Wildlife and Hot SpringsJul 12, 2011
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Muncho Lake
Stone Sheep
Black Bear
| We saw over 6 Black/Brown Bears, 4 Moose, a herd of Buffalo, two Caribou and several Stone Sheep today as we traveled down the road. Our first stop was for pictures of Muncho Lake, known for its beautiful deep green and blue waters. The water was so still it was hard to tell the reflection of the trees from the real thing. Our next stop was at Liard River Hot Springs where we enjoyed a relaxing dip in the very hot water. We continued on to Watson Lake. It was our first stop in the Yukon. The Watson Lake Signpost Forest was started by a US Soldier from Danville, IL while working on the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. Travelers are still adding signs to the collection , which numbers more than 71,000. We visited the Northern Lights Centre which is the only planetarium in North America featuring the myth and science of the northern lights. We watched a presentation on the aurora borealis inside a 100-seat “Electric Sky” theatre environment. Unfortunately we are here at the wrong time of year to experience this amazing phenomena in person. We watched a video at the visitor center explaining the history behind the Alaska Highway. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec 11, 1942, the highway linking Alaska to the lower 48 states was deemed a military necessity by President Roosevelt. He authorized the construction on Feb 11, 1942. The US secured rights-of-way with Canada in March. Construction officially began on Mar 9, 1942. In June 1942, the Japanese invaded the Aleutians (very close to Alaska) which added a new sense of urgency to the completion of the Alaska Highway. Construction ended Oct 25, 1942 only 8 months after they started. The Alaska Highway begins at Mile 0 in Dawson Creek and ends at Delta Junction, AK (Historical Mile 1422), the official end of the Alaska Highway. For the night we stayed at Big Creek Yukon Government Campground (dry camping) which was 38 miles beyond Watson Lake. |
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