First day on the ALCAN

Trip Start May 06, 2010

137

Trip End Oct 14, 2010

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Where I stayed

Casa Loma Motel

Flag of Canada Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Monday, August 16, 2010

I woke up to another lovely day but still have a bit of ADD (Ambition Deficit Disorder) from my flu shot. I checked out of my hotel in Tok and set my GPS for Telluride, CO. It told me it would take 53 hours 38 minutes to drive the 3,059 miles there. I wasn't sure it was routing me through Dawson Creek, BC, the end of the ALCAN, so I set that as a via point. Then it told me it would take 53 hours 21 minutes to drive the 3,035 miles there. Gee, I thought the GPS was supposed to find the best route without me setting via points. Oh, well.

The 53 hours 21 minutes is a bit daunting. Coincidentally, when I drove non-stop from San Francisco to Delray Beach, FL with another driver years ago it took 53 hours, 20 minutes. That was with all gas, bathroom and meal stops included. This is bound to be a much longer trip with just one driver.

I headed east on the ALCAN and made it to Whitehorse, Yukon and stopped for the night. So far, the road has been fine in most places although there have been some gravel sections and some parts with a lot of dips due to the road going over permafrost. I still have 44 hours 37 minutes and 2,654 miles to go (44 hours 53 minutes and 2,677 miles if I don't tell it to go through Dawson Creek). Still rather daunting. But my XM radio is starting to work as I go further east and south so at least I'll have something to listen to soon.