Date: 9 July 2001 (Monday)

Start:

End: West End Campground, Fort Nelson BC (0 miles)

The temperature was 56f when we got up. Late in the day it reached 84f under partly cloudy skies.

It was a beautiful day. Comfortable and fun.

We returned to the visitor’s center to ask again about the conditions on the way to Fort Liard, NWT. They had had someone in who said things were as good as they get, so we headed out.

We took the truck back toward the north and then up the Liard Highway. The first 20km in BC are chip-seal with some serious potholes. The next 50km are being re-graveled with the thought it will be paved after the rest of it is re-graveled to the Northwest Territory border. The next 60 miles or so to the border are gravel, some good, some not so good. From the border to Fort Liard (25 miles) it is a good (55mph) gravel road.

The total distance from our campground to Fort Liard is 125 miles. It took us 3:15 to get to Fort Liard. In the re-graveling section, there were gravel trucks galore. Each of them kicks up a large dust cloud, so you slow down as they go by in order that you don’t run off the road after they’ve passed. In some sections the road is wetted down to keep the dust down; in that case you get mud thrown all over you.

In the single-lane stretches where machinery (graders, etc) are working, you start talking with the flagman. Sometimes it’s hard to get away from the flagman; they’re very friendly and like to chat. At one stop, we talked with him for some time. He'd been in Norfolk, Virginia, in the merchant marine, and had seen Washington, DC, and so forth. When it appeared clear ahead, we asked if we could go on. He said we could have gone on anytime in the last 30 minutes.

On arrival, we dropped into the General Store. It’s a really well equipped little store. We found a couple of things for the little house, the usual geegaws, and ice-cream cones.

Then we stopped at the native crafts center. There, we found several birch bark baskets with porcupine quill decorations that we bought for use and gifts.

Then we got on the road and came back. On the way up, we’d seen only the road. Going back, we still didn’t see much but we did see a red squirrel and a beaver.

Arriving back at the little house, we made reservations for tomorrow night at Dawson Creek, and settled in.

Tomorrow – back to the start of the Alaskan Highway.