Friday, August 6, 2010

Whitehorse Adventure - Day 4: Barkerville to Mcleod Lake

Day 4 (326 Km traveled) - We got an early start leaving Barkerville since we have no reservations at our destination (Whiskers Point Provincial Park on McLeod Lake) and we were foolishly traveling on a very busy long weekend that is one of the more popular camping weekends. 

We have to drive back through Quesnel to get back on Hwy 97.  We stop for a few groceries in Prince George at Super Store.  In order to park there we have to park across 7 spots and we’re not even the longest rig there.  We have our lunch there in the parking lot and then get back on the road headed for McLeod Lake

As we near our destination we can see a sandy point jutting out into the pristine lake.  We are definitely are in need of a swim after our long drive and after a couple of dusty days at Barkerville.  To our dismay when we arrive at the entrance to the campground we see the “Campground Full” sign hung out at the front gate.  We drive in anyway in order to check if anyone has left earlier that day (wishful thinking, I know).  As we drive in we meet in facility operators and ask about their vacancies.  Our luck has run out and there are no vacant sites, however we are told that we can camp in the overflow site.  It turns out the overflow area is just the parking lot that is closest to the beach.  At this point we are hot, tired and the kids have been in the car for longer than they want to be. We park the truck and trailer do a quick change and then head down to the beach for a little sun and sand and a cool dip in the lake.  We feel guilty leaving the dog in the trailer, but the beach is a dog free zone so she has to stay behind.  The lake is cool and crisp and perfect when countered by the heat of the sunshine.  After cooling down we dry off while building sand castles for Dave and the boys and snoozing in the sun for me.

Because of our trip to the grocery store earlier that day we had a feast for dinner: fresh corn, steak and new potatoes!  Delicious after such a busy day and a step up from the burgers and dogs that we had been dining on!

We did learn two very important things today.  One: it never hurts to ask if there is vacancy.  Our parking lot campsite was just fine for one night and we were really close to the beach!  Two: Always double or triple check that the fridge door is fully closed and latched before traveling.  We had a near disaster after grocery shopping.  When we entered the trailer at the camp site we found several things that had obviously come out of the fridge at some point during our journey.  Among them was an unopened 2 liter bottle of tonic water and a couple of cans of coolers!  Whew, that could have been super messy especially since there was also a 4 L (gallon) of milk in the fridge!

Favorite parts: The beach!
Wildlife spotted: black bear (south of Prince George – seen from hwy)

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