It takes a tourist to see the forest through the trees!

                     

Unmarked trail?

Early this morning we hiked the trail to see some dinosaur tracks.  When we got to the trailhead we encountered a local man who was collecting alluminum cans out of the garbarge can.  He told us that the trail was long, hard to follow, not very pretty and that the tracks were almost impossible to see.  He recommended that we take another trail to see some waterfalls.  We opted to take the track trail anyway.  The trail was really quite beautiful and went along a ridge looking down into a canyon most of the way.  The tracks were very easy to see and really quite incredible.  They were made approximately 93 million years ago give or take a few million years.  They are so old it is really unimaginable how long ago they were made.  We then went to a museum where we learned the types of tracks that are in the area and the story of the boys who discovered the tracks.  The boys were eight and ten years old.  The younger boy told his father about them and his father came up with every reason why they couldn't be real, but did agree to go see them after many discussions.  Then he was convinced that they may be dinosaur tracks and convinced a paleontologist to come and look.  By the time the paleontologist came to examine the tracks, a winter had covered them with snow and a spring flood had washed over them.  So when he looked at them, after much mud and moss had been washed away, he also saw a dinosaur bone, and later located a skeleton. 

New fossils in the making;  a moose track and people and dog tracks.

After our hike we went to the museum which was very well presented. 

After the museum, we got back on the road.  We felt like we were driving on top of the world as we followed a high mountain ridge.  We saw three moose, a mother bear and her cub and an elk.  They were all very shy and ran off quickly.   We only got pictures of the moose.  Now I feel like a true northern explorer!

We drove on to Dawson City where we checked into the Mile "0" RV park.  Dawson City is the official beginning point of the Al-Can highway.  We will go forth tomorrow!

British Columbia is infested with Pine Beetles that are killing vast stretches of lodge pole pine.

Mike is working hard after a great day!