Sunday July 7th

I woke with images of the Peace River valley in my mind. Were I younger, with a river kayak and a spray skirt, and a death wish, it would be the ride of a lifetime. I’m drawn back to the valley to try and see if there is a backroad which can be stopped on or a trial to hike down. But onward I go.

I ended up at Walmart which was fine, but woke at 430 to gulls reenacting Question Period. They resolved issues sooner than politicians usually do and left, but I was awake with a brain still on the last time zone and listened while the truck traffic slowly picked up. People in this town seem to be fixated on mufflers – or the lack thereof. The number of trucks, modified mufflers, and other ‘boy toys’ is mind boggling.

I’m going to pack up and leave without cooking breakfast – will find a more conducive place for morning coffee and oats.

Dawson Creek was next – Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. The steering wheel wanted to turn in that direction! But that’s for another time. For another time too, is the huge dam on the Peace River and the camping in that area. It was difficult to turn away.

As I left Dawson Creek, I set the GPS to Prince George, but knew that I would stop well before that. The hills began to be cloaked in spruce, alder, aspen, and pine and they began to grow. Before long, I recognized the mountains I had missed so much. The first mountains are much like the coast mountains. Cloaked in trees. Rounded. But they were growing. And then I saw that sign again – pull off area for putting on chains. I knew what it meant this time! The valley wasn’t as dramatic as the Peace, but the Pine River Valley is breathtaking. 

And there was a pull off so I could get pictures! 

But first I sat in the truck and thought “I’m home, I’m home, I’m home”.  I heard a radio program about people's affinity with a particular geography. Apparently we cleave to the geography we know in our late teens, and that's certainly true for me. As I drove on, it just got better and better. The mountains now ended in rocky peaks.

The next stop was Chetwynd. There was a sign for a music festival which I looked for, but couldn’t find. Perhaps it was too early. It is a pretty town set in the mountains and full of chain saw carvings. There was also a restaurant (now defunct) named Grumpy's that my Wingham peeps will like.

I decided I could make it to McLeod Lake and carried on, following the Pine River.

Now I’m at Whiskers Point PP and have a lakefront site – the best in the park - #59 in case you’re going there. There is a short trail to the lake and I dragged my kayak down for a paddle - involved bald eagles, golden eagles, and loons - then sat at the site with a beer and my sewing. Yesterday I spent the night at Walmart in Grande Prairie. Tonight I’m in heaven.

During a walk, it started to rain lightly and I’m tucked up in the trailer. I’m going to do a re-organization of clothes so that I have less to deal with in the trailer itself. And then I’m going to practice my ukulele!

Tomorrow Prince George, some grocery shopping, a hunt for a kayak drain plug. It’s only 1 ½ hours away, and then Williams Lake is 2 ½ more, but I think I’ll do it in two stages and spend some time on trailer cleanup.