BEAR!

Too bad we didn't get a picture. We're traveling along the highway and I see a black something on the side of the road. I called out to Sue and she looked over just as we passed. We realized it was a small black bear, but traveling at 100 kph (that's 62 mph to you Americans), and rolling with 14,000 lbs I don't have a lot of options when it comes to fast stops. You'll have to take our word for it; we saw our first bear today. It was smaller than I expected.

Rolling 7 tons down the road doesn't lend itself to the best gas mileage either. On the open road, no wind, level ground, I can get 12.5 mpg tops. Today was a lot of hills, long rollers of 4 - 6%. I averaged 9 mpg today.To add insult to injury, we paid our highest price yet today filling up. It was an outrageous $5.36/gl. We've been paying around $4.50 since we hit British Columbia; I hope the price doesn't get higher as we get further from the border. On the plus side, the price of wine is the same as at home!  WOOHOO!!

We drove by an immense cloud of smoke today. Come to find out there is a severe drought in the area and somehow a fire started. It must be huge. It's not surprising when you see the forests in this region. Some of them are 95% standing dead wood. Supposedly it's not getting cold enough in the winter anymore to kill the Pine Bark Beetle, so they are devastating the trees.

We're in Ft. Nelson tonight, and tomorrow is a short drive to Stone Mtn. Provincial park. We'll be hanging around there and getting some real hiking in, finally. Supposed to be great fishing too if the ice has broken yet.

BTW- for you nit picky double posters, I believe it's called the Alaska Highway because it LEADS to Alaska. Geez!

ds