inching north

In Dawson Creek, BC, mile 0 of the Alaska Highway (or the Al-Can) has become a tourist attraction. A white milepost has been erected in the center of an intersection in town marking its original location, but for convenience’s sake, a more ostentatious marker has been placed along the highway that most travelers take through town, nearly two blocks away. After several false starts, the war in Europe provided the impetus for the construction of the highway in 1942 as a means to connect important military bases in Canada and Alaska. The project wound up costing nearly $150 million.

Our progress northward is becoming more evident in the world around us. The sun is setting after 9 pm now, the trees are aging in reverse, and the beautiful weather that we’ve grown accustomed to is apparently arriving just days ahead of us at each stop. Moose crossing signs are appearing at smaller intervals, though we have yet to spot the great, lumbering creatures.
At our last campsite, another traveler told KT some tales about the Al-Can. He claimed to have seen eagles steal small pets from their unwitting, RV-driving owners—just swooping out of the sky to tug them, leash and all, from the astounded grasps of their masters. He said also that the Al-Can destroys relationships and that friends should never make the trek together. I’m interested in seeing which scenario we come upon first.

Tonight, we’re camped 145 miles away from Dawson Creek, at a small campsite/store/post office called Pink Mountain. I feel like we’ve stumbled upon an abandoned lumber camp. This small outpost has gas, a fully stocked shop and a meat locker out back. Although it opened at the beginning of the month, it won’t see much business until mid-June. The pipes in the camp showers won’t thaw until then, either. Most of the sites are empty with a small handful of RV’s strewn about and only three other tenters, two of which arrived just as we were winding down for bed. This was a four-hour drive from our last stop, and I marvel over driving through miles of wilderness and then passing small isolated collections of people.

PS - Check out some pics on the first days and oh, canada!