Alaska or Bust

The lure of Alaska's wilderness was a temptation I could no longer stand to bear.. oops I mean bare. So in August of 2009 the dream would be fulfilled. Cat and I had been traveling all over Canada for over a year and had just finished playing amongst Beluga Whales and Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba working the summer season as kayaking guides. A quick flight to Winnipeg and a few days with great friends to witness a lovely wedding then we loaded the minivan once again and headed directly to Alaska.

We wanted to arrive before the bears had finished fishing and as it was already the 24th of August time was against us. Departing Winnipeg, we crossed the prairies once again. Having now viewed this area in fall, winter and now summer I have a greater understanding of the extremes in climate this area experiences every year.

After being spoilt with such great food in Churchill and John's cooking in Winnipeg the body was a little hesitant to accept all of the fast food loaded into it during the long drives. We made our way north-west bound all the way to the Yukon, then back over the border to BC, then Yukon, BC again, Yukon, BC and back to Yukon. I wonder if there are many arguments over who maintains this stretch of highway. The Yukon is amazing but you can read about that in my Canada blog (once I get around to it). Departing the gold rush town of Dawson with a quick (free) ferry trip over the river we made our way along the Top Of The World highway and finally reached the USA customs border at Poker Creek. The staff at this crossing were very polite whilst still effectively doing their job directly.

WE HAD FINALLY ENTERED ALASKA!!! and got another flashy stamp addition in the passport. The area here at this latitude and elevation was already well into fall. The colours and mountains were breathtaking and the excitement was building. The next month would have us freezing in our tent, haggling prices of motels (and the price of pretty much anything), walking with bears, jumping out of planes, kayaking with sea otters, climbing glaciers and hiking in some of the world's most beautiful terrain. Our Alaskan adventure had begun.