Day 6

The scenery is starting to get interesting. The miles of high prairies and low prairies has given way to towering mountains and broad green river valleys. Some of the flows look pretty cold, even though patches of snow are scarce. NE British Columbia reminds me a great deal of the area around Mt. Rainier. In fact, the gas station attendant in Ft. St. John was a Seahawks fan. Nobody here has heard of Hokies, though.

The Alaska Highway is fairly active with cars, campers, busses, trucks, even the occasional motorcyclist/trailer. We're also seeing an interesting mix of travelers, from retirees on months-long RV adventures to locals on their way from one distant town to another. Generally, the Canadians are more laid back about their travels, while the Americans are trying to cram as much as they can into their trips (guess we fit the stereotype).

We stopped in the town of Ft. Nelson, where the locals are gearing up for the big rodeo this weekend. That's something I've always wanted to do--see an annual rodeo in a small western town. I'd expect it's much the same as the county and state fairs we have back east. Guess that will have to wait.

I overheard a couple of women greet each other with "Happy Summer," another sign that good weather here is priceless, and folks do everything they can to make the most of it. Every small town has a proinantly located baseball diamond; some have large complexes with many fields. As long as you have 19 hours of daylight in mid-summer, you best make the most of it.

Interestingly, snow isn't that much of a problem. A local told me that they usually get all their snow in November. After that, it's cold and dark, but there's no difficulty getting anywhere (most people head for the hot springs near the Liard River).

One topic that's been on everybody's mind is news of a bear attack up near Liard Hot Springs Park (and on our route). Two people were killed and another was badly injured. From what we've been able to gather, the bears were provoked, but it's still a rather disquieting thought. The RCMP have killed one of the bears and are hunting for its accomplice.

Overall, the road is in great shape (guess it has to be!), except for some construction underway to eliminate some of the more dangerous curves. They're making the most of the long days too. Work on the project began in April, and they expect to be done by October. (There may be a story here) Aside from dodging rock trucks and earth movers, we made it through the zone in fine shape.

Tonight, we're camped at Muncho Lake Park, a long, natural lake that reminds me of Lake McDonald at Glacier. We augmented our dinner of freeze-dried lasagne with some fresh-baked bread from the tiny bakery/coffee shop/store just up the road. I spoke with some vacationers who are on their way back from Alaska, and the news is pretty good. Lots of services available all the way into the Yukon, and a glowing description of the Dempster Highway. We've still got a ways to go across this vast wild country, but it's almost within reach.