Day 26 July 11, 2016
Starting the Cassier

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I headed into downtown Whitehorse to stay at the same budget chain motel (Canada's Best Value) both coming and going which meant I skipped a section of YT-1. This DC-3 is on that section and I'd have skipped it, too, if not for RoadsideAmerica.com. They call it "the world's largest weather vane" and say it always points into the wind. I don't know whether it's perfectly balanced, has mechanical assist, or that's a false claim.

That bridge I crossed on the Dalton Highway is the only one that crosses the Yukon in Alaska. This is one of three in Canada. Pat Bremer, the Small Trailer Enthusiast, says it is a 1961 reproduction that the company made a number of several years ago.

Sometimes those "LOOSE GRAVEL" signs will be accompanied by an "EXTREMELY DUSTY CONDITIONS" sign. I think this is what they mean.

I started the day with a little over 400 kilometers of the Alaska Highway which is the same road I drove a couple of weeks ago on the way north. Then I finished the day with more than 200 kilometers of new-to-me BC-37, a.k.a. Cassier Highway. In general, the country it passes through seems even more isolated than much of the Alaska Highway country and I'm sure it's less traveled. Being less traveled probably has something to do with it being in quite good condition.

There were few potholes or breaks in pavement and no construction zones until I neared my destination. The final forty-four kilometers of the day's drive were under construction.

My destination was the Northway Motor Inn in Dease Lake, British Columbia, where I had reserved a room. Good thing, too. The Northway is the only motel in town and the "NO VACANCY" sign was out. Just when some of the people holding reservations would arrive was a little unclear, however. An accident had closed the road south of town and, although it was first thought it would be open by 6:00, the latest report said 1:00 AM. As the only operating motel in town and what might be the only operating motel on the entire BC-37, the Northway would probably be filled no matter what but my room was quite nice and the owners quite caring.

There is a deli/bistro in town but it had (inexplicably in my mind) closed at 4:00 leaving the only dining option the nearby Shack. Although there are a couple of picnic tables available, the Shack is basically a take-out operation offering hamburgers, chicken, fish, and ice cream. I chose fish. That was not a bad decision but the meal differed greatly from the fresh halibut to which I'd become accustomed.

This was as close as I would get to Juneau, Alaska's capital. It lies very near the same latitude as Dease Lake and only 160 miles separate the two but there is no road connecting them. Of course, there is actually no road connecting Juneau with anywhere.


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