July 13-15, 2008 -- On the Road Again

We took off from Haines via motorcycle on the Haines Highway.  Felt good to be riding again.  Saw a black bear cub and a large brown bear on the road from Haines to Haines Jct.  Road was good and the scenery was beyond description.  It was a little chilly, but no rain.  We left Alaska and entered the Canadian Yukon Territory.  We would connect with the Alcan Highway at Haines Junction.  Throughout our journey, there will be only one stretch of the Alcan that we will not drive on.                     History of the Alcan -- The Alcan Highway was originally built as a military route to transport troups, supplies, and aircraft from the lower 48 to Alaska.  Russia (as Sarah Palin says) is right next to the Alaskan border.  Throughout the trip, there were many areas that had been impacted by World War II.

The Alcan Highway is said to be paved, but between construction and frost heaves, that is debatable.  There was construction from Haines Jct to Tok, and I believe there was more gravel on the road there than what they had described for the Top of the World Hwy to Dawson City.  We talked to a rider from Silverton, CO and he said that he wasn't going to return the way we came, was going to take the "World" road back.  At least they admit there are areas on the "World" hwy that have gravel sections.

Having talked with several motorcyclists along the way, we learned that the orange flags along side the road would become our friends.  The flags marked the areas where there would be bumps.  The worse ones had either dip or slower mileage signs or both.  We also learned that the dark patches in the road meant that that section used to have an orange flag, then there was an attempt to patch, but then with the heavy trucks, they became pot holes.  As Ed says, "some of the potholes are deep enough for a gopher to live in."  Ed was very conscience of the road, and we only had a couple of teeth-rattling experiences.

We stayed in 1/2 of a modular at one stop and in the bunkhouse at the Sheep Mountain Resort on our way to Palmer.  The resort is also used in the wintertime for cross country skiing and dog sleds.  It was hard to believe that we were over timberline at 3,700 feet. 

The road crossed the 141st meridian which was the original boundary between Alaska and Canada when an 1825 treaty was signed between Russia and England. This is the boundary that the US understood to be when the purchase was made from Russia. However, when gold was discovered in 1896, a dispute arose between the US and Canada regarding the location of the boundary. In an international tribunal in 1903, the US was favored with the original division.

North of Anchorage (Palmer area) is the Musk Ox Ranch (also see photo above).  These animals are raised for domestication.  They are what would be referred to as a "Pre-Historic Goat."  They had been nearly extinct because of their valuable wool, and now they raising them for both domestication and some released into the wild.