Watson Lake to Ft. St. John

Trip Start Sep 04, 2008
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Trip End Sep 08, 2008


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Where I stayed
Northwood Inn
(Fort St. John hotels)

Flag of Canada  , British Columbia,
Saturday, September 6, 2008

I woke up in Watson Lake to see that my tent was no longer waterproof. What a bummer. I packed up, angry, grabbed a coffee from town, and parted ways far before the gas station opened. I camped for free. Thanks. I headed onwards towards BC. Most of the day was overcast and I came through periods of hard rain. I vowed to a)not pay $100 and b)not camp in the rain. I drove the most remote part of the road, mildly amazed, but mainly just wanting to get there. I gave up the hot springs in favor of saving money and time. I took photos from the road. There were Buffalo, lakes, caribou, and two trucks that threw rocks in my face as I was traveling over gravel. One left a dime sized crack. The other I thought was almost nothing until it spread 6 inches across the windshield. It was a day of debate- is it spreading? Am I imagining it? Was it that far before? I can't (and don't feel like) putting into words how remote this area is.

As I stopped for one of the better sights, I met a couple on a vacation trip (in a Prius) from Nova Scotia. They had been traveling for 5 days already and were headed to Alaska and to Dawson City where a family member resided.

I ended the day in the ENORMOUS town of Fort St. John. After you get through the winding roads of upper BC, you start to see civilization again- farmland, towns that are more than just a lodge with a few gas pumps out front, other cars on the road. I wondered through town for a hotel and found one for $69/night. I later discovered the "exotic dancers" sign on the far end of the same building, but the place was quiet, undisturbed, right on the road, cheap, and fairly nice. I even had a coffee pot, fridge, and full cable. Not that I used any of those.
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