July 8, 2016 North to Alaska Day 32

Dave and Lyon decided last night that they would get up early and head directly home to Oregon. They made it in one day, Dave said he had a 750 mile day!  Whoa, better him than me, I guess.  They were up and on the road by 5 am, I only heard them pushing their bikes out to the road.

Bob and Cindy joined Wayne and I for breakfast at a local cafe.  It was sad to say goodbye, we have spent the better part of 5 weeks together.  Now we have to look forward to other trips, and of course we will see them in the winter in Arizona.

The 4 of us traveled the short distance to Cache Creek, where they headed east and we continued south to Spence's Bridge. We had decided to take a couple side roads, rather than the direct route, we needed some twisties!! Here we took a left on Highway 6 to Merritt.  It was a very small, winding road along the river.  We came around one corner and SURPRISE!  Two mountain goats were in the inside corner.  From Merritt we headed to Princeton.  Last year we came through here with Lyon, Bob and Cindy. (See thte post WA BDR and BC Ride, posted in October 2015).  We managed to come in and leave on roads we did not ride last year!

From Princeton we crossed the Cascade Mountains on BC 3 through Manning Park. After lunch in Hope, we headed back to Abbotsford to cross the border at Sumas WA.  We then reversed our tracks from the day we left, although when Jordon Rd came into Granite Falls, this time we went out the other way so that we could go by Lake Rossiger and into John's house on Florence Acres Rd.

Finally we are back where we started. It was 32 days and 6,793 miles. It was also a trip I will never forget. The people we met, the places we saw and the critters, oh the critters!!!

I can't wait to go on another adventure!  But right now, the bikes need a lot of attention.  Check back again soon, and see where we go next!

377 miles today
6793 total miles

July 7, 2016 North to Alaska, Day 31

I heard the rain start about 4 am, but it only lasted for a couple of hours. When it stopped the ravens started calling to each other.  They are so loud, but they signal that it is time for us to get up.  Breakfast and packing was quick this morning and we are on the road by 7:15.

While we were in Alaska a huge rainstorm came through this area. Our friend Tommy had warned us of the damage and road closures.  Today was spent waiting at several places for a pilot car to come and take us through, once waiting for almost half an hour.  Boy was there a ton of damage. But the road crews have it under control.

We stopped for lunch in Prince George, we are now back once again on the same roads we came north on.  Cindy and Bob have contacted an old friend in Kamloops BC, and have decided to detour east in order to see him.  The rest of us decide to head directly home.  We continue south towards the town of  Cashe Creek where we will split up for the last time.

It is late when we get to the small town of Clinton so we decide that it is far enough for that day.  We pull into a RV park and set up camp. The smell of BBQ draws us over to the restaurant for one last group dinner.  The food was awesome and the cook was a hoot!  He gave Cindy a really hard time, but she can give as good as she gets, so we were all laughing by the time we had desert!!

Critter Count:
1 fox

468 miles, yes our longest yet!

July 6, 2016 North to Alaska Day 30

It rained overnight so all the gear is wet. One of the reasons we choose this RV Park in Fort Nelson was for the restaurant on site.  We took advantage of it for breakfast this morning.  Then we hit the road.  Shortly after starting we saw another black bear.
Today we will go through the Natural Gas Fields.  Although fields is not really the right word.  I guess I was expecting something like the oil fields in California, but no.  This is about 150 miles of almost straight, almost flat road that is mowed back the same as the rest of the highway, but the edges are tall trees so tightly packed together that you can't see anything.  It was the most boring stretch of road that I have ever been on.  Plus, not a single critter to break up the boredom on that stretch.

Finally we reached the cutoff before Fort St John, so we cold avoid Dawson Creek.  This took us along the Peace River, on a much more enjoyable road!

We had lunch above the river

We decided to break early, so we stopped in Hudson's Hope, where we saw this neat church.

Camp was made in one of the city campgrounds. Stopping early allowed us to dry out the gear.  Wayne and I decided to remove our cumbersome Oxford Muffs and return to regular Moose Racing hand guards.  The muffs truly did their job, keeping our hands dry, but we are hoping that we are done with that now as we are within days of being home.

