Views, Bears, and U-Turns

Friday and Saturday, July 1-2, 2022 Prince George and vicinities.

We spent the night at the Marguerite Rest Area outside Williams Lake. The mosquitoes are getting thick, but they are big and slow, so easy to kill. Met a lovely couple from Maine who are trekking to Anchorage, hoping to arrive for the fourth, in their truck with a truck cover on the back that they had outfitted with a bed. 

Today is Canada Day, their independence day, so much is closed, including the Costco we had hoped to gas up at in Prince George. Luckily the laundry was open.

Fields and fields of yellow flowers

Most Canada Day displays have been more subtle

Spent the night in a rest area outside Fort Saint John and awoke to mosquitoes, but also this view!

This sign was disconcerting - it was outside the entrance to a community next to a gas plant 😧 

Stopped at the visitor's center in Chetwynd, which is home to an International Chainsaw Competition, that we had just missed.

Here we learned that the road had washed up north of us and would be closed for an indeterminate length of time. This was so disappointing but, rather than try our luck waiting, we opted to return to Prince George and go up the Alaskan Highway and the Stewart-Cassiar Scenic Route.

New's image of the washout - grateful we only had to turn around 180 miles versus hundreds

But this gave us more views and another bear

and a chance to photograph the abundant roadside flowers along the route

and an opportunity to gas up at Costco, get some supplies, and eat poutine.

Mosquitoes, Jade, and Yukon

Monday, July4th Rt 37 BC to Yukon

Mosquitoes! Matthew is now thankful I insisted we get new screens and canvas before this trip.  We've given in and resorted to bug spray when we are out and about. This is what we awaken to:

Stopped at Jade City

Can't imagine doing this - this road climbs and climbs, steeply in many places

Finally!

Lunch spot

A swim team began writing with rocks along the side of the road in the 90's and it caught on

A long span bridge into Teslin, home of the Teslin Inland Tlingit First Nations

Toured the Teslin Cultural Museum

Cool formations

Our view for the night, the dam at Marsh Lake rest area on the Yukon River. This is 11 o'clock at night. 

We are 20 miles out from Whitehorse, where we will figure out our next steps as the road north is currently closed due to fire. The adventure continues!

Vistas and Farmer Market

Sunday, July 3, 2022, Rt 16 and 37 BC

Spent the night in a rest area near Vanderhoof, BC. Mosquitoes are thicker, and quicker!

Continued north, experiencing beautiful vistas.

Stopped at a farmer's market in Hazelton

Beautiful homegrown mushrooms

and the character who grew them - wearing a shirt Matthew and Randy should own

And a yummy rhubarb and saskatoon berry tart

More views

Lunchtime view

Roadside flowers as tall as Matthew

yet another river view

Stopped for gas at Dease Lake for gas and sat in a long line of cars, campers and trucks getting gas at the last place for several kilometers. Turns out they had been "closed" for an hour but were staying open to serve people. When Matthew thanked the woman at the cash register she said essentially that it was no problem, people had places to go. So Canadian! 

And spent the night at this rest stop - luckily no rabid grizzlies spotted!