Here I am at Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway..... Dawson Creek was nothing like what I expected.. I expected something more spectacular I guess, and touristy. It appears to be like a typical small Midwestern town when you drive through, and the signs pointing you to the Alcan are subtle.. it is not until you arrive at a traffic circle in town centre that you see a marker for Route 97 N, and as you pass around the circle you finally see the information booth with RVs lined up in the parking lot. And there is the big Mile 0 sign identifying this spot as the start of the Alaska highway. I waited in line and took the picture of the sign (see evidence) as this was the tradition. Then I chatted with several that were parked there. One man from Toronto was heading further up into Northwest Territory about 800 miles round trip on a gravel road (the Dempster) he said... pulling a small trailer currently containing his wife.. I wondered if she knew where she was going.. He had a boat on top and 15 gallons in extra gas cans in the tow vehicle which was a Ford pickup.. said he had a 500 mile range, but he heard that there was gas up there. I decided not to follow.
As I watched the RVs gathering in town and at the Northern Lights RV Park, I could imagine what it was like during the first onslaught north for the Gold Rush of the 1800's into the Yukon Territory... the ones that made it, settled in the area called Dawson City, and a very few struck gold. About two thirds of them fell victim to the difficult trails and weather. I was wondering if some of these preparing for the onslaught to begin tomorrow or the next day would fall victim to the same fate. The RV shop adjoining the campground was kept busy fitting plywood barriers on front of towed cars, and adding metal rock guards on the grills and headlights of some of the tow vehicles. It was like we were all preparing for a great demolition derby.. I am wondering if I am really prepared..?? My Aliner looks small compared to the huge diesel pushers, and 5th wheels... well... I guess for me it will have to be speed and agility..
While at Sagitawah camp, two men near me from northern Quebec providence took a great interest in me and my camper... had lots of questions.. I had a hard time understanding them through the thick French Canadian accent.. probably innocent, but I was glad to get on the road early again.. It was light last night until 11:00 PM with an orange glow in the north. I was up at 4:30 to shave and take a hot shower... the camp there at Whitecourt was the best I have ever seen... absolutely spotless bathrooms and showers.. Put it on your list if you travel across Saskatchewan. I was on the road by 7:00 again, with a short drive to Dawson Creek, where I arrived around noon... I fought off the urge to continue up the Alcan for a few hours. Thought this was a time to rejuvenate and plan out my strategy..
Coming across Northwest Alberta from Whitecourt, I passed through Moose country, where huge highway signs, white silhouettes of a Moose, appeared every few miles to remind you to be alert. For some, the silhouettes must have taken on a life of their own, as they had bullet holes in them. I drove more slowly today, 10 kph below the speed limit, and the other traffic tolerated me. This is a pattern I hope to continue as the roads are getting bumpy with the patches, and I want to minimize the stress on the trailer. I was excited to see the first mention of Dawson Creek as it appeared at 188 kilometers out. The road was rolling through the hills, and at about 100 kilometers out a fine line of snowcapped peaks appeared ahead to the southwest on the distant horizon.. Then they disappeared as I rolled through the hills and valleys, and appeared again as I got closer to the BC border... this was a view that I expect to become more common as I head north.
Winds picked up and whipped the trucks around... I saw a number of RVs coming toward me leaning at angle in the wind... finished with their trip to Alaska and headed home. I was glad that I was only dealing with the low profile of the Aliner. The winds were high and gusty as I pulled into camp, and I knew that this was going to be another test for the Aliner... The camp owner tried to position me where I had some protection, but it is a flat camp on a hill and "there was no place to hide".. I opened it up just fine.. The gusts do rock it around some as I write this, but the stabilizers seem to be holding it in place. And I have left it attached to the car, but with the wheel jack down also and locked. I plugged into the 30 amps, turned on the electric heater and CD player and fixed myself something to eat.
One thing I forgot to mention previously was the currency exchange and handling money.... Visa (or other credit card) is the preferred way to go up here.. it is readily accepted and gets you the best rate since it is a bank to bank transfer.. I was told this at US information booth on the border before I crossed at International Falls.. and when I stopped at the information booth on the Canadian side where I was told one could get the best exchange rate (other than banks) I found that they accepted Visa at the exchange. Only one campground (in Regina) would take only cash (shook my hand and put the money in his pocket)... except for the "Good Sam" certified camps, which generally required cash to get the member 10% discount. But the prices were far best at the "Good Sam" camps. So... think Visa... don't leave home without it.
The camp manager is going to let me do a modem hookup in her home when I am ready so I do not have to fight with the outside payphones in the wind... I have found the camp managers to be very cordial.. especially the "Good Sam" certified camps. I now feel that the first camp I stopped at in the Lake of the Woods gave me the "American" rate... maybe because it was so close to the Minnesota border and is a recreation area for fisherman from the US... I think some places take the Canadian rate and apply it to American dollars for US citizens and jack it up accordingly... When I traveled through Ontario staying in Motels last fall, I got that impression several times.. but that was the only providence where I have experienced it..
Well, this is it folks... heading north tomorrow morning.. modem
connections may be more difficult to come by (in fact with all the RVs pulling into
this camp, the road may be hard to find).. But I will be anxious to share my
early experience on the Alcan at the first possible point...
