Day 20

Day 20 Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park

We woke up with ice hanging from the camper 31 degrees outside---cold night!

Most of the lake was frozen.

Today’s drive was a short drive to the hot springs, 47 miles.  We wanted to get there early so we could try out the springs before lunch.

The further north we go the later the sun goes down and the earlier it comes up. I woke up about 2 and I could see across the parking lot with out to much trouble. When I woke up about 4 this morning is was as light as early dusk. It really is not that hard to get accustomed to. Ray said he didn’t even notice.

 Today was absolutely spectacular. Mostly clear skies and the sun hitting the snowcapped mountains is stunning.

Muncho Lake was mostly frozen, but I did find a spot to get a reflection picture. The lake is quit long, seven miles. The island in the middle of the lake is Honeymoon Island.

Here is a picture of the Lower Liard River Bridge.  This is the only remaining suspension bridge on the Alaskan Highway.

We arrived at the park about 10 and headed to the springs.  First we walked over just to see the springs and then came back for our suits. When we got back the second time we had the springs to ourselves for a time. It was so nice just to lay back in the hot water, close your eyes and listen to the wind blow through the pines. The water can reach temperatures of 126 degrees. There are two sources for the water, one is the hot sulfur water and the other is from the mountain springs. The water on top is quit hot and the water on the bottom is colder. The temperature changes the further away from the corner of the spring where the sulfur water is dispersed into the pond.

 

Our campsite at the Liard Hot Springs RV Park. They are charging $21.00 for a site, but it includes $5.00 each to get into the springs. 

We ran into Bob and Bonnie at the campground at Laird Hot Springs. They told us they are leaving tomorrow, same as us. They also told us there were reports of slush on the highway, so they stayed in Fort Nelson for the night.

Just before dinner Ray and I went back to the springs, the walk was much colder this time, but oh how great the water felt.  I will defiantly sleep well tonight. The temperature is predicted to go down to about 30 degrees tonight, another cold one.  We will most likely not go for another dip in the springs in the morning before we leave for Watson Lake and the Sign Post Forest. I will write more about the history of the forest tomorrow.

Here are some pictures of the animals and scenery we saw on the way to the Hot Springs.

This sheep was on the side of the road, completely unafraid.

This Caribou looks like it has been through a war. If you look closely, it only has one antler.

 The road from Muncho Lake to Liard Hot Springs was in pretty bad shape. And yes, there were many frost heaves.

Part of the scenic road.

This RV used to be a German Military truck. It had German licence plates.I thought it was interesting, and probably can go anywhere.

Thanks for reading.