5 Bears before 9:00

June 19, 2012

Got up at 6:30 and headed out at 7:30.  Anyone making this trip needs to be sure and have the Mile Post – it has been our Jim Bridger.  It tells us what to expect road wise as well as where gas or camp grounds are. 

As we headed out today, we saw 5 bears before 9:00!  They were just grazing along the side of the road…. All black bears… by the end of the day we had seen 16. : )

I cannot describe how beautiful this country is, And there is no one anywhere, it is just land, unspoiled land in every direction.  People are just in patches, towns of 1200 are considered significant – so just land and a few people.  Imagine the most picturesque postcard or calendar you have seen of the mountains with streams or rivers running through them, and that is what Charlie and I drive through all day long.  

We drove past Muncho Lake today, it was the prettiest thing I think I have ever seen.  turquoise  water, no wind so the clouds and mountains were reflected in it, and it was surrounded by deep green firs.... I hope the picture turns out well although I know it will not do it justice.

We made it to Laird Hot Springs, my mom had told me about this place and it sounded like it was just my style.  Lots of hot water to get into. . .  They were full when we got there but we were able to stay in their overflow part, which is fine with me since we are self sufficient.  After we parked, we headed to the hot springs, you have to walk through this rain forest type setting for .5 a mile, and then there they are.  They have built wooden dressing rooms and decks around them and they are very nice.  I went to get in and I could not keep my foot in it  -  and I like hot water!  So we walked down to the other end, I would guess it was about 20 feet by 40 feet, and one end was a bit cooler than the other, so I started there.  Once I got in it was heavenly.  Perfect temperature and all the water you could want. There were only three other people in there besides me, so it was not crowded at all.  It was a bit hot for Charlie, so he moved down a bit more, and then sat and chatted with me and a couple we had met who live in Whitehorse and travel to Texas each winter.  They were delightful and had been coming there for 30 years.

We only stayed about 20 minutes, the bugs outside the pool were pretty bad, mosquitoes and BIG black flies, and I thought Charlie had been patient enough, so we headed back to make dinner.  While I made dinner, ( BQ Chicken and potatoes) Charlie washed off Didi, and did the windows on Bessie and got eaten up by ‘sceeters.  

We went to sleep fairly early and when I woke up at 2:00, it was still light outside, I mean “Dusk light” but light enough to see…..

Tomorrow we will be heading for Whitehorse.  Leaving British Columbia and going into the Yukon.  We do not have a signal on our phone, so I cannot text anyone, but we are well and doing fine and having a wonderful time.  I hope that is true for all our loved ones too.