The first part of the Alaskan Highway from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson is fairly a fairly boring stretch on straight, flat roads through mostly farmland. The day started out sunny but ended with rain as I pulled into Fort Nelson. Cheap hotels were abundant so I grabbed a bed for the night (I really don’t like camping in the rain when there is an alternative) at a motel that doubled as a gas station and convenience store. While I was unloading the bike three Harley’s pulled up to the room next door. They were three ladies from Vancouver on a 3 week ride looping up the Alcan and then back down the Cassiar. None of them had been up this far north before. I shared some highlights for them to check out on the Cassiar, but honestly the best location I visited last summer was a side road off the Cassiar that required riding hundreds of miles of dirt – not exactly in the Harley’s wheelhouse. Harley’s seem to be the bike of choice for many Canadians in my limited observations riding here over the past year or so. I do run into a good amount of Canadian plated adventure and dual sport bikes as well but not nearly as many as the Harley’s. Probably see more adventure bikes as I make my way north.
The next morning it looked bleak so I geared up for a day of rain. I wasn’t sure where I was going to end up at the end of day but definitely planned to stop at Liard Hot Springs. I think it’s the second largest hot springs in Canada and a must stop along the Alcan. The ladies turned me on to a lunch spot they had researched called Toad River Lodge. It was just before noon when I was passing Toad River so stopped for a quick bite. The lodge itself had historic value as an outpost for the original builders of the Alcan and dates back to the 40’s. The restaurant’s schtick was all the donated hats lining the ceiling of the restaurant. Patrons donate (and sometimes sign) ball caps that were then affixed to the ceiling. I had a mediocre veggie bean burger and salad for lunch and moved on.
It had been raining on and off all morning but nothing really heavy to that point. I arrived at Liard Hot Springs and there was a giant blue sky hole surrounding the area. I pulled up to the gate to pay my $5 CAD to enter the springs chatting it up a bit with the ranger. She said it almost always is raining there but had been sunny since mid-morning on this day. I was debating camping there and she said there were still 5 sites available for the night. I decided to hit the hot springs first and then decide whether to stay or not. The hot springs were pretty nice. There were two sections with one much hotter than the other. I spent too much time in the hot section and got a bit light headed after about 20 minutes so had to get out and walk around. After a brief recovery period I tried the less hot section which I was able to stay in a bit longer. It wasn’t too crowded with only a dozen or so people coming and going while I was there. Unfortunately the trail to the source was closed due to bear activity so couldn’t hike up there for a look.
It was only about 3pm when I got back to the bike so decided to gear up and roll on. Watson Lake was about 200k to the north where I knew there was camping and a few motels but unsure what was available along the way. In retrospect, I screwed up and should have camped at Liard. First, I took off without getting fuel. I realized my mistake after about 15 minutes and decided not to risk it and turned back to fuel up at the Lodge that was near the hot springs campground. I almost took that as a sign and considered going back to the campground to see if any of the 5 previously available sites were still up for grabs. I didn’t, headed north again and almost instantly got crushed with heavy rain. It rained on and off for the next two hours into Watson Lake. Since I was now wet and cold, I was looking for a motel instead of a campground. With only 3 motel options in Watson Lake I had to fork over $145 CAD ($110US) for a mediocre room. Should have camped at Liard! The only positive was the amount of wildlife I passed and got to see up close between Liard and Watson Lake. 4 black bears, 2 elk, half a dozen deer and several herds and plus lone buffalo. In the spirit of protecting my budget, I skipped buying dinner in a restaurant and snacked on my bag of trail mix to try to even out the finances a bit.
Today I’m planning to tackle the South Canol Road. Built decades ago for the oil industry, it is still somewhat maintained by the government. It’s all dirt but supposedly graded each spring. The guidebooks advise this is definitely not a tourist road so preparing for a pretty remote experience. It’s about 140 miles connecting the Alcan with the Campbell Highway to the north. I’ve talked to other riders that have tackled this road and they all say the scenery and wildlife is outstanding. If I go dark after this, send someone to come find me on the South Canol!