THE 'ALCAN'

I cannot believe that I haven't updated my blog since the Yukon....   oops.   Well...  since this all went down about a month ago, it has already been deleted from memory - but here's a few photos that I have not yet managed to delete from  my camera.   

Leaving Watson Lake the 'ALCAN' or Alaskan Highway snakes its way across the Continental Divide giving way to some spectacular scenery.   This highway was built in 1942 by US and Canadian military personnel in an effort to bring our military to the war front of Alaska against a potential Japanese invasion.   It is in total about 1700 miles long and took one incredible summer to complete.   Canada has since taken oven the upkeep and has drastically improved the highway since then.

One of the few remaining bison herds that can be found lounging around on the highway.

These guys are HUGE and are quite intimidating to ride past.   One guy started following me and I nearly wet myself.

A few kilometers down the road leads to the spectacular Liard Hotsprings  - a must stop soad along the long highway.   This pool is so hot I could only stay in for a few moments.  

The road then climbs upward toward the Continental Divide.

Amazing views of Muncho Lake. Then upwards and onwards.

 

 Kept seeing these all across the Yukon - or was it British Columbia - BC?   Everything I would think of Oscar the Grouch and Seaseme Street and I kept having the urge to deface one of these signs...   I resisted the urge, but someone else had the same idea and could not!

What's this?   Canada has a special on Botox - this is the Bubba Gump Special - but since Canadians have socialized health care I could only get one side of my lip done at a time....   I would have to wait another six months to get the other half done....   no really - this is what happens when you get stung by a bee on a bicycle - this is only 10 minutes afterwards - I will not show any photos from the following day when my face turned into something even more monstrous! 

Once over the divide the highway takes a turn for the boring....    you pass thru miles or kilometers of oil and gas exploration and hundreds of trucks.   This guy in the grader passed my a couple of bottles of pure water - something that is pretty scarce out there!

Random acts of kindness...   This fella rode this road about 10 years ago and now is returning to the Yukon for a holiday and is handing out Mars bars to all the cyclists he sees!    Thanks heaps!

Finally found me a MAN!

Wicked cool curved bridge that is still up and going from the original 1942 construction.  The real highway has been re-routed.

 I don't know how I managed it, but I found myself in the plains...    Not great on the scenery, but could really put some miles in and head south....   winter is coming!

 Finally made it to Dawson Creek, BC - the official start of the ALCAN! 

Check out this link to see my route so far!