From melting tarmac to ice. 3,841miles (6,181km) of the Mid West and Rocky Mountains. 

From the killer heat of the Mojave to those bitter frozen mountains of the Yukon.  Arriving in Arizona in May was an unavoidable mistake. I would spend the summer months on desert roads with temperatures reaching 50C.  Swinging west to the Colorado river, running north along the Arizona California border until reaching Nevada and city of gold, Las Vegas.  Beyond Las Vegas into the ‘Valley of Fire’ around Lake Mead before hitting the I-15 North for Utah and Salt Lake City. 

As I push North into 'big sky' country of Montana I have my first experience with real cold in a long time.  I also have my first major loss, only 19miles from Canada: the Beast 2 is stolen, along with everything I have, putting a major halt on plans.  It's a winter journey into Canada, spring  in the Rockies and then winter again on the long cold push up the Alaskan Highway, with days as low as -40C. As I reach the border with Alaska and Stage 5 of the Odyssey, the snow begins to melt and the mosquito awakens. 

 

The lead artwork depicts a harsh winter's day on the Trans-Canada highway East of Calgary.   Blizzards made the roads hazardous: despite extremely poor visibility the 18-wheelers would move fast enough and close enough to knock me sideways in their wake.