368/6.5

I’m here in Green River, WY having a beer and reflecting on this trip while I look out to the sun setting to the west over the flat top buttes. Tonight is my last sleep on the road as I have only 368 miles and 6.5 continuous road hours left to be home. To be realistic, my road hours will probably be closer to 8 as I like to stop for breaks. Tomorrow’s ride starts down the WY530 which runs along the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area - a spectacular space I rode through almost 10 years ago and camped near the reservoir. This year there will be no camping as the forecast is for rain and I don’t want to spend my last night/morning on the road wet.

I have a reasonably priced $100 roadside motel with a parking spot right in front of my room - exactly how I like it when traveling by motorbike. Easy load in and outs are so nice especially after 500+ mile days. Today’s ride started nice, then got hot real quick reaching 85 degrees by 11am. It soon cooled off as I rode into bands of rain storms - none very strong or long. Just enough to keep temps in the 60’s & 70’s most of the afternoon. Most of the ride was on 2-lane highway so also the way I prefer as opposed to interstate. I had to ride I80 for about 25 miles to get to Green River, but that was about the extent of the superhighway stuff.

My plan for tomorrow is to run the 530 and 44 to the 191 down to Vernal UT. It’s all great motorcycle roads - curves, undulations and amazing scenery. Then run the 40 into Colorado and then down the 9 home. Hope the weather is decent and I’m looking forward to sleeping at home after 34 straight days on the road!

CN

Fun w/ Friends

I had a blast Thursday-Sunday spending time with friends. Thursday and Friday I was in Cawston, BC visiting with Cynthia who I met in 2017 at a hostel in Panama. I haven’t seen her since we crossed paths riding in Mexico in 2019. She lives in a cute little cabin in the middle of an apple orchard in the Okanagan Valley - a region in BC known for its abundance of fruits and wineries. It’s very dry and arid with surrounding mountains and lakes. Quite a beautiful place! I enjoyed hanging out with Cynthia and her friends, sipping cider and enjoying the space. We even went on a little ride on Friday up a dirt road along a river to visit a wild apple tree she had discovered earlier that spring. The scenery was amazing back there and the weather was perfect. We got back before the afternoon heat was picking up so the timing of the morning ride was perfect! Thanks Cynthia for the hospitality and I hope our paths cross again in the near future!

Saturday I crossed back into the US at Osoyoos and rode back to Stoney and Nicole’s in Puyallup. This is where Ken and I had met up a month ago to start the adventure north. Nicole and Owen were in Idaho visiting friends so it was just me and Stoney this time. We got a round of golf in on Sunday and I hit the road again on Monday morning. Thanks Stoney and Nicole for the place to stay and visit!

CN

Idle Time

Since splitting with Ken near Creston on Monday morning I landed in Grand Forks for a couple days of rest, laundry, bike maintenance and cleaning along with a few work meetings and catch up on emails. My back also thanks me for some time off the bike! The bike just wasn’t working properly with all the calcium chloride from the Dempster in every nook and cranny. Not starting smoothly, switches sticking, locks on the panniers n sticking and freezing, etc. All much better now after the detailing.

After cleaning…

Before cleaning but after the initial power wash in Tok to get the big chunks off.

Today I am heading to Cawston to visit a good friend I met on a previous moto trip in Panama. After that is still up in the air where I am heading next.

CN

KS. Super slabbing

Just a quick update what's happening in my world.  Split from Chip on Monday morning and headed down to Missoula MT.  There was a shop there that has the front tire I needed, but they weren't open until Tuesday.   I didn't feel like waiting around all day to get a tire mounted the next day. So I started calling around, found the tire I need in Sturgis SD,  about 700 miles east.  So I gassed up and headed east, thankfully the weather was nice, and speed limit was 80.  Stayed in Billings that night, covered the rest of the distance this morning.  Bought the tire, and found out their tire machine was broken, so they couldn't mount it for me.  I had tools with me to do it, but it was almost 100 degrees, no thanks.  Found a local guy that could mount and balance it,  took less than an hour and I was rolling east again.  Temps stayed hot and dry, I prefer not to camp when it's in the 90s.   Found an affordable place that had just been renovated.   Going to grab some food and sleep, then hammer east again in the morning.  

Couple observations from today. 

-truckers have really gone downhill in the skill department. Had one run me off into the rumble strips when he cut over without looking.  Saw another one driving down the interstate with an open trailer door just swinging in the breeze. 

-newly renovated does not always mean it was done well.  They tried, not very hard, but they tried.  

