Nineteen days ago I left Las Vegas with my Jeep, my dog Maggie, and a rough plan to make it all the way to the Arctic Ocean mostly camping along the way.

So far I’ve crossed deserts, forests, mountain passes, ferries, endless logging roads, and more beautiful campsites than I can count. Vancouver Island alone slowed me down badly in the best possible way. Every time I think I’m making progress north, I end up finding another lake, another forest road, or another hidden spot worth staying an extra night for.

I’m traveling in an AEV Gladiator with an AluCab camper setup, mostly relying on dispersed camping, cooking outdoors, and trying to avoid highways whenever possible. Some days are freezing and wet, some are perfect, and some roads simply end at locked gates after hours of driving. That’s part of the fun.

The goal is still the Arctic Sea, probably via Tuktoyaktuk if weather and roads cooperate, but honestly the journey itself is becoming the real reward.

One thing I’ve learned so far: if you try to rush a trip like this, you completely miss the point of overlanding.