Burns Lake to Iskut: 568 miles. 50 degrees F, 3000 feet. (View in Google Maps)

Campsite from last night was fairly nice, though waking up to rain is incredibly depressing. I waited until it let up a little, then quickly took down the tent and packed. A little bothersome to be packing a very wet tent, rain fly, and bike cover- but what other choices are there?

I was planning on eating breakfast right in Burns Lake- there's a great place that Bill W. showed me at Hyderseek 2004. It wasn't open yet, though. So I stopped for gas in Houston, then went on to the junction at Kitiwanga and ate there. They wouldn't give an exchange on a $5 american bill for my Gatorade, then breakfast wasn't wonderful, service was bad, and they made me go back to the convenience store part to pay for breakfast. They ran my card, then told me I didn't say anything so there's no way to put a tip on it. Well, fine by me.

I wore the Triple Digit gloves most of the way from Burns Lake to Kitiwanga, they work well over my Held gloves, though they are difficult to put on- I should have gotten a larger size, but anything larger was out of stock anyhow. Saw the tail end of a moose somewhere in that stretch, too.

On up to Hyder, with the normal scenic stops and minor construction delays. I was surprised to see LEO presence just before Meziadin Junction. Glad it wasn't me.

Rode straight through Stewart, directly to Caroline's shop just in Hyder. Gave her a Ron Smith memorial book, got tears, hugs, and rasberry fudge- plus stories and a little catching up. Went from there to Dee (at Grandview), similar treatment story (tears, etc).

From there I blasted up the road to Salmon glacier- past it, actually. It's still stunning to me that this gravel road gains 3500 feet in 20 miles- and most of that elevation in about 9 miles. Alternated through sun, clouds, fog, and showers.. The road summit was completely fogged in, I don't thing I've been in fog like that. I have a couple of pictures, you can hardly see from one side of the road to the other. Saw some weird little critter- like a white raccoon. Got pics of that too, maybe someone can identify it when I get back.

I knew yesterday when I went past Prince George that I'd probably try to get up the Cassiar early. Took a little more time in Hyder than I planned, but I didn't want to make camp at 3pm and try to loaf around for the afternoon and evening. So I got started.

Cassiar is pretty cool- I now understand the practical difference between chipseal and paving. The bridges are pretty neat- simple metal truss construction, wood or grate decks. Neither bother me- I 've never understood why motorcyclists freak out about grated bridge decks.

Gravel sections are no big deal- ran at 105kph (65mph or so) on most of it. Saw a black bear and cubs on the side of the road- debated the fine line between self-preservation and capturing the moment on camera. The bear made that decision, loping into the brush before I even touched the brakes.

So I'm now at this RV park in Iskut. They have wifi in the park, though I'm camped too far from it to have constant access. I'll walk down and send this tonight or in the morning.

Temperature has been a little on the cool side- 50-60 all day- mostly under 55 and damp.