Golden to Revelstoke to Creston

Tonight I am in a motel room along Hwy 3 after looping back up to Nakusp and then back down to Grand Forks. The morning was cold and rainy the afternoon was spent chasing good weather. The rain had let up by the time I left Nakusp after grabbing a quick break and lunch. Tomorrow I will get caught up with work stuff, do some laundry, and stay here another night.

Sunday brought a combination of mostly fantastic weather, curvy roads and beautiful scenery. We left Golden around 9am and experienced rain almost right away and continued on and off all the way to Revelstoke. After a quick coffee break at Timmy’s, we headed to Shelter Bay and the first of two ferry rides this day. Unfortunately we missed the departing ferry by about 15 minutes so had to wait about 45 minutes for the next. Luckily the sun had fully come out and the we had time for a short hike out to the point on the rocks above the lake. Very pretty views of the lake and surrounding mountains!

On the other side, we then rode through Nakusp to New Denver and the start of 31A - a popular motorcycle road due to the many twists and turns along the creek. 31A links up with Hwy 31 where we headed south to Balfour and ferry ride number two. I had done this same route back in the summers 2018 and 2019 and it’s one of my favorite rides in BC.

Off the ferry and then down the 3A to Creston and our camp for the night in Kitchener - Riders Ranch Motorcycle Campground. We made some friends chatting with several Harley riders in the covered common area sharing stories and laughs.

We got up this morning and parted ways - Ken heading east and me heading west on Hwy 3. Ken needs to be back in Virginia by the weekend. I still have some time left and will be continuing to explore more of BC. We met up about three weeks ago in Puyallup, WA and had a good adventure riding around up north. We made it through the NWT to the Arctic Ocean - my second time now to Tuk - and got to ride in some amazing spaces in southern Alaska and the Yukon of Canada. Good times!

CN

KS. Grande Prairie to Golden (2 days)

So this one turned into a two day ordeal, the first day certainly wasn't much to talk about. We were heading for Jasper National Park to ride the Icefields Parkway, known for it's massive mountains and beautiful views. Problem was, we rode 4 hours to get to the park, and 3 1/2 hours of that was in rain. So there were going to be no views to be had today. Enter plan B sooner than usual. Find a cheap hotel and sit out the weather. The town of Hinton had such a place, so we hung up our gear to dry and spent the afternoon watching TV and catching up on work for Chip. Tomorrow's weather is looking like partly sunny, so we're hoping for a better shot at the park 

Now for today, the tomorrow I was talking about yesterday, it was still cloudy when we got up, so we took our time having coffee and breakfast before hitting the road, hoping things would clear up a bit. As we traveled down the highway to the park, patches of blue started opening in the sky. We were in luck as we approached the park gates only to be told that admission is free this month, as sunshine broke through the clouds and lit up the massive mountains around us.

The park is about 130 miles of road, with a small part of it traveling past the town of Jasper, that was hit with a massive forest fire a couple years ago, burning almost 1/3 of the town and thousands of acres of surrounding trees. Everything currently was still damp from yesterday's rain, the air had the scent of old fire and fresh spruce. Kinda like how a wet dog can open up a history book of past smells, the charred forest did the same.

Riding far enough eventually brought us into some rain showers again, so we stopped at the crowded park store area for a break and a snack. Walking through the store full of people, I was tempted by a soft pretzel, until I got close enough to read the price tag of $15, then I wasn't so hungry. My snack and drink was whatever I had left on my bike, figured I'd wait until we were out of the park before buying anything else. We spent the rest of the time passing glaciers and waterfalls, and some massive mountains that were formed by huge slabs of earth pushed out of the ground at a consistent angle.  

After exiting the park, we took a slight detour to see Lake Louise, and we're greeted by signs saying all parking lots are full, and many uniformed people directing traffic away from the lots. But, they seemed to have pity on motorcycles, waving us into a crowded parking lot, we soon found places to stash the bikes that no car could fit into, and walked down to the lake. My wife and some friends had swam in this lake a couple months prior, while the glacier was still touching the water. I did not have that opportunity, being that the lake and all points around it were occupied by about half the population of India. Snapped a couple quick photos and decided it was time to get away from the crowds. 

Back on the bikes we headed up and over the mountain to a town called Golden. We hadn't booked anything ahead of time because were never quite sure where we are going to end up. Makes it kinda risky if you wait too late in the day for accommodations. The weather had mostly passed so we wanted to camp in the city campground by the river,,full. Then we checked the local travelers hostel,, also full.  Finally we found the cheapest motel in town,, not full. So that's where we are now. Tomorrow we are riding a large scenic loop through the mountains with a couple ferry crossings of some lakes. The weather is looking like it should be nice, hopefully the forecast is accurate. After that, we'll be going our separate ways. Chip has more time left because he started later, but I need to get back to Virginia. There's lots of work piling up at the farm, I need to get back to work on the mountain, and most of all, I really miss my wife.  

