The AlCan (Alaska Canada Highway)

This highway is a continuation of the Alaska Highway as it goes through the various Canadian provinces of the Yukon and British Columbia. Officially it goes from Delta Junction in Alaska  (Highways 1 and 2) to Dawson Creek in British Columbia via Highway 97. In many of the Canadian towns the street signs call it Alaska Highway. It's in pretty good shape from Destruction Bay going east and south.

My first stop on it was right at Destruction Bay. There are two for-pay campgrounds, but then three dirt roads down to the lake. I was told later by another van dweller that the campgrounds aren't even on the lake where these free boondocking sites are! Excellent!

The water was so clear, pristine and COLD! I wanted to jump in, but the temperature was not that hot. I don't well cold so I didn't. I almost stayed another night to recover from the Highway from Hell, but laying around doing nothing felt like a waste of time.

I stopped in Whitehorse again, only this time found Save-On Grocery Store which has some gluten-free and organic food. I stopped at the visitor centre and loaded up on free water (that really wasn't very tasty) and used their internet. 

Continued along the highway (hoping to see wildlife!) and camped on a little dirt road along side the river. I saw this spot on the way to Alaska:

Then it started raining. And the mosquitoes swarmed. UGH! Below is the view from my bed. Keep in mind it's about 11pm. The sun doesn't set until 12:45am...AM!

The next morning I drove away and not a mile later I found the rest stop where several RVs and vans were parked. I do that a lot...find a spot then the next morning realized if I just would have continued a bit further a better spot is available. But this camping spot was private.

The next morning I headed out early. The woman at the Whitehorse visitor centre told me to get gas at Watson Lake, but it was 20 miles out of my way as I had planned to go back Highway 37. The gas station on the corner of my exit wasn't working right so I thought OK, head to Watson Lake. I'm so glad I did! First they have the coolest attraction right on the highway free to strolled: The Sign Post Forest!

 

Unfortunately it was raining or I might have strolled all day looking at these signs from all over the world.

The visitor centre told me the AlCan was now open. Due to the forest fires in the northeast part of British Columbia they closed it which is why I took Highway 37 to Alaska. So on a spur of the moment I thought, Why not take a new route? See more things? I continued on the AlCan heading east.

My first stop was the Liard River Hot Springs. I was tired, really hungry and braindead! I could have purchased a day pass for $5, but I opted for the $26 camping spot. It's raining. I jumped into that hot springs anyway! It's the second largest natural hot springs in Canada. It was glorious, huge and hot! Others soaking with me told me if it wasn't raining the mosquitoes and black horse flies would be swarming. I kept worrying, How am I going to dry my towel let alone my hair in my van. That's going to create way too much moisture and mold! When I got out I asked the reception if the campground has dryers. No. Do they have wi-fi? No. Do they have electrical outlets. No. It was pretty primitive. Do you give refunds? No. I should have asked these questions BEFORE I paid for camping! Braindeadness is my only excuse.

Then I realized I had driven all day in the rain. I know better. The solars don't charge in clouds and I should have had the power station hooked into the van's battery. I'm down to zero. This is not good. I left, forfeiting my $26 campsite and drove for another four hours to charge the power station! I hate wasting money, but it couldn't be helped.

Along the way I saw two bears, a moose, two herds of bison, and a caribou! It's hard driving a highway. Sometimes it's not a good idea to slow down or stop especially in the rain or by the time I do stop the animal has disappeared so I tend to just do a slower drive-by and look. With this one bear no one was behind me or in front of me so I stopped, backed up 30 feet and took a photo.

I often see moose on the highway usually far away. They must like the pavement. I notice, too, bears love to poop on the sides of the highway. This feels like passive-aggressive resentment toward human enroachment on their land. Do you blame them?

The bison were just laying on the side of the road. They look so much smaller than those monsters I saw on the way to Alaska! Maybe a different breed? 

At one point in the drive I rounded a corner and was faced with the devastation of the wildfire from a couple weeks ago! I was shocked. First, I thought the highway was closed due to smoke. I didn't realize the fire went over the highway. Acres and acres of destruction over the rolling hills still smoldering which made me a little nervous. It was creepy!

I continued traveling, constantly checking the Bluetti charge. I would have loved to have stayed at Muncho Lake. There were pull-outs right on the lake, but without a good charge, that would have been risky. I continued traveling through gorgeous greenery, mountains, lakes, rivers. British Columbia is spectacular.

