Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, BC on Father's Day (Day 43)

We drove the entire Alaska Highway…except we took it backwards.

Dawson Creek, British Columbia is the official starting point of the Alaska Highway…”Mile 0.”  In 1942 the United States started building the highway from here to Delta Junction, Alaska, which would then connect to other highways within Alaska.  The United States needed a way to transport military equipment to Alaska as a means of defense against Japan.  The “almost” 1,400 mile highway was completed in an “unbelievable” 6 months time!

…and it’s been raining all day…what did it look like before?

We have entered the Providence of Alberta.  Camping at a park near Grande Prairie.  I feel like I’m in Minnesota…lots of farmland, trees, rivers and lakes.  Heading to Jasper National Park tomorrow. We’re still 2,000 miles from home!  Getting a little homesick.  Our children called for Father’s Day… so that helped hearing their voices again. J

 

Muncho Lake was "Mucho Magnificient!" (Day 42)

Hope you can zoom in to read how the Sign Post Forest got started.  We were shocked at how many signs people have put up from all over the world.  Forgot to bring our sign; but there are lots of signs of towns from Wisconsin representing all of us Wisconsinites. 



If you ever want to go and put up your sign…

go to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.



That splotch in the center of our windshield isn’t from a bug that hit the window…but a “ROCK!”  There are so many roads under construction or roads that just warn you about damaged areas ahead for 100 miles!  We figured it would happen… covering so many miles with these road conditions.  So when we got a crack in another part of the windshield…our thoughts were…”Oh, well.”  Neither are in Bill’s line of vision, so that’s good. I marked it so I can watch how far it moves each day :-) 

I was hoping we would see the wild Mustangs.  One thing nice about most of the roads we have traveled is that they have large clearings on either side.  It gives you a good view of any wildlife grazing and a means to avoid from hitting them.

This was about the most beautiful place we visited.  It is called Muncho Lake in Bristish Columbia.  The water is so turquoise it almost looks fake.  They say the color is from the copper sulfur oxide that leaks into the water from the surrounding rocks.

 We figured we could handle lunch.  What we paid for burgers and fries could… “almost,” pay for a nice dinner back in the states.  After I read on the placemat that they have to transport their food 800 miles by truck, twice a week, I could better         

     understand the pricing.  I also think we were paying   

or the view and that I didn’t mind!

Today was also the day for some of the best rock formation viewing I have ever seen! The forces of Nature at its “Best!”

New animal to view…the Stone Sheep.  Are they eating stones?  We were told to watch out for them because they are usually in the middle of the road….”that is true!” 
I don’t know how they keep their footing on the sides of the
steep mountain roads.

Then around the corner…you go from bare rocks and boulders to rolling mountains with every shade of green in the palette.  I think when people say they live in BC…
it really means “Beautiful Country!” 

We camped at Fort Nelson in BC.  In the 1800’s it was a fur trading center.  Today, as you can see from the greenery…may explain the 55,000 agricultural subdivision Fort Nelson is developing.  Located in their town is the largest natural gas processing plant in North America that transports the purified gas to the lower
 mainland of British Columbia.

                      A little closer view of the water.

This resort was along the shores.  Everything must be brought in by truck or airplane.  They even have to generate their own electricity!  They have a lodge, cabins and fly-in fishing tours for anyone...

who can afford it. 

I Don't Share With A Bear! (Day 41)



The campground we stayed at last night was near a small town called Destruction Bay. When I say small, I mean small…55 people live there.  The town was created during the building of the Alaskan Highway.  It was included in many relay stations that were every 100 miles for truckers to rest and repair their trucks.  It got its name from a storm that went through there and destroyed buildings and materials.  The name of the lake there is Kluane…same lake we stopped at and I showed you a picture earlier; but then it was covered with ice.  The water is crystal clear and freezing cold!

Amazed at how everything has turned so green since we were through here just weeks ago.



They say this is the most photographed sculpture on the Alaskan Highway.  It is located near the intersection of the Alaskan Highway and the Haines Highway in the town of Haines Junction, Alaska.  This is where we continue to follow the Alaskan Highway south and it’s all newroad from here on until we reach Jasper

(which we visited 30 years ago).

