Dease Lake

We made 200 miles yesterday.  This morning we were fueled and on the road by 8:30, but we had a low tire again so getting that fixed was on today's agenda.  Back up 37A to hook up with Collins and Marilyn, through more beautiful mountains and waterfalls.  We saw one bear, and then we caught a glimpse of another bear, barely, just before a semi spooked him.  We also saw a moose.  Didn't get any pictures of any of those, they just didn't cooperate.  But, in case you all are not yet tired of this scenery, I did take a few more pix of those mountains, the river, and the glacier that came all the way down to the lake.

About halfway up the Cassiar Highway, the road deteriorated somewhat, but not too bad.  There were no longer center or side markings, almost no shoulder, and some areas where gravel had replaced the concrete, but traffic was very light so it wasn't too bad.  We had some 8% grades up and down, and one had a hairpin curve at the end of it.

Joe does not know if Canadian 8% grade is the same as a U.S. 8% grade, but anyway.  We got to Dease Lake and located a campground, and Joe got directions to a tire repair shop, Charlie's.  Charlie found a nail in the tire (inside rear on driver's side), and he fixed it, but he charged us dearly.  Then we fueled and paid the highest price so far, $1.239/liter, which figures out to about $4.68/gallon.  Joe is ready to get out of this little burg.

But we did have an excellent adventure today.  Well, Collins might not think it was so excellent.  He bought a fishing license yesterday, and while we were getting our tire repaired today, he found a small lake nearby that is stocked with brook trout so he went fishing.  Mazie fixed dinner for the group tonight, and he wasn't back when it was ready so we ate without him.  However, he came in, all wet, and reported that the fish had gotten away, but he made a valiant effort to net it and had slipped on moss in the water and fell in the lake.  And lost his glasses.

Marilyn took him home and dried him off, and Joe offered to go back and try to find his glasses.  So the rescue team assembled (Joe, Wilma, Collins, and Marilyn and Mazie (the M&M girls)), and off we went.  Joe put on his waders and I put on my dairy boots, and Collins led us all back to the scene of the crime, I mean accident.  We wanted Collins to reenact the event so I could capture it on film, but he refused.

So here we go, traipsing after Collins, on our mission to rescue his glasses.  He actually had walked quite a little ways through the woods to his fishing spot, but the water was really clear so we thought we had a shot at it.  We were all scanning the water with great intent (this was not a posed shot).

  I waded out as far as my boots would allow, and Joe went out in his waders.  Collins pointed out where he thought he was when the mighty fish took off on him, and we all scanned the lake bottom as far as we could see.  Suddenly, eureka, Joe spotted the glasses!!!  And Mazie miraculously came up with a stick immediately for Joe to fish them out of the water with.   Joe plucked them out victoriously!

And they were not even scratched!  Joe was the hero.  Collins was still mad that tomorrow night's dinner had escaped him, but he was glad to have his glasses back.  We really are not sure how he managed to get himself back to the car, and then to the campground, wet, hungry, practically sightless.  But it all worked out and the event came to a happy conclusion.

Here we go back to the car, mission accomplished!