On responsible camping, puppies & beavers!
The next morning we were off from Fort St John. We headed north (of course) and plugged in Pink Mountain which was the closest our poor GPS (Maggie) could get us to our actual destination – which was a forest recreation site at Duhu Lake – mile 156 on the Alaska Hwy.
We stopped at Pink Mountain to keep Maggie quiet and gassed up with gas for the RV and a glue-like cinnamon bun and a coffee-like substance for us. Both provided lots of gas down the road!
We found the gravel road leading to our lake rec. site so off we went. Not too far along the road – which was cleared with lots of oil-related off-shoots along the way – we found the rec. site. It was larger than the last – with 16 sites and a huge picnic shelter. And … there was a fellow there who had been out fishing but was just leaving and he had the CUTEST PUPPY EVER!!! A little girl named Sadie – part Bernese Mtn. and part Lab. OMG!!!
Duhu Campground
We found the gravel road leading to Duhu Lake, so off we went. Not too far along the road – which was cleared with lots of oil-related off-shoots along the way – we found the rec. site. It was larger than the last – with 16 sites and a huge picnic shelter. And … there was a fellow there who had been out fishing but was just leaving and he had the CUTEST PUPPY EVER!!! A little girl named Sadie – part Bernese Mtn. dog and part Lab. OMG!!!
Sadie – Cutest puppy ever!
Notes on rec. sites: Most of them are gems. Tiny little spots usually on a lake or river, with nothing but trees and silence for neighbors. No services at all but most have at the very least a firepit and more often than not – a picnic table. Most are clean and well kept, but this one was clearly destined for another type of crowd. It seems to have been used year-round, probably for hunting from the dozens of shell casings we found around the sites (does one do a lot of hunting from their campsite? Why so many casings? Maybe after enough beer you see moose everywhere!). Garbage, mud, filled-up firepits (some still with giant stumps that beer-soaked brains everywhere figure will make a WONDERFUL fire – but only end up smoldering for weeks) and muddy ruts where the past users simply ran their trucks (or ATV’s) into the woods – campsite or not.
Duhu Lake
But we found one site not too bad and after picking up garbage and scavenging for wood we could cut up, we were settled in. (Our motto is: always leave things better than we found them!”)
Had a good bbq of Maui ribs and corn, then lit the fire and enjoyed the evening with some popcorn over the fire! Had a few episodes of rolling, echoing, awesome thunder showers move through (nature’s own movie channel) but it eventually cleared up and we were able to sit out and enjoy the fire.
A couple of hours later and before bed we wandered down to the lake and got the amazing opportunity to watch a lone beaver swimming back and forth picking sticks up out of the water and munching away. What a beautiful sight!
Back inside for another episode of Game of Thrones and blissful darkness and peace.
The beaver our for a sunset swim at Duhu Lake
Beaver at Duhu Lake
The beaver our for a sunset swim at Duhu Lake
This morning up to a freezing cold RV, so I ran as fast as I could out to the furnace switch and got some heat pumping in.
Quick breakfast and we’ll head to Fort Nelson. Should be interesting.
May 29, 2014
On the way to Fort Nelson today. MILESTONE …. OUR RV HIT 100,000 KMS TODAY!!!
100,000 km!!
The 100,000 km milestone!
Not too long of a drive but fairly boring stretch of road. Interesting how going down a few hundred metres can change the vegetation quite dramatically. We went through a fairly long stretch of deciduous trees – mostly aspen I guess which is quite a change from the coniferous forests we’d been seeing. Lots of black bear sightings along the road too!
Black Bears
Got to Fort Nelson around noon-ish and checked into the Triple G Hideaway RV Park which is right on the outskirts of town. Quite a large park and nicely maintained. Still .. for $40 a night it should come with a hooker!
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