This day's route was one of the most scenic and had the best roads for riding that we have experienced yet. Unfortunately, it was rainy and cold for much of the day, which dampened the fun.
We left Watson Lake around 9:45, headed for Fort Nelson. Shortly after leaving Watson Lake, we ran into a group of buffalo grazing along the road. We stopped and took several pictures. One large bull got uncomfortably close to Josh, to the point that he was pushing his bike back. However, a car came along and diverted his attention.
Much of the trip was along either a riverbank or the shoreline of a lake. In addition, each had ranges of mountains on either side, which meant the roads had numerous twists and turns. Generally, the roads were in good shape, and when it wasn't raining, they made for good riding at speeds in the 60mph range.
Riding in this setting is particularly fun. The first series of water we encountered was the Laird River, located approximately 80 miles from Watson Lake, near the town of Fireside. A few miles later, we reached Muncho Lake. There is considerable copper in the mountains around this lake, and enough copper oxide seeps into the lake to give it distinctive blue and green colors. We took some pictures, but they didn't do justice to the unique color of the lake.
I also experimented with the new camera mounted on my handlebars around this lake. I had Josh and Jared drive slower so we could see how it works. We have included a couple of these pictures. The Kodak takes some good pictures.
We had lunch at Toad River Post, a very good local restaurant. Their buffalo burgers were delicious. Its claim to fame is that visitors often "donate" their hats to the restaurant, which mounts them on the ceiling. Currently, there are over 7500 caps covering the ceiling from around the world.
We also rode along the banks of Summit Lake and the Testa River
As we crested the Rockies, headed to Fort Nelson, we encountered some of the worst weather of the trip. It was raining, cold, and extremely foggy. However, just a short distance away, on the other side, it stopped raining and cleared up, making for a great ride into Fort Nelson.
We decided to stay at the Woodlands Inn in Fort Nelson, which is fairly new and is consistent with a Hampton Inn/Marriott Courtyard - a rarity thus far for accommodations along the Alaska Highway.
Tomorrow we head for Dawson Creek, the end of our ride on the Alaska Highway--more on that tomorrow.
