We're Officially "Out Here"

Happy Sunday! We’ve officially entered “we out here” territory. Our phones might as well be bricks and our dispatches will be over WiFi or not at all – we aren’t mad about it.  

Sunset from our campground in Jasper National Park.

Our time in Jasper National Park was beautiful but a little eerie. A much different experience from Banff due to a wildfire that swept through the park in the summer of 2024. Much of the area was completely torched with many trails, campgrounds, and scenic turnouts closed due to damage. Our campground was once surrounded by thick pine trees that provided privacy. Now the area is wide open and almost barren with charred trees and fresh cuts everywhere. However, despite the landscape, our wildlife sightings were abundant and we enjoyed the change in scenery nonetheless. Elk were spotted daily, including a male that passed right outside our door. During a hike at a nearby trail we accidentally stumbled upon a whole herd of big horn sheep. They were more than happy to let us pass by and even followed us down the trail, not a care in the world. The next day as we were leaving our campground, two female elk and one small baby meandered through the road in front of us. Is this a safari or a road trip?

Our hike up the Old Fort Trail including Brian looking for bears, our big horn sheep encounter, and nearby wildfire damage. Alberta is "wild rose country," plus a quicksand warning at Lake Edith and our male elk right out the front door.

After leaving Jasper we officially entered the Alaska Canada Highway or “Alcan,” the famous scenic road that will take us from British Columbia, up through the Yukon Territory and eventually to Alaska. The official start of the highway is in Dawson Creek, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our excitement in passing by the giant beaver statue that denotes Beaverlodge, the town right before the start of the Alcan (note his Edmonton Oilers pride). It was a rainy trip up to Fort St. John and our first full day of rain during the trip so far. We arrived damp and exhausted for a one-night stay.

The giant beaver statue in Beaverlodge and the official start of the Alcan in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

Back on the road yesterday morning the rain continued, and we had no idea what would await us on the other side of Fort Nelson - or if we would even get to Fort Nelson. Wildfires have been abundant in Canada so far this summer and we seem to be traveling straight towards them. A section of road between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson had remained open for the past few days, but it was questionable and we weren't sure what to expect. Further north, a major section of the Alcan had remained totally closed for several days as crews worked to extinguish fires and remove debris.We knew the road often opened in the evenings, but we weren’t sure if this would finally be the time we ended up stuck on the side of the road.

Evidence of wildfire damage on the road between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson. No the bottom image is not a black and white photo.

Well, we did end up stuck on the side of the road – sort of. After reaching Fort Nelson, we hunkered down for a few hours outside the Visitor Center as we and many other travelers awaited the road opening at 6pm. We had quite a few hours to kill and it was almost a nice way to break up the day considering our total drive time yesterday without stops was supposed to be about 8 hours. Right across the street was the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum, a sprawling campus of all manner of historical items including a full taxidermy exhibit, model train replica of the Fort Nelson Rail Yard, and lots of outbuildings with old vehicles, equipment, and possibly the fuselage of an old B17? We’re not sure. It was quite the stop.

At 4:30pm MST we made our way up the road to join the queue of other travelers waiting for the road to open. We chatted with a couple in front of us who happened to be retired Coast Guard and discussed our trip plans experiences so far. After fire crews and support vehicles made their way out of the area, right at 6pm on the dot the road opened, and our caravan finally started moving.

A visit to the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum and our road closure queue.

Boy oh boy was this a beautiful stretch of road. This section of the Alcan winds through more mountain territory with steep climbs, narrow stretches, and views that are honestly hard to describe. At one point we were driving right along the shores of Muncho Lake, a gorgeous spring fed lake that almost looks like a fjord for how far it stretches into the mountains. We were certainly glad for the extra daylight hours and after an incredible drive, and an apt greeting by a small herd of buffalo, we made it to our campsite at the Liard River Hot Springs.

Alcan views, Muncho Lake, and a buffalo encounter.

If you look on the map you’ll probably think we’re in the middle of nowhere – and you’d be right! This lodging area sits right across the street from the Liard River Provincial Park, a state park in British Columbia that features an incredible hot spring pool. This morning, we woke up early to take a dip. At just $5 per person, this thing blows the Blue Lagoon in Iceland right out of the water – no offense to the Blue Lagoon. A ten-minute boardwalk through the marsh takes you to the pools and you can enjoy a nice soak in what I can only describe as a truly magical fairy land. The area is known as the Tropical Valley because the hot springs allow all manner of incredible flowers, ferns, and plants to thrive. Many wouldn’t survive this far north without the hot springs’ ecosystem, and it probably took us an extra ten minutes just to get to the pools because I couldn’t stop looking at the plants. After our swim we treated ourselves to a nice hot breakfast at the lodge. We’re looking forward to a second trip to the spring later this evening. For now, we’ll nap, read, and listen to the birds. Not a terrible way to spend a Sunday.

The Liard River Hot Springs.

See you in Whitehorse!

Sam & Brian