the alcan highway part 1, 4-8 july

we've been on the road for over 2 months and our journey has been incredible as we hope our photos symbolize.  we have been very lucky with the weather and have only had a couple of rainy days since we left home on may day.  the days are very long, with roughly 19 hours of daylight and daytime highs have been in the 60s-70s and eves as low as 40s.

we are now heading up the alcan highway, seemingly the real start towards alaska.  for those of you who may not know the history of the alaska-canadian highway, here is a brief synopsis.

the alcan highway was constructed during ww2 for the purpose of connecting the lower 48 with alaska for protecting the homeland, (particularly after the japanese bombed pearl harbor and dutch harbor in the aleutian islands in alaska).  the approval was given by the canadian government in early 1942, but it was 7 battalions of the US army corps of engineers who built the ~1,400 mile road, completing the feat in 8 short months.  the photos of the construction are astounding if you've never seen them.  do an internet search and view some of them...they are really remarkable.  the US paid for the construction and luckily it was never needed as a protection route so the road opened to tourists in 1948.

here is our interpretion of what we have been seeing in the past 5 days, covering 873 miles, from dawson creek, british columbia to whitehorse, yukon teritory, canada.

the beginning

rigs heading to/from alaska at the visitor center in dawson creek

downtown, dawson creek, replicating the old days

on the road

Kiskatinaw bridge, this is the only original timber bridge remaining on the highway (this segment has been re-routed--you can drive across but normal traffic bypasses this bridge)

low temps could cause freezing roads, interesting signage

our 1st caribou

grizzly cubs grubbing for ????

this is how greyhound travels up this way--with trailer

the alcan highway

when they say 'extreme dust', they mean it..(a segment of road construction)

an old roadhouse, tetsa river services (we camped here)

bumpy road ahead, slow down in english and french

stone mountain

summit lake at 4,250 ft

stone sheep--closely related to bighorn and dall sheep

horse crossing

toad river roadhouse

muncho lake, considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world--you make that call

heading on down the road

on the boardwalk to laird hot springs, a stop for many travelers in these parts...just minutes from the road, well managed, clean and a good soak

laird hot springs

beautifully kept up, laird hot springs

griz

resting after eaten

one too full to walk, the other not full enough

black bear

the smith river view point

mom and baby buffalo

another black bear along the road looking for breakfast

smith falls

resting after breakfast

speaking of breakfast--marcus we had to try this for you!!!  this is HUGE by the way and delicious

another hungry grizzly

look how close they are!

vast and beautiful

remember that horse sign along the road--guess this is why!

a hungry babe

welcome to the yukon territory

the town of watson lake, really known for the sign post forest (see below) and not much else

started by a lonely gi during the construction of the highway and now there are thousands of signs!  very fun to walk through

imagine that!!!

the views are changing a bit--big mountains in view now

a rainy drive--one of only a few

lupine are out in full force

teslin bridge crossing teslin lake (92 miles long)

teslin lake from our campsite

dawson peaks behind teslin lake

the yukon river

whitehorse, capital of the yukon

60% of the yukon population live here, this city has ~26,000, so the vast yukon only has about 40,000 in all! 

restored ss klondike riverboat very popular back in the gold rush days

we decided to leave the alcan for a jaunt down to skagway and haines, alaska.  stay tuned for that journey and for the joining back to the alcan further west and north...