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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Another 250 Kilometers North And Another Nice Park

As the sign says at the junction of 37 and 37A...North to Alaska....So on another fine morning, I set off to travel another 200+k's.I find the distance between these parks are just a nice drive for an old guy,it usually gets me into the next park around noon.
I hadn't gone far when I came upon this guy grazing flowers along the roadside,so I quietly coasted to a stop and took an "out the window"shot as he was only at the edge of the pavement.I tried to strike up a conversation with him/her but he/she just gave me the claw and sauntered off.Couldn't have cared less is I was there or not....jeeeze! even bears don't like me....I'm getting an inferiority complex.Odd thing on this trip I've seen lots of bear activity, as twice in the past week I've seen Mama and 2 small cubs crossing the road,usually early just after setting out.

The drive is so relaxing on this lonely highway,only one car passed me going the same way in 3 hours and no more than 50 heading south,half of them r.v.'s.Below is one of the very few lonely outposts along this stretch,Its called Bell 2 Lodge.Along with the main building which houses coffee shop and gas/diesel pumps,there are also 20 guest chalets and a campground.This is one of Canada's premier heli-skiing operations.A resident chopper was just taking off as I arrived,but I doubt it was for skiing this time of year unless there's a glacier around.


Its a beautiful drive with so many snow patched mountain vistas and fast running gray,glacial streams and rivers,and as I was nearing my destination for the day,I noticed how the vegetation was slowly changing from the more coastal temperate to the harsher northern boreal, with white and black spruce,also trembling aspens and a few lodge pole pines.Below is one of the many nice rest stop pull-off's.This is the "Bob Quinn Lake Airport."



And finally just before noon and just after passing the halfway point on the Cassiar Highway,I arrived at Kinaskan Lake Provincial park,50 sites along the lakeshore,only about 10 occupied when I arrived on this sunny 70's day.The set up was a little frustrating because of an abundance of small sticky house flies that like to crawl all over your face when your hands are busy.(Sorta reminded me of the Salton Sea in November)





Its a good sized lake and the fishing is a little different as we start getting into the whitefish and char country along with lake trout.There was a lot of float plane activity during the afternoon,going to a dock not far from here.




And a final shot of my campsite taken with just my heels in the water.Today another 4 hours should get me to Boya lake Park just south of the Yukon border.I'm already noticing the longer days,I usually bed down just after 9 and the sun is still high in the sky.I woke up at 1am today to do what old guys have to do,and noticed that the northwestern sky still had a bright glow.














1 comment:

  1. Looks like a nice trip. I'm still trying to figure out what old guys do at 1 a.m. I know what we young guys used to do about that hour many moons ago though:))

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