Day 16 – Tetsa River, BC to Teslin, YT

Day 16 – Tetsa River, BC to Teslin, YT     09/05/10     MIleage: 419 

The cabin was chilled by morning as the wood stove had long since burned out. I quickly packed up, said farewell to Ben and hit the road. The ground was still wet and the weather dank and overcast, but at least it wasn’t raining….so I consider that an improvement. The climb over the next pass was cold and the mountains all around had a fresh dusting of snow from the night before. The snow line at the top of the pass was perhaps only only 500-1000 feet above the road…not a good sign. 

 

 

 

As I descended the pass the weather began to improve and the roads were now dry. 

 

 The scenery around Muncho Lake was spectacular and the lake itself crystal clear….reminiscent of Lake Tahoe. The sun was now out and the temperature had inched its way into the low 60’s…perfect! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was the Liard River Hot Springs and…WOW…what a find that was! The hot springs themselves were kept rustic and natural…and it was only $5 to enter the park. I soaked in the hot springs for over an hour which was a treat after all the cold and rain. 

 

 

 

 

 

After the soak it was time to make some tracks as the clock is ticking louder by the minute. I spoke with a local at the springs and they confirmed, at least in my mind, that winter is indeed coming early and this unseasonably cold weather is not just a fluke. They got their information not from some PHD meteorologist, but from the caribou and geese…both of whom departed the area 2 weeks earlier than normal…a sure sign of an early winter.  For now though, the weather was perfect and I was on the throttle making time. 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t meant to last though, as the clouds began to form on the horizon and the temperature was dropping as I rode north and west. 

 

Soon my old friend returned and I was again wet and cold. I hunkered down behind the KLR’s meager fairing and pressed on into the Yukon Territory to Teslin. Cold and wet like the night before, I found refuge in the Yukon Motel in Teslin which is quite a nice place by my recent standards. My room came complete with heat, running water and even a flush toilet…luxurious!