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Canada

(Dawson City - Whitehorse - Prince Rupert - Vancouver Island)

From the frontier back to civilization

[August 9, 2004] The top-of-the-world highway is an outstanding bike ride, it offers a great view and a stunning drive on the upper mountain rim, leading to the Yukon. This river dominates the North, its waters and the canyons dividing the areas. And its brownish color tells the story of the north - dreadful, harsh and honest.



Dawson City is exactly like is, a little town like in a western movie yesterday evening at TV.

The folks up there are friendly and helpful, a nice experience that should continue throughout Canada. The Yukon dominates the road until Whitehorse and there I had the chance to camp out on the riverbanks in a nice campground, although full of German tourists (Lufthansa offers nonstop flights to Whitehorse almost daily). But again I was lucky and my direct neighbors were a French couple on a hiking trip across the North. And as they have lived a few years in South America the evening was all about exchanging information and detailed tips. And I am sure that I will need them soon…

Leaving Whitehorse the road got wider and easier to ride, 300 mls then on the Alcan (the Alaskan Canadian Highway). For me a really boring ride as the trucks and motorhomes (yes, the ones that are as big as our public transportation busses in Cologne and still pulling a huge Explorer to be kept mobile) were the only things I saw. So I instantly dediced to leave the Alcan and ride South on the Steward Cassier Highway, a little but exciting 240 mls dirtroad built for bike rides. And full of wildlife (bears, elk, deer). And it lead to the most beautiful glacier I have ever seen, the Blue Glacier. And unbelievable view.



On the campground in Steward I again meet some nice folks of Canadians. We went for a little tour on top of the Salmon Glacier, a huge icefield. And it was nice for the KTM as well as we both powered up the dirtroad, enjoying every mile and passing all those shiny trucks.

Mmmh, I almost forgot. The salmon task, still unfulfilled. So again over the border to Hyder into Alaska, purchasing a daypass and let's go. And finally I was lucky, caught 4 huge salmons in a exhaustive fight. What an experience! And it was clear, I took one for dinner, when suddenly a Blackbear walked through the woods and was going for dinner, too!



But here my determination was too strong for him, so he caught his own fish.

So this evening was about the celebration of late victory, and I was even rewarded with the Northern Lights, an astonishing wonder of nature. You can see it in Alaska almost every evening in wintertime, but you have to trade it with total darkness on daytime, too…

The ferry took me on an really interesting scenic drive from Prince Rupert through the "Inside Passage" to Vancouver Island. There I experienced once more a stunning nature topped by the rain forest. Yes, correct spelling, a moderate rain forest where the native Indians try to preserve there cultural and spiritual origin.



But as everywhere also tourism is presented with hotel resorts, huge trucks with trailers and the famous Motorhomes. And even there you can find a remote place, once on the beach or the mountain wilderness. And that's the impression I got from Canada, being open minded, friendly with an impressive wilderness where one can enjoy both.

So, let"s go further South to the "lower 48 states" as one says in Alaska.