Did you know part of the United States was occupied by the enemy during World War II? Some of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands were held by Japanese troops. To supply the war effort, the United States government hastily built the Alaska Highway through the Canadian Rockies. Some years after the war ended, the Alcan Highway opened to the public. Little had changed along its 1523 miles of dirt, mud, and treacherous snaking curves through the mountains. Shortly after being opened to the public, someone posted the following sign: "Choose your rut carefully. You will be in it for the next 1500 miles."