The Alaska Highway

Three days of travel across the northern part of the United States started the journey up to Alaska.

This part of the journey didn’t contain anything exciting, just long days on the road working closer to a reward. I did take note of interesting things along the route to make it a little more exciting. Arriving up to Minot ND, I noticed several missile silos and command centers off the side of the road. The night of July 3rd, I stayed a the campground on Minot Air Force Base. Knowing that I was surrounded by fields of nuclear tipped missiles and B-52s ready to be loaded with additional nuclear ordnance was an eerie feeling. Thankfully, it was a peaceful night!

I woke up on America’s Birthday and promptly crossed the border into Canada. Sorry America, no celebration this year because adventure called. I spent the night in a Provincial Park just east of Calgary which was peaceful. Best of all were the hot showers!

The next day was an adventure into Banff National Park and a tour of the Columbia Icefield, and specifically a trip onto Athabasca glacier. I opted for a pricier tour that offered a smaller crowd, more intimate setting for the guides to talk about the glacier, and which took us up higher on the glacier to ungroomed parts. The experience was amazing along with the people I met. Yes, I drank the glacial water despite my hiker mentality screaming at me to filter it first. I didn’t die!

I camped at the Lake Louise campground and waking up early the next morning took the bus to Moraine Lake and mostly beat the rush of people to the lake (I can’t say the same about Lake Louise about 2 hours later). I’ve seen photos of Moraine Lake come up on screen savers and such which were beautiful in their own right, but as you know things are so much more beautiful in person. This is where my brain started to try to tell me that I needed more time for this trip. I didn’t listen and kept pushing towards Alaska and soaking in the sights of Banff and Jasper National Parks as I inched my way north.

I wish I would have slowed down for this section. I would have, but I had two things against me. In my initial planning I miscalculated distance and ended up leaving out a whole day’s worth of driving. Second, I had to make up a day because I had a campsite inside Denali National Park reserved. Despite driving the entirety (plus a little more) of the Alaska Highway in three days, I still managed to soak it in with stops for pictures and a soak in the Liard Hot Springs. I even did laundry and an oil change just before hitting the pavement of the Alaska Highway.

It was pretty smooth sailing up until Haines Junction, YT. After that point the road started to become rough, and by the time I reached Destruction Bay, the frost heaves demanded a slower pace. It took some energy to navigate this stretch of the highway and I was thankful I didn’t have a trailer. I can’t begin to imagine the struggle of those with the big campers going down the road. Once in Alaska, the road was like brand new! At least for the first 15 or so miles until I hit almost non-stop construction to Tok. While waiting for a pilot vehicle, I met the sweetest flagger who was happy to chat with another girl. I learned her parents are truckers on the Dalton Highway which is were I am headed to next.

I successfully traversed the Alaska Highway and my final destination of Deadhorse is in sights. Deadhorse Alaska is at the end of the Dalton Highway, which is also the northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway (that’s an adventure for another year(s)). It is also the farthest north you can drive in the United States while remaining on public roads.

The Dalton Highway is mostly unpaved, but it is maintained. But just like the Alaska Highway, it is rough as the permafrost is brutal on it. It can also be dangerous due to the remoteness, conditions, and large trucks that use it. If you have ever seen the TV show “Ice Road Truckers,” they have which are the Dalton Highway. It was an adventure, and ultimately I was able to wade into the Arctic Ocean.

With it being summer time, at that far north there was 24 hour daylight. It was weird waking up in the middle of the “night” and seeing the sun overhead, but to the north. Although it was less than a week that I was in total or near total daylight, I really missed darkness and the stars.