And we need to be there on the evening of October 16th so as we can catch a pre booked 18hour rail trip to Churchill on the Hudson Bay.  Why?   To see Polar Bears.....Why Not !

Saturday 8th October:

Frozen Water this morning!

Travel is easy on the smooth blacktop of the Alaska/Canada Highway. Spotting the odd Wood Bison.

Camp was in the Laird Hot Springs Campground and sat in the hot springs for a couple of hours.

Camp 148:    Hot Spring Camp

Cost: C$20

N59* 25.716  W126* 06.571

Today :  191 Kms. 

Trip Total :  61,438  Kms

Sunday 9th October:

More Wood Bison, this time in herds of 30 or more, just grazing the road edges.

Stopped to lend a hand to a stranded couple whose vehicle “Just Stopped”. It was electrical stuff (not my forte) so helped move the truck off the road and gave them a lift into the next small town.

Ron & Lynda are heading to Baja Mexico, so a long way to go.

How is this for a Brown Bear !

A Record

Something you would not want to meet on a walking trail.

Found another side trip on a 4x4 trail to a disused copper mine.

20Kms in, it was already dusk when we reached a rocky creek and rather than chance it, this late in the evening, camp was on the river bank.

Camp 149:    Copper Mine Road Camp

Cost: Nil

N58* 34.895  W125* 00.533

Today :  174 Kms. 

Trip Total :  61,612  Kms

Monday 10th October:

This morning wandered over to a shooters camp and was promptly offered coffee. 

The boys had shot a couple of Stone Sheep late yesterday and had just finished skinning and preparing the head for mounting.

Elected to not go further, this river was OK but the track further into the Copper Mine was for quads only so no point.

Returned to the Alaska/Canada H’way. Todays running was generally uninteresting, however we did see another Black Bear.

A 500K undulating drive between Christmas Trees.

Camp 150:    Side Track Camp

Cost: Nil

N56* 54.026  W122* 01.346

Today :  445 Kms. 

Trip Total :  62,057  Kms

Tuesday 11th October:

Dawson Creek is the official start of the Alaska H’way to Fairbanks, hence the Mile “0”  milepost in the centre of town.

Camp 151: WallyMart Camp in Dawson City

Cost: Nil

N55* 44.365  W120* 13.163

Today :  217 Kms. 

Trip Total :  62,274  Kms

Wednesday 12th October:

A driving day, passed through Grande Prairie heading on an easterly bearing.

Camp 152: Little Smokey Creek Camp.    Cost: Nil

N55* 27.477  W117* 09.672    Today :  309 Kms.      Trip Total :  62,583  Kms

Thursday 13th October:

Now in central Alberta. This place is booming! In all the town are signs “How Hiring. Help Wanted...Must be filled” from the smallest coffee shops to large machine operators.

We thought differently, but winter is the boom time when the search for the minerals is intensified because with the frozen rivers, lakes and ground one can drive everywhere and explore.

Camp 153:  Lac  La Biche Lake Park

(Park closed so stayed in ‘Dump Station’)

Cost: Nil

N54* 54.758  W111* 57.845

Today :  442 Kms. 

Trip Total :  63,025  Kms

Friday 14th October:

Passed through Cold Lake...another Boom Town, judging by the abundance of new buildings, new roads, developments and all the smartly lifted 4x4 trucks in town.

Crossing undulating plains of wheat, and cattle fields, we attain our best fuel consumption, and fuel is a relatively cheap C$1.10/Lt for Diesel.

Typically I have decided to take a 150km short cut across the top of the Prince Albert National Park using some lesser roads. Travelling at dusk, a Black Bear, many Coyote, and numerous Deer.

Camp 154:  Isolated Road Camp

Cost: Nil

N54* 32.469  W106* 55.805

Today :  457 Kms. 

Trip Total :  63,482  Kms

Saturday 15th October:

Detoured off our easterly route to the small northern settlement of La Ronge on the edge of Lac La Ronge.

The reason for the detour was to visit Robertson’s Trading Store one of the very few remaining businesses that still actively buys and sells furs of all kinds.

A most interesting establishment, a grocery  & clothing store, supply store for wire, nails etc, and the most beautiful hand made items.

Furs of all kinds.

Arctic Fox, Lynx, Beaver, Otter, Wolf, Coyotes, Wolverine, Skunk, and tanned hides of Caribou.

This fine specimen of white Arctic Fox was NOT for sale!

We elected to buy a beaver pelt (C$125) because it represented the very reason for Canada’s original existence.

The Hudson Bay Trading Company opened Canada’s remote north in 1670 with beaver fur trading to supply England the beaver pelts for the then fashionable top hats. 

To go further north the only means of transport, until winter, are Float Planes.

Further east, did a 100 million year walk back in time to the Nipekamew Sand Cliffs, laid down during the Cambrian era.

Made lots of noise to keep those bears away!

Camp 155:  Small Lake Camp off the road

Cost: Nil

N54* 49.892  W102* 45.890

Today :  460 Kms. 

Trip Total :  63,942  Kms

Sunday 16th October:

Late last night, out in the very cold wind the Aurora displayed its vivid self.

Travelling out on the road east of Flin Flon we hear a familiar voice over the UHF. “Is any Australian Overlanders out there?”

It was John and Liz who travelled China etc with us and this was our rendezvous to catch them up to see the Polar Bears.

It was a great reunion catching up and travelling with good friends.

60kms south of Thompson it started to snow, and as we approached the white ground cover increased in intensity.

Beautiful but with a  cold wind.

Camp 156: Thompson Camp

Cost: C$40 for 2 days camp + 4 storage

N55* 45.331  W097* 50.175

Today :  462 Kms. 

Trip Total :  64,404  Kms