Day 12: From Toad river to Watson Lake and More

We left Toad River RV Park mid morning and it took us 2 ½ hours to drive 70 miles. By far, this has to be the most beautiful part of the Alaska Highway we have traveled to date. There was so much beautiful scenery and wildlife to see all the way to Watson Lake. Beautiful wild flowers; lady slippers, bluebells, violets, dandelions and primroses covered the valleys and mountain sides. The mountain tops were covered with snow and there was wild game around almost every curve. Between Toad River and Watson Lake we counted 13 bears including 4 cubs feeding on dandelions alongside the road. We also spotted 11 bison and 1 moose along the same route. Poor Gypsy, she didn’t get a nap all day with all the wild animals and stops we made. There were so many pull-outs you could stop and just absorb the beauty. There are several Provincial parks along the route where you can overnight for $14. One in particular, Strawberry Flats is one of those campgrounds where when you get there you may never leave. It is located in a valley on 7 mile long Muncho Lake surrounded by snow covered mountains at an elevation of 2,680 feet.. In case you were wondering, yes the lake is full of hungry fish. There are Dolly Varden, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, whitefish and lake trout up to 50 pounds waiting for someone to take them. For those who have traveled this section of the Alaska Highway through British Columbia you know what we are talking about, for those who have thought about making the Alaska trip… Don’t wait. After leaving the beautiful Muncho Lake area, we traveled approximately 25 miles north to Liard Hot Springs. A very popular place on the Alaska Highway where you have to stop and jump in…maybe walk in slowly, it is hot, hot and hotter the closer you get to the spring. The temperatures range from 108 to 126 degrees F. It feels soooo good to just sit on one of the benches in the pool. Late afternoon we arrived in Watson Lake, home of the Sign Forest. As the saying goes, “When in Watson Lake put up a sign” so we did. We also fueled up in Watson Lake for $1.30/L. for diesel. Gas was the same price for regular. Neither diesel nor gas has been a problem so far except for the price. After hanging our sign and fueling up we traveled north a few miles and found a place to stay at the Big Creek Provincial Park. $12 dollars a night with no hook-ups; however, they do have fire pits, free fire wood, water, and clean outhouses. The Lord has continued to bless us. Wish everyone was here with us to enjoy the beauty with us.

Mama bear and the two little ones. They were feeding on dandelions right next to the road. We were able to pull over and watch them.

This is another one of the eleven bears we saw today.

Another picture of mama and her babies.

One of many Bison we saw between Toad River Campground and Laird River Hot Springs.

This one was right next to the road. I stopped and took his picture and Gypsy was telling him what she thought and he just continued eating. Never paid any attention to us.

This is the biggest bear we have seen so far.

Another one of the bears we saw today.

This is one of the pull outs at Muncho Lake

A couple more pictures of Muncho Lake

I once heard someone say, "When in Rome do as the Romans do". So I guess you would say, "When in Watson Lake put up a sign".

Another view from the Alaska Highway. The highway is gravel in this area where they have made repairs. Notice all the dust right in front of us. Can you see the vehicle in front of us? Don't worry we can't either.

These next few pictures show some of the beautiful spring flowers blooming now. Imagine a whole valley or mountainside covered with these colorful flowers.

Linda standing in front of Liard Hot Springs just North of Watson Lake. This is a very popular stop along the Alaska Highway. After spending some time in the springs, we could see why...we didn't want to leave. There are two pools; however, only the lower pool is open. The temperatures in the lower pool range from 108 to 126 degrees F.