Math or Yukon

“I don’t do well in math, but tell me is the Yukon still in Canada?” The cheerful American lady in the red truck leaned out the window and swatting at black flies asked me this question.  Had I heard right, she is telling can’t do math and is wondering if she is in Canada or the USA?

“Yes you are still in Canada,” I replied. “Where are you from?” I asked.

“Minnesota,” she replied, “we are going to Alaska.” A large friendly man emerged from the truck, “Have you ever seen such a large melon?” he asked going on to tell me he grew them in his garden and had been munching on them all the way. “Helps pass the time” he said.  He struggled to peel a piece and graciously offered us each a large piece.

Still pondering her declaration at not being able to do math I suddenly thought, perhaps she meant maps not math and like her countries just got her subjects confused. That is what is so great about traveling I would never have met this couple if we weren’t stopped on the side of the road for lunch in the middle of a million trees.

Traveling through northern BC and Yukon is what I imagine a hamster on a wheel must feel like. You go for miles and miles and all you see is trees, more trees and then some more trees. It is as if we aren’t making any progress, we travel a thousand miles, for several days and our only break from trees is when we are treated to the sight of magnificent and beautiful lakes and rivers. My goodness this country is HUGE, no wonder the American lady could not believe she is still in Canada no country can surely be this big.

We decided to treat ourselves to coffee and pie in a cute restaurant and cabin stop over named Dawson Peaks Resort run by Dave Hett and Carolyn Allen in Teslin.

We struck up a conversation with him and were asking about the restaurants, motels and gas stations we had past that were all closed. He said they were off the electrical grid and when the price of diesel tripled they could no longer afford to run their generators. He said a few had hung in but many just walked away some even had mortgages.

We sat out on the deck and had the best rhubarb pie ever. “Where are all the mosquitoes?” I asked. Dave said that the water levels were so low this year that the mosquitoes had not arrived. Just our luck, not many mosquitoes or even horse flies bothering us yet. Life is good.

We stopped at Marsh Lake campsite and we made a fire and after supper we had “chocolate apple pie” made over the fire. Slowly we are getting ourselves organized and settled into a life on the road.

Dawson Creek Mile 0 of Alaska Highway

Beginning of Alaska Highway

Peace River Valley

Black Bear One of Many on Alaska Highway