After the long (finally short) night under the Aurora, I wanted to spend a relaxed day in the city or around it in the wilderness. But when I figured out that this day will be the last sunny day followed by thunderstorms in the regions, I spontaneously decided to hit the road and start my way back to Seattle. As I started the day quite late, I didn’t plan to go a too long way but finally I couldn’t make…for a good reason.When Louise Falls and Alexandra Falls directly into my way, I have to stop. Both were that amazing, I couldn’t resist to follow the hints of a local at a gas station and climb the rocks to come as close as possible or get an amazing view over each of them.
The workout on the rocks took far longer than expected why I finished the day on the cliff at the Hay River watching a kitchy sunset. That was far better than driving through the darkness for hours to “High Level”, the next big city.
After those two amazing water falls the way to High Level didn’t offer too many attractions. No mountains, no spectacular views, no real bends even…a perfect road to make out of knobby tires nearly perfect slicks. Good for race tracks, bad for wet roads…I shouldn’t have said that…
Within a few minutes a massive thunderstorm marches up and I’m in the middle of small floods over the street. As the surrounding is even and no forests close by, I’m one of the highest points within a big radius…bad idea for a thunderstorm. Lucky me there are two RVs parking at the side of the road, why I stop and want to ask if I can step in. Before I can ask, two angry eyes look at me just before the same person slams the door of the RV to separate him and me. Well…sounds like a “no”. So, I stand under the front roof, watching the lightnings struck into the field in front of me. At least the Beast gets a free wash after it collected thousands of flies … best flycatcher ever.
When the way isn’t too spectacular, the weather turns it into an adventure. I definitely prefer the other way round… After pushing my Beast out of the mud, I continue my way to Dawsons Creek, the Mile Zero of the Alaskan Highway. If I just had some more time I would hit it and drive up again but the vacation is close to end, so I turn towards the US border.
But before I reach the border there’re some miles left in Canada. For sure I chose the best option, which I already know from my travel around the world five years before: Along the Northern Rocky Mountains. I drove parts of that way with my brother and so I thought I can just enjoy it without the inner need to regularly stop, watch and take pictures. I couldn’t be any more wrong! I knew it’s amazing but again I was overwhelmed and I had to stop about every five minutes to take pictures of the incredible mountains. I needed several hours for a part, which could be done within an hour. Late in the night I arrived with a big smile at Blue River to get prepared for the last day on that stage.
At the small border crossing I have to wait quite a time until an officer shows up. The interview finally turned more into a small-talk about my journey and a few moments later I’m in the US heading to Seattle. The sun heats up and I go small roads which I try to remember for upcoming weekend-trips. There are even far more roads which I wanted to go and a coffee wouldn’t be bad but I decide to arrive the same day as I’m feeling the 6.000 miles which I drove within two-and-a-half weeks. I arrive a little exhausted but more than happy at my home in Seattle late in the night. If all the stages are close as nice as this one, the whole trip will be just amazing. We will see…
