the alaskan adventure: In Canada Speramus-Day Nine & Ten: July 20 & 21 2011

After a smooth border crossing, we meandered our way through the Canadian roads. Going through Hope, Abbotsford and landing in Cache Creek. Along the way we paralleled the mighty Fraser River. The river rivaled the Mississippi in size and brown color. Throughout history you could have created an image in your mind of how the river carved out the Fraser Canyon. Driving into Cache Creek reminded us of a hilly Nevada full of sage brush, weeds, and empty gas stations. Speaking of gas stations, we were in for a conversion doozy! We filled up for 131.9 cents per liter amounting to roughly $5.33 per gallon totaling a whopping $90 to give the Roaring Glacier a full tank of much needed juice. After quite the sticker shock we headed back to our campsite but not before stopping to grab a six pack for another round of sticker shock. We paid $15 bucks (Canadian $. Exchange rate is .95—you do the math!) That’ll be the last one of those we get for a while…

We got back to our campsite with plenty of sunlight left to just hang out. Throughout the trip we have been collecting bumper stickers of everywhere we have visited to dress up the Roaring Glacier. This was the perfect night to put them all on. Looks pretty good (see pictures below)! We snacked on fruit and cookies left over from the Holloman’s and people watched around the campground. We seemed to be squished like sardines as a bunch of little kids ran through our campsite playing swords and tag. After taking a walk around the campground we noticed a group of boy scouts. The camp leader was quick to strike up a conversation with us and told us all about their week of canoeing and camping. Before he talked to us we noticed the troop had 2 REI Dome THC2 Tents that were put together perfectly. Ashley’s job this whole trip has been to put up the tent and she has done a great job. But there were some loose ends and pieces that neither one of us knew what to do with. We acquired the boy scouts help in guiding our guiding ropes through the tent. They gladly walked to our campsite with us (admiring Clayton’s beard the whole time). They were very helpful in teaching us what to do with the unknown pieces of the tent and for the first time we had a perfectly put together tent! Good job boy scouts. We slept wonderfully next to Canadians and the highway.

We woke up this morning rested and excited to explore Canada more but not before Clayton wanted to shoot crows with his BB gun (even though he didn’t bring one) as they kept us up all night. The drive so far has not been what we thought it would be with the exception of Williams Lake and Scout Island. We understand that we are not to the part of Canada that will leave us in awe. Driving through Wiliams Lake Clayton spotted with his own eagle eye a bald eagle flying right over our car! We pulled into Scout Island Nature Center for a leg stretch and a mile hike through dense forest and moist marsh. As we pulled into the entrance center Ashley screamed in excitement, “is that real!”. 50 feet away a mature sized bald eagle had posted up on a tree. After snapping a shot the eagle flew out of the tree displaying its wing span and flying away showing us that he knew Americans were present. The park had much more wildlife including the very well-known mallard duck, Canadian goose, beavers, buck deer, and lastly, something neither one of us had ever seen, an Osprey. The Osprey was almost as magnificent as a bald eagle, equivalent in size and prestige.

We have gotten our first round of terrible mosquitos as Clayton has even been getting bitten instead of Ashley. Not too far from Williams Lake, Prince George is our next destination to lay our heads for the night. We are staying at a lovely campsite called Bee Lazee selling their own brand of honey and offering much needed hot and clean showers and laundry. Tomorrow we head to Dawson Creek…the start of the Alaskan Highway!

Miles for the day: 316

Miles per gallon: 19.6