Day 8: Dawson Creek, BC to Toad River, BC (399 miles)

Avg. Gas $3.04
Music: Belle and Sebastian, M.I.A., Monsters of Folk

So as you know, we woke up in Dawson Creek, ate a full breakfast and casually hit the road at 11 am. It was our latest departure yet. Dawson Creek is the starting point of the Alaskan Highway. The U.S. government sponsored the construction of the Alaska or the Alcan Highway in 1942. It would be the first overland link between Alaska and the lower 48. It was deemed a military necessity. A massive mobilization of men was sent to build this road in one of the most isolated and wild territories in North America. The project was finished in 8 months. It’s an incredible story, worth reading some history about it. It was hard for me to fathom that many communities and towns we were passing through had not existed before the 1940’s.

We drove through the Northern part of the Rockies. A feeling of connectedness swept over me. I thought about the greatness of these expansive mountains. I felt like I know their diversity. I’ve been in the Andes in South America, which is the southern part of the Rockies. I’ve seen their magnificence in Colorado. And now I see where it begins, the northernmost face of the Rockies. Here they are less tall and foreboding than their southern brother. Yet still majestic, as they stand covered with evergreen and snow.

Since we had a late start, we couldn’t make it to any town of significance before we wanted to stop for the evening. So we stayed at a roadside stop called Toad River. A motel/restaurant/gas station/tire repair, it was teeming with travelers. The place is famous for their hat collection. They have over 4,000 caps hanging from the ceiling and the walls. Colby and I cooked some food on our camp stove and ate in the restaurant. We listened to truckers talk as they discussed road conditions and travel time. It was an expensive night’s rest, but nothing I did not expect. I already knew that when there are no other options, folks are willing to pay much more. So I tried to make the most out of my $90 bed and get a good night’s rest.