Ft. Nelson, return trip

This was a wonderfully sunny day to cross the Rockies.  I would hate to come across those mountains if it was rainy and foggy.  Our choice of music for today was John Denver.  Every time I listen to him, it reminds me anew how very talented he was.  Since our XM radio had no signal from about this point going up, it is a very good thing we had several MP3 players with us.  The XM signal has returned so maybe we will have those choices from here home.

In 1942, a homesick soldier put up a remembrance of where he was from.  After all these years, people are still adding old license plates or street signs or some reminder of where they are from creating a Signpost Forest.  We didn’t take anything to put up but it was interesting looking at what was there.

The views coming across the Rockies are amazing, except for one.  There were three big road construction area where we had to sit and wait for a pilot truck to lead us through.  The dust was so heavy, the car in front of you could not be seen.  Three different times we had to wait around 20 minutes for the pilot truck.

We stopped at Jack’s place again to get unmade ham and cheese sandwiches.  He remembered us so did not look at us so strangely when I asked for each ingredient to be wrapped separately.  There were wonderful looking cookies and cakes there too.  Danny got a peanut butter cookie as big as his hand and I got a piece of carrot cake.  We haven’t eaten them yet but I’m sure they will be good.  I’ll try to remember to take a picture of that cookie before he starts eating it.

Today was a good wildlife day.  We saw a big herd of bison including some calves.  Again we saw one lone guy walking down the road alone.  I don’t know if it is the same one we saw as we went up.  Later we saw three mountain goats.  There were two adults and one little one.  The little one was very skittish and would run for the hills at the slightest sound but the older ones stayed on the road.

We’re in Ft. Nelson now which is the point Dad worked to.  We will be in Dawson Creek again tomorrow afternoon. 

Watson Lake Signpost Forest.  There are thousands of plate or street signs.

Multiple bison, including calves.  I don't know how the calves will have time to build the fat resources they are going to need when it gets cold.

This guy was walking down our side of the road.  I happened to be driving so went a bit in front of him and pulled over.  I asked Danny to lean out the window and get a picture of him.  He opened the door and got out of the car.  The picture isn't centered very well but Danny was in a hurry to get back in the car.

Muncho Lake with the sun sparkling on top.  Muncho means "big lake" in the Kaska language.  At 7.5 miles it is one of the biggest lakes in the Canadian Rockies.

I've commented before that the people up here don't believe in guard rails.  You can see how close the road runs to the lake with no guard rail.

Lots of transportation here and in Alaska is by small private plane.  This plane, with a little gravel landing strip was just before getting to Jack's place.

There was a sign on the highway saying, "Low flying plane."  Running alongside the road was another small landing strip.  This plane had just landed creating a lot of dust on the landing strip.

This is the baby mountain goat coming back down to the road to join his parents.

I've gotten really good at taking pictures of the rear ends of the animals.  You can't get them to turn around.

So much dust, you can't see the vehicle in front of you.  See below.

I love the play of light on the mountains.

We are back where the land is flat enough to have fields of some kind of grain.