It seems we've fallen into our relaxing travel rhythm now, after a week on the road. Each day seems timeless, meals occur when we're hungry, and there's no pressure to get anywhere quickly. The only problem is sleep, and I'm beginning to see what happens to people in the north each summer. Even at this latitude, at the end of May, dusk is about 10:30 at night and dawn is somewhere shortly after that. (I can't be too exact, but I'm sure it was light the other night at 4 when I got up to pee!) It's not really dark enough in the camper to feel like night, and even wearing an eyeshade, I'm finding it hard to sleep. I can only imagine how energizing all this light must be if you've just emerged from a Yukon winter of darkness. Apparently lots of northern folk simply stay awake all summer! Hmmm, I see madness in that direction!
Our weather has been less than hospitable so far - massive thunderstorms, hail, rain, wind, ... but not many mosquitoes so far, though they may be increasing exponentially each day now. Yesterday was the first really fine day we've seen, and we used the sunshine to hike a very steep peak next to Muncho Lake, then relax in our campsite and fish. Apparently the last of the ice just disappeared from the lake this week, and the fish are just awakening from their long winter nap too. But Norbert brought back a nice lake trout for dinner, so no complaints.
Our wildlife viewing has been pretty dim in the grey weather, and despite plenty of warning signs on the highway through Muncho Lake Park we didn't see a single Stone Sheep (a variant of big horn sheep). Today things are looking up - bunnies in the campsite, then a huge moose by the highway, a magnificent golden eagle (I've never seen one before), followed by several large herds of wood bison just before Liard. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come.
Liard Hot Springs has been on our must see list for years, and it definitely exceeds expectations. A little oasis of warmer microclimate surrounds the steaming mineral pools, attracting birds, moose, and shivering northerners. The pools are undeveloped, except for cedar shelters and benches, and water pours in at scalding temperature, mixing with a cooler streambed. It's blissful to loll in the heat, listening to songbirds, surrounded by wildflowers and ferns. We did find an unexpected downside though - it also attracts the world's fattest people! The campsite is filled with 50 foot motorhomes from Florida and Minnesota, and the pools are occupied by 300 pound behemoths floating their blubbery way downstream. Ugh!
We'll take the boardwalk back to the pools tonight, and perhaps relaxing in the steamy heat will help us be more tolerant of diversity. The world has plenty of room for all of us, and we're lucky to be able to share our little corner of it.
Written May 31 at Liard Hot Springs, posted June 1 at Coal River, Mile 533, Alaska Hwy.
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