First Nation Gathering, Hot Springs and Wildlife [finally!]

First Nation Gathering

We were lucky to find a gathering of the local tribes at a local baseball field. The day was opened with some ceremonial drumming around an aromatic wood fire.
Carol thought it might have been sage and cedar. We were a little unsure if we would be welcome at an activity clearly aimed at tribes people and not tourists but they included a welcome to onlookers and said that taking pictures was OK. We wandered around the stalls and Carol soon made friends with a young local. No more that 3 months old this Yorkie mix had bundles of cute and was very adoptable however we resisted.






Each tribal member was involved in carving a part of an old growth cedar log called a spirit pole. This was being taken to all BC gatherings where everyone would have a chance to leave their chisel marks on something that would stand proud for years.

Liard River Hotsprings

We moved on to Liard River Hotsprings which is a mandatory stop on the Alaska Highway for travellers. After 2 days of more or less continuous heavy rain we woke to the same gray skies but it had finally turned the taps off. We headed up the boardwalk crossing the marsh filled with water spilling from the hot springs. This has given rise to a microclime allowing plants to grow larger and some exotics to gain a foothold. The warm marsh water even has a unique species of fish which has evolved to live in the warm water. As we approached the main pools we could see the air filled with mist rising from the hot waters and we also heard the squeals of excited kids playing in the first pool.
This drove us to climb another few minutes to the second pool which was deserted. We were soon enjoying the waters and I was able to swim out to the deeper part where the bubbles rising from the depth tickled my back. The water heated by it’s passage through limestone rocks contained dissolved minerals and seemed to have a beneficial effect on our skins as well as relieving aches from the cold damp weather. Unfortunately Charro could not go and his aches have to be relieved with some powerful painkillers. He is looking quite bright and although reluctant to walk in the rain, he is able to go further than before his operation.

BUFFALO AND BEARS

Finally, we saw some wild life as we drove on North from the hotsprings. The bear count is now 10, buffalo 9, caribou 1 and a flattened porcupine. The largest roadsigns we see relate to warnings about collisions with animals. We were to see why this happens so often. Of the ten bears seen so far,
five have crossed the road in front of us, one in particular being pretty lackadaisical about getting to the other side.
The road maintenance policies on the Alaska highway include verges which are at least a hundred feet wide and because of the frequent mowing are lush with fresh tender grass which is attractive to grazers like bears and buffalo.