Bessie Slept in Today

Bessie Slept In Today   (May 14, 2011)

Yesterday, Friday the 13^th, was a good day for wildlife viewing, but poor Bessie was quite pooped by the time we pulled in to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park.  We got up very early (5 am) after camping by the Sikani River Thursday night.  The first 50 miles or so we saw nothing buy beautiful landscape, but it appeared to be too cold for critters (31ºF).  Then we started spotting them: first a pair of whopping cranes, a mama bear and two little cubs that retreated as we slowed down (one little one scrambled up the nearest tree and we couldn’t get pictures) several moose, many deer, Stone sheep, more deer and endless mountains and streams. We stopped at Ye Old Quilt Shoppe before Fort Nelson and I bought a “project” to take home.  A mid-morning snack was in order, by then, so we found the Northern Rockies café in Fort Nelson for breakfast sandwiches and I had a Red Fog (red tea, vanilla and steamed milk) that I want to duplicate at home.  It was delicious.

Bernardo finally was persuaded to stop and try fishing (see pictures) the Toad River, but after an hour he gave up and we had a nice hot meal in the RV. River fairly deep and very cold water but what a setting!!

Muncho Lake had been our destination but it was totally frozen over which means everything except a very pretty lodge was closed.  They had the monopoly on diesel, so we paid $6.99/gal!!  Fortunately we didn’t need much, but we like to top off the tank just in case.  The roads go for miles with nothing from one very small town to another.

Liard Hot Springs was our next choice and what a spot!  This is the busiest and prettiest Provincial Park in BC but this weekend is slow because last weekend was a three-day holiday and next weekend is Long Weekend.  So we are very lucky. But there was one more bear to see before we got here (see pic) and he was a big one!  We’ve learned now that it’s best not to stop to take pictures as the bears get too accustomed to humans this way, so we’re going to try to just slow down and quickly snap a couple if we can.

Liard’s main attraction is a hot spring where everyone congregates and soaks in the wonderful sulfur-infused water.  The upper spring has been permanently closed due to serious bear problems.  The hike to the spring is about a quarter mile on a board walk (see pic) and the upper spring is about another quarter mile.  It’s worth the trek and lots of fun to meet people who share this adventure. Nice to feel clean again after no shower in the morning.

We both got up pretty early (Bernardo at 5, me at 6) but Bessie could not be persuaded to even lift her head.  Even the smell of bacon didn’t impress her.  She finally decided around 9 to make the effort.  After two walks she’s back in her bed and glad her little house is not moving.

So we’re taking the rest of the day easy, and leave tomorrow for Watson Lake where we should get wifi, hot showers and a laundry!

And here we are in Watson Lake at another "RV Park": side by side but wonderful showers and all the laundry gets done at once!  We're even watching 60 Minutes as I write this.  Tomorrow we're searching for a more scenic Provinicial Park, and there are many.  But we will be dry-camping so we need to start out nice and clean, with the tanks full and the fridge packed.

I'll label the pictures on the post.  I send them separately.  Still haven't figured this out entirely.  Maybe by July......