Rollin’ up the Road

Just a quick post to let you know what’s up. I’m sitting next to a Visitor’s center in Fort Nelson, that’s about 250 miles north of Dawson Creek. Thus, I have interwebs, but just for a short time.

When I left Jasper, I headed north and picked up Highway 40, which is a secondary road that connects where I was to where I wanted to go (Dawson Creek). The road was rough in spots, and there are some impressive, if short, grades on it! Gotta watch for potholes and heaves, too!

     

I’ve seen some Caribou, and a few black bears.

Rolled into a Kakwa River provincial park and met up with a nice couple from the Netherlands, who were in need of some duck tape. Of course, I was able to supply the needed item, and after the fix, we sat out and drank some coffee and talked about the things all RVers talk about. Where you’ve been, and where you’re going. It was a nice evening! The park wasn’t open yet, so it was free, my favorite kind of park!

Dawson Creek is the beginning of the Alaskan Highway, and there are many iconic signs that require a photo, here’s one of them:

  

Last time I was here, there were a lot more of us in the photo! I spent a couple days at the Mile 0 RV park, doing some laundry, hitting up the grocery stores, etc. From here, the services get kinda thin! There’s a long stretch from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson, almost 300 miles, with no fuel or other amenities, so it’s best to tank up before you head north.

 

When I rolled out, I was headed for a spot the group stopped at in back in 2014: Prophet Field. It used to be a provincial park, but it closed down many years ago. The park is still there, it’s just not maintained anymore. It’s still a great place to stop, and it’s free. There’s a bush pilot airstrip still there, and lots of peace and quiet. It’s about 200 miles from Dawson, and the road is very good. As I got closer to Prophet Field, I started climbing and the higher I got, the worse the weather became. It was snowing and hailing, almost bad enough to stop for a bit, but I knew if I could just get over the pass, I’d be OK. The elevation tops out around 4000 ft., and it was pretty snowy up there! Temps around 38F, so no ice on the road.

        

20 miles further, and I was off the mountain and back into summer again (well, OK, maybe spring). The weather eased up and the sun tried to come out a bit, but with limited success. Soon, I landed at Prophet Field, and I had the place all to myself! .

  

I stayed for a couple days, and it turned gorgeous! Sunny and warm, hardly any mosquitoes, and serenely quiet. I could stay here a week, but I have places to go and people to see. It’s on to the Yukon and Muncho Lake and Liard Hot springs. See ya there!