Critter Count:
1 bear
1 elk (at least that's what Lyon said it was)

269 miles

July 5, 2016 North to Alaska, Day 29

I was so glad we camped in the pavilion, it rained again last night.  Not enough to kill the dust on the road out of camp, but still rain is rain!! After stopping for gas in Watson Lake, we hit the road before 8 am.  Shortly after getting on the highway I saw Cindy point off to the right.  There was a bison next to the tree line. The roads here are cleared and mowed back about 30 yards on each side.  It is to give drivers enough time to avoid hitting any animals that cross the road.

Photo by Cindy

Next was this bear long the left side of the road

A second bear was soon sighted.

And then a third bear.  They were all more interested in what ever was growing along the road than they were in us.  Once we topped the next rise I saw a black shape moving along the road's edge.  I remember thinking, why would some one be walking along the road here and how do you just walk by a bear?

Photo by Cindy

As I got closer I realized it was a lone bison.  Wayne said he had been seeing hoof prints and thought maybe someone was riding their horse, but no... it was this guy.  He just kept walking while we all stopped on the shoulder of the oncoming lane and took pictures.  We left hime to his mission, what ever it was.  We continued on, stopping for coffee  at the next gas station.  Here we met some folks who were towing an Airstream trailer.  We all were amazed by the bison.

We also talked to folks that were traveling the other direction.  They warned us about this herd 

It was quite a strong herd, with at least 10 babies in the crowd

They are massive creatures

After we left the herd we came across a huge construction site.  In line ahead of us was the Airstream couple.  We all waited a while, then the pilot car came, and moved over to let the cars behind it go by. Then she drove past all the waiting cars and trucks, up to us and asked if we would like to go first.  It is a courtesy that several of the flagers during this trip have offered.  It allows us to go in a relative dust free area.  Of course we said yes.  We followed her to the head of the line, and into the construction zone expecting the cars to then fall in behind us.  They didn't.  And for some unknown  reason no one jumped in front of the guy at the front of the line.  When we talked to the Airstream couple later in the day, they said no one even honked or yelled at him.  We thought for sure the 18-wheeler driver would have done at least that!!

So we continued on with no one behind us.  Which was nice, because when we saw these guys, we could stop and no one else came by to scare them.

Nice Big Horn sheep

No wonder we couldn't find them on the hill sides, We had been looking for the white ones, these would blend into the rocks to well to see

Photo by Cindy

Then we came across these cuties on the other side of the road.

Muncho Lake was glass smooth when we went by

The reflections were outrageous 

So reflective that you can see Cindy and her reflection riding ahead.

Photo by Cindy

This guy was by himself and we were all worried that he would bolt in front of us.  Later we saw another small herd of goats, but they went over the edge before we could stop and get pictures.  We also saw a moose that day. What a great day for critters!!  I think we saw more in total today than the whole rest of the trip combined!!

After lunch we continued on towards Fort Nelson.  The sky was full of very black clouds, but we seamed to be skirting around the edges.  We could see where it had poured, but we'd just get the tail end.  Mind you we were NOT complaining!!

We spent the night in an RV Park in Fort Nelson.

Critter Count:
2 bison, one herd of bison
3 black bears
1 herd of bighorn sheep
1 lone sheep
2 herds of mountain goats
1 moose

318 miles

July 4, 2016 North to Alaska, Day 28

Wow, it's the 4th of July already! Although I never heard them, some heard the booms of fireworks last night. We pack up the bikes and head to old historic Dyea to look around.  Not much of the town site remains, but the graveyard is still there.

Most died in the Palm Sunday Avalanche. The deadliest event of the Klondike gold rush happened on April 3, 1898, between Sheep Camp and the Scales on the Chilkoot Trail.  Numerous snow slides took place on that day.  Five slides directly involved stampeders, and three resulted in the loss of life.

The Parks department has pieced together some statistics on the event. They admit that most accounts to not match.  As many as 200 people might have been involved, and many died. Some victims were found after the thaw, still in the running position.They have about 49 buried here, but some were moved from here to be buried by families near their homes.

After we looked around we headed back the way we had come.  This time we stopped at more of the info boards.

 The tracks for the White Pass Railroad from Skagway to Carcross

This route took more than 2 years to complete. The terrain through White Pass was brutal and weather conditions were worse. Marshy in places to solid rock cliffs made it challenging to say the least.

We stopped at the town of Carcross, which sits between Bennett Lake and Nares Lake and was the northern terminus of the White Pass Railroad from Skagway. This is also all part of the waterways that flow into the Yukon River. After climbing the Chilkoot, stampeders would build rafts to float on Bennett Lake and out to the Yukon. This town witnessed so much during those years.