Alaska Highway

We woke up fairly early on Thursday morning at our 5 star Liard Hot Springs cabin, packed up and rolled out into a dense fog. It was also in the low 40’s so both foggy and cold. But soon we were rewarded with sunshine breaking through about an hour into the ride. The Sun was shining, the road was smooth, twisty and undulating with stunning scenery. We encountered lots of wildlife today - probably more today than all the previous days combined. Black bears, caribou, elk and bison were all spotted multiply times along the road.

After passing the beautiful Muncho Lake area, we stopped in Toad River for fuel and a short break. The property at Toad River has changed hands many times over its 70+ year history. It’s a must stop for fuel as there is a big gap from there heading south.

Our destination for the day was Grande Prairie - just south of Dawson Creek which is the Mile 0 start of the Alcan. I still like the Cassiar better overall, but there are definitely some really good parts of historic Hwy 97. We ended up at a roadside motel and grabbed some dinner The Old Trapper just down the street. It was a great day covering over 550 miles and we didn’t get rained on.

CN

KS. Whitehorse to Liard River

Today started earlier than usual, temps were mid 40s again, but the skies were clear.  After some coffee, we were on the road just before 8 for another hopefully uneventful day of riding.   We needed an early start to hopefully get a campsite at the Hot Springs Park, ran by what seems to be like the Canadian Park Service.  There are no reservations, and first come first serve is not a great strategy when your starting from 7 hours away. 

After a few hours we stopped in Teslin for some coffee and a snack. We met up with Artem and his dog Ragnar who stayed in the same camp as us the night before. He said he had reserved a cabin, and recommended we do it also.  Last time Chip was through here years ago, everything was sold out, and there is nothing else close by.  So I called the number and reserved the last cabin.  The bridge out of Teslin is almost a half mile long, and does not have a solid surface. It's metal grating that tends to make motorcycles move around in strange ways. I actually kind of enjoy it, plus it's cool to look straight down through the grating as you travel across the bridge, looks like you're just straight above the water. 

A stop at the Signpost Forest let us walk around and see how many of the signs came from places we recognize.  I think it was a work camp at one point, with people bringing signs pointing them back towards home, and it just grew from there. 

We arrived at the Laird Hot Springs Lodge, and I have to say, it is "unique". When I called to reserve a cabin I was told it was the last one, and only had a twin bed. I asked if there was room to sleep on the floor and she said yes.  So I reserved it. After checking in, we ride our bikes back to find the row of cabins behind the lodge.  I'm not even sure how to describe it. So I'll just take some pictures and leave it at that. She did say it was a step up from a tent, now I wonder if she's ever seen a tent.   I actually went across the road to the park to see if any campsites were available, no luck. Was told we could sleep in the overflow parking lot for $26, no thanks.   Fun fact, the park/campground is totally surrounded by a seriously beefy 7ft tall electrified fence, all entry points are gated with cattleguards as well.  The overflow lot is on the outside of this fence, I'll pass. Just saw a good sized black bear a couple miles up the road, so cabin it is.  I'll be sleeping on the slanted floor, Chip will be sleeping on the crooked bed mattress.   Not sure who got the better deal.  

Now we're going to grab some dinner, then walk over to the Hot Springs for a soak in the heated river.  Then hopefully a good nights sleep on the floor, so we can get up early and get far away from this place.   Win some, lose some.  

Layover Day - Whitehorse

We got up on Tuesday morning and checked the weather along our planned route and found the forecast to be bleek. Pretty much guaranteed rain for the majority of the day - not what we wanted at all after getting drenched most of the day before. So why not stay another day at this amazing motorcycle camp and relax and get some things done.

Ken was able to get a new rear tire installed and did an oil change on his bike. We both got laundry done and I cleaned up some areas on my bike that had accumulated enough dirt and dust to start becoming a problem. We also got to dry out our wet camping gear from the past couple of days of rain. Once the chores were done, we spent the afternoon chatting with fellow moto travelers - mostly with Chase, Tyler and Artum who had cabins right across from us. We shared stories of the journey to Tuk - they also had similar experiences with the weather - while enjoining a few beverages. Other travelers arrived throughout the afternoon and we enjoyed sharing stories on the road with all of them as well. A very welcomed day, mostly off the bikes, getting rested for the push south.

Not much else happened. Had another great meal in the on-site restaurant and we’re hitting the beds around 10pm. Love these cool little tent cabins!

