Lower Alaska Highway to Racing River

June 14, 2009
Racing River Crossing, MM 400, Alaska Highway

Today's adventure brought us another 200 miles closer to Alaska, with a preview of the roads to come. All of today's route was paved except for a short section where a bridge is being replaced, and road conditions varied from good (58-60 MPH) to fair (45-50 MPH) to fair and winding (25-40 MPH). We're getting pretty good at gauging how fast we can go, or better said, how much to slow down. This is the first time we're traveling as a group of three coaches, so it takes getting used to everyone's driving style.

we're continuing to plan as we go, working out each day's finishing point and most stops in advance. Today, we knew we'd get to mile marker 390-400 and that we'd stop in the little town of Fort Nelson for fuel and dumping. Bob and I stopped for fuel while Rod went ahead to the dump station. When we got to the dump, we could see that Rod was getting ready to unhook the car since the turn was too tight, and we wouldn't be any better. In fact, it didn't even look like we'd be able to park to unhook, so we passed it by (not an emergency) and waited down the road for the others. Together again, we continued on, leaving the forested hills behind as the road tracked back into the Canadian Rockies.

We saw Stone Sheep on Stone Mountain (where else?) and ended the day near the Racing River crossing. We're about 100 metres from the bridge and walked to the river's edge from where we're parked. It really is moving quickly, and we did some rough (very rough) calculations based on debris in the water moving about 30 metres in 5 seconds which puts the flow at over 20 KPH (12+ MPH). Don't fall in!

After dinner (pot stickers), we saw a white-tailed deer across the road and got a few pictures before it disappeared back into the brush.

Tomorrow, we have a short driving day planned, only about 77 miles to Liard Hot Springs. We're expecting to cross into Alaska by next weekend.

Click here for pictures from today.