July 11th:
100 km: To the Burn Site.
(Rob)
After a rainy day yesterday we were looking forward to getting
dry. However, our luck was not going to change too much. These mountain
ranges had been very dry and were only now getting the rain they needed.
Because of that, all the villagers in the small café’s we
stopped at seemed to love it. We just wanted to be dry and warm.
Along the way we saw some of the damage from the forest fires. In a small café we even met some of the helicopter pilots that were employed to stop the fires. Many of the rigs were just across the street in a bare field.
Tonight we stopped in Teslin and grabbed a giant 2 liter cart of icecream and ate the hole thing. It tasted so good after a long ride. The owner of the store told us that the best place to eat was just 10 miles further down the road. So, that’s were we headed. It was a place called Mukluck Anne’s and it had free camping and an all you can eat breakfast in the morning. We couldn’t pass that up!
As far as wildlife goes, the Alaskan Highway is very beautiful, but the road is cleared for maybe 30 meters on either side of the road here. As a result, the wildlife stays farther from the road, and thus, more difficult to see. Joseph did spot one black bear on the edge of the treeline though. It was munching on berries and it was very cool. In this circumstance we could stop on the road and watch because it was so far away.
(Joseph)
After a nice long breakfast with a 12 year old waitress serving us, we
where back on the Hwy. The road felt like sand paper. It took a tremendous
amount of energy to go a slugs pace. Fortunately the weather was nicer
and the scenery became more enjoyable. We found a small bridge with dozens
of swallow nest underneath of it. Hundred of swallows flew in circles
before us for about a half hour. We stopped at the first small grocery
store we’ve seen in days and ate a whole half gallon of strawberry
ice cream. After this appetizer I asked the owner for directions to a
good place to eat. She looks with astonishment at the empty bucket of
ice cream and directed us another 20 km down the road to a restaurant
and free campground where we turned in for the night.