There is nothing more gratifying than a full tank of gas! About halfway through this beautiful route, my tank was down to half. I avoid less than half a tank just because I have no idea when the next gas station will be. The next gas station was out in the middle of no where, I pulled up and the price was about $1.50 more than normal. Call me stubborn or just indignant, but I kept driving. As I drove I got a little worried. Maybe that was the only gas station until Dawson Creek!? OMG! Thankfully there was another one that had a reasonable price. When I finally get a full tank for the next hour I sing, "Got a full tank of gas! I am on my way!" It's such a relief!

The gas stations all along the AlCan are often "antique". Absolutely ancient. They have those pumps where the numbers flip like back in the 1960s! The first one I encountered I thought, I hope I remember how to work one of these! Or often they have just a huge metal container with a hose but little else. Many of the stations have you pump first, then tell them the amount when you pay. 

I arrived in Fort Nelson around 9pm when everything was closed BUT my Bluetti was up to 50%! Found a camping spot outside of town at the Parker Lake Recreation Site. One other car was parked there. Next to a lake. Lots of mosquitoes with one tormenting me for hours until I finally killed it.

I woke early as usual and speed-walked the dirt road to and from the highway. Sitting all day requires exercise or my back starts hurting. I drove to town. Nothing opened until 9am. Visited the visitor centre, went to the health food store, went to a cafe that does gluten-free and got a breakfast sandwich to go. With the Bluetti not charged fully, I didn't want to chance cooking anything. Did a load of laundry at the laundromat that had top loading washers to wash my towels including the towel I soaked at the hot springs. Lovely laundry lady talked my ear off about the community and criticizing Canadian politics, both local and nationally. Although she was bashing on their liberal policies, it sounded just like American politics and I told her, "I don't think it's political party. I think it's men in charge!" She agreed. It was a fun conversation.

Left for Dawson Creek on the AlCan. I love how they have wide expansive fields next to the highway. This is where one sees the bears. Very nice drive, nice road especially in sections when it is so smooth it's like driving on glass, a little boring, but the traffic at times was bumper to bumper. Along with rest stops they have a lot of pull-outs with bear-proof garbage containers. The highway is very clean. They also have emergency phones all along the road. 

Bought new windshield wipers at the Fort St. Johns Ford dealership. Along the way was sun with thunder showers and my wipers were not doing well!

By the time I got to Dawson Creek, I was really tired. The Walmart has received glowing reviews on allowing nomads to park overnight. I like parking at Walmart. It always feels safe. However, I don't do anything that makes me look like I'm camping...or living in the parking lot. I don't cook outside. I don't wash my van. Etc. The store is one of the smallest I've seen with the weirdest layout, but there must have been thirty RVs, cars, and vans parked around the perimeter (as instructed). I had to move at one point because a camper pulled in beside me and whoever was inside started smoking cigarettes which filled my van with stink. I ended up next to a woman also in a Transit from Washington so that was much better! Very little mosquitoes (OH THANK GOD FOR SMALL MIRACLES!), great temperature, and quiet. I slept really good surrounded by "my people". 

Next stop was Chetwyn. I started driving through with no thought to stop and I kept seeing amazing sculptures on both sides of the road! Once I got to the far end of town where the sculptures stopped, I parked, got out and walked the length of the town looking at each work of art. It seems two weeks ago and every year since 2005 this little town has the International Chainsaw Carving Championship! It was just two weeks ago so I missed it. Some of the sculptures were amazingly detailed! It was fun. I was exhausted by the time I got back to Big Blue and I didn't even see them all as I was told they are also all over the town. There are over 200! I love these kinds of travel surprises. Such a gift!

This one was one of my favorites
called The Monsters We Make.

At Prince George the AlCan ends or rather Highway 97 ends and this is a full circle as I came through Prince George on the way to Alaska!

