Sunday July 24

Six Mile River Lodge

Tagish, YT

8AM. 50°F. Raining

9819 miles travelled 

Today we start our trip back south. Watson Lake, YT then down Cassier Hw ({Rt37).

Breakfast at a gas station Cafe Johnson's Crossing, Teslin River, Teslin Yukon Territory. This morning will be our last time in the Yukon. To our south is a wild fire area that is mostly out but still smoldering. We're leaving the Alaska Highway and taking the Cassier Hw which will eventually bring us into Washington state east of Seattle.

Smoke is increasing, no sign of flames but given the amount of smoke it's not far off.

Our next stop is Jade City. Not actually a city but a jade mining store. If you've seen their TV series, this is the place. None of the owners are around today. We spend about an hour drooling over the jade.

There's a young lady sitting at a table working on a laptop.  I assume she's working for the place and start talking to her. Turns out Lissa (Melissa) is a research scientist with the US Forest Service who is stranded at Jade City. The gravel road claimed the oil pan on her car. I think said she had been there 6 days waiting for a new oil pan. ( to be delivered tomorrow and the Jade City people will help her install it...). Lissa is on her way from Alaska to California to a new supervisor job. Her research is tree hydrology; loves working in the canopy of large tree species.

we continue on. BTW: We did buy some rough jade.

Shortly after leaving Jade City we're reminded that we're still in the wilderness of norther British Columbia. 

We just make it Dease Lake before running out of gas. There's gas but no restaurants open so we buy hot dogs and rolls at the gas station store. We stay at the Dease Lakes Lions International RV Park and have hot dogs 😁.