Day 35
   
   6/1/01
   Mile 3393
   
   It never did get completely "dark" last night, since stray photons
   scatter in from below the horizon.  Birds were chirping from 3am
   onward, with a most melodious sound.  I awoke many times, looked up, and
   thought "geez, daylight already, better get moving" - then I'd look at my
   watch and it would say 4:37 or 5:13 or whatever.
   
   It rained several times towards 6-7am, so I laid in the tent waiting
   for it to pass.  Around 8am it stopped and the sun came out, so I let
   the tent dry out while I ate breakfast.  I finally broke out my little
   stove for the first time, an MSR Pocketrocket, which weighs only a few
   ounces.
   
   As soon as I packed up the tent, the rain hit again, lasting about two
   hours.  The fun factor rapidly dropped.  I told myself this wasn't too
   bad, I was maintaining a reasonable temperature, and all I had to do
   was pedal.
   
   There's two main industries in Ft. Nelson, oil and timber.  A giant
   sawmill is on the south edge of town.  I dropped down to the Muskwa
   River, the lowest point on the entire Alaska Highway, at 305 meters.
   
   You have to climb up out of the river valley to get to the other side
   of town, a moderate climb.  I bought a large amount of groceries at
   the Overwaitea market, since I'd been warned there would be a while to the
   next large grocery store.  I had them cook a pizza for me and I ate it
   right there.  I stocked up on bulk food, since the packaging weight
   amounts to the plastic bag you dump it in.
   
   Meanwhile, it started raining again - no surprise.  Outside while
   loading up the bike, Mel Lepage approached me and said he ran a bed
   and breakfast for bikers, only $25CAD a night (4707 Spruce Ave.,
   250-774-2254).  I was sorely tempted, since it was already about 6pm and 
   I'd been hanging around waiting for it to clear, and there was no hint it
   would.  But there was little time for lollygagging around, since it was June
   already and I had a mountain to get to.  As much as I hated to, off
   into the rain I went.
   
   Seismic crews were working in this area, driving around giant vibrator
   trucks and laying out cables and shoving small microphones called
   "geophones" into the ground.  They were laying them right at the edge
   of the pavement for many miles.  I would have thought data from this
   easily-accessed area would have already been acquired.  More likely
   that was the problem; it was probably obtained so long ago it was not with
   new 3D methods.
   
   I listened to the forecast on the way out of town.  Rain tonight.
   Rain all day tomorrow, a lot of it.  Rain the day after.  Twist the knife
   when you stab me, please.
   
   It was ugly, and after a few hours I kept looking for a turnoff to
   pitch a tent without success, unless I just dragged the bike across
   the ditch and into the woods.  I finally found one about 10pm, and set up
   as fast as possible to try to stay dry.  I'm not sure it helped much.

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