Birds actually live in these bird houses

Terminus of the White Pass railroad

Train Station

This is the oldest operating business in Yukon Territory.  

We never could agree if these guys were alive or stuffed.  They are located above the Caribou Crossing Resort. I've seen photos on their website with what looks like the same goats... hmmmmm  Maybe they have a salt lick here.

The Carcross Desert is considered to be the smallest desert in the world, covering approximately 1 square mile.

We took the cutoff from Carcross to Jake's Corner where we got back on the Alaska Highway. Then it was back through Johnsons corner, where we limped in for gas on the way out (see Day 6).  Then through Teslin, the town with no power (which meant no gas) that day. We continued reversing our trip until we got to Watson Lake.  Here we again spent the night at the Yukon Campground.  Bob and Cindy, along with Lyon pitched their tents in the trees, Dave joined us in the pavillion. Lyon, Wayne and I went into town to take showers at the Rec Center, and to find dinner.

Critter Count: 2 eagles

No rain today
333 miles

July 3, 2016 North to Alaska Day 27

No rain again last night!!  We packed up and headed back up the dirt road. We stopped in Whitehorse, at the Walmart and Canadian Tire again. After filling up the gas tanks we continued south towards Skagway.  We pass through the town of Carcross.  I was told it was for Caribou Crossing, but we didn't see any caribou, although I did see 4 Dahl Sheep on the hillside.  Once again the border crossings are off-set, creating what I would think would be a no man's land.

In my mind, what I remember of my history of the Yukon Gold Rush, the Chilcoot Pass Trail and Skagway are connected. I guess I thought it started at Skagway.  But it didn't, the railroad started in Skagway, The trail started in the town of Dyea.

By Hegg, E.A (1867-1948) 

This is the photo that I remember, showing the miners going up the pass.  The Mounties were waiting up top to collect the customs and duties on the supplies that Canada required them to bring.  One ton of provisions per person required as many as 30 trips up and back over the pass.  For this reason alone, the railroad was a real blessing when it was completed over White Pass.  Both routes allowed the miners to reach the Yukon River, the route to Klondike Gold.

The clouds were hanging pretty low, wish we could see the tops of the peaks.

We stopped at the Skagway Brewing Company for lunch.  When I went back outside to send our SPOT announcement for the day, up rode Ken!  He figured we'd be there that day, and of course he knew where to look for us at lunch time...  Good news! Ken has decided to stay a second night and catch the Alaska Marine Highway's Ferry to Bellingham WA.  It is nice to know that he won't be riding all that way on his own.  He will arrive on Friday morning and be home by lunch.  (Little did we know that we would also get home on Friday, only just before dinner.)

Looking down Nahku Bay as it winds out to the ocean

Lyon walking through Skagway

Wayne along the Dyea River

We found a site at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. With the low cloud cover we all tarp up the tents, in case.

Critter Count:  4 Dahl Sheep
183 miles

July 2, 2016 North To Alaska, Day 26

No rain again during the night! Always makes packing up easier!! And faster, we are on the road by 7:45. During the ride north through Canada we realized that gas is VERY expensive there, so we chose to fill up at the last gas before the border. It is a strange crossing.  You pass the US crossing (for the oncoming traffic) first, then about 20 miles later you come here, to the Canadian Crossing.

When the border guard asked me how long I would be in Canada I answered that we weren't sure which way we were going to go home so it could be 4 days or longer.  He reminded me that if I was going with the rest of the group, we were going to Skagway, so we'd only be in Canada for 24-36 hours.  Oopps!  My bad!

After the border, it started to rain, like really rain, the kind you can hardly see through.  The only up-side was that all the construction zones that were signed for heavy dust didn't have any, as it was RAINING!!!

We continued on through Haines Junction, finding a Yukon Provence Campground on the Takhini River, about 10 miles of dirt, south of the highway. We found this large campsite, and had some of the nicest neighbors.  One couple brought over sliced watermelon.  Yum!!

Fisherman along the Takhini River

After the rain, the blue sky was a welcome sight.

No covered camping at this place, but it still had free firewood, so we had a great evening fire.  We tarped the tents, just in case!!

