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Fort Nelson B.C.

2019 September 23
by Greg & Lyn

Fort Nelson was an interesting stop. We were looking for a place to camp for a couple nights away from too many lights so that we could see the Northern Lights. Fort Nelson  seemed like a good candidate. The town is going through tough times with the loss of both the timber industry due to tax changes and a gas plant shutting down. People were nice and friendly but not very optimistic about the town’s prospects. Unfortunately, the aurora didn’t cooperate.

 

A black bear and her cub rushing across the road. The cub was slow, making it easier than usual to get a picture.

Still amazing scenery around every corner.

We saw quads everywhere. There are seemingly permanent trails alongside each road that are used for 4 wheelers in the summer and dog sleds in the winter.

Another black bear skedaddling across the road. They were always pretty quick and hard to get pictures of.

The weather seemed to add to the dramatic views!

Over time, sections of the Alaska highway have been re-aligned to make them more easily traveled. Some of the new projects fixed the steep grades – some were initially as high as 25%, now down to 10%. Sometimes they went around small communities to avoid high traffic areas (at least high for the area) and sometimes they just looked for better conditions with less permafrost to contend with.

Rainbow!

Another of the little out of the way campsites we found. Through the course of the summer, we rarely camped in places with any amenities like power or water. Most of our favorite spots were simply little spots like this one along the side of small lake or river.

There is a major spruce beetle infestation problem in both Alaska and Canada. Apparently the beetles bore into the bark and kill the tree. There were miles of dead trees. One campground close to Denali was closed due to all the dead trees falling down.

The grades were pretty steep in places. Steep enough that trucks had to worry about losing their brakes. Of course, there are no nifty runaway truck ramps for bailing out. More ominously, many of the steep grades had designated “chain-up” and “chain-off” areas on either end. Bet those sections are a lot of fun in ice and snow!

 

But if not…

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