Alaska Highway to Liard Hot Springs

Storyline: Westward Ho!

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Tue, Jun 27

Driving to and on Alaska Highway was as spectacular as the Icefield Parkway. In a very different way. After an early breakfast we left Forth Nelson, which as the previous post says we planned to revisit on our return journey. The economy of the town is based on forestry and oil & gas. A new liquid natural gas (LNG) plant opened in Fort Nelson in 2021, and is Canada’s most northern LNG processing plant.

Being the largest city in the Northern Rockies region, tourism also plays a big role in its economy. Prior to 1942, mile zero of the Alaska Highway was at Fort Nelson. Only after completion of the section to Dawson Creek, was mile zero officially named at that point.

Left Fort Nelson before 9am.

Half an hour into driving we passed by a fire crew readying to enter the forest. It looked like previous years’ fire-burned forest so we assumed they were either on training or doing preventative work.

Shortly after, the Northern Rockies began revealing their spectacular beauty in the distance. In about two hours driving, twists and turns, ups and downs, we reached its highest point at the Summit Pass: 1,295m (4,250mi).

A small parking lot was inviting Doranya for a stop – Summit Peak rising above us to the right and the blue Summit Lake glittering to the left.

There was a pickup truck stopped there, the owner trying to refill the fuel tank from a large onboard tank with built-in hand pump. Unfortunately, the pump wasn’t pumping, no matter how strenuously the handle was raised and lowered. We moved on before a successful refuelling was completed.

Alex had anticipated a hike to the Summit or at least to the springs. But it was a bit too hot, and I was already motion sick because of all the wild terrain of the road, and we wanted to see if we could get a spot at the first come first served (FCFS) campgrounds of Muncho Lake.

At that point we had abandoned the idea to camp at the initially planned Toad River Poplars Motel & RV park. The previous day we had made advances on the road by stopping in Fort Nelson. So if we find a spot at one of the two campgrounds on Muncho Lake we’d stop there. If not, we’d continue as far as we could go that day.

There were actually 3 campgrounds, but only two on the lakeshore as far as I knew. The third was inland and reservable, but we’d stop only if we could find a spot at the lake. A few snapshots, some refreshments and off we went. The most spectacular drive of the day was ahead of us.

And here was my first-time sighting of caribou, shortly after we left the Summit.

And then a family of big horn sheep with their babies.

A few of many bicyclists we’d spot on this highway.

We drove along McDonald Creek for a while,

crossed the McDonnald Creek Bridge continuing along the Creek. It was before noon when we reached the Toad River campground.

Had a quick peek and continued, this time along the twists and turns of the Toad River.

A stop to take a few snaps and videos of a moose.

Then more ups and downs and twists and turns.

Then another family of big horn sheep.

These were close and I managed to take a few good shots from the passenger window.

When we finally reached the spectacular Muncho Lake we had to compete with all the other campers for a spot to park, let alone camp. We secured a parking spot and walked to the campground. Needless to say, there was not a single campsite available. People had been here for days. It would have been a miracle to find a site at such a beautiful place and gorgeous weather.

Had our lunch (if was well past noon), walked along the lake, enjoying the scenery, the blue waters and the mountains towering above and reflecting in the lake.

Serene and secluded, with a name derived from the local aboriginal Kaska, meaning “big water”.  (The name is so close to my father’s name Mincho that I often thought about it as Mincho Lake).

Driving through the area was perhaps the most beautiful part of the Alaska highway.

 

Road sometimes hanging off the cliff as it follows the meandering shore of the lake and me hanging on for dear life

(or should I say trying to keep my motion sickness under the lid). Simply impressive!

In the early afternoon we’d cross the Liard River Suspension Bridge and check in the Liard Hot Springs Lodge & RV Park.

This unimpressive private campground was across from the Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park. Driving by its entrance we noticed a huge line up of RVs, that appeared to be lining up for the overflow parking lot. The provincial campground itself was full and we didn’t have the illusion of finding a spot. Since the overflow was literally a parking lot with no services, we hurried to the private campground with the hope to find a spot. We did, and within an hour the serviced sites would be all taken.

By that time we were hooked up and running the AC to cool the coach. Around 5PM we decided to walk across and see what the sites of the Provincial Park campground looked like. Given Alex’s skin condition (a side effect of his medicines) we had no intention to use the springs. So we didn’t take towels or anything. Just walked across the road. At the entrance a young fellow stopped us and demanded we pay $10 per person to enter the park. “We just want to walk to the first campsite and look at it”, I was trying to explain. “Are you from the overflow?” No, we just want to see your campsites. We are not going to hike or use the springs. You can watch us. Besides it is past 5PM…” My arguments fell on deaf ears, hit the wall and indifference of this young fellow that was trying to show perhaps his importance… We were not going to spend $20+ for a peek at the campground and grudgingly turned back. So much about the famous Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park. Perhaps we could book a spot in the park for our return from Michael’s place. After all we have to return on the same highway at least to Fort Nelson and Dawson Creek and continue in Northern Alberta. So we thought. Nature and the wildfires had different ideas.  But for now, we had one more day before a planned overnight at Erin’s parents Garth and Laurie. The time with Michael and Erin was planned too, around the long weekend.

See you in the Yukon tomorrow.