(May 11, 2018) Status Update

As of this writing we are in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and ready to head up the Alaska-Canada Highway, tomorrow morning. Our trip through BC has gone smoothly, we’ve had (mostly) good weather, and have seen some wonderful sights along the way. Roads have been clear and in very good repair.

This past winter had been a long one for British Columbia and spring has come late. We feel we are chasing the spring north, finding areas where trees are winter-bare or are just starting to leaf out; where winter snow still lingers in shady areas in the forests, along the roadside or on higher slopes; and where campgrounds are just now turning on their water or are dealing with pipes hard frozen in the ground. Still, weather has been warm and we’ve enjoyed our travels in this season.

Crossing Into Canada

Travel Itinerary 2018 – Part II

From the Bellingham / Lynden KOA, we drove to the border crossing at Sumas, Washington. We opted for this crossing as it was smaller and generally less busy than the Peace Arch crossing at Vancouver. The line at the crossing was short, maybe a ten minute wait, and we passed through without any issues – just a few questions and no inspection. 

Our drive from Lynden to Hope, BC, went smoothly, despite occasion heavy rain. By the time we arrived at Hope the skies were clearing and we had nice weather for setting up camp.

Hope, BC and Scenic Fraser River Gorge

We stayed for three nights at the Hope Valley RV Park, a nice park nestled in forest with dramatic mountain backdrops. We didn’t have any problems getting a site without reservations at this time of year. The park is nice, but has a lot of long-term stay guests and some of their sites look very cluttered.

The city of Hope, BC, is on the shores of the wide Fraser River and surrounded by mountains – quite a spectacular setting. We enjoyed day trips into town and along the winding Trans-Canada Highway, BC-1, through the Fraser River gorge. The scenery is spectacular along the drive through the gorge – winding highway, mountain vistas, rocky river gorge, and many tunnels.

At one point, we stopped for a picnic lunch and took a short hiking trail down to the old highway BC-1 bridge. Constructed in 1926(?), the cable bridge offers dramatic views of the Fraser River and gorge.

At Hell’s Gate, BC, the gorge narrows and the mighty river surges through a choke point in a churning devils cauldron of turbulent water. (Only 110 feet wide with 200 million gallons of water per minute flow rate – wow!) The Hell’s Gate aerial tram carries tourists to and from a footbridge and hiking trail in the canyon depths. We stopped there, briefly, but did not take the tram.

Quesnel, BC

From Hope we headed north along highway BC-1 to Williams Lake. We intended to stay at the Williams Lake Stampede campground, but found the campground full due to a rodeo event that weekend. (One of the hazards of travelling without reservations.) We moved on up the road and found room at the Airport Inn Motel and RV Park in Quesnel, BC. We stayed for two nights in Quesnel. The campground was very basic, but clean and quiet, We enjoyed our short stay there.

Prince George, BC

From Quesnel, we moved just a short distance to Prince George, for a three night stay at the Northern Experience RV Park. Again, no problems checking in without a reservation. We found that sections of the campground sites were without water due to pipes still frozen in the ground. The area had experienced a very cold and long-lasting winter, with a late thaw and snow melt. Trees in the area were just starting to leaf out and patches of snow were still visible on distant hills or in shaded areas. We were fine with water hookups using a hose from a nearby thawed site. The campground owners were super friendly and we enjoyed our stay here.

While in Prince George, we ran a few errands and enjoyed a shopping trip to a Canada Tire store – an amazing place to shop (but they were all out of bear spray). We also celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a dinner out at a nice restaurant, Earls Prince George.

Chetwynd, BC

Moving on from Prince George, we headed for Dawson Creek, BC. Along the way, we crossed the Northern Rock Mountains via a low pass. Roads were clear and in good shape, but winter seems to linger in the area. Trees were still winter-bare and snow lurks in shaded areas on the woods and mountain slopes along the highway. We stopped at frozen Azouzetta Lake near the top of the pass – spectacular.

Passing through Chetwynd, BC, we admired the many fantastically carved wooden sculptures on display along the roadside. Just outside of Chetwynd, we were stopped by a roadblock – a bad accident was blocking highway BC-97 not far up the road. We could either wait for the road to clear (estimated at 5 or 6 hours), or turn around and take a very long detour from Chetwynd through Tumbler Ridge and back to Dawson Creek (~212 kilometers & over 2-hours drive time).  Rather than waiting or taking the long detour, we opted for turning around and camping at the Westwind RV Park in Chetwynd for the night.

The Westwind park had many spots available, so no problem getting a site without reservations. The park was very basic and clean – a good spot to stay for the night.

Dawson Creek, BC – Mile 0 on the ALCAN Highway

After a leisurely breakfast, we packed up and drove the short distance (99 km, ~60 miles) to Dawson Creek, checking into the Mile “0” Campsite RV Park. Again, no problems with reservations – the campground was almost empty. Due to the late spring, the campground was still cleaning up and performing maintenance. Indeed, workers turned on the water to the campground just as we were checking in. If the campground water had not been on, we could have filled our water tank at a hydrant outside the office. Due to the delay in Chetwynd, we opted for a two night stay.

While in Dawson Creek, we visited the Mile 0 Cairn at the start of the Alaska-Canada (ALCAN) Highway. From here on to Whitehorse, YT, we will take the ALCAN – how exciting! We also visited the Dawson Creek Canada Tire store for a few things & this time we got the bear spray!

Lessons Learned While Travelling in Canada

Here are a few lessons learned in our travels through Canada, so far:

• We’re really rusty with our metric conversions!
• Prior to entering Canada, we stopped at a money exchange in Blaine, WA, to change two hundred $US for $CN. We probably could have just gone to an ATM once in Canada. We use the bills to get laundry change and for small item purchases, charging anything else.
• Travelling without reservations has worked for us reasonable well, so far, but local RV park owners state that later in the season things will be much busier. Times are changing due to housing shortages and increasing popularity of RVing. Reservations are advisable for holidays, busy summer weekends and most popular destinations.
• After some confusion over Verizon plans and data roaming, we’ve learned that our Unlimited Data Plan applies to Canada & Mexico, as well as the US, and that our phones & hot spot device are compatible with the global network. We have unlimited voice, data and text. Unfortunately, unlimited data really isn’t – we have 500 Mb high-speed data in a 24 hour period, after which it throttles down to a glacially slow speed until reset at midnight. At least we’ve had Verizon coverage over most of our route.
• The campgrounds we’ve visited, so far, have had WiFi internet access. Due to our Verizon limitations, we have used campground WiFi and have been pleasantly surprised that service was generally speedy and good quality. Much better WiFi experience than we have had many places in the States.
• Roads along our route through BC have been in excellent condition, with just a few rough patches or minor construction zones.

Photos

That’s all for now. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!