February 14, 2005
The view from the Stewart-Cassiar Highway in British Columbia looks like this the whole way. It’s nothing but beautiful scenery the whole way.
A large female moose leads her calf away from the dangers of the road.
Mark tried to film a moose, but he was foiled by the deep snow.
Now you see me, now you don’t!
Photos by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Feb. 14th, Day 471. | ||
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Start: Watson Lake, Yukon Territory Time: 10:28 p.m. N: 60* 03.678 W: 128* 42.248 |
Finish: Stewart, British Colombia Time: 8:23 a.m. N: 55* 56.133 W: 129* 59.704 | Mileage: 405 |
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Notes: Well, we drove the scenic Stewart-Cassiar Highway today (Route 37), and it was amazing. The roads are completely covered in hard-packed snow, so it’s just about as stable as a good gravel road (but without the danger of cracked windshields from flying rocks). We kept up a fairly good clip while taking in the sights. We agree that this is one of the most beautiful drives we have had during the past 39,000 miles of our expedition. Picture zillions of trees covered in snow, a horizon broken up by looming mountains, endless blue skies, frozen-over lakes, snow-encrusted rivers, and…wildlife. The highlight of the day was our moose spottings. We came upon a mother and her calf attempting to cross the road, and we slowed down for a photo. They are elusive beasts, and we were lucky to finally get some photos and film of them. They saw us, looked us up and down inquisitively, and then bolted back into the forest in the direction from which they came. They have an uncanny ability to blend into their surroundings, and, within seconds, they had vanished. Not more than two miles later, we came across another moose, this one already well onto the road. He saw us, though, and as Mark started to hop out of the vehicle with the movie camera, the moose ducked into the snowy woods. There’s a snow bank about four-feet high that snakes along the entire length of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, and the moose was able to leap onto it without slowing down. Young Mark, although he was able to jump up onto it easily enough, was slowed to a screeching halt when his long legs post-holed into the snow, clear up to his hips. He fell, but he managed to keep the camera and his face out of the snow. And wouldn’t you know it, the moose pulled a vanishing act and disappeared down into a valley. They’re clever meeces (plural for moose, right?). They know that their head-on or rear profile is much less obvious than their side profile, so they always make sure they are facing the “enemy” or turned away. And when they do that, they blend into the trees perfectly. Poof! And they’re gone! Mark didn’t get the shot, but I got a decent one of Mark covered in snow.
Well, we’ve got another 500 or so miles to travel down this highway tomorrow, so hopefully we’ll see some more moosies(?). (The official count is now 24). Today is Valentine’s Day, obviously, and when we walked into King Edward Inn’s restaurant for dinner, it was decorated in hearts and red tablecloths. It was quite festive, and people with paying jobs were enjoying the steak/lobster/king crab specials. (The server came out and asked us if we’d like to see the “afternoon menus.”) And, anyway, the point of all of this is to tell you, “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!” We’re thinking of you and wishing you were here. (Or maybe we’re wishing we were there…haha) Hugs and kisses, your LONGITUDE Expedition team. ;) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
