Saturday, June 9: Cloudy, 50s, no rain! One more trip down to the harbour before we head for Dease Lake BC. The tide is low and I fill my lungs with the scent of the cool sea air. it reminds me of our world cruise; I miss that smell! We are rewarded with another eagle sighting, and a kingfisher. We pick up the Cassair Highway at Mesiaden Junction. As the valley widens between the mountains we are again traveling through cut-over--lots of poplar as secondary growth. We see lots of bears (12 today, 15 total), one culvert Ron swears was a bear, and a moose along the roadside. We stop at Bell II (second crossing of the Bell-Irving River) for gas--and I buy a bell for my walking stick! We're a few hours from Dease Lake when traffic stops, crews hacking rights of way for a power line. Following another raging river between the mountains, beginning to see a pattern here! We can see the coastal mountains now, including an extinct volcano and a cinder cone, still heavily snow-covered. We cross Eastman River, named for George Eastman of Eastman Kodak fame; he hunted big game here before the roads came through. Lake Eddontenajon, water source for the locals, comes into view and goes on for miles into the First Nation town of Inkut where we see a "livestock on the road" sign, then a long, steep, curving descent to cross the Stikine River (it's huge) and then an equally steep, crooked ascent on the other side--and a moose to add to the "excitement." Crossed the divide between the Pacific and Arctic ocean watersheds. Down into Dease lake through the strangest, dry, perched boggy area--Gnat Pass--wonder how it got its name? Long day, nice kitchenette for our rest day.