Beaver Creek on the worst road ever!

We gasped great sighs of relief when the road surface finally became smooth again. Driving a rolling, potholed, sometimes washboard gravel surface put us on edge for many miles after it had ended. We would tense at every rise and slow for suspicious colour changes. We were very happy to end our driving day in a park called Cottonwood RV on Kluane Lake. About two clicks before the park we stopped and watched a brown (grizzly) bear grazing along the highway shoulder. It was the first time any of us had ever seen a grizzly in the wild.

Our sites allowed peekaboo views over the lake and the far off mountains. There were trees and a beach. Signs were all around warning against bears. Closeup bear pictures were posted around the office. No garbage was collected. We were expected to protect and haul out our own. The camp used generator power so 15 amps was standard. We were forewarned against using heating appliances that might blow a circuit. The wonderful location easily overshadowed any downside including some persistent "fish flies" and a few mosquitoes. This was our first time to feel bothered by bugs.

I launched my kayak almost immediately and paddled back the way we'd come thinking I might spy the bear again. I hugged the shore for a full thirty minutes but saw nothing, but the paddle was fresh and envigorating. Delicious, Costco barbecued ribs made a great end to our agonies on the bad road. It was the third meal of ribs since the journey began. It was also the last day with Bob and Helen. We would be parting ways. They would head to Whitehorse while we went to Haines and Skagway. Their journey would include Skagway after bussing to Carmack and then boarding a train. Their final leg home would be by ferry to Port Hardy.

Blarney and I chased the ball and the bugs along the shore of the lake. A narrow margin of sand bordered the water's edge and Blarney consistently carried the ball there when he retrieved it, so we began playing in the shallows. The water was close to freezing but it didn't stop him from going in over his chest to snap a ball.