The Alaska-Canada Highway Will Not Beat Us

We awoke Wednesday, June 28, to beautiful birds on the bannister of our little patio.  They had nests in the eaves of the building and it was cool to hear and see them.  This was a great place to stay, but all too soon, it was time to get back on the road as we had to make miles each day to make our destination by our goal date.

Bright and beautiful were these little birds.  And they weren't too afraid either.

This highway has been something, but not as bad as Peppermint had thought it might be.  Thanks to good weather, I expect.  A friend who is an excellent and cautious rider had gone down so she was a bit apprehensive.  We were fortunate to not have much rain, just a few sprinkles mostly, here and there.  The construction areas were dry, which is helpful, so no mud or sliding around scrambling to stay upright, even in two-mile-long dirt and gravel stretches. 

There was a culvert project where there were detours, and those were rocks and gravel, nearly dirt-bike quality, but we made it through all of those without a mishap.  Yay.  Being in the tour pack, I was safely crammed in with all the crap she carries, but I was a bit concerned because I could feel some fishtailing going on.  

No road trip on the Alcan is complete without a stop at Toad River.  The girls let me out ... but it seems I'm just eye candy, taken out for a photo here and there 

But it was a great day as there lots of animals.  Peppermint loves seeing the animals more than anything else, so we stopped a lot while she and Rockin’ Rita took photos.  They still didn’t let me out.  I’m suffering back here with sneakers, purses, makeup and whatever else she can’t fit somewhere else on the bike.

These are my people.  I should have been let out of the tour pack.  I'm very unhappy.  I'm not afraid of these guys.  I'm thinking I could have found some love here and made some little Flat Rockys.

Look at these ladies.  I'm in love.  The second from the left has my heart forever.  I could see through the crack in the tour pack.  Now I'm heartbroken because I couldn't get to my one true love.  I hate Peppermint.

The caribou down the road came by the bikes as the vehicles spooked them.  Maybe I could love a caribou?

The sun was still with us on Thursday, June 29.  We made it to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and sought out the end, or the beginning depending on whether you’re coming or going, of the Alaska-Canada sign, Milepost Zero.  It was kind of tough as there are really two signs.  One is in the middle of town, in the middle of the street.  They rode around a bit to find it. 

The Mile Zero in the middle of the street.  With cars going by, I was sure I'd be left as road kill.

The other is the arch set off the road with a big parking lot.  This is the one people usually use to document their road trip.  But, of course, the ladies had to photograph both of them.

I'm finally out of the tour pack ... maybe these two scamps remembered I'm on this road trip with them?

We were getting close to being out of Canada.  When we got near Calgary, Alberta, on Friday, June 30, we met up with a friend of Dewey’s … the Canadian brother to many Alaskans, but probably not me as I didn’t see any horns. 

Karen met us at a gas station, and had Nanaimo bars waiting.  Homemade goodies with soft chocolate frosting … they melted in your mouth.  Or so I’m told.  I didn’t get any of those.  I’m sure the ladies would have told me they were poisonous to sheep.  I’m not buying any of that, though.

Look at that luscious Nanaimo bar.  I could have slurped down a dozen of them in nothing flat ... get that?  Flat?  But when it came down to it, I didn't even get a sniff.  Unbeknownst to them, even through the tour pack I could smell the chocolate, and I drooled all over everything.  Peppermint was wondering how things got damp.  Haha.  I got back at her and she never suspected a thing.  What a nice way to be greeted, though, at your first meeting.  Thank you, Karen.  It was wonderful.

 Anyway, Karen took the ladies to a great food spot she’d never tried before.  The girls said it was awesome, and if they could ever find it again, would go back.  After a leisurely lunch, Karen got us around Calgary proper on some back roads, fun and not too much traffic.  At a crossroads, she pointed us in the right direction and we got on our way, headed to Lethbridge, before hitting those final miles to drop into Montana, and the good ole US of A.

As we traveled on Highway 23, we stopped for gas in a town called Vulcan, in southern Alberta.  It was named Vulcan after the Roman God of Fire.  However, one of their claims to fame is having some Star Trek things there, including a replica of the Starship Enterprise.  While only of the girls was interested in that, and probably would attend one of the annual “trekkie” conventions, it was at least worth a photo opportunity for me.

Now that I think about it, if I had one of these flying things, I could get to my one true love in the Northern Rockies.  If only I had thumbs and fingers and knew how to fly it.  I'd dump these two in a sheep heartbeat.

At that point, the final leg to Lethbridge needed to be complete and we were in for the night.