Fort Nelson to Liard River - Thursday August 25, 2011

Magnificent, stupendous, unbelievable is just the start of the emotions evoked by the 320 Km drive along the Alaska Highway between Fort Nelson and the Liard River. 

Make sure someone else is driving if you come this way as the twists and turns demand the driver’s full attention leaving little time for enjoying the constantly changing vistas just around the next corner.

My brother Mike was moved to tears two summers ago as he entered the Rockies on the way to my sister Christine’s wedding in Canmore Alberta. Impressive scenery to be sure “but” this part of the Alaska Highway will turn Mike into a babbling brook when he gets here. There is no country on the face of the earth like Canada and this part of it testifies to that fact. Forget the ancient Romans or the Egyptian Pharaohs and their pyramids, nothing can match this priceless natural portrait that could only be painted by the hand of the almighty. Everyone needs to put this journey on their “bucket list”.  

The clear bright weather that seems to have been following us across this incredible country served to enhance our 360 degree high definition visual experience. As much as we tried, the accompanying pictures only hint at the reality of what we saw when we reached the highest point (1,267 metres) along the highway at Summit Pass. 

My previous complaint about the lack of wildlife has been remedied as Caribou, Stone Mountain Sheep and Wood Buffalo slowed us down in a number of locations along the way. 

Major reconstruction of the highway at Muncho Lake gave us a taste of the dust that we expect to see on the Dempster. Fortunately we were the second vehicle behind the “pilot” vehicle that led us through the 10Km long construction zone so we did not have to eat too much dirt. A look into our side view mirrors revealed that the large tread on our new mega tires was throwing up so much dust that we could not see the trailing vehicles.     

With all the construction delays and requirements for slow careful driving, it took us six hours to cover the 320kms to Liard River (in retrospect I wish we were still there). We checked into our room at the Liard River Lodge then immediately headed across the road to the Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park for a soothing dip in the sulphur hot springs ($5 per head, cheap at twice the price). It is a five minute walk along a board walk that winds through a warm water marsh from the park parking lot to the hot springs. The springs have remained as I remembered them from my last visit 25 years ago, quietly under developed and unspoiled.  

After passing the beware of the recently sighted bear sign, we were accompanied on our walk into the springs by three gentlemen and their wives from Minnesota who were driving three large semi-trailers loaded with Arctic Cat snow machines destined for Alaska. They had just negotiated the same twists and turns on the highway that we had and were glad to be off the road. They all admitted to preferring the straight and flat roads they normally drive in the US midwest but were also flabbergasted at the beauty of the country they had just driven through. 

The hot springs were glorious. the top two or three inches of water are very hot and can be moderated by reaching down and bringing cooler water up from the bottom of the stream with your hands. All the older distinguished grey-haired gentlemen in the pool seemed to be concentrated at the “hot” end near the source. The relief I felt in my sore lower back and shoulders was immediate. Unfortunately it is not recommended to spend too much time in water at these temperatures because of the potential for elevated heart rate and its resulting effects which often causes people to pass out for a spell as happened to one fellow while we were there who had stayed in a little too long. 

The menu at  the lodge restaurant was limited so we went for the highly recommended (by the waitress) shepherds pie. It was both plentiful and good. Stuffed, we headed for an early night. Unfortunately Lucy had to sleep in the car as the Lodge had a no pet rule. To say the least she was a lot more sedate about it than another guest’s pet retriever who was quite upset at being forced to sleep in his owner’s truck and let everyone within in earshot know about his displeasure for quite awhile before accepting his fate and settling down. 

Tomorrow, on to Johnson’s Crossing in the Yukon.