Date: 10 July 2001 (Teusday)

Start: West End Campground, Fort Nelson BC

End: Northern Lights RV Park, Dawson Creek BC (296 miles)

The temperature was 52f when we got up. There was a near-solid high level layer of clouds with a broken lower layer – somewhat gloomy.

We headed south out of Watson Lake and crossed over the river on the south side of town (lowest point on the highway). We kept going with very little traffic and what there was seemed to be going the other way.

About a hundred miles south of Watson Lake, we saw a deer munching at the edge of the woods.

We hadn’t realized until this trip just how much of northern BC has trails through it servicing natural gas fields. They really are extensive. Signs at the entrance to these roads say things like "don’t park here, don’t enter, poisonous gas in the area", which are dead flat certain to get your attention. The gas they site when they mention one is H₂S.

At 130 miles south of Watson Lake we spotted two black bears in the right hand road margin, very close to the trees. We saw them far enough in advance that we could glide to a stop on the shoulder just before them. They looked at us but went back to what they were doing, which was eating. Dolores was using the video camera, then switched to binoculars, and saw one raise its head with dandelions hanging out of its mouth. They gradually eased into an area where we couldn’t see them, so we went on.

Traffic increased at about that point. We figured this was the group that had left Dawson Creek this morning. From then on, it increased until we reached Fort St John; that industrial place is a beehive of activity (and traffic). They call themselves "Energetic Fort St John", which probably says it all for the town with gas pipelines, refineries, and the businesses which support energy production.

Closer in to Dawson Creek, there is a five-mile section of the original Alcan Highway that can be traveled. It has along it the last remaining curved wooden bridge constructed during the war. We took it. It appears they haven’t done any maintenance on this section in a long time; perhaps they’re trying to put you in the mood of the wartime condition of the road. But the bridge is really in good condition still – it’s rated at 25 tons – and looks good. The curves are sharp leading to it and the grades are steep, so we could see why this section was by-passed soon.

As we got into the northern part of Dawson Creek, we saw white stuff all over the ground, and finally deduced that the storm cloud we could still see had just dumped a bunch of hail on the town in passing. The sun had just come out behind the storm, so the golfers were out trying to find their ball and hitting hailstones.

Downtown, we stopped at the visitor’s center and got more little pins, then hiked the milepost zero corner and blocks around it. We stopped at a bakery for a pie and donuts. Then we went to the campground we stayed at before and settled in. One thing we did was to trade our paperbacks for ones in the campground swap-books cabinet – some in the cabinet I recognized as ones we’d left when we were last here (June 4^th).

While we were eating in the little house, a group of 52 was having BBQ catered for them by the campground – they are the next "caravan" headed north and this is their get-together dinner before setting out. I don’t think I’d like traveling as part of a 26-vehicle group – too many for me. Many of them are large motor homes, so it’s going to take them a while to get across the Yukon at Dawson City on the ferry George Black.

The temperature had reached 77f at Fort St John and dropped to 65f in Dawson Creek behind the storm, but it turned into a nice evening.

Some statistics for this part of the trip are that we’ve covered 5,673 miles from Dawson Creek back to Dawson Creek. We’ve traveled 10,675 miles since leaving Manassas. All these numbers are for the truck – the trailer traveled fewer miles since it was left alone at the campground for any number of expeditions. The truck has averaged 13.5 miles per gallon over the whole 10,675 miles.

Before we settle, I’m going to put the later notes into an e-mail note and send it.