I have arrived in Alaska, and the stories are happening quicker than I can type them out on the keyboard. I am also starting to fill the eternal hard drive I bought with photos and videos from my cross-continent adventure, as well. Let’s start to catch up on things…
Last I wrote, I was in the town of Jasper, situated in the middle of the Canadian Rockies, a picturesque, town full of families, college students, and skiers on a weekend getaway. I began to travel northeast for a few miles. Out of town, the amount of cars on the highly quickly faded, as did the mountains into rolling hills. 40 miles later I turned northwest onto the Bighorn Highway. This was my first taste of the remote highways I would travel few days. In this new land, potholes begin to show up with greater frequency as do bumps cracks and other pavement anomalies, limiting my top speed to around 60mph, in the smooth sections. Two hours later I drove through the small town of Grand Cache, and continued my descent north into the high prairieland for another two hours before arriving in the town of Grand Prairie for a lunch break. From there I turned west crossing from Alberta in the province of British Columbia before arriving at my destination for the night, the town of Dawson Creek.
Dawson Creek marks the beginning of the Alaskan Highway, which officially ends in Delta Junction, Alaska – 1,365 miles away. My planning for this next section of my trip has largely come from reading the Milepost, an annual publication detailing mile by the attractions, services, and amenities along the Alaskan Highway and several major connecting roads. Twenty miles in, an elk darts across the highway. One hundred miles later, the flashing lights of a tow truck have me slow down as I pass by a semi-truck that has overturned into a ditch. These early incidents help me to remember to stay alert and to travel within the speed limit.
There are not Hilton, McDonald's, or Exxon stations along the route, except for the town of Whitehorse about 850 miles into the trek. For the remainder of the route, local lodges, or roadhouses, are family run businesses, offer lodging, meals, and/or fuel. Some of these roadhouses are run by families, now in their third generation. With this, some are well known by travelers of this highway, like the cinnamon rolls at Tesla River, others provide their own charm - like the roadhouse owner in her 70's who comes out to run the old analog gas pump and exchange information travelers have passed on about the weather, road conditions, and wildlife viewing along the highway. Other must stops include the relaxing Liard Hot Springs, and bison-watching around Muncho Lake. I would add the beef stew at the Toad River Lodge to the list, as well, although the Milepost only mentions their impressive hat collection an view. This is where I spend my first night, before moving on to Whitehorse.
By the end of this first day on the Alaskan Highway, I had once again returned into the mountains, passing by ice-covered lakes that stretch for miles. I felt like I was living in a Bob Ross painting (remember the guy on PBS with the afro) and understand why travel through this region has inspired many. Next up for me was the Yukon section of the highway, filled with animals and ever more changing weather patterns... I hope to post that portion of the trip tomorrow to help catch up.
Roadhouse (1989) - Stars Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, and Sam Elliott. Plot: A tough bouncer is hired to tame a dirty bar.