The section of Alaska Highway from Teslin through Watson Lake to Fort Nelson is not only very scenic, but also usually has the most wildlife on or near the road. So it was great to find it was good weather when we woke up, and set off. Unfortunately we slept in a little and it was quite a late start for us, and I knew it was going to be a long day ahead, not only from the distance to travel but also because there would be so many things to stop and look at.
Only about an hour down the road we came to ??? Falls. This was about a 15 minute walk to the falls, and there was virtually no one else around, so a pleasant walk through the trail, and then the walkway through the forest area. The falls them selves are not overly spectacular, but it was a very pleasant morning walk, especially since we knew we would be in the car a lot today !
By about lunch time we reached Watson Lake, and the main roadside attraction there is the Sign Post Forest. This was originally started by homesick soldiers who were constructing the Alaska Highway in 1942, and put their hometown signs up. The original is long gone (although a replica exists in the Visitor's Centre), but there are now over 72,000 town signs and number plates. Quite a site to see - But I would like to knowhow some people got some of the very large town signs all the way here from their home towns in Europe and elsewhere !!
Leaving Watson Lake, it wasn't long before we spotted our first wildlife - A black bear wandering down the road. He hung around for a while, not really paying much attention to us as we sat there trying to take some photos. 15 minutes later we spotted our first bison, who we christened Ferdinand because he was happy just munching away on all the delicious (and pretty) wild Alberta roses that were all around him. He was a big
old boy, and he kept a wary eye on us all the time !! 10 minutes further down the road we passed the sign telling us to Beware of Bison ! Maybe Ferdinand hadn't read that sign as he wandered down the road ?
10 minutes later, a big brown bear. But he wasn't a grizzly - He was actually a brown black bear ! Not a very rare occurrence, apparently, but the first one we had seen. Soon after that there was quite a big herd of Buffalo beside the road, and they were quite active - Rolling around in sand pits (to remove bugs ??), and a couple were head butting each other and generally being quite boisterous. We sat and watched them for quite a while.
Then 20 minutes further down the road, we found another black bear who wasn't too interested in posing for us, so we moved on, and before long reached Liard Hot Springs. These are part of a National Park including a camp site, and while it would have been nice to have an early stop to camp (it was already about 4 pm), we were on a bit of a tight schedule to get to Calgary by the 29th so Janet could catch her flight. So we talked our way in for a "quick look" (normally a day fee), parked and walked the 10 minutes up to the Hot Springs where people we enjoying a bathe in the pool. All a bit formal here with a pavilion built and proper seats etc - Unlike Mataranka Hot Springs in Oz where it is more of a natural swimming hole in the ground which you jump into !! Water didn't feel THAT warm either, while the skeeters were quite annoying on this, a reasonably warm day !! Walking up the path to the spring, we found 3 or 4 little squirrels playing around in the tress and on the log beside us - One scratched himself so hard he lost his balance and almost fell off his log !! Then on up to the springs where the heavily mineralised water came down the face of the rock.
In the car park I noticed a couple of French registered Land Rovers, all kitted out for long distance travel, and with Argentinian stickers on them - Hmm, hope to meet up with them somewhere for a chat !!
Then it was on down the road towards Muncho Lake. Shortly afterwards, we came across another herd of buffalo on both sides of the road, but this time they were all females, with quite a few very small calves. As we sat watching them, I suddenly saw something different - Hiding in the bushes up on the tree line was a black bear !!! He would come out onto the flat area, sniffing the air, and making his way towards one of the calves, and then a full grown buffalo would come over and chase him away and he would run up to the long grass. Then he would sit up on his haunches, sniffing the air again, before making another foray out to try and get close to the calves. This went on for maybe 15 minutes until eventually he retreated up into the trees and we couldn't see him any more. Whether or not he managed to get a calf later, we don't know, but it certainly was an interesting thing to see.
The next wildlife we saw was another mixed one - This time a moose and a spruce grouse type bird. The bird was trying to cross the road, while the moose was trying to drink water from a puddle, and both looked quite ungainly in their respective efforts ! The grouse would pretend to cross, and then would scuttle back, eventually disappearing back into the scrub on the same side it had started. Meanwhile the moose was down on its front forelegs, with its bottom right up in the air, getting a drink from a puddle beside the road - As you will agree from the photo, not its most attractive angle, but at least consistent with all the other "bottom shots" I have managed to get recently !! As we got closer he got up, and slowly moved away, giving us an indignant look as if to say "Excuse me, I was trying to have a drink. Why do you have to disturb me ?!". So we left him in peace too !
A mountain sheep with her lamb ran off from the edge of the road as we passed - They were probably licking the salt residue that was left after the winter salting of the roads, a common occurrence. Unfortunately, once again, only a rear end shot !
Then it was down through Muncho Lake Provincial Park. This is quite stunning, with wide dry rock river channels running down off the mountains every few hundred yards
- When they have water flows from snow melt it is obviously a sight to see. And Muncho Lake itself is ice blue form the sediments from the snow run off, and you drive along the side of it with sheer (and crumbling) cliffs up to your left, and a sort drop into the lake on your right - Not a lot of room to escape is too much rock fell off the cliffs. Normally this is a place for Dall Sheep, but this evening, none there.
It was here I made a bit of a error of both memory and judgement. Two years ago I had seen a beautiful campsite in this area at the end of a lake, and I really wanted to camp there because I promised myself last time that I would camp there. I thought it was at the end of Lake Muncho, so we pressed on, with me thinking we could come back and look at Lake Muncho in the morning sunlight. But as we went on and on, we eventually realised that the campsite was at Summit Lake, which was some 50 kms further on. BY then it was too late to turn back, so we pushed on even though we were tired and it had been a long day. Finally we found it, and it was beautiful - Just a shame that we had to push through at the end to get there. Cold there too - We were at about 2000 metres, so it was very fresh when the wind blew. But it was as beautiful and as peaceful as I remembered, and I am so glad we finally camped there.
Pics are here :-
https://picasaweb.google.com/117739775480775657932/0048TeslinLakeToSummitLake?authkey=Gv1sRgCIel1_PSu5fmkAE#
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