THE ALASKAN ADVENTURE Day 56 July 11, 2009 Tok, AK to Burwash Landing, YK

The day did not get off to a good start as the smoke from the forest fires is really starting to bother me. I did not sleep much last night but after taking a Clariton I was able to get up and get going. It’s a good thing Kathy was up early and got all the chores done. She did the laundry, emptied the fresh and black water tanks and had everything ready to go. Again it is a good distribution of duties.

We got a few groceries and were on our way. The smoke is starting to clear as we head East but it is still not the best for pictures. The landscape east of Tok is mostly Tiaga forest and lots of small unnamed lakes. We did get a few pictures where we could.

It was only 90 miles down the road and we came to the border of Alaska and The Yukon. We will be leaving Alaska for a few days as we make our way down to Haines where we start ferry hoping in the Inner Passage.

We got through customs without a hitch and a short way down the road we came to the thriving metropolis of Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek is the most westerly town in Canada.

It was lunch time so we stopped at a local favorite, Buckshoot Betty’s. We had homemade onion soup and homemade bread. The soup was pretty good but the bread was excellent. Betty is known for having the best buns in town. I don't think I should comment on that.

After lunch we traveled along the Alaskan Highway and I must admit that this is the worst paved road we have been on since we left Dallas. We were traveling through a lot of low laying areas and with the intense cold they get here the road was badly heaved. Snag Lake which is in this area holds the record for the coldest day in Canada at 81.4 F below freezing.

During the drive if the day is clear you can get a view of Mount Logan which is Canada’s largest mountain. However with the smoke from the forest fires and the clouds we were not even able to get a glimpse of it.

We did spot a couple of moose standing in a lake having a little snack. They were too far away for a good picture but I took one anyways. The animal viewing has decreased as the temperate has gotten warmer, they are staying in the bush to keep cool. However keeping cool comes with a price as a moose can loose up to a pint of blood a day from the mosquitoes.

The scenery did get a little better as we got into higher elevation and the foothills became a little clearer. We stopped for a few pictures and then headed for Burwash Landing where we are going to spend the night. Hopefully a little more Clariton and a good nights sleep will help out with my allergies.