Heart Attack at the Gas Pump

So you all know that I've been planning this trip for months. I have read so much stuff about camping, the Alaska Highway, bears, money, gas, etc....enough to keep you all informed of random trivia for years. So I was fully prepared for gas to be expensive. The last time I was driving in Canada, two years ago on PEI, I remember paying like 90 or 95 cents a liter. So far on this trip, I've paid like 108 cents a liter. Not terrible. But today I filled up from a quarter tank for 121!!!!!! I about passed out. But I'm already at historic mile 300 (which is like actual mile 280 or so), so hopefully I'll only need 4 more tanks.

Today was mostly long stretches of road with no one on them, not even any interesting wildlife. I'm currently in Fort Nelson, camping next to some very nice Swiss girls who helped me set up my tent. I'm assured that they never see bears in the campground, but I'm sleeping with my emergency whistle just in case (and slightly regretting my cheapskate-ness, which caused me to refuse to pay $40 bucks for bear pepper spray). But I'm sure I'll be fine!

Tomorrow I plan to go as far as Watson Lake, stopping along the way to see Muncho Lake & take a dip in Liard Hot Springs. (If I get really ambitious, I may try to make Teslin, but we'll see). Anyway, I'm eating some yummy chicken fingers in the saloon at the campground (which is decorated with saddle barstools) and then I'm going to peruse the Milepost before I fall asleep. It so weird that the sun isn't setting yet!

For those you have mentioned your geographical challenged-ness, here's a map of the Alaska Highway:

View Larger Map

I came from Seattle, up the Trans-Canada Highway to 97. I started this morning at Dawson Creek and will be following the red line to Tok, where I'll turn off to go towards Anchorage. Today's driving mostly was across the northern prairies, with tons of wind, but tomorrow I'll be going through the Northern Rockies.