Driving Line VOLUME IV ISSUE 4 | FALL 2018 | Page 46

In the days before the rally, teams trickled into the Totem
Lake Hotel in Kirkland, Washington. Soon, the parking lot was full
of unique vehicles, from sensible daily drivers like a Ford Escape
to an authentic Mustang GT350H that spent its previous years drag
and road-course racing.
The diversity of vehicles was only matched by their respective
drivers and teams, many of whom drove their vehicles near and far
to reach the Alcan 5000 starting line. While many had their vehicles
transported to Washington, a select few actually drove there from
places as far as the East Coast.
Longtime Alcan 5000 chairman and head honcho Jerry Hines
ensured each participant, most of whom were pining for the first
time, had everything needed for a successful rally.
The crisp morning of day 1 brought thumping and buzzing
sounds heard throughout the Totem Lake Hotel. As teams
scrambled to load their cars, trucks and bikes with their gear, non-
Alcan participant hotel guests watched with somewhat-confused
expressions, eventually asking what the commotion was all about.
Vehicles lined up in single file, and the first vehicle took off from
the valet rotunda at 0800, followed by another team every minute
after. The last motorcycle left the start line, approximately one hour
after the first car.
As the rally pushed farther north into the Yukon Territory over
the next three days, participants got a firsthand look at historic
and cultural sites like the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake and the
gold-rush town of Dawson City. Dave Cole and Mel Wade’s teams
even had enough time to play around in Carcross, which is home
to “the world’s smallest desert.” This 1-square-mile sand dune is
located in the middle of the boreal forest and offers a unique off-
road driving experience.
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