After the railroad was completed in the early 1900’s from Skagway... with the Yukon River, Whitehorse became the center of transportation.  River travel was the only means of getting there until the Alaskan Highway was built in 1942.  Due to its accessibility,
it became the capital of the Yukon Territory.

          Rock graffiti?  I love it!  It beats spray painting!

Time to look for a campground and guess what we see again?  The only thing…it’s a Black bear tonight,

not a Grizzly!

                      Think he’ll smell my hot dogs cooking? 

                           Well….I’m NOT SHARING!

         Our 3 most important cans to have at a
          campsite in the middle of June.

        Nothing like the smell of a campfire at night and…
     the smell of the spruce trees in the morning. Ahhhhh.

The North Pole (Day40)

Day 40

Went through the North Pole ......

should have stopped and gave Santa my list! 

We're as far North as we will be going...

time to head south. 

We're about 3,500 miles from home! 

Back to Canada...the Yukon Territory, the Alaskan Highway (as we call it the "Bucking Bronco!)  We had to take the same road back until we got back to Haines Junction because it was the only road to take.  Being on the opposite side of the road, going the opposite direction...makes it seem like new scenery.  It's surprising how much you can miss the first time.

 The weather in the mountains can change from minute to minute.  We could see the rain falling in the direction we were going.  Shortly after...we were in the sun again.  We were told by someone in Alaska to never cancel your plans because the mountains have a weather of their own and it's constantly changing.

Deer on the side of the highway in Wisconsin is scary...but Moose?  

T

The turquoise color of the glacial ice is amazing.

  Can you imagine seeing this Grizzly about a half mile from where you're going to camp?  We couldn't believe we saw this huge bear just chomping away on the grasses near the highway.  Sure made me happy that I wasn't sleeping in a tent.  At the campground,  they warn tenters not to camp at certain times of the summer when the berries are ripening because it may be too dangerous.

The view at our campground, hard to get tired of something like that!  Met some very nice people from British Columbia and shared stories of each other's travels.   It's surprising how alike people are...
                even though we live in different countries. 
                       After 440 miles behind us ...
                            it was an early night to bed.
(This internet connection is sooo slow...will bring you up to date on days 41-43 at a later time) 


 



Great Day in Denali (Day 38-39)

Day 38

The day has finally come....we're "in"  Denali Park! 

 Checked out the Visitor Center, set up our campsite, and hit some of the gifts shops in Glitter Gulch nearby.

Hope we see the "REAL" animals tomorrow.

Oh no...not round abouts in Alaska too!  We could end up in Canada or Siberia if we take the wrong "about!"

Got ready for our 8 hour bus trip into the wilderness....packed, went for a long walk to tire us out, had two Alaskan beers and went to bed by 8 o'clock!  We had to get up at 4:30 A.M. and meet the bus at 5:30.  Do animals really get up that early?  They better be up or someone will be yelling out the bus window!

Day 39 

Waiting, waiting, and waiting and it "RAINS!"  The driver said that the animals move about more when it rains, which was surprising.  Our driver was a very interesting guy and has been a guide and driver for this 8-hours wilderness tour for 20 years.  He knew everything about Denali Park and where the animals are usually found along the way.  I was thankful for his experience because some the passes had roads that would have made me turn around.  I have to admit...
                          I did closed my eyes a few times. 

Oh...did I mention....it "SNOWED too!"

(nothing to turn around for :-)

With the rain and the gravel roads...the windows would get so dirty that everytime we stopped they would have to clean them off. 

 Glad we had a front-row seat.

At the end of our tour, before we turned around... the Grand Finale was to see Mount McKinley.  The driver pointed out where it would be if we could see it. :-)  Glad we went up in that small plane and saw it last week.  We turned around for the 4 hour trek back and this time we were on the side without any guard rails! 

Despite the rain and the family of five with little Patrick who whined and his mom announed to the whole bus to please refrain from eating peanuts because little Patrick had a peanut allergy...."IT WAS A GREAT TRIP!"   At the beginning of the trip the driver told us that he had 2 goals...

1. To get us all back safely and

 2.  For all of us to see the 4 big animals of the park. 

So....we made it back safely (or you wouldn't be reading this blog) and we saw the 4 big animals of the park and the wolf. 

What a great day in Denali!