Day 34
   
   5/31/01
   Mile 3317
   50 mi. south of Ft. Nelson, BC
   
   This morning, after only a few miles of biking, I began to see
   mountains with snow on them.  This is the Alaska Highway the way I'd
   imagined it!  Muskeg, mountains, and forest.
   
   I saw my first moose of the trip, crossing the road in front of me,
   and trotting off into the woods.  A short time later, a couple of deer did
   the same thing.  I've often wondered what compels such animals to
   cross the road to get away. Sure causes a lot of car wrecks.
   
   Dark clouds were always somewhere, off and on all day with short
   periods of sun. Probably I'll get dumped on by one, I thought.  But
   the simple truth is: you can't bike the Alcan without getting wet.
   
   The forests are often not original here.  Much of the land has been
   logged and replanted, or "salvage logged", which is a logging
   operation done after a forest fire.
   
   I rolled along enjoying the scenery, and had a screaming descent to
   the Sikanni Chief River at 45mph.  Up the other side is a more gradual
   ascent to the Trutch Summit, the second highest point on the Alcan.
   The road is slowly getting worse, down to a more of a country road
   with occasional gravel sections a few hundred feet long where repairs are
   being done.
   
   About 9pm it started sprinkling, but it only lasted 10 minutes.  I set
   the tent up at 10pm and it started to rain again.  A few mosquitoes
   were present, enough to need long leg pants, but not so many as to need
   insect repellant.
   
   I went to sleep listening to the patter of the rain as it softly hit
   the fly of the tent.

Yesterday - Today's Photos - Tomorrow