Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway is a great adventure, and a very long drive.  It is a journey of a lifetime across a great expanse of Canada and Alaska.  The beginning point for the highway is Dawson Creek in British Columbia and travels northwesterly into the Yukon near Watson Lake and on into Alaska.  We knew that it would be a long journey but we were excited for the sites and experiences we would have along the way.

The road out of Dawson Creek leaves the steep climbs of the majestic mountains and travels through rolling, forest lands.  Over and over, we were warned to watch for all sorts of animals that inhabit the forests but we saw precious few.  Twice, we saw moose.  The first was a female with her calf who came out of the tree line but quickly turned and returned to the safety of the trees.  The second was a a single moose standing on the shoulder.  It was amazing but it too retreated into the safety of the trees before a picture could be taken.  We also saw a large, red fox moving beside a field and into the trees.  The color was lovely but he disappeared quickly.  We also saw a deer but it was only a fleeting glimpse as we rounded a curve.  The closest we got to taking pictures of the animals were the signs warning of their presence.  Take a look at a few pictures we took on the Alaska Highway between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson.

There are many lakes that dot the landscape.  I find the shadows on the face of the mountains interesting to look at.  Were it not for the remoteness, this would be a wonderful place to live.

The highway wound through some beautiful forest land.  After a while, we longed to see other humans.  This picture captured the rare other motorist traveling southbound.

These two pictures are examples of how the British Columbia folks warn of animals in the area.  It is humorous to us to see them looming on the side of the road.  This one warns of Caribou and the one below is for Elk.

One of the many lakes that are stocked with fish each year.  Perhaps at some point, we will do a bit of fishing.

At every turn, there are beautiful vistas to enjoy.

One of the industries in this area is coal.  This power place we pass is another example of how they move the coal from the mining areas directly to the plant using covered conveyors the move the coal down the mountain to the plant that sits beside the river.  Very efficient.