Fairbanks, Dalton Highway, Dease Lake, Laird Hot Springs, Jasper, and Banff.
Leaving Denali I headed north to the city of Fairbanks. An eclectic town that feels young thanks to the proximity of the University of Alaska. I hung out here for a few days preparing for my trek up north. I went to a great folk music festival that went all day at a local park and 
featured many talented local musicians. Best of all, dogs were welcome and Coho made lots of doggie friends. It was a nice high for him, contrasted with the low of being neutered two days later. He came through it fine, and doesn’t seem to have any adverse effects.
From Fairbanks I journeyed up the Dalton Highway. Known simply as the ‘haul road’, it’s a winding strip of dirt and rock that leads 400 miles into the northern oblivion. It parallels the Alaskan Pipeline that runs south from the northern oil fields on the Arctic Ocean and the town of Deadhorse. One of the most beautiful stretches of roadway I have ever traveled. Massive granite mountains squat on the northern tundra, trees quickly give way to shrubs, and then the shrubs to moss and lichen. I hit the arctic circle and kept going, relentlessly rolling northward through towns with names like Wiseman and Coldfoot, lonely outposts carved out of the arctic landscape. I made it to Galbraith Lake, about 130 miles from Deadhorse. At this northern latitude on the eve of the summer solstice, the sun never sets. It was a profoundly beautiful spot, peaceful and serene; it was in this isolated location that I found the end of my book. Conventional wisdom says that after having traveled well over 5,000 miles from California that I would have pushed the final few to Deadhorse, but keeping true to my character, I bucked the typical and turned south instead making it back to Fairbanks with only one flat tire.
I worked my way back south, watching the forests burn and trying not to get burned myself. Hot and dry weather mixed with a few lightning strikes was all it took to ignite over 450 fires across Alaska and the Yukon Territories. Several times, I came across fires burning along the road, the smoke making my eyes water and impairing sight worse then any fog. By luck, I was never cut off from where I wanted to go. Roads were closed behind me, and ahead, but things magically cleared when I needed to move through a specific area. I made it to Dease Lake, a small town whose claims to fame are an RV Park, a gas station and a grocery store, and oh yes, the lake. It was here that I met up with my parents as they headed north on their Alaskan RV 
vacation. We sat around for a few days and talked. I was happy for the company after so many months in solitude. I backtracked with them for a day to Watson Lake where we split company and I resumed my journey south. It was a nice visit.
From there I threaded through the mountains to Laird Hot Springs – A Provincial Park in British Columbia. One of the nicest semi-developed hot springs I have ever been to, and better yet, it was free! At the lower end of the pool, the water is a balmy 104°, but as you move up toward the source of spring, it approaches scalding
130°. The game is to slowly work your way up there and set a stone on a small pile created by the few brave & burned souls. I did it, but it felt like the skin on my stomach was going to peal off my body as I neared the small pile of stones.
Continuing my journey south, I entered Jasper National Park, which is part of gaggle of national parks that all border one another including, Jasper, Banff, Kootenay, Glacier, and Yoho. The Canadian Rocky Mountains are a land of jagged granite spires, flowing glaciers, tumbling mountain rivers, and turquoise lakes. I saw bear, moose, elk, mule deer, caribou, and a plethora of squirrels that Coho would tirelessly chase; the squirrels seemed to make a game of running round and round the 
tree with the dog hot on his heals, but then without warning would shoot up to lofty heights leaving Coho dizzy and confused about where the creature had gone. If you ever have the chance to come to this part of the world, do it, you will not regret the trip.
Now, I camped for the night on the shores of Moyie Lake just north of the US – Canadian border, where tomorrow I will come back into the lower 48. It’s been a great trip, but I am ready for a change of pace, I think I will head back to San Francisco and put down a couple of roots for a little while – but not too long. I am happy to report that two days ago I finished the first draft of my book. I am putting it on ice for a month and like a fine wine, I am hoping it will get better with age. Once the month is up, I will read it and figure out what I need to do to turn it into something that is marketable. My humble wish is that I might sell it, for a modest amount of money that will continue to fund the adventurous lifestyle that has proven my lot.
Peace to all!
PS – I finally broke down and bought a replacement digital camera, enjoy the pictures. If you would like to see more pictures of the Canadian leg of my Alaska trip, visit the Adventure Gallery.