The road chose me

A beautiful sunny day with no bugs meant I could get back into shorts, T-shirt and my much loved flips. Leaving Dawson City to the North requires a ferry across the Yukon River – a much in demand service it turned out. I chatted to anyone and everyone while waiting for about an hour until my turn finally came. The river was so wide and the current so strong, the ferry driver “danced” across the river. He let the current really grab us and pull us downstream quite a long way. Not concerned at all, he executed a beautiful 90 degree turn then just at the right moment, gunned the engines and powered us upstream for a perfect docking.
Coolest ferry crossing I’ve been on.

On Top Of The World

Just as I started onto The Top Of The World Highway I picked up my first hitchhiker – a young guy from Belgium who had been on the road in the North for about 3 weeks. I was happy to have someone to share the drive with and we chatted it up then entire day. The road climbs steadily for the first 10 kms or so and then all of a sudden you pop and and you’re quite literally on top of the world. 360 degree views await, with snow-capped jagged peaks in every direction and lush green valleys in the foreground. We rounded a bend to see a grizzly sow on her hind legs with two cubs nearby – she had heard us coming and stood up for a better view. Too quickly they vanished into the dense forest, something they seem to be very good at doing.

Some gravel sections

The road winds on in much the same fashion for about 100kms before reaching the most northerly land border in the US. My first border crossing of the trip went very smoothly which I was more than happy with. Crossing into Alaska the road winds slowly down and down into a beautiful lush green valley, but now with epicly snow-capped, epicly jagged peaks epicly close. We quickly decided that everything in Alaska must be epic and used the word about a hundred times in 5 minutes. When it started pouring rain, it made sense that it was epic rain, but that didn’t make it any less pesky than normal rain.

The top of the world winds on and on

Mad props to Bill for suggesting The Top Of The World Highway – one of the most beautiful roads I have ever driven.

I’m totally pumped to spend my first night in Alaska. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

Top Of The World - Alaska

-Dan

Driving the Alaska Highway was actually getting a little mundane – wide, flat & straight as far as the eye could see. I’d also started thinking of it as “The Retirees Highway” due to the average person frequenting the highway….And then BAM – all of a sudden it was narrow, windy, up and down mountain passes and the surface went from fantastic to terrible in about 10 meters – perfect!

Of course, I hiked to the top of the first mountain I could find, which happened to be at the highest point of the Highway at 1295 meters (4,248 feet). The highway here was cutting through the northern-most ranges in the Canadian Rockies – I have no idea what lies further north.

Love those mountains

I’d also been wondering if I was going to see any wildlife on this highway, when again out of nowhere it all fell into my lap. I saw a cow moose and her two calves trying to cross the road, two young black bears playing together, tons of deer and caribou, lots of buffalo (damn they are big) and finally the little guy in the photo below.

Little guy on the side of the road

Knowing that a bunch of hot springs are coming up, I’ve been gathering information as best I can. Some are very well known about and I’ll go to for sure, others – “good luck”. I passed through Toad Creek today which has a hot spring about 10km hike away. After talking to the locals I ended up giving it a miss for two main reasons – it’s a smelly lukewarm mud pit at best and the logging road is on the wrong side of the river which is way to high to cross.

Don’t worry though, I’m pretty sure my next update will have more hot water than… umm… well lots of it anyway.

-Dan

Dan and Jeep

Have you ever wanted to do something to find out if you could – to see what kind of person you are?
Have you ever wanted to actually live your dreams instead of watching them hover just out of reach?
Have you ever wanted to do something so crazy you were almost afraid to say it out loud?

Next week, I’m setting out to drive my Jeep 50,000kms on The Pan American Highway from The Arctic Ocean in Northern Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego, the southernmost point of South America.

I’m going to record my whole trip here with stories and photos, but more than that, I want you guys to join in too. Remember those “choose your own adventure” books where you got to make up your own story? I’m going to make my trip the same for you. Whenever I get to a fork in the road, or I can’t decide if I should detour to see some ruins, or stick around another week, I’m going to ask you guys. The choices will be put to a vote – the choice with the most votes wins and I’ll do it.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to hike to Macha Pichu or to drive Bolivia’s “Road of Death”. Here’s your chance. If it gets voted up I’ll do it. You’ll be able to read all about it here with trip reports, adventure stories and photos.

I think the whole trip will take twelve months, but that’s just a guess – let’s say plus or minus six months to that.
Updates will come shortly on my Jeep, gear, medical requirements and more. In the mean time, checkout my completely made-up route north/south and the Jeep looking pretty excited

-Dan

Dan and Jeep ready to go.

Completely made up.