Bearly making it, Lake Kluane, YT, June 2, 2001

Lake Kluane, YT, June 2, 2011. I praised the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to Whitehorse. It was a fine, wide, well-maintained road. You'll remember that we left the highway at Whitehorse to see Dawson City, the Top of the World Highway and Chicken. Now, doubling back on the Alaska Highway from Tok to Haines, we have seen the highway at its worst. Swales, dips, patches, ruts, gravel, hard dirt, wet dirt, soft dirt, washboard dirt, you name it and we saw it today. I hit one swale before I could reduce my speed and a drawer came loose in Harvey and fell to the floor scattering its contents. It is stretches like this one that gives the Alaska Highway a bad name. That's unfair. For most of its 1400 miles it is a fine piece of engineering.

Before leaving Tok this morning, we stopped by the visitor center/library. I finished yesterday's blog while Annie showed the library to Lily, Leah, Motorcycle Joe and Boo the Beagle. She told them that a well-read mind is a well-honed mind. Unfortunately, the library was closed so she couldn't explain the Dewey Decimal System to them. Just as well. I never understood it, either. I also understand from my librarian friends that it is no longer in use.

Yesterday and today have been cloudy with some rain. That's the kind of weather I expect in Alaska. However, we have been blessed with beautiful sunny days until yesterday.

We came upon a black bear grazing alongside the highway today. There was no traffic so I slowed and we came upon him quietly. He looked at us a couple of times, then went back to grazing. He was eating some yellow flowers growing through the gravel shoulder. I took pictures through the windshield then handed the snappy to Annie, while I fired away with my Nikon. Between us, we took twenty or more pictures. Annie lowered her window a bit to get a clear shot. I lowered it even further so I could shoot from the driver's seat.

Having no glass between her and the bear made Annie nervous. "All that bear has to do is raise up on his hind legs and he could climb right in here!"

"Ah, honey," said I, "that bear has no interest in you. He's eating flowers."

"ROLL UP THE #!@ WINDOW!" she said with authority. When Annie speaks with authority, I listen. I rolled up the window. I think we missed some fine pictures though. As I think back on it, if any life was saved by rolling up the window, it was mine.

Lake Kluane is big and green. I told you it is the largest lake in the Yukon Territory. Its color derives from glacial silt. There are chunks of ice remaining from the winter freeze. The ice chunks have blown to shore. Our campsite is right on the lake. It is calming to look out the window to see the green water with ice floating on top. Classical music is playing on the iPod as I gaze out. I think I will go to bed. Goodnight.