Long day, 

345 miles

July 1, 2016 North to Alaska Day 25

Rain, rain and more rain.  It poured hard during the night, until about 3 am.  Soon the birds were singing, and I could hear Ken up and around. He told us his hip was so bad during the night that he has decided to stop camping.  He was doing much better while we were apart and he was sleeping in hotels rather than on the ground.  Knowing how hard it would be to coordinate him in a hotel in with the campers, he has decided to head home.  He will begin the day with us, but he won't stop in Tok, but continue on. It is sad, because today is the day the rest of the group will rejoin us for the final leg of our journey.

We packed up under partly cloudy skies and continued northeast towards Tok. Along the way a moose and her two babies crossed the highway in front of us. The frost heaves were numerous today. We had to really be aware and keep our speeds down.  We all had tales to tell of at least one surprise today.

We arrived at the Thompson's Eagle's Claw Motorcycle Park before noon.  This campground/hostel is designed for campers with motorcycles, bicycles and backpacks.  It is not designed for cars, trailers or motorhomes.  Along with great campsites there are also some indoor sleeping available.  You can sleep in the bunk house, a cabin, the wall tent, a teepee or the ambulance.

 Lyon and Dave will have the wall tent and Cindy and Bob have the cabin and Wayne and I picked out a tent site.  Then it was into town to find lunch (Thai food again) and oil so that Wayne can change the oil in his bike.  The campground has a work shop, which Wayne took advantage of.

At about 2:00 Bob and Cindy arrived, and at 3 Dave rolled up.  Now the six of us are back together and ready to go!!!

Critter Count: 3 moose
126 miles

June 30, 2016 North to Alaska Day 24

Another night without rain, always a great way to start the day. After breakfast Lyon, Ken, Wayne and I headed out of town. We took a right on the Dayville Road so we could see if the bears were feeding down by the fish hatchery.

No bears today, just seals

No, that is not the oil pipeline. Here is where they pump in freshwater for the hatchery

Dumb seagulls.  They make a mess of everything

There were a whole bunch of seals playing in the water around the hatchery.

After the hatchery we headed up and over Thompson Pass.  The views were awesome.  On the other side of the pass you can walk up to the Worthington Glacier. We spent some time learning about glaciers in general and Worthington in particular.

We continued on the Richardson Highway to Highway 10 where we turned east to head out to Chitina. We had hoped to continue through town and go out to the old Kennicott mine near McCarthy, but the weather reports all indicate a huge storm with mass quantities of rain and flooding was due that day.  We have heard about how bad the dirt roads are when wet, so we are not interested.

 Instead we had lunch at the hotel. While we were there our new friends Charlie and Dale from Arkansas arrived.  They had already been up to McCarthy and are now headed north. As we had almost finished lunch when they arrived, we headed out before them.

Chitina is located at the confluence of the Chitina and Copper Rivers. When the fish are running hard they say you can practically walk across the river on the fish's backs. It is a popular place for bears, First-Nation and locals to fish.  This is a fish wheel. They are allowed on both the Yukon and Copper Rivers.  They operate like a mill wheel. The current moves the wheel around and the baskets scoop up the fish coming upstream. As the wheel turns fish slide out of the basket into a holding tank on one side.  The fisherman only needs to come by several times a day to process his catch. Effective, if you are a sustenance fisher, not too much sport in it though.

Wayne, checking out the possible storm clouds over the Copper River

On our way in to Chitina we noticed a Yak Farm, but didn't know what it was.  While at the hotel Wayne ordered a Yak burger, made from the yaks at this farm.  We had to stop and find out how Yaks had ended up in Alaska. It turns out that the owners feel that Yaks are ideally suited for Alaska's harsh winters and are easier to care for than cattle.  We had noticed the complete lack of cows on this whole trip, chocking it up to the -40 degree winters. To learn more about these interesting animals check out www.alaskayaks.com. Really nice people and cool animals!

Photo thanks to Lyon

On the way back out the highway we saw this momma moose.  Her shy baby is behind her.

Once we joined the Richardson Highway we continued north under very cloudy skies. We are due in Tok to meet up with the rest of the group tomorrow so we don't want to go too far tonight. We stopped at the junction with the Glenn Highway at the new Tesaro Station, only to find Charlie and Dale in line for gas.  Now this really is becoming a small world!! After a brief "Hi/bye" we continued on to Gakona where we got tent spots for the night.

We barely on the tents up when the sky opened up and began to dump on us.  Dinner was cooked under the eaves of the shed.  Lyon and I did laundry because not only did we need to, but it was dry in there!!

Critter Count: about 15 seals

2 moose

herd of Yak

Little sprinkles of rain as we rode, more as we camped

216 miles