Alaska 2024: Roll 7 - Hinton, AB to Dawson Creek, BC
Our seventh day on the trip started with a nice run in Hinton, Alberta that is just outside of Jasper National Park. When we were planning our trip we didn't take into account that the time around July 1st and July 4th would be very busy in the town of Jasper. We weren't able to find lodging at a rate we were willing to pay so we looked further out. Hinton turned out to be a good spot to stay with a nice place to run, some places we could easily eat and get groceries, and our hotel even had free laundry which was a extra treat.
We took Alberta Highway 40 that skirts the eastern edge of the Canadian Rockies and provides the most direct route to Dawson Creek, British Columbia where we were to pick up the Alaskan Highway.
Along the highway we stopped at Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation Area for some lunch and to see the feature that the area was named for. We did a little research from the parking lot information boards and decided that it would be worth the short hike to get there.
What started off a nice trail quickly turned steep, rocky, and a bit scary. We all made it up safely even with the dogs pulling us along as we sent. We were a little worried about our return when we had to go down the same way. But in the end the views were worth the effort.
This is another Ilford HP5 roll that was again shot at ISO 400. I like how it turned out but am pretty used to the results of this film. There is something nice about something straightforward and dependable.
In Beaverlodge we stopped at the Beaverlodge Giant Beaver, which I had identified with some Google Maps exploring the night before. This sculpture weighs over 3000 pounds and was installed in July 2004 making it just about its 20th anniversary when we visited.
The final destination for the day was Dawson City, British Columbia. This is where the Alaskan Highway begins for us and is commemorated by the "Mile 0" milepost near the Alberta Pool Elevators. There is a pretty consistent stream of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and RVs stopping for a commemorative picture before they head out on the highway. We had to stop and take a big group photo as well.
On previous trips through Canada I took advantage of the long days and late sunsets to walk around our motels to stretch my legs and take some photos of the towns. I tried this in Dawson Creek but the part of town we were in wasn't very pedestrian friendly. I did manage to take a few images that I liked though.
That's it for this roll. In the next post we will be officially on the Alaskan Highway and already we have clocked over 2,500 miles on the odometer.