Buckinghorse River, Fort Nelson, Summit Lake BC

July 25, 2010 - From Dawson Creek, we start heading out north on the Alaska Highway!  We decide to make camp at Buckinghorse River, 173 miles from our start in Dawson.  At camp, we experience walking on muskeg (also known as bog) for the first time.  Strolling towards the river, we squished on the green, muskeg ground, totally trippy...felt like walking on soaked sponges!  This acidic soil (consisting of decomposed plants) is found in arctic, boreal and northern climates; exactly where we were.  The scenery just gets more beautiful the further north you go.  It's somehow more lush and everything we imagined, but more in this road trip.  Seeing the surrounding nature from the bike is just spectacular.

July 26, 2010 - Drizzling in the morning, we head out of the Buckinghorse camp and drive a muddy 111 miles to Fort Nelson, BC.  Feeling defeated from the rain, mud and gravel roads in construction zones, we decide to skip camp at Summit Lake and motel it for the night.

July 27, 2010 - With the weather looking promising, we head 86 miles out of Fort Nelson for the planned camp at Summit Lake.  The drive through the Northern Canadian Rockies was unbelievable, nothing that we've seen before.  Everything just gets larger and larger the further we drive.  Camp at Stone Mountain (in Summit Lake Provincial Park) had such stunning views of mountain peaks and placid lake waters, with the Alaska Hwy cutting right through the landscape.  Gorgeous.

Buckinghorse River, our walk through the muskeg.

Camp at Buckinghorse River

At Buckinghorse, this little guy was stuck in the grill of our bike!  Sadly, he did not survive the ride.

Drive out towards Fort Nelson before the construction.

Drive to Fort Nelson following another Goldwing and the pilot car.  Dusted and mudded out at the end of construction.

The serene, Summit Lake off the Alaska Hwy.

Creek crossing of Summit Lake.  Crazy beauty!

View from our tent of Pearl and a truck carrying fuel off the Alaska Hwy.

Charlie once again, testing his Five Fingers shoes as we head for a hike.  What a nerd.

Canadian Rockies view from our hike with Summit Lake.

A northern sunset.