AK Adventure-10/11/07

One word describes today's route....WEEEEEEEE! Twisty, turny, switchbacks on the Alcan highway. Lots and lots of wildlife today. A beautiful fox, caribou herds crossing the road right in front of us, big horn sheep, all right on the road. Because you have to move to slowly on this highway, you can cruise right up next to them without disturbing them into fleeing. And the scenery, spectacular.
Had our first emergency today. I bought an Ultimate Outdoorsman Super Dooper Tough Guy Survival Knife by Mattel before the trip and finally had a chance to use it. While doing so, I shoved it into my left hand thumb. When I looked at the wound, it looked like I hit a vein. A big squirt of blood shot out and my palm quickly filled with a pool of blood. I was out the door in an instant, and spilled no blood in the RV. When I got outside there was blood covering both of my hands, and Pam got her first look at it. Her first comment was 'it's not bad, just go in to the store and get some ice on it'. Her insides told her 'oh no, this is bad, he'll need stitches, what are we going to do out here in the middle of nowhere'. Luckily we were parked in front of a small roadside cafe. I went inside for some help and there just so happened to be a lady there trained in first aid. The other lady helping me suggested she could stitch it up with a needle and some thread. One look at her and I suggested she not do that. She appeared to have put on her own tattoos....with a branding iron....out in back of the cafe. My suggestion...if you ever decide to jam an Ultimate Outdoorsman Super Dooper Tough Guy Survival Knife by Mattel blade into your thumb, do it in front of a small roadside cafe on Highway 97 in Toad River northern British Columbia just west of Fort Nelson...AND ASK FOR A LADY NAMED LOIS!
I appreciate Lois very much. All Pam's fault though. She allowed me to run in the house with a sharp object in my hands.
Pam had a great idea today. If there is such a thing as BigFoot, we appear to be in his kind of country. She suggests we get a BigFoot costume (from where I don't know), and hide in the forest the next time we're passing through (when this will be I also don't know). Hide in the forest, and when a tourist car comes by, run out to the side of the road, stare down the oncoming vehicle, and then run back into he cover of the forest. At times, run out to the side of the road, take a picture of the oncoming tourist, then run back into the tree line. We can just imagine a tourist stopping at the next point of civilization, running in and saying, 'You're not going to believe this, but I think I just saw BigFoot, and I think he took my picture!'
I love my wife.
We stayed the night in Liard Hot Springs tonight, the 11th. Remarkable, natural hot springs as hot as any health club hot tub, and all natural.
Enjoy the photos.
Love,
Bob and Pam