RoadNotes: Seen Enough Bears and Sheep Yet?

Prophet Field & 115 Creek Abandoned Campground – May 25-26, 2014

Per our usual method of operation, we left Dawson Creek late in the day. After doing a few more touristy things we hit the road for Prophet Airfield.

The road continues on and on..

The mountains began to pop into view.

A giant lumberjack and an abandoned cabin sit by the highway.

Hey! A sasquatch sighting!

We stopped at Sasquatch Crossing for coffee. It was a mudhole. The parking lot, not the coffee. We had been driving through the rain off and on, but it had made a real mess out of this place.

In previous posts, we had mentioned the impact the oil industry is having up here. The next two shots are where some of the workers live. They are called Open Camps (male and female quarters) or Male Camps (male quarters only).

We pull into Prophet River just in time for Happy Hour. Several of the guys show us places to park and we get settled in before wandering over to meet with the group.

It’s pretty obvious there’s some big stories being told…

Clean RVs and clean cars are just a dream now that we are on the Alaska Highway. Here is the Element after one day on the highway. We won the dirtiest tow car award when we arrived.

We had heard bear stories from a feller that just drove through, so we were peeking around every corner and flinching whenever we heard a noise coming from the woods. In spite of our high expectations, no bears in camp were seen. Maybe that feller was just yanking our legs.

The next morning we drag our feet again and leave well after everyone else.

Coming into Fort Nelson we hope to visit with Trapper Dan but…

Yep, it was a Monday. There was also a quilt shop but we just plain missed it.

While in Fort Nelson we stop at the grocery store and the visitor centre. Then I leave EJ at the centre and go attempt to wash the RV. I never have had much luck using pressure washes to clean cars and this was no exception. The road dirt you collect up here needs physical contact with a soapy sponge or brush to remove it. Oh well, maybe in Tok, Alaska I’ll try again.

After Fort Nelson things began to get even more interesting. Bears, all kinds of bears. Mama bears, Papa bears and Baby bears. 17 in all.

Summit Lake is a surprise as it is still frozen. And EJ gets to try and play in the snow.

Even though the lake is frozen, snow is still on the ground, and it’s cold, the plants are saying spring is here.

Frank took the high road to see what he could see.

In our quest to find the perfect cinnamon roll, we stop at the Tetsa Lodge. We’ve heard rumors that theirs might be the best, but we need to test it ourselves.

Now for the testing…

OK, that was pretty good. But we still need to test it against the Johnsons Crossing cinnamon bun we favored last trip.

This sign at the Testa Lodge kinda says it all if you’re gonna survive the trip.

With the current exchange rate, that’s about $6.25 per gallon for regular gas.

After our sidetrack we’re back on the road to find tonights camping spot.

The Milepost Guide said to be on the lookout for Stone Sheep. And sure enough…

We finally roll into 115 Creek Campground, which really is no longer an official campground. But it has enough room for 8 or 10 big rigs and has trash pickup. There are two trailers and a class c already there when we pull in.

After we get set up, it’s time for a walk. We are parked no more than 50 feet from a creek. As we wander, EJ spies this cairn, a pile of rocks, and declares that it needs something extra.