncho Lake

We took so many pictures it was hard to pick just a few to try and show the beauty of this area...

Cinnamon buns at Toad River

Bridge on the Alaska Highway

Moose at Toad River

We were thinking this may be the same moose we saw at the Toad River campground in 2011.

Young Buffalo 

We saw a lot of wildlife on the highway between Ft. Nelson and Liard Hot Springs.  Wildlife is always a bonus to the beauty of the Alaska Highway.  It also gets Gypsy's attention...  We don't know what she says to the wildlife; however, she always has a lot to say.   

Black Bear crossing the highway

Heard of Buffalo

Big Daddy

More Buffalo

Stone Sheep on the road

One area of the highway was foggy.
The fog makes interesting driving in the Canadian Rockies.  I'm fortunate to have Linda with me because she does a good job of watching the sides and drop-offs and letting me know I'm going to fast or to close to the edge...








Our friends enjoying the hot springs.   

Alaska Day 12 – Whitecourt to Sikanni Chief, BC

After another peaceful night at Walmart in Whitecourt, BC, we were ready to move on North toward Dawson Creek, the start of the Alaska Highway, and then on to the Canadian Rockies.  We left Whitecourt early under cloudy conditions with intermittent rain which lasted most of the day.  The highway was in good condition except for a couple areas where road crews were making repairs.  The scenery was so beautiful from Whitecourt to Dawson creek. Finally in the early afternoon we reached Dawson Creek and the start of the Alaska Highway.  After an hour or so doing the tourist things;  taking pictures of the Mile 0 Monument (which dates back to the 1940’s when the Highway was first built),  the Alaska Highway signs, visiting the highway museum and talking with other tourists, we started our journey North on the Alaska Highway.  We spent the night  at Sikanni River RV Park.

Example of gas prices around Whitecourt, AB.  The 139.9 is per liter.  To get the per gallon price you can multiply the litter cost by 3.8.  5.28/gal?  It gets better we paid 5.92/gal in Ft. Nelson.

These two pictures are of a bridge that was being repaired.  It took a little over an hour to get through this construction area.

Dawson Creek...  The start of the Alaska Highway!

Mile 0...  Only a few more miles to go... 1,422 miles through British Columbia and the Yukon over many rivers, hills, and the Canadian Rockies and finally the end of the highway at Delta Junction. However, it is 1,422 of the most beautiful miles we have driven.

Gypsy and John posing at the mile 0 post prior to heading North.  Downtown Dawson Creek 

Gypsy meets her match at the start of the Alaska Highway.

We are ready to start the Alaskan Highway...  Only 1,422 miles
to the end at Delta Junction, AK

Alaska Day 13 Sikanni Chief, BC to Fort Nelson, BC

Sikanni Chief campground

The Sikanni Chief campground was the first commercial campground we stayed at in Canada, 30 dollars with only a 110 hook-up that we didn't use and our neighbors were so close it was hard to get our slides out.  Why are there no Walmarts out in the country?  Up early we left around 6 am today (sunrise was around 3:30 AM) headed to Fort Nelson, BC ( approximately 150 miles) to find an RV shop to fix a couple wiring problems on the motor home.    On our way to Sikanni Chief yesterday, we lost our brake lights and turn signals.  Other than the electrical problems, we had a nice trip today with beautiful sunny weather and even saw some wildlife, a moose, wolf, and two deer. We spent the day in Fort Nelson visiting with Earl Brown; a former field editor with the Milepost magazine. We met Earl in 2011 while eating lunch in a restaurant in the same building as his office.  It was a pleasure to get to spend some time with him this trip.  He is so knowledgeable on the history and facts of the area and the Milepost.We spent the rest of the day washing clothes and rendezvousing with our friends who will travel in their truck camper as we all head to Alaska.  We filled our gas tank at $5.96 per gallon before traveling through the Canadian Rockies where gas may be hard to find.   We spent the night on the service road in downtown Ft. Nelson that other RVers and truckers frequently use on a nightly basis. 

Alaska Highway South of Ft. Nelson

Entering Ft. Nelson

We had this picture made with Earl Brown.  Earl's lives in Toad river which is a couple hours north of Ft. Nelson.  He told us his wife was a school teacher in Toad River and taught grades kinder-garden through 12.  She only had 12 students...