Fort Nelson to Watson Lake (June 9)

Tetsa River Lodge with antique Bentley

Bentley Tour plate

June 9 was a memorable day. We made several stops and still covered 319 miles with ease. Having daylight until 11PM helped. Our first stop along British Columbia 97, recommended by the Milepost for cinnamon rolls, was at the Tetsa River Lodge. We had caught up with a group of Bentley enthusiasts on their BC-Yukon-Alaska tour, and enjoyed leap frogging with them at the various stops.

Stone Sheep

From there we skirted the northern section of Stone Mountain Provincial Park past Summit Lake and on to another tourist photo op hot spot, Toad River. Muncho Lake Provincial Park came next and we really enjoyed the drive past jade green glacial waters, as well as the opportunity to see Stone Sheep fairly close.

Liard Hot Springs was our next stop. Part of a larger Provincial Park and Protected area, this oasis was quite a surprise to encounter up North. Fern lined boardwalks led the way to two hot springs, and interesting signage described the Lake Chub, a hot water fish which had adapted to live in them. We opted not to go for a soak because the temperature outside was already quite hot, although Susan did dip in her toes.

Muncho Lake

Mama Bear

Not far from the hot springs we had what may have been our best opportunity to photograph Black Bears. In British Columbia it was not uncommon to see them along the side of the road, and today we were fortunate enough to have a mama bear come onto the clearing by the road quite close to our car. Susan shot out the open window, while Mike stood ready to roll it back up and drive off in an instant if the bear came much closer!

We kept passing round orange cable spools along the side of the road, and Mike believes they were laying fiber-optic cable.

Wood Buffalo

At about 5:30PM we reached milepost 585 and the Yukon border. Our next wildlife sighting was a small group of Wood Buffalo. At a not so great looking store we stopped for ice cream because it was really hot and our options were limited. The soft serve tasted a little off, but it was interesting to learned from the woman working there that fires of enormous size were burning not too far away. Because the area was so remote they were barely mentioned in the news.

By 6:30PM we had reached Watson Lake's famous Signpost Forest. We had been told about this spot before leaving Colorado, but this is one of those oddities you have to see to appreciate. Row after row of posts reaching up like modern-day totems were studded with all sorts of signs people from all over the world had left as they passed through. We spent a good 30 minutes looking for signs from someplace familiar, and found many. We'll have to make a contribution next time we drive the Alaska Highway.

Signpost Forest in Watson Lake

So, now it was 7PM and we didn't have a place to stay for the night. Oops! We bee-lined to the visitor center, slipping in just before closing, and got a tip on a place that had space tonight. Phew! Following the directions we headed a bit north of town, but we found no accommodation that matched the clerk's description. Instead we pulled into the driveway of a house in the woods looking over Watson Lake with a little B&B sign out front. Confused, we figured we could at least ask for directions if this wasn't the right place. We were met by a man in his swimsuit just coming up the hill out of the lake. No, he didn't have a reservation for us, but he did have a room if we'd like it. So that is how we ended up a the Cozy Nest Bed & Breakfast.

Cozy Nest Bed & Breakfast on Watson Lake

The innkeepers, Gordon & Cindy were extremely hospitable and invited us up for dinner with them after we settled in. We enjoyed a delicious meal of moose stew with rhubarb crisp for dessert. The pile of antlers out front suggested they ate a lot of moose! The massive piles of cut wood told a different tale. Over dinner we enjoyed hearing stories of their lives up north, especially about midnight waterskiing on Watson Lake on the Summer Solstice. Another couple was staying there because their house had burned down. They were in transition to move near family where it was warmer because they were tired of plowing the driveway and shoveling the roof in winter. They were moving all the way south to Red Deer, Alberta. Mike gave them some computer help and showed them how to get video out of their digital video camera.

Young moose just off the highway

 Our route as far as Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada (2258 miles so far):

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