Day 9 -- To the Northwest Territory

Route to date

Summary:

• Drive from Liard Hot Spring Lodge, BC to Fort Liard, NT (with a stopover in Fort Nelson for some admin)
• Distance travelled: 522 km
• Regrettable Decisions: (1)
• Forgetting it was a holiday weekend until this afternoon
• Random Great Moments: (1)
• Happening upon the most iconic dessert of Alaska, according to the Food Network
• Wildlife Seen: (7)
• Bison
• Black Bear
• Big Horned Sheep
• Geese
• Heron-y thing
• Caribou
• Deer (boring after the last two days, I know)

food for thought?  Saw this at Toad River

Who knew that the Liard Hot Springs Lodge was party central along the Alaska Highway?!?  It was a long night of listening to dirt bikes, four wheelers and partiers (who managed to keep setting off car alarms in the pre-dawn hours) ... oh well.  I'm glad I got out of there before the long weekend took full hold (I have had several people tell me today that the Hot Springs is THE PLACE to party in the Northern Canadian Rockies ...

so pretty!!

Summit Lake, styled by google

View near where I was stopped

I had my first-ever run in with the RCMP today ... I was pulled over in the middle of nowhere with no other vehicles in sight (or had been seen on the road for tens of kilometers) ... isn't this how horror movies start (or maybe porn movies)?  He drove past me going the other direction; as he passed, I quickly glanced down.  My speed was only 10 kph over the speed limit ... but I still checked my mirror.  Yup ... his lights were on and he was doing a three-point turn as quickly as he could on a mountain road to come after me.  Damn my lead foot!  Annoyed and frustrated with myself, I pulled over, turned off my audio book (which was at a really great spot!) and waited for him to approach.  As he walked up to the car, giving my permit a second look, I proactively say "good morning officer" (should I have said "sir" or "Mountie"?!).  He replied "I'm doing a sobriety check.  Are you drinking?".  "Only water" I replied as I took off my sunglasses to look him in the eyes (wondering to myself, it's 12:15.  What kind of person do you think drives these highways?!).  "Were you drinking last night?" he asked in a rather accusatory tone.  "I had a beer with dinner around 7."  (I might have had 3 beers but it wasn't like I was going to tell him that).  

More pretty views ... 

BEAR!

"Ok.  Any drugs or alcohol in the vehicle?"  "I have a bottle of wine in the cooler, unopened.  Other than that, nothing" I said hoping against all hope that Chuck wasn't a stoner and there wasn't anything stashed in the car that I didn't know about (hey, I don't judge ... I just don't want to go to jail).  The RCMP officer (can I call them Mounties?! I don't know the etiquette) gave me another long look then said "alright, have a nice day" and walked back to his car.  That was it ... less than 3 heart-stopping minutes.  As I watched him pull another three-point turn and disappear in my rearview mirror, I kept taking deep breaths to try and get my heartrate down ... stupid holiday weekend (which I had temporarily forgotten about).  I saw 4 more RCMP on the highways during today's drive ... after not seeing a single one on any other day!

Today's drive was through the Stone Mountain area.  It was breathtaking and, as expected, full of stupid animals in the road.  At least they have road signs warning you.  I lost count of the number of times I had to slow down.  

Momma bear and her cub (as close as I dare, still in car)

it took this guy and his friends 5 minutes to get off the road

The sign doesn't say how delicious they are

On my way down the mountain, I pulled into Tetsa River stop.  I needed a pit stop badly and because I'm one of those people that feel guilty for just using facilities, especially at these little hole-in-the-wall places, I popped into the little cafe when I finished my business.  Honestly, best random pop-in ever!  Not only was there delicious homemade jerky and sausage ... but the most iconic dessert of Alaska ... an amazing cinnamon bun.  "But you aren't in Alaska, Sarah" you're musing out loud as you read this ... I know.  But the citizens of Alaska, when polled by the food network, voted for these cinnamon buns, fully knowing they were in Canada.  (Sometimes, Canada is just better) ... So, if you ever find yourself on the Alaska Highway, make sure you stop at Mile 375.  Because these cinnamon buns are A-MAZ-ING.

YUM!!

I made it to the Northwest Territory today ... staying overnight in Fort Liard, NT before making my way south tomorrow.