June 14: Before leaving Ft. Nelson, we refueled and bought a few groceries at the local IGA. Then we headed northward again, following the Alaska Highway to Muncho Lake, BC. The drive took us through some beautiful mountainous territory. We saw lots of fast-flowing mountain streams (from snow melt, I’m sure) and a number of bears. Dave saw a single bear near the woods and a sow with two cubs roaming along the ditch by the roadway. We both saw a third bear with three cubs busily munching on dandelions along the right-of-way off the right side of the road. Neither of us saw any moose today. Ditto for caribou.

We’re parked for the night in a campground on the shore of Muncho Lake. It’s a huge lake, and parked near the lodge we saw our first floatplane on this trip. I’m sure we’ll see even more of them after we enter Alaska, because they’re used for general transportation as well as for ferrying tourists to and from fishing destinations. Directly across the lake from our parking area are some mountains (part of the Northern Rockies) with some snow still atop them. The high temp today was probably about 60°F when the sun was shining, but it rained off and on as well, as it has been doing the last several days. We just finished a scrumptious dinner at the campground restaurant and will probably turn in early. Tomorrow morning we’re off to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory! Here are a few photos of our coach and the area where we’re parked tonight:

June 13: The drive from Dawson Creek, BC, to Ft. Nelson, BC, was a lovely, scenic one. The landscape has become hilly now, almost mountainous. The highway itself is two-lane with shoulders and, in contrast to the TransCanada Hwy, very well maintained. Early in the trip we experienced a 10% grade descent to the bridge over the Peace River—and then, of course, a climb back out of the river valley. The driving surface on the bridge itself is metal grating, the idea being that the holes in the grating allow snow to fall through and discourages ice build-up. Maybe so, but it’s a wicked surface to steer across! 🙁 Farther along the way, we spotted two bears and a moose, each in a different place. It’s such fun to see these animals in their native habitats! Fortunately, the moose (probably a yearling) hustled across the road with plenty of clearance, and both of the bears stayed well away from the road.

We arrived at our destination campground early, along with the wagon masters and the two other couples who, along with us, were the designated “parking assistants” for the day. The wagon masters and the experienced couple were a lot of help to us novices. Everyone arrived safely and were parked in their respective slots in a timely fashion. After a brief nap, we had a light supper and enjoyed a restful evening in the coach.