July 4 Mile 72 Shepherd's Inn to Mile 147 Sasquatch Crossing

Today started out early. I agreed to be ready to go to the restaurant by 6:10. I was organized. I was pushing my bike over by 5:55. I brushed my teeth and went into the restaurant for breakfast. Pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. We were leaving the parking lot by 6:50. The first two hours were great and we made good time on rolling terrain. Good thing we did because the rest of the day was hard. There were a couple of long 7 percent hills and then a long climb up to Pink Mountain. We were at almost 7 hours of sitting on the bike when we stopped for more fluids at the Pink Mountain General Store. We had intended on going 140 kms but after we coasted down a hill we checked our maps and info, and realized we were at the last restuarant before the campground which was still 24 km away. We decided to go in for a bite before carrying on. A fellow driving the water truck (he takes drinking water out to the naturalnatural gas rigs) struck up a conversation and said he drives that way all the time and it was mostly uphill. It was already almost 4 o'clock and we didn't relish pedaling for another 2 to three hours. We found out they allow camping in the field out back. Camping is free but the shower is $5.00.

After cleaning up I organized my stuff and put all foodstuffs and soaps, etc. in the "seismic box" that's sitting in the middle of the field. Thinking about it now, it probably got dropped there by a helicopter because of the cable and hooks that are still attached to it. It has a really heavy lid but I'm sure a bear would have no problem if he could smell the food over the smoke in the air. Jim went up to phone home because a town close to where he lives has been evaculated due to forest fires. I gave him a 5 minute head start and then I headed up so we could have a piece of pie as a before bed snack. As we were dividing up the lemon cream pie and the pecan pie so we each could have some of both (the baker's suggestion) an EMR came rushing in to excitedly tell everyone that they've closed the Alaska Highway just a few km south of here. She left to go back from where she came and was back just a few minutes later telling everyone that the road was closed north of us now. If it comes to an evacuation I hope they don't forget they've got campers in the field. I thought I had only bears to worry about.