The Highway from Hell

To be clear, the whole Alaska Highway isn't hellish. Just the part between Tok, Alaska and Destruction Bay, Yukon, but even this small section will give you nightmares. When one lives in a vehicle, damaging the vehicle might render one homeless! For someone who is chemically sensitive and housing options are scarce, this is to be avoided at all costs. I did NOT want to drive back on this highway! I even called the Alaskan ferry system to find out about ferries from wherever to wherever. I didn't even care! I was told by the very nice customer service agent there aren't many, well, only one from Valdez to Bellingham, Washington. I exclaimed, "I CAN DO THAT!" Then she said they are reserved up to five months in advance. There is no sleeping in vehicles and no access to vehicles during the sailing. I could reserve a cabin, sleep on the deck, sleep in the solarium on a tent or in a chair in the passenger area. Could I tolerate their cabins? Could I sleep next to smelly people on the deck, solarium or the passenger sitting area? I doubt it. She had one available spot on August 15th due to a cancellation with a cabin for about (can't remember exact price) $2600. It would take three and a half days. I was tempted especially since that cabin had a private shower, but I decided I did prefer the freedom to drive.

I woke up at 4:00am ready to tackle the highway from hell. I figured getting there early on a Saturday morning there would be little traffic and I could drive as slowly as I liked. This worked out well. Most of the traffic was going to Alaska, much more in fact than two weeks ago. Most of the time I had the highway to myself. That made it only a tiny bit better as I didn't have as many trucks passing me throwing dirt, gravel and dust all over Big Blue.

This is what the highway looks like before they start mangling it with really bad patch jobs. Even their patching methods are shoddy.

For sixteen solid Alaskan miles this is what it looked like with flagging stops and pilot truck guidance:

When the semi-trucks or large trucks passed me, the dust was so bad I couldn't see the road. Motorcycles were treating it like some off-road adventure challenge. Still, they went the speed limit of 70kmh (50 mph) regardless of the dust, gravel, potholes, cracks and rollercoaster bumps!

For 220 Canadian kilometers, this is what it looked like:

For about 100 yards it was pavement drop-off then gravel covered potholes and cracks, dust, and dirt. Then one mile of bad highway, alternating with another 100 yards of van-abusive "gravel patches". FOR 220 KILOMETERS!

There were times I went 10 mph, never more than 40 mph. Thankfully few people were on the road that early and if they came up behind me, I pulled over and let them pass.

Part of the highway had been repaved. It was wonderful!

At the Destruction Bay gas station, a sport car drove up. Low to the ground, sleek, gorgeous. I think it was bright blue. It might have been a Ferrari or Mazeradi, but the mud covering the whole car also covered the decal. 

Mazerati

Ferrari

It was a Ferrari. The Mazerati isn't low and sleek enough. 

This shockingly gorgeous young man opened the door and as he passed me he said with the biggest, "I'm-gorgeous-rich-entitled-and-I-know-it" smile and said extremely cheerfully, "Hi! How are you?" I responded speechlessly with, "I'm fine." and kept walking. He drove that car over the Highway from Hell!!!???? It's so low to the ground I wonder HOW? How did he not bottom out with every gravel patch? If I wasn't so mesmerized and confused by his beauty, I might have asked. I left the gas station and not fifteen minutes later he passed me speeding at least three times faster than I was traveling. I think he must have a death wish. I wish I would have taken  photo of the car covered in mud!

East of Destruction Bay the highway wasn't too bad with occasional gravel patches and some potholes.

I'd like to think one day it'll all be fix and lovely like the above photo, but every winter the permafrost damages the highway so it's an ongoing challenge for Alaska and the Yukon to keep up with the destruction. I was told by visitor centres with the wildfires, they don't have the resources.

I survived to tell the tale...not my idea of a good time!

North to Alaska!

It took me six days to get to Alaska. I started in southeast British Columbia via Highway 6 out of Nelson, then Highway 23 to Revelstoke via the Galena Ferry. It was a free twenty minute ride:

I continued on the Trans-Canada Highway 1 and stayed at the Frog Falls Recreation Site just west of Revelstoke. It was only 4 km along another active logging road (!), but around 9pm. alone with the darkness of tree cover and noise of the raging creek, unable to see or hear, I started feeling really creepy and moved to the beginning of the road. This gave me internet and I felt safer in the open air. I've learned to trust my instincts and they screamed at me get out of there! I obeyed. It didn't help I backed into a tree stump having no room in the campsite and dented my bumper!

The next morning I continued on Highway 1 to Kamloops. The landscape changed drastically from lush green mountains, beautiful canyons with lakes and rivers to desolate desert with ugly scrub trees. Kamloops matched this ugliness with the weirdest Walmart I've ever been in. It had a large, red unwelcoming sign that said "NO RV OR VEHICLE OVERNIGHT PARKING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES", locked grocery carts that cost a dollar, surveillance videos with warnings, and no water refill machines! However, the town did have a glorious health-oriented grocery store.

