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| From 626-628-2011 |
Perhaps everyone is just so excited that it's summer, that they can't help but interact with one another at any opportunity. I can't explain it, but I like it. I pulled out my camera at the beginning of the Alaska highway and immediately had two volunteers to take my photo, immediately!
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| From 626-628-2011 |
The days grew longer the farther north I went. The first sunset in Edmonton seemed slightly more prolonged than the last I had experienced in Helena, but I thought I might be imagining things. In Fort Lewis, BC the sky was cloudy at midnight but still slightly illuminated, and in Whitehorse the sky was fully lit when I went to sleep and also fully lit when I awoke, so I really don't know if there was any darkness in between!
I saw many beautiful scenes along the route through Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory. There were crystal clear lakes and streams.
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| From 626-628-2011 |
I stopped and pulled out my portable water filter along the way to get a sample of fluoride-free drinking water.
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| From 626-628-2011 |
The taste was unbeatable. Several animals agreed with me. I saw some wild sheep nearby.
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| From 626-628-2011 |
Also a baby moose. Very cute.
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| From 626-628-2011 |
The trip wasn't without drama though. At dusk (prolonged as it was) about a hour outside Fort Lewis, I heard a loud rumbling noise. I knew this sound... I pulled over to find a very flat, very damaged tire. It had several gaping holes, so my bike pump would not help me out of this one. I grabbed some nearby rocks to stop the car from rolling as a I jacked the car. This attracted the attention of a nearby swarm of mosquitoes.
I had heard that the mosquitoes in Alaska were fierce, but I hadn't expected this. They swarmed like bees around me, and had I not still smelled of sulfur from the hot springs in Thermopolis, I'm sure I would have been dinner for dozens of them. Luckily I was only bitten once during the whole time I was changing the tire even though I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. When all was done and the trunk full of vegetable oil and filters was repacked, I got back in my car to discover another legion of mosquitoes had found their way through my cracked windows. I don't like killing things, but I had to get rid of them somehow. I swatted like crazy until they were all dead. My car is still littered with their bodies. I need a vacuum.
I can't blame the mosquitoes for hanging out there though. There is plenty of stagnant water and wildlife, and on top of it all, the air is clean and often sweet smelling. There is no need for air fresheners along the Alaska highway. The smell of fresh pine or wildflowers is just a cracked window away.
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| From 629-2011 |
In addition to wildflowers, I also found some wild strawberries. Now my mother always told me not to eat strange berries, but my mother wasn't on the Alaska highway yesterday so she couldn't stop me. I had to try the little berries. They tasted so good like pure strawberry concentrate, only natural, so I had to eat some more. I saved some and am attempting to dry them so that I can plant the seeds later.
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| From 626-628-2011 |
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