Day 14 – Jasper National Park to Dawson Creek, BC

Day 14 – Jasper National Park to Dawson Creek, BC     05/03/10     Mileage: 364  

It was a cold night’s sleep as I only have a lightweight summer sleeping bag to keep the weight down and save space. I had on all my thermal clothing and my riding jacket draped over my sleeping bag. Hopefully tonight will be warmer…at least the forecast looks better. The couple next store to me offered me a cup of coffee which I gladly accepted as my camp stove is giving me trouble. After 20 years of service it finally gave up the ghost…I can’t complain I guess. After packing up I continued north towards the town of Jasper and passed more unbelievable scenery.  

 

 

 

 

 

 I had breakfast in Jasper and went shopping for a new camp stove, but no luck there.  

 

I continued on heading for Dawson Creek via Grand Prairie. The scenery was getting more ordinary, but that was inevitable given the immense grandeur of Jasper National Park and Banff. I was pushing the KLR hard to try and make time because the clock is ticking…winter is drawing near and it doesn’t play nice with motorcycles.  

 

 

I rolled into Dawson Creek and settled into the Mile “0” Campground. Just after getting settled, a storm front came in with a fury and wind gusts over 50mph! It nearly flattened my lightweight backpacking tent and threaten to tip the KLR over(again!). I had to tie them both to trees until the storm past. The campground gets its name from the fact that Dawson Creek is the official start, or mile “0” of the Alaska-Canada Highway( AlCan for short). The other end of the highway is roughly 1400 miles northwest in Delta Junction, Alaska just south of Fairbanks. Tomorrow I start my run up the famous AlCan.