Also see the July 1 Pilot Report.   Dawson Creek is an historical town on the edge of the wilderness.  It is "Mile 0" of the Alaska Highway, a highway built in 1942 to link Alaska to the rest of Canada and the lower 48 states.  It was strategically important as WWII was breaking out.  Many airstripes were built along the highway and were used to ferry planes to Alaska and across to Russia.  The Russians used the planes to fight Germany during WWII.  

Dawson Creek is at the beginning of the Alaska Highway.  In the middle of town is this marker showing "Mile 0".  1523 miles later, the highway ends in Fairbanks.  Notice the clouds in the picture on the right--that's what we are waiting to clear.