Tomorrow, we will re-enter the U.S. and have a reception at Land Rover Seattle.
(N.O.)

After meeting Jim, we all donned our new North Face jackets for a standup interview with Vancouver’s City TV. Nick, Nancy, and Todd gave interviews, and they filmed the Land Rovers. After that, we had another interview with Channel 9. Both went well.

Somehow, those interviews took most of the day, and then the team was left to their own devices. Nick and Nancy had an unbelievably delicious dinner at a local restaurant called Bouzyos, The Greek Taverna. We met Iva, Melanie, Natalie, Debbie, and owner John. John bought a couple of rounds, and we enjoyed some wonderful Canadian/Greek hospitality. I’m still dreaming about that delicious meal.

Tomorrow, we have a visit with Land Rover Richmond in B.C., followed by some car cleaning.
(N.O.)

The drive to Vancouver would have been a very pretty one, had we not reached the mountains in the dark. As it were, the drive was actually long and boring. But, we made it, and that’s enough to make us quite happy. It’s good to be in Vancouver. We saw several freeway signs for the USA border on the way here.

Tomorrow, we have some media opportunities to attend, and we have to clean out our well-used, well-lived-in vehicles.
(N.O.)

Well, today was pretty cool, because we took a little side trip to Hyder, Alaska, which is just next door to Stewart, B.C. It’s kind of a weird place in that you can only reach it by road by driving through Canada. There’s a road that veers southwest off of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway for about 37 miles to the town of Stewart in Canada. If you drive straight through Stewart, you will cross a tiny little border into Alaska, and the road continues a total of about 2.7 miles through the town of Hyder. And that’s where the road ends. The only other way to reach Hyder is via air or a body of water called the Ketchikan-Hyder Alaska Marine Highway.

Hyder is like a ghost town in the winter, apparently. We hardly saw any movement on the roads, and nobody stirred in the homes. It’s a summer town, and all the tourist attractions are closed for the winter. We saw houses and gas stations that were half-buried in snow, boats that had been iced into the docks by the harsh temperatures, a couple of people walking, one or two cars, and a few roaming pooches. It was awesome. Very nautical. In the summers, they get very few mosquitoes, and bears walk right down the streets. A movie called “Insomnia,” starring Robin Williams, was filmed there. I haven’t seen it, but I guess the main character was unable to sleep because of Hyder’s 24 hours of sunlight in the summertime. They say real estate is cheap there. Am I weird to want to buy?

Since we spent most of the morning exploring Hyder (and looking for internet), we got a late start on our 443-mile drive to Prince George. The road out of Stewart was closed until 1:00 p.m. for avalanche clean up, anyway, as it turned out, so it didn’t matter that we got a late start.

The road really cleared up just south of Stewart, so we made excellent time to Prince George. Not only did the snow and ice disappear from the roads, but we were able to see the ground for the first time since the start of our final leg. We were actually excited to see dirt. I know it’s weird, but we were dirt-deprived. Oh, and we also saw a bald eagle nibbling on a dead moose…fyi…

Tomorrow, we’ve another 450 miles to Vancouver. And after Vancouver, we re-enter the U.S. Cool! Time flies when you’re having fun. Talk to you later.
(N.O.)

Well, we’ve got another 500 or so miles to travel down this highway tomorrow, so hopefully we’ll see some more moosies(?). (The official count is now 24).

Today is Valentine’s Day, obviously, and when we walked into King Edward Inn’s restaurant for dinner, it was decorated in hearts and red tablecloths. It was quite festive, and people with paying jobs were enjoying the steak/lobster/king crab specials. (The server came out and asked us if we’d like to see the “afternoon menus.”) And, anyway, the point of all of this is to tell you, “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!” We’re thinking of you and wishing you were here. (Or maybe we’re wishing we were there…haha) Hugs and kisses, your LONGITUDE Expedition team. ;)
(N.O.)

Since we’re going to be traveling down the scenic Stewart-Cassiar Highway, I highly doubt we’ll have e-mail access for a couple of days. So, since we can’t e-mail you or chat with you online, we’d like to send you our very best now (no cell coverage, either). Happy Valentine’s day, ya’ll. Have a good one. We’ll be thinking about you.
(N.O.)

You can read about the Yukon Quest on their website:

www.yukonquest.org

Here’s a little intro to the race for ya:

At the Top of the World, in the Yukon-Alaskan Interior, an epic event takes place every year that few people from "down south" have experienced. Covering 1000 miles between Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and Fairbanks, Alaska during the depths of the Arctic winter, the Yukon Quest is the "Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World."
The Yukon Quest Trail follows historic Gold Rush and Mail Delivery routes from the turn of the 20th Century. Once a travel highway of the Northern frontier, the trail comes alive each February with the breath of hundreds of sled dogs. Teams of one human 'musher' and 14 canine athletes, travel for two weeks, racing through some of the last pristine wilderness remaining in North America.
The Yukon Quest is dedicated to excellence in canine care. Quest mushers are coaches, cooks, cheerleaders, and companions to their dogs. Quest dogs are elite, marathon athletes. Bred from stock that survived and thrived during the Klondike Gold Rush, no animal on earth can match them for endurance, dedication and their ability to perform in the extreme conditions of the North.
The Spirit of the Quest is still true to its northern soul. Mushers carry mandatory equipment, food and supplies at all times. They cannot replace their sleds, and are not permitted to accept any help, except in Dawson City (the home of the Klondike Gold Rush) the half-way point along the race route. Ten checkpoints lie along the trail, some more than 200 miles apart. Teams are truly on their own, relying on a combination of toughness and skill, the commitment and endurance of the dogs, and sometimes luck.
The race route runs on frozen rivers, climbs four mountain ranges, and passes through isolated, northern villages. With temperatures hitting 40 below, 100 mile-an-hour winds, open water and bad ice all working against the teams, the Yukon Quest is a true test of the capacity of humans and canines, and a tribute to the strength of the ancient bond that unites them.

So, that’s all for now. We’re turning in for the night. Miss you all.

(N.O.)

Folks here are very interested in the vehicles and the expedition, and their hospitality is amazing. We’ve made a lot of good friends here. Shout-outs to Vince, Mary, Sherry (sorry if I misspell names), Gord, Chris, the fine folks at the Best Western Gold Rush Inn, and all the folks whose names I wish I’d caught. Props, ya’ll.
(N.O.)

The Canadian border is about 200 miles out of Fairbanks, and we had an easy time getting through. They require proof of citizenship, which we provided, and they confiscated our tiny little mace canisters. Oh well! Smooth sailing.

During latter part of our drive, we passed a 1995 Land Rover Discovery, and then we met the drivers at a gas stop. We talked with them about their plans and our expedition (they’re Alaskans moving to Virginia), and then we bid each other farewell and safe travels. A bit down the road, the lead vehicle saw the Discovery off the road in a ditch. Everyone was uninjured, and the driver said the wind had picked up, causing whiteout conditions, and he simply drove off the road. We were attempting to winch them out when a big semi stopped by and offered to help. We hooked a chain up to his tail bumper, and he pulled the Disco out to cheers from its three weary passengers. That was the excitement of the day…too bad we didn’t get any photos. But we did get video.

Anyway, we’re in Whitehorse now, and tomorrow is an easy driving day. Internet is sketchy, and we look forward to arriving in a city with a good connection so we can chat online with friends. All the best until then!
(N.O.)