Friday, May 21, 2010

May 20, 2010

First Day on the Alaska Highway

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We woke up this morning to rain.  First daytime rain we have had on our trip.  For a while it rained pretty hard.  We delayed our start by an hour in hopes it would let up a bit which it did.  It was cold though.  Weather forecast for Dawson Creek for the next few days is rain and possible snow off and on.  We packed up, dumped tanks, and filled up with gas and began our adventure on the Alaska Highway.

A few miles north of town the rain stopped completely and we just had overcast sky. 

First stop was a detour to drive over a piece of the original highway that had been bypassed. 

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This section of road crosses the Kiskatinaw River on what is now the only remaining wooden bridge on the Alaska Highway.  This is an impressive structure even if it had been been made of steel and concrete which it is not.  Even more impressive that it was built in just a few months.  The bridge is hundreds of feet above the river and instead if going straight across from bank to bank it curves across in a gentle arc.

Carbus about three quarters across bridge

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Roadbed is wood planks

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All wood.  Only metal is guardrail which was added later.

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We could not easily get to a good spot to take total picture of the bridge.  This is a picture of the river below from the deck of the bridge. 

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Sue did get a pretty good partial shot

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To see the whole bridge google “Kiskatinaw Bridge”.

As we drove up the hill from the bridge I saw a moose just off the road.  Sue was looking the other direction and we were past the moose before she could turn around.  There will be more.

Several miles up the road we came to Charlie Lake.  This was the location of a tragic event while building the Highway. 

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In the rush to move materials and machines ahead to build the road, pontoon floats were quickly improvised to move to the other end of the lake.  The lake looks pretty placid in the picture but weather changes here are quirky and rapid.  While the barge was on the lake one day the weather changed and soon the barge was in three foot waves.  One pontoon swamped which caused the barge to tilt and finally capsize.  This was in April and the lake was just a few degrees above freezing.  The heroic efforts of a local trapper who made three trips onto the lake in a small rowboat saved five men.  Twelve died.  This is a monument to their sacrifice.

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About 160 miles from start we came to the Sikanni River and the Sikanni River Campground.  Quaint little wide spot by the river.  Store (minimal), three cabins, RV and tent camping, play equipment for kids, gas pump, and that is it.  20 amp electric(that’s  like plugging your whole house into one socket in your living room) that is generated on site.  Single water hose for filling tanks and central dump station.  Not quite forest service campground camping but pretty rustic.  The highway is a couple hundred yards away but not very noisy (also not very busy :)   ).  Best thing is location – right on river.  And, we are in the prime spot in the campground.

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View from our dinette.

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Sue did not get to see a moose today but there is a local moose here and she is hoping.  She did get to see some moose evidence though.

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If you haven’t figured it out, that is moose poop.  It is all over the grounds here.



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