HOTSPRINGS

LIARD

7 hours in the car is a long day with the kids, so we planned our route to Liard Hot Springs with a stop over in Watson lake. Here they have the famous Sign Post Forest.  I was not prepared for such a forest. And to my surprise, people make this a destination and show up with a previously created sign with a family name or somewhere they are attached to and want to post. Upon seeing so many awesome signs, we decided to make our own as a family. We did not have any supplies, so we were rummaging through the car, wondering what we could use. People had used anything from toilet seats, to wood signs, to metal or plastic. Adam found a larger stick, that we could carve into. At the Visitor Centre, they gave us acrylic paint and permanent markers to help  make our sign our own. Adam carved our last name, year 23- one of Wyatt’s favourite numbers, Gibson carved his G and I carved a sun in the corner. We painted it, and hung it in the forest for everyone to see. 

Along the drive from Watson to Liard we got to see a few herds of Bison along the roadside. Such large creatures. So cool to see up close and personal. We also say 4 black bears.

We arrived at Liard Hot Springs Campground around 7:45 pm and they were full. Sad face. The next closest campsite was at Muncho lake and that was 1 hr away.  The other options were the lodge across the road that was run down and unappealing or the overflow parking lot (for the campground) also across the highway. We decided on the parking lot because it allowed us access to the hot springs and we could move into the campground the next day once some campers left/checked out. So we set up the tent for a night in a gravel parking lot along the highway and quickly got dressed for the hot springs. Got to make the best of things. Right?! And a soak in a hot springs was just what I needed.

Liard Hot Springs are a thing of beauty. You walk almost a km along a beautiful wooden boardwalk over some marsh land until you reach the hot springs. The water is divine. You do have the pungent smell of sulphur in your nose, but the feeling of the hot water more than makes up for it. Little waterfalls of cold water are running into the pool  that allow you to cool off. There are two sides to the hot springs and a man made waterfall splits the pools up. The upper pool is hotter, while the lower pool is cooler and snakes thru the vegetation making it feel jungle like. Driftwood logs float in the water to play on and the waterfalls feel amazing on your body when underneath them.

We went to the pools again that night, and 3 times the next day.

We were able to get into the campground the next morning and were happy to leave the open parking lot. I would highly recommend a stop here if you are ever in northern BC.

Side note: Mouse update. We had been setting traps for the mouse and he had been getting good at getting the food but not setting off the trap, So we switched to sticky traps instead. We also read that mice don’t like strong smells such as peppermint. So I made Adam buy some peppermint essential oil before leaving Whitehorse. I may have used 75% of a bottle on the car’s interior/everywhere I could put it, I did.  Did the car smell like an intense candy cane, you bet!  But I actually think it may have worked as the last two days, there has been no trap activity and the bait is still present. Cross your fingers!!!