Started working on the Ark today. The rain is still coming
down. The local weather people report 5 inches in a 24-hour period. I’m
surprised it was only 5 inches.
We pulled out at 9:15am for our trip to a point half way
between Fort Nelson and Dawson Creek. We have a couple Provincial Parks that
look interesting. The roads today were the best we’ve had so far: smooth, wide
and not too busy. We saw a couple black bears again today but they have become
common place.
We reached our first park about noon so lunch seemed in
order. We scouted out the campsites and all were too near the creek that had
now become a river. It could get very wet here if it rains much more. We
decided to continue to our next choice. The next Provincial Park we stopped at
was along the Kiskatinaw River. It is near the last original wood bridge from
the 1942 construction and was built with a large curve in the span. It is not
on today’s Alcan highway but is part of the Old Alaska Highway and is still
crossed by local people and interested tourists. It now has a weight limit of
fourteen tons. That’s not bad for a bridge nearing its seventy-fifth birthday.
The Kiskatinaw River was also a raging torrent, with fallen
trees flying by and clogging the passage in many places. We decided this was
not a safe place to stay. The road in and out passes very close to the river
and a bit more water could make it impossible to leave. We checked the map and
realized we were only an hour from Dawson Creek so we were off again. Karen
found a golf course with camping just outside of Dawson Creek that sounded
quiet and nice. When we pulled in, our host met us at the site and welcomed us
to the park. We talked with him about our route tomorrow down Highway 97 toward
Prince George. He informed us that we would have trouble getting through Dawson
Creek because of heavy flooding. They have one bridge washed away and two more
underwater. Also Highway 97 was closed with large washouts in more than one
place. Our fear of flooding has been realized. The B.C. road report says the
road is closed indefinitely so we will need to find another way home. I guess
Alberta looks like a nice place to visit. It’s nice to have time to reroute.
Charlie likes it here. He has grass under his feet and his Frisbee in the air.
So far no one has told me to keep him on a leash. Run Charlie run!
Tomorrow we see if it is possible to move through Dawson
Creek. If not, Farmington Fairways may become home for a few days.
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| Buckinghorse Creek - notice that is over bank in foreground |