CN

KS. the word of the day is rain

This one is hard to write, not because of writers block, cause I ain't a writer, but because after two wet nights in tents, we sprung for the upgrade of a wall tent in Whitehorse, BC. Currently, I'm laying here in a warm dry bed with a thick mattress, listening to raindrops falling onto the metal roof above me, so before I fall asleep, I should tell you about our day. Now lets back this up just a bit.

We woke up in Eagle Claw motorcycle camp in Tok Alaska, after another damp night in the tents.  Breakfast was leftover pizza from the night before, it's always a bit dicey keeping leftover food on the bikes in bear country,(which is everywhere up here, and they've got big ones, in both colors, brown and black) I'm certainly not keeping it in the tent with me, and for some reason, Chip gets, well, let's call it unhappy, if I try to stash food items around his tent at night.  On this morning it was in the low 40s when we broke camp and went to fuel the bikes before heading back towards Canada. This was the first time I have been able to use my heated jacket, after finding the proper power cord in Anchorage. I'm sure in a dire situation that a functional workaround could have been created, but I'm trying to keep most of my electrical systems in factory condition. I had forgotten how nice it was to be surrounded by warmth in my riding jacket again. Up to this point my main source of insulation has been an alpaca wool sweater, purchased from a street vender in Peru on our journey to the bottom of the South American continent.  I remember the reason I bought it, I was cold, and it seemed like it would help fix that situation. Again, not a writer because I'm rambling. 

We rode about 2 hours to the Canadian border, experiencing a couple rain showers during the journey, and ultimately we were allowed back into British Columbia with very little fuss from the border agent, (there's a lot of countries that could learn from this type of efficiency)  From there, it was a pretty uneventful journey, rain, rough road, construction, mud, more rough roads, followed by more rain.  When I say rough, I'm talking about stuff that can destroy a car over a certain speed.  On the bikes we have the luxury of being able to thread the needle thin line between potholes and stand up on the footpegs to help the suspension absorb the larger hits.  I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one oncoming car become airborne during a passing maneuver today.

As we reached Haines Junction in the Yukon, after several more bouts of rain, lightning and and even some hail, we had a change of plans.  Originally we were going to get a tent site at Yukon Motorsports Park outside of Whitehorse,  but with the impending rain, we decided that the minimal upgrade in cost to rent a wall tent, versus a campsite, was likely going to be worth it. So we actually made a reservation ahead of time, I'll try not to make a habit of that, with planning ahead being a personal nemesis of mine.

The last couple hours threaded us around the edges of some rainstorms, and right through the middle of others.  As we came through the town of Whitehorse, we hit the mother of all rain.  A solid heavy downpour, with water flooding across the streets, and just general cruddy conditions that left us soaked (technically speaking, just the outside of our gear was soaked, but it's still not the most pleasant feeling)  but we knew we had a roof and two beds waiting for us at the end, so we pushed on through the deluge. Finally, we reached our destination, finding our reserved wall tent, and then the camp restaurant in short order.

Which brings us back to where I am now, a wonderful meal from the camp restaurant in my belly, a soft bed in a heated wall tent, and raindrops falling on a tin roof overhead.   Proof that even when the weather is bad, life is still pretty good.... really good actually. 

KS 

Homer Spit to Tok

After a night in the tent with on and off rain, we packet up wet and hit the road around 9am to promising skies. As we rode up from the far end of the spit, the low lying clouds opened up a bit and we could see what we had missed the day before. The views across the water to Lake Clark National Park and Preserve were absolutely stunning. We had cool temps and mostly sunny weather all the way up until just before Anchorage. What a beautiful stretch of road it is between Homer and Anchorage - and you get to do it twice!

We made a quick stop in Anchorage at the REÍ to look for a tent cot. I think that would help my back a bit getting in and out of the tent. Unfortunately they were out of the small lightweight model I was looking for. Then after a quick fuel up in Palmer we were off towards Glennallen on the AK1 with Tok the goal. About 550 miles - a relatively big day. All the way through to the Tok Cutoff was filled with stunning views of rivers, snow capped mountains and glaciers. By the time we hit the 4, the temps had warmed up considerably and I shed a few layers.

We got into Tok around 7:30p and once again camped at Thompson’s Eagle Claw Motorcycle Camp and had a meal at Fast Eddy’s - the things to do when in Tok. It also was forecast to rain overnight so was anticipating packing up camp wet again. Ken had bought a wing shelter to string between the trees so we had some created cover over the picnic table to relax under before hitting the tents for the night. Another great day!

CN