Lots of repaving of Highway 1 with detours, finally connecting to Highway 97. I stayed at the Dewar Lake Recreation Site - the road was paved all the way to the campground. Very nice, right on the lake, restroom, picnic table, very quiet, and a lot of mosquitoes. I was the only one there, but it was bright and cheerful which was the exception for recreation sites. Usually I find them at the end of a rocky, dirt road out in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden a very fancy sign appears reminding one there is still civilization nearby! It's rather jolting yet welcoming!

Continued to Prince George on Highway 97 and the next night stayed at Swan Park RV Campground which is the city park for Fraser Lake and right on the lake with restrooms and garbage containers. Free! It was empty when I got there, but by morning filled with people even parking in the grass on the side! 

Next morning I continued along Highway 16 connecting to Highway 37. I was warned to be sure to bring a spare tire as this highway was hellish. I found it to be delightfully well-maintained with beautiful scenery. The northern half was a little potholed and some repaving construction, but I also saw a grizzly mom and two cubs at a rest stop!! I spent a very quiet night near Kinasta Lake on the side of the highway.

Cubs ran into the bushes when they heard my van door close! Darn!

Next morning continued on Highway 37. I tried to keep my fuel tank above 1/2 of a tank, but kept encountering gas stations that were closed. I finally found one with a "GAS" sign, but when I pulled up the pump was dismantled! I went in and asked and the man said because of the fires, gas deliveries have stopped which is why other stations are closed. This was worrisome! He said he had gas and pointed to a large metal container. Seeing the fearful look on my face he offered to pump it for me and after he spilled it all over the side of my van and the ground, I had a full tank of gas for a substantially increased price! What was I going to do? A full tank of gas is priceless out in the middle of nowhere!

I connected to the Alaska Highway (#1) near Watson Lake and drove to Whitehorse in clouds and rain. Very disappointing! I want summer weather! Not liking the Yukon!

I stopped in Whitehorse. The air quality from the wildfires was so bad I could hardly breathe. I visited the visitors center and the informed me boondocking in the Yukon is not allowed. She proceeded to tell me some secret spots to park overnight, but I continued on the Alaska Highway finding a spot on the side of the road at the turn off for Kusawa Lake and Takhini River parking on an overgrown dirt road behind some trees. I hate breaking the law. I have a fear of police knocking on my van in the middle of the night and demanding I leave. It was a quiet night with no knocking, but I couldn't wait until morning to get outta there!!

The next morning I continued on the Alaska Highway. I was constantly disappointed in the lack of views as the smoke haze made it really difficult to see anything. These are mountains, I think! What a tease!

In the early morning hours I saw a big-ass grizzly and two fluffy buffies. These bison were much bigger than those at Yellowstone. Later that day I passed another giant black bear. All animals totally ignore vehicles. I also saw three fox and countless big bunnies that would dash across the highway, get to the other side, then notice my van, panic and run back across in front of my van. They aren't very smart, but they seem to be able to dodge my wheels and I have yet to kill one. Lots of road kill on the highway so clearly other people (and rabbits) aren't so lucky!

Along the way I saw many RVers and vans camped at the lake just before Destruction Bay. I've heard this is a good place even though it's still in the Yukon. I reached Beaver Creek (Yukon) visitor center around noon.

However, between Whitehorse and Beaver Creek the Alaska Highway in the Yukon was quite possibly the worst road I have yet to travel. They do "gravel patches" or spread gravel all over both sides of the highway for about 100 yards, every mile, for about 100 miles. It supposedly helps to fill in the potholes, cracks, and ruts, but it only creates a whole lot of dust, fishtailing, bouncing around, and vehicle damage. I took it at 10 mph even though the maximum speed is about 50 mph. The locals went even faster thoughtlessly passing me and throwing gravel all over my van. It was hellish and I was furious! I vowed not to travel back the same way! The visitor centre in Beaver Creek said the summer is too short and they don't have enough resources to fix the road as most money goes toward fighting the wildfires. Had I known the road was so bad, I might not have made the trip.

The border officer took my passport and welcomed me back to the states. I said, "I am so glad to be back!!" I absolutely was! British Columbia was beautiful, the Yukon was cold and wet, and I was so happy to leave Canada with its kilometers, bad highways, lack of free camping and weird, unfriendly Walmarts!