DrewE's Alaska Trip Travelogue
I returned about a week ago from a marvelous ten-week trip to and through Alaska (and back) with my dear mother. I went in a 32' class C, actually about 35' overall with a bicycle rack on the back, w...
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July 16th -- We traveled from Jasper, up the Big Horn Highway (Route 40) to Grand Prairie, and then along Route 43 towards Dawson Creek. The night was spent at Swan Lake Provincial Park, a little before Dawson Creek.
(It's sometimes easy to mix up Dawson Creek and Dawson City, at least in writing and speaking. The creek is the southern terminus of the Alaska Highway. The city is the northern terminus of the Klondike Highway, and many many miles separate them....)
The Big Horn highway was probably one of the most solitary highways we traveled in terms of the number of other vehicles and the general lack of evidence of civilization. It's mostly wooded and rolling hills, as I recall. There was an informational pullout along the road with a very well done booklet about Caribou available for the taking.
July 17th -- Dawson creek is the start of the Alaska Highway, and a place to get gas, groceries, and other such things. There are the two "mile zero" mileposts for the Alaska Highway, a couple of blocks apart. I gather that this portion of the road was realigned at some point. (Many other portions have been, over the years, as well.)
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
A little further up the road is the curved Kiskatinaw bridge, the only original wooden trestle bridge remaining from the original highway. It's now bypassed by the main road.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Yes, it really is curved.
We spent the night at the former provincial park at the Prophet Airstrip, just outside of Fort Nelson. Church's book probably paid for itself in that one night; I would have had no other way of knowing of the existence of this spot. There were maybe a half a dozen or so other camping groups there, too.
July 18 -- We continued along the Alaska Highway. This was a good day for seeing wildlife.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Caribou, location undisclosed (i.e. we forgot to write it down).
Click For Full-Size Image.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Stone Sheep near Summit Lake.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Moose near Munch Lake Provincial Park.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Black Bear in Munch Lake Provincial Park -- I didn't get to see this, as I was hiking along a short trail to the mineral lick where animals are supposed to congregate frequently, though there were none there at the time.
Click For Full-Size Image.
Wood Bison north of the Trout River Valley.
We spent the night at the Liard Hot Springs, in the overflow camping area across the highway. The springs are very, very nice feeling for a soak.
(Edited to correct formatting)
(It's sometimes easy to mix up Dawson Creek and Dawson City, at least in writing and speaking. The creek is the southern terminus of the Alaska Highway. The city is the northern terminus of the Klondike Highway, and many many miles separate them....)
The Big Horn highway was probably one of the most solitary highways we traveled in terms of the number of other vehicles and the general lack of evidence of civilization. It's mostly wooded and rolling hills, as I recall. There was an informational pullout along the road with a very well done booklet about Caribou available for the taking.
July 17th -- Dawson creek is the start of the Alaska Highway, and a place to get gas, groceries, and other such things. There are the two "mile zero" mileposts for the Alaska Highway, a couple of blocks apart. I gather that this portion of the road was realigned at some point. (Many other portions have been, over the years, as well.)
A little further up the road is the curved Kiskatinaw bridge, the only original wooden trestle bridge remaining from the original highway. It's now bypassed by the main road.
Yes, it really is curved.
We spent the night at the former provincial park at the Prophet Airstrip, just outside of Fort Nelson. Church's book probably paid for itself in that one night; I would have had no other way of knowing of the existence of this spot. There were maybe a half a dozen or so other camping groups there, too.
July 18 -- We continued along the Alaska Highway. This was a good day for seeing wildlife.
Caribou, location undisclosed (i.e. we forgot to write it down).
Stone Sheep near Summit Lake.
Moose near Munch Lake Provincial Park.
Black Bear in Munch Lake Provincial Park -- I didn't get to see this, as I was hiking along a short trail to the mineral lick where animals are supposed to congregate frequently, though there were none there at the time.
Wood Bison north of the Trout River Valley.
We spent the night at the Liard Hot Springs, in the overflow camping area across the highway. The springs are very, very nice feeling for a soak.
(Edited to correct formatting)
