I had some great riding today! The Alaska Highway from Watson Lake to Ft. Nelson was described as the best and most scenic part of the drive. And it certainly lived up to that - mountains, sparkling lakes, valleys, trees, and wildlife. It could have been all the better (and I would have more pictures) if the weather had been clear. Much of the road also had no shoulder or other easy place to pull off. There were also many miles of sometimes loose gravel to contend with. In one place we had to wait 15 minutes for a pilot car to lead us through nine miles of slippery gravel downhill and around some pretty sharp curves. There was also some fire damage and a still-smoldering fire along one stretch.

Tom and I decided to ride on ahead after lunch since we wanted to go faster and ride a bit more aggressively than the rest of the group. We hit the aforementioned road issues almost immediately. We decided to take a break and see Liard Hot Springs. We walked the quarter mile boardwalk from the parking lot. If we had more time, we would have changed into our swim trunks and entered the hot water. Instead we just stuck our hands in.

After the hot springs and some more road construction, the road finally cleared. There was little traffic and plenty of hilly, twisty roads. The rain pretty much let up. We flew along and I kept wishing that I had a more lightly loaded bike and more skill as a driver. We did about 100 miles of great motorcycling. I had that same wonderful feeling as I had on the Lewis and Clark road back in Idaho. Simply exhilarating!

There was a lot of wildlife on this stretch. I saw a bear, four moose (two of which were in the middle of the road), and four big horn sheep. Alas, there was no easy way to pull off for a bear picture. The sheep went over the hill when I stopped, and I already had some moose pictures.

We decided not to camp and instead got two rooms at the Woodland Inn, a very nice hotel. We got in a good soak in the jacuzzi and had a beer in the bar before dinner. All in all, a very good day. Fort Nelson is a much nicer town than Watson Lake. Everywhere I went in Watson Lake, everyone was smoking. The motels and restaurants were also not very new or well-kept. Ft. Nelson has several new motels, an airport, and lots of young people.

Tomorrow marks our last day on the Alaska Highway. I have yet to understand the maintenance of the road. There is a lot more construction in Canada than Alaska. The practice of just dropping loose gravel on the road seems to not really accomplish much. It is either extremely dusty or wet and slippery. It's especially bad for motorcycles. I guess the gravel eventually works its way into the pavement or they come along later and seal it.