MEZIADIN JUNCTION TO WATSON LAKE

Yukon/Alaska Tour – Meziadin Junction to Watson Lake

This is 584 km of very scenic but winding, twisting, narrow road with some very steep grades. Otherwise, there isn’t much else along here. You pass through Bell II, named after the bridge, which is just a lodge with accommodation, restaurant and a gas bar, followed closely by Iskut, which is mostly native residences with a gas bar and a small store.

Bell II Lodge

Bell II Bridge

Black Bear just past Bell II

Just before Iskut is the Tatogga Lake Resort & Campground. This is quite a neat rustic log building with a nice interior, replete with a huge stone fireplace and the requisite stuffed animals and heads. Two years ago we stayed in the RV park and dropped in for pleasant breakfast in the lodge. This time, however, they were just getting opened and the campground wasn’t up and running, so we headed up the road to the Mountain Shadows Campground which is situated on the side of a gently sloping valley overlooking a small lake surrounded by large snow capped mountains. Absolutely beautiful! This is a very well kept, very tidy little campground.

Tatoga Lodge

Tatoga Lodge on our visit 2 years ago

Mountain Shadows Campground

Enjoying a walk to the lake at Mountain Shadows Campground

Hiking at Mountain Shadows Campground

Calypso Orchid at Mountain Shadows Campground

The next morning we continued north, making a stop in Dease Lake for gas. There sure isn’t much here besides the gas station, a small restaurant and a very large First Nations building.

The next place of note along the highway is Jade City. It’s a great sounding name that conjures up images of the Emerald City of Wizard of Oz fame. It’s not like that. Jade City is just one gift shop that happens to sell jade. Sadly, everything else in this small community is closed.

Jade City

Windy Road and Scenic Vistas

We passed the turn off to Cassiar, the other component of the Stewart Cassiar Hwy. We drove out there 2 years ago (see post) to have a look at this small community, which is now mostly a ghost town as the large gold mining operation there has shut down. Since the weather was overcast and raining and not forecast to get any better we also bypassed one of our favorite camping spots at Boya Lake Provincial Park. Boya is a gorgeous aqua green lake and is one of the few northern lakes that gets warm enough to swim.

Kayaking Boya Lake 2 years ago

Cassiar Gold Mine

Not far up the road from Boya Lake we connect with Highway #1, the Alaska Highway, which runs southeast to Mile Marker 0 at Dawson Creek and continues north to Delta Junction, AK about 150 km southeast of Fairbanks. Our final destination for this leg of the journey was Watson Lake, which entailed a 21 km run east, back along highway #1 from Junction 37. We needed to restock our food and we were hoping to get some better internet service so we could get some badly need postings done. Sadly we were disappointed.

We chose to stay at the Downtown RV Park where we stayed a couple of years ago. They offer free wi-fi, but unfortunately it doesn’t work, which really sucks because they are charging $46.00 per night to park in an open gravel parking lot. They have electric, water and sewer hookups, but otherwise there is nothing else nice about this park. The manager apologized for the wifi and blames it on people abusing the service, which causes it to shut down. He told me that his wi-fi provider has advised him to opt for a user pay system, which would solve his problems. He is reluctant to do this because he feels it is important to offer his guests free wi-fi because so many RV’ers expect it. However, what is the point of offering a free service as an incentive if it doesn’t work? From his response to me it obviously frustrates him badly and sadly from my point of view it creates more animosity than good will and many people won’t be back. Unless they change, I know we won’t.

The ever so popular, but ugly, Downtown RV Park Watson Lake

Watson Lake, YK

Watson Lake is a pretty small town, but there are a few things worth checking out if you have a few hours. Make sure to drop into the information center near the Sign Post Forest. The staff are super friendly and very helpful. The center also has some interesting displays outlining the history of the area.

Downtown Watson Lake

The most noticeable and famous part of Watson Lake is the Signpost Forest. Carl Lindley started the Sign Post Forest in 1942. A homesick soldier from Danville, Illinois, he added his hometown sign to an army mileage post while working on the Alaska Highway and a tradition was born. People from all over the world continue to add signs to the forest connecting their homes to Watson Lake.

Sign Post Forest

The Northern Lights Centre was built in 1996 to feature the ‘Northern Lights’ or ‘Aurora Borealis’. They have a state-of-the-art full dome video and surround-sound system. It incorporates interactive displays that explain the science and folklore of the Northern Lights, along with the latest information about the Canadian space program.

Northern Lights Centre

I think the Watson Lake Motors building is very cool. An old, very worn looking log building that has a lot of character. Hard to miss as it sits just across the street from the Sign Post Forest.

Sign Post Motors, Watson Lake

The Watson Lake airport is also an historic and interesting place to visit, with some of the old wartime buildings still remaining and there are some interesting displays in the terminal. It was built in 1941 in conjunction with the Alaska Highway to serve as a supply and refueling stop.