Milepost ZERO (3-day post)

Sat 6/28   -  Left Dawson Creek this morning after stocking up on plastic Canadian money and a quilt shop stop.  Dawson is the official start, (thus Milepost Zero), of the Alaska Highway which runs some 1,400 miles north through British Columbia and the Yukon and into Alaska to Fairbanks.  Once mostly gravel it’s now paved, with today’s run being on good two-lane with frequent passing lanes to get around any slow-moving vehicles, (particularly Airstreams).

Mile Post ZERO

I promised to stop at any quilt shops she could find.
(A POX on you SIRI)

This stretch is not particularly scenic and consists mostly of km after km of pine covered rolling terrain, extraordinary only for its immensity and lack of permanent settlement.  Among roadside attractions listed in the ALCAN guidebook The Milepost were, “km 178.2 – turnout with two garbage receptacles” and “ km 201.5 – Sasquach Crossing Café”.   And yes, we stopped, (at both).

 

Don't pick up hitch hikers on the ALCAN

Spending the night at Buckinghorse River Wayside Provincial Park.  For our evening walk, this time I took the bear spray, NOT for the bears, but for the mosquitoes, that are almost as big as bears.

Like a Zombie Apocolypse

  

Sun 6/29  -  Continued north from Buckinghorse River to Fort Nelson BC, last biggest “city” until Fairbanks.  Re-provisioned here and turned west (still on ALCAN Highway) toward the Canadian Rockies.  The scenery and wildlife start to pick up again.  FINALLY, we see our first Canadian moose (with a moos-ette), then another.  Plus some misc bears.

OK...  A little crass, but this is one of the most artistice
one-holers I've encountered  in all of our travels.

Tonight’s stopover is Stone Mountain Provincial Park with and evening walk around the lake.

Mon 6/30 – Rained last night.  Low hanging clouds drifting through the mountains changes the mood from spectacular and glamorous, to mysterious and powerful. 

Later in the day we pass through a 100 mile stretch of  heavy wildlife population, with bears, wood bison, sheep/goats??, and a red fox being particularly cooperative.

What's 7 feet tall and eats trees??

Wood Bison

Special Treat  - Up Close and Personal

Made it into Watson Lake, Yukon Territory late in the afternoon.  Town is famous for its “signpost forest” containing 77,000 (I counted them) visitor contributed license plates, street signs, town sign, etc form all over Canada and the US.  I even saw a “Welcome to Downers Grove” sign in a travel brochure but couldn’t find it at the actual forest.

Anyway, layed up for the night at a nearby CG.

Goodnight from The Yukon Territory

Brad & Val