Prince George to Dawson Creek - DAY 1

  Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada
Thursday, June 21, 2007

Foray into the North-West Territories
Foray - A venture or an initial attempt, especially outside one's usual area

Day 1 - June 21, 2007

Prince George to Dawson Creek

Distance: 406 km

Length of Trip: 7 hours

Blog Sent From: Yellowknife, NWT

01.0 - Prince George to Dawson Creek

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My departure was already delayed by last minute car repairs and even on this day I did not hit the road till 16:30.

Leaving this late for a long trip was however made easy by the fact that we are approaching the summer solstice of June 21.

Even in Prince George at this time of year, it does not get dark until 22:30. My trip today was taking me 400 km further north to Dawson Creek, so I had dreams of the midnight sun dancing in my head.

One last coffee at Tim Hortons on the outskirts of Prince George and I was on my way.

A feeling of excitement overtook me as I crossed the Salmon River just some 40 km north of Prince George. This was, after all, the furthest north I had been in British Columbia and anything beyond this point would be truly making new discoveries.

Two hours into my drive I passed the small town of McKenzie.

Recent news from this town has not been good due to the indefinite closure of its Canfor Sawmill with a loss of 450 jobs. This move was prompted by cost cutting measures due to falling lumber sales to the United States. This of course has severe consequences in a one mill town such as McKenzie.

After McKenzie the scenery intensifies as the route approaches the Rocky Mountains. It is particularly beautiful as one drives over Pine Pass Summit (933m) with its surrounding stunning peaks.

14- nearing the top of Pine Pass

16 - near Powder King Ski Area

This is also the location of Powder King Ski Area, 183 km north of Prince George.

One cannot help but notice that the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic has reached this area as well. However, in the glow of the evening sun, the "red stage" spreads its glow over the mountains in an almost Tom Thompsonesque style of painting

24 - there is beauty in the Mountain Pine Beetle

25 - first evidence of the many pipelines of the N

I was also in awe by my first sighting of a major pipeline crossing a river, in this case the Pine River.

The incredible expense of just one river crossing brought home to me why the McKenzie Natural Gas Pipeline Project from the Artic is in jeopardy due to escalating costs that have reached into the billions of dollars. Apparently only federal government intervention will save the project.

As one drives Highway 97 north one becomes more and more aware of the resources driven economy of the north. Whether it is lumber, mining, gas or oil, it is the economic lifeline of the region.

Just south of Chetwyn I had stopped to take one of many scenic photos. To my surprise and dismay I noticed that the headlight on the passenger side of my car had been shattered since my last stop.

I was somewhat puzzled at this event since I had not heard or seen anything that would have made me suspicious of such a happening on this lightly traveled road. Upon further reflection, I did recall one semi-trailer truck that had passed by in a cloud of dust and noise.

Further inspection also revealed a small chip in my windshield.

I found this all very ironic since I was on my way to drive the Liard Trail . It has hundreds of kilometers of gravel road and I was somewhat prepared for that kind of happening on that route but on Highway 97?

My first gut reaction was to go back to Prince George to get the headlight repaired. However, the lure of the North-West Territories was much greater than that and I opted for improvisation which resulted in Saran Wrap from a restaurant being taped over the gaping hole in the glass cover of the headlight.

34.1 - what Saran Wrap will do

Surprisingly this thin membrane did the job, till the next day.

All the while I was fascinated by the impressive run of daylight. At 22:00, I was the last customer at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Chetwyn and it was still daylight.

It would be fair to say that by 23:00 darkness had set in. This however, was far from the mid-night sun that I had hoped for. So in the end, it was interesting but not spectacular.

Shortly before midnight I arrived in Dawson Creek. It was a long and interesting trip and I was eager to discover the town of Dawson Creek the next morning.

38 - next day, next blog