Playing Catch Up

The part arrived by Fed Ex at 2:15, and by 4:15 we were on our way to Dawson Creek.  We were nervous – who knew if the part would hold – but we headed out anyway.  Kenneth sent us a clever message of a person dipping fries into a container of Ketchup.  We did not get it, but he clued us in - you know, Mom, Catch up.  Ha, ha!

It was a long drive that evening to Dawson Creek.  Other than gas stops, it was pedal to the metal.  We did see a mama bear with her three cubs and elk farms outside of Grande Prairie, but the only other excitement we had was driving . . . and driving . . . and driving.

This coal plant feeds coal to the electric plant below through this conveyor belt!

The elk farm - cows and babies

We made it!

On Saturday we were headed for Muncho Lake – one of my favorite places to stay, but we wouldn’t be there long.  The beauty of British Columbia ranks among the top places we have been to – the rocky tops of the mountains, the green trees and bushes, the huge rivers, and the wildlife add up to a gorgeous drive.  We saw a number of bears and sheep (which we on the side of the road – yikes), so it was a great, but long, drive.  We stopped for gas at Buckinghorse River, which was just a little restaurant with a very interesting gas station, and we ate in the restaurant.  It was a small, hometown café – the whole town in population 6.  We enjoyed the home cooking, however, and were glad to give them our business.  We listened to the book Savage Run, by C. J. Box, and the book ended just as we arrived at Muncho Lake.

He was a little one

These guys were right on the road - glad they got off quickly

Muncho Lake has an interesting history, and it is known for the plane flights into the back country. I think their New Year’s Eve party sounds wonderful, frankly.  They are right on the edge of bear country, and on Saturday night we heard what sounded like two shots.  They were really “bear bangers,” or loud noises to chase bears away – this one happened to be about 200 yards from our RV.

Then Sunday, we left very early so we could go to Liard Hot Springs.  I did not go the last time we went through, so I really wanted to do it.  As we drove into the park, we were greeted by three bison – three big bison!  The last time we were through here we were escorted by a whole herd, but it wasn't until we were nearly out of bison country that we saw the herd.  Otherwise, we just met single males walking down the road.  Anyway, Liard Hot Springs was a great way to start the morning. We only stayed about 30 minutes (otherwise,  I would have been cooked!), and then we were off again.

The hot pool - about 108 is some places, but the gravel on the bottom is "friendlier" to the feet!

Other than a stop at the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake, and two stops for gas, we were driving the rest of the day.  We managed to find our previous sign, and we posted our new one not far away from it.  Other than the bison and one bear, we had an uneventful day and arrived in Whitehorse at 6:00. And we are now caught up!