Alaska 2024: Roll 8 - Dawson Creek to Summit Lake
We woke up to smoke in the air from a forest fire in another part of British Columbia. We were able to walk to our run that was on and off through the town on roads and pathways. Overall it was just an okay run but sometimes you do with what you can get.
This was our first full day on the Alaskan Highway and we had high spirits with a feeling that nothing could stand in our way. Alaska here we come.
Today I decided to pop in some Ilford HP5 which I again shot at the box speed of ISO 400. This is a very consistent combination for me and one that I generally go back to after I've spent some time trying different film stocks out.
Once you begin the Alaska Highway, the very first stop that most people make is to the Historic Kiskatinaw Bridge that is about 30 miles outside of Dawson Creek, right off the highway.
There are a couple of interesting things about this bridge that are pretty easy to spot. First it is made entirely of wood, and second, it has a pronounced curve to it as it crosses the river.
The views of and from the bridge were a bit hazy because of the fires to the south and west of us with their smoke blowing in overnight.
In 2015 we drove over the bridge when we were up here. It needs quite a bit of work to make it safe for vehicles. I hope that it will be repaired so that it can be around for another generation or two.
This time around I scrambled down below the bridge to see what things looked like below the roadway and I was happy that I took the risk of getting a little dusty. You can really see the scale of the bridge as it crosses the river from below.
A quick vertical shot gives you a clear view of the uprights that the bridge rests on and how high they are.
I tried to capture the curve of the bridge but it wasn't super easy from the place you could safely stand under or beside the bridge. It was rather steep in this area and I didn't think I wanted to risk falling so early in the trip.
We drove that day until we got to Fort Nelson where we stayed for the night. Things were quite windy in town when we arrived so I didn't get any additional pictures that day. We woke up on the morning of the 9th trip day and had a lovely run around the lakes and then through other parts of the town on a newer running trail. This was a very nice run on the highway.
On day 9 we would be getting all the way into the Yukon for the first time on the trip so we were excited to get going.
One of the things we had on our list for this trip was to try some of the cinnamon rolls that are sold on the highway. When we went to Alaska in 2015 we were blissfully unaware that cinnamon rolls were a thing on the Alaskan Highway, but after watching many YouTube videos that talked about and compared them, we figured we should stop and give a few a try.
Our first cinnamon roll stop was at Tetsa River Lodge just before we got to the Summit Lake area.
The lodge had character and they were really moving through the cinnamon rolls when we were there. It was a great stop for coffee, some food, and to look around the grounds at some of the old equipment.
About midday we arrived at Summit Lake and drove through the northern part of the Rockies in BC. This is one of the prettier parts on the Alaskan Highway so take your time in this part. If you move too fast through it you will wish you didn't later when things get a little more boring.
For the rest of the day we drove by the Liard River as we made our way to Watson Lake where we would stay twice on the trip.