7-25-08 Day 28 Tok to Whitehorse

Up at 6:30 and on the road about 7:20. Of course it's wet but only a light mist temps in the low 40's. We head east on the AlCan toward the US/Canadian border which is about 100 miles from Tok. This section has about 40 miles of the worst road under construction we saw on our way up but fortunately this time we are early in the AM so there's not much traffic, the light rain is perfect to hold the dust down but not make it muddy as when we came up in the pouring rain, and most areas are now filled to grade and have been graded and compacted so the gravel is much more motorcycle friendly. We get through this area and get to the actual border
where the US has it's station but Canada has it's border station 22 miles into Canada in a town called Beaver Creek. The crossing agent is very friendly and we are through in a few minutes. Beaver Creek is where we stayed on the way up and there's a great little restaurant called Buckshot Betty's so we had planned to stop an have breakfast. This place is open from 6am to 9pm and Betty is there as chief cook, waitress and dishwasher 7 days a week. The food is great and the place has 2 large tables and 2 small tables so you take any open seat and meet your fellow table mates so there's always interesting conversation with fellow travelers. After breakfast we continue east to Haines Junction which is approx 210 miles but 180 miles of this section is where you earn your stripes on the AlCan as this is the section of frost heaves and potholes and lousy road patches and one large road construction zone (in an area appropriately called Destruction Bay) about 6 miles long that has a gravel bypass road. We get gas in Haines and finish the day around 6:30 pm when we get to Whitehorse. We had off on showers throughout the day but the temp got into the low 50's. This is the last day we ride with IZ, Pete and Joe and we say our good byes after dinner as Tom, Mark & I are planning a 6:30 departure to get gas & breakfast.