On The Road Again

We left Whitehorse about 10am on Saturday with the car packed full (and I mean full) heading south in search of adventure, sun, and warmer temperatures! We found it all so far, and more besides. Our first day on the road, we drove east on the Alaska Highway until the Hwy 37 turnoff, and then headed south. We saw 6 caribou along the Alaska Highway, and that was it for wildlife (except for suicide birds and squirrels) We were planning on camping at French Creek campsite, a free one, but couldn’t find it. I saw a road that looked like it went to the campsite just after the actual creek, but my travel partner disagreed, and off we went in search of another…we found out when we got to Boya Lake Provincial Park that it was never marked and that the Forestry Service no longer maintains them. I get the feeling that we may have been there alone as well, which would have probably freaked us both out a little…after all, there are bears out there!

So we pitched our tent at Boya Lake, after scoping out the campground for the best site. They had a sand platform bordered by logs for putting your tent on, which was good as the pegs were going to have trouble getting into the gravel they spread over the rest of the site. We wanted a site near the lake, however there were few left as most chose those sites, so we went up into the woods instead. Amber cooked up some spaghetti and meatballs for our supper, yumm! We hung out for the rest of the night by the fire, played a game of scrabble (which I won, of course ( ). A few drunken hikes to the outhouse and we were ready for bed. I dragged my laptop into the tent to watch a movie in there, while Amber sacked out, snoring lightly. I finally got drowsy enough for sleep, and before long was sawing my own logs…so much so apparently, that Amber got up and slept in the car…we had ear plugs, but couldn’t think where they were at 2am…

Then it rained…a lot. Poured down on the new tent that we didn’t tarp, or treat…dammit. I figured it would leak a little, but hoped the damn rain would stop…it didn’t. And then it started leaking on my face…dammit. So I got up, woke the child, it was nearly 9am anyhow, and packed up the rest of the campsite, flinging stuff wherever it would fit, and jumped into the car, heading for the sun. It was a long drive…

We stopped at Jade City where they mine jade and bought a jade tree each. We splurged and had lunch at Dease Lake, Mama Z’s. The food was pretty good but somewhat overpriced. We both looked like we slept outside, so didn’t stay long, and hit the road again. We headed for Meziadin Lake Provincial Park, and I saw one bear in the ditch along the way. The campground was amazing…so very clean and pristine, overlooking a beautiful lake, surrounded by snow capped mountains. And we were able to get a site overlooking it all, away from the others (we like our privacy!). Then came the task of drying things out, which didn’t take long as the sun was hot and the wind was warm. This time I put the tarp over the tent!!! We hung out yet again by the fire, roasting sausages for supper.

Day three dawned sunny, and we cooked a hearty breakfast for ourselves, bacon, eggs, English muffins (toasted on a crappy toaster over the stove). Our bellies full, we headed south once again, with the goal in mind of reaching my sister’s house in Houston. We saw a momma bear with two cubs at about kilometre 140 of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, and stopped to take photos. I didn’t get that close…not that stupid, but it was amazing to see the momma bear lumber along, two cubs toddling after her. Black bears of course…the car would keep moving if it were grizzlies.

We stopped along the way at a little road going down to a lake and Amber discovered a swing that hung from a tree and swung out over the lake’s rocky shore. It was both thrilling and scary she reports, and we captured the moment on video. Both of us were waiting for the branch or the rope to snap…

Lunch was had at Moonlit Creek, where the water was icy and the sun was hot. We went for a little wade in the creek, but the pain of the frigid waters was too much!! It amazes me how the trees in BC can be in full bloom (barely buds on them in the Yukon) and the water so icy!

Then we were off again, and stopped only for gas, landing at my sister’s by suppertime. The reception was warm and fuzzy, as Amber had not seen her auntie in nearly 5 years, and had only seen her auntie's oldest child at 10 weeks, having not met the younger two.

Today we spend hanging out with the fambly, and will leave early (not too early) morning tomorrow, heading east once again, and plan to stop in Prince George to find the Cotton Ginny…heh heh…and then we will be heading north for home, taking our time along the way.