Now that our incredible two-month loop through the Canadian Far North and Alaska has come to an end, we turn to the next sights of our Pan-American road trip. Sure, our ultimate destination is Ushuaia. But there’s a long road ahead before we get there! Our next short-term goal? Vancouver! But from the bear-viewing boardwalk in Hyder, where we witnessed some unforgettable scenes of grizzlies fishing for salmon, to Vancouver, there are nearly 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) of road! Several long driving days lie ahead, filled with scorching heat and refreshing stops. Here’s the story of our travel adventures and our discovery of an underrated natural park: Wells Gray Provincial Park.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
Lakes are never in short supply in Canada. So every time we need a break from driving to eat, we pull over at a lakeside spot. Breakfast by a misty lake, calm and damp. Lunch in the shade near another lake, under sweltering heat. Dessert grows on the trees: tons of blueberries, raspberries, and sour cherries.
We had planned to cover a lot of ground, but as usual, things don’t go as planned. In the early afternoon, the phone rings: northern lights alert for tonight. Since we are heading south at full speed, it’s now or never. So we backtrack 20 kilometers and settle in a wide-open field. The spot has a perfect northern view. It’s 4 p.m. and since we rarely stop this early, we take full advantage: a nap in the shade of the tent, some reading, cooking, and gathering firewood. It’s finally warm and sunny. What a pleasure to camp without freezing our butts off! We loved Alaska, but let’s be honest, it wasn’t exactly warm! And with a rooftop tent, we are very exposed to the elements. Tonight, for the first time in a long time, no thick socks, no extra layers!
When evening comes, after a few toasted marshmallows, we head to bed full of hope. We sleep with the “windows” open, our heads under the stars, the alarm set to go off every hour… But we are disappointed. Probably already too far south, and the aurora lost intensity throughout the evening, we see nothing. We are bummed. We saw it all in the North, but not the aurora, since it wasn’t really the right season. Oh well, we will have to come back 😉
Thursday, August 18
As the kilometers roll by, the landscape changes. There is no doubt, we are leaving the Far North behind. Human presence becomes more and more visible, until the endless forests give way to farms and fields. The big novelty today: we found a bakery, like a real one! And we bought our first baguette. A little taste of France that made us so happy 😋 Oh, and it’s 31°C (88°F). We wanted heat, we got it!
The road is long, stressful, and boiling hot. Everyone is in a rush… except us. At our 80 km/h (50 mph) average (70 km/h uphill), we get passed by cars, RVs, and giant trucks which don’t bother with solid lines, curves, or oncoming traffic. Are people crazy in this country?! To top it off, we are driving the “Highway of Tears,” nicknamed this way because many young girls and women, most of them Indigenous, have gone missing or were murdered along this route. A big sign even warns: “Girls don’t hitchhike on the Highway of Tears.” Lovely…
After 400 kilometers (250 miles), we find a free campground by a lake. It’s already packed with weekend campers, but we still manage to snag a small spot by the water. Everyone is super friendly, within 15 minutes we are offered a boat ride and a kayak trip. But we are way too tired to accept. We spend a quiet evening after the frenzy of the road, still enjoying the unusually warm weather. Plus, we bought corn from a roadside stand, which we grilled, and a perfectly chilled melon 😋
Friday, August 19
Out of the 600 kilometers (380 miles) we planned to cover today, we only manage… 60 (38)! Our stop in Prince George, the big city around here, turns into a full day at the library and an oil change for Jeepy, who definitely needed it after his big Yukon and Alaska loop. On a whim, we decide to leave this hellish road and take a secondary route through the Rockies instead, adding over 200 kilometers (120 miles). Hopefully, it will be a bit more peaceful.
Saturday, August 20
Today, we are driving, no excuses! We only pause our journey for a cheap shower at a gym and an omelet. This secondary route, which we thought would be quieter and prettier, is not. The roadside is wrecked by the construction of a… pipeline! Yep, in 2022, they are still building pipelines in Canada. Apparently, the golden age of oil isn’t over yet. What a mess. That evening, we stop in the town of Clearwater. It’s still really hot, and we are loving it. For the past few days, it feels like we have entered a whole new kind of trip. Warm nights in a rooftop tent? Game changer 😎
Sunday, August 21
Waterfall day! Today we visit Wells Gray Provincial Park, a park absolutely full of waterfalls, over 80 of them! We won’t have time to see them all, but we explore the four main ones!
Spahats Creek Falls
A beautiful waterfall that seems to burst right out of the rock.
Helmcken Falls
The fourth-highest waterfall in Canada.
Dawson Falls
Moul Falls
This one is the most fun of all! After a 2.9 kms (1.8 miles) hike under scorching heat, fueled by lots of wild raspberries, we reach the base of the falls. Feeling hot? No problem! Just walk behind the waterfall for an instant cold shower!
After this refreshing day and an ice cream in town, we hit the road again despite the late hour. Vancouver seems close now, but we still have some beautiful places to discover before we get there. We begin the Sea to Sky Highway (or the reverse, in our case), which offers us to stunning scenery, arid valleys, deep canyons, and steep mountainsides.
When evening comes, we find the perfect campsite: a beautiful free campsite. It’s still very hot. But night falls quickly, and we end up cooking in the dark. Where did our Yukon endless daylight go? We miss it already 😁 We unfold the rooftop tent and sleep with all windows open, lulled by a gentle breeze.
After several long driving days and hundreds of kilometers, we leave behind Wells Gray Provincial Park and the Sea to Sky Highway and arrive at the doorstep of Vancouver. And after all this time in the car, we really need to stretch our legs. And what better place to enjoy nature than Whistler and Squamish, outdoor sports paradises just outside Vancouver! 🥾
