Driving the Alaska Highway - Part 2

Today was the day we found the Alaska Highway of legend: the frost heaves, the potholes, the gravel, the washboard surfaces, the whoop-de-doos, the dust and the mud. From our campground in Destruction Bay all the way to the Alaska border, the road -- all 140 miles of it -- was one big construction zone -- except for the good places, which were just long enough to make us complacent for the next surprise. It is hard to tell from these pictures, but my car is completely covered by a layer of brown dust.

I will say this for the highway crews, though: they usually give you warning. Let's face it; a pothole can pop up anyplace and there's not much to be done about it. But the areas of rough roads were well-marked, and there was usually a little red flag at the side of the road to warn about especially bad places (like whoop-de-doos, which are almost impossible to see beforehand).

Once we hit Alaska, though, the roads were pretty good. I really can't blame the state for the idiots who sometimes drive on the roads.

Driving the highway is unlike anything else I have experienced with the possible exception of some secondary roads in Wyoming last year. You can drive along for several minutes without seeing any traffic in either direction. There are also no homes, no services, no rest areas, no nuthin'.

Then every once in a while something will happen: a town, construction, etc., and you will find yourself in the middle of a crowd. The closer you get to Alaska the higher the percentage of RVs. But on the entire highway you can often go 20 miles (in many cases 50 miles or more) with absolutely no services of any kind available. And no cell phone service, either. That's why our trek has tailgunners (us) to be available if there is a problem. That's one of the important services our guests are paying for. (We try not to think about what happens if WE break down.)

And, yes, we have had to help people. One of our guests had a flat tire on his trailer. I had to go to the next town (fortunately not far) to arrange for a mechanic. The same guest had a second flat the next day. (We assume they were caused by the same pothole.) Another guest had fluid dripping from his toad (the term for a car that is being towed -- get it?) Luckily he was able to get to Whitehorse, Yukon (a relatively VERY big city of 23,000) where he could get his problem fixed. (It was luckily an easy fix. He had picked up a hole in his radiator hose.) But I had to run into town to pick him up at the service station and make sure he was taken care of. After the road today it is a miracle that we didn't find one of our guests broken down along the way.

So tomorrow we complete the Alaska Highway having driven from Dawson Creek, BC to Delta Junction, AK. (Delta Junction is the official end. Fairbanks is the unofficial end.) The Alaska roads are supposed to be better than the Alaska Highway. (Except for the frost heaves. I'd bet you'll read more about them.) But we have done it. We completed the Alaska Highway!

But I'm sure there will be more stories. After all, we have to come back....