2009 Summer Motorcycle Trip: Day 10 – Whitehorse to Dawson City – about 500 kms with a small side trip on Dempster.

Woke refreshed at 6:50 AM.... efficiently made breakfast, coffee and readied for the day. Looked promising as a nice day. Tyler woke later, skipped breakfast and packed He left before I was completely ready... for Fairbanks AK. He was hopeful he would make the over 1000 kms today. He felt there would be no rain against him. I chatted at length with the fellow in the next campsite who was from Inuvik NWT... my destination later this week...soon. He recommended a few things to see, and tips on riding the Dempster Hwy.
My ride started out well, nice day, hardly any traffic, good road and god speed. I set the GPS for Dawson Creek and observed that if I was able to drive through non stop, I should arrive at 2:10 in the afternoon.... meaning a leisurely ride with plenty of time for stops and photos. All was okay until about 2:30, still 181 kms to go when the skies opened with rain just as I stopped for a later lunch. Well, that rain was hard and I waited it out for 2 hours or more. Finally I got back on the rode in light drizzle hoping it was over. Not entirely. Anyway, when i saw the start of the Dempster Hwy gas bar, I stopped to scout out the place, I picked up a free gas can left by another biker previously who was finished with it, (I found out 3 weeks later it was a friend Steve Rudd who left it behind with a note for the next rider who needed it) then enquired about cabins (worried for rain overnight) and then took a few photos and a short ride for 8 kms each way up the Dempster. Onto Dawson 40 kms away and at the tourist info stand located a close campground and got a weather report for next few days – Ideal! Time was about 6:30 pm. The campground was full, but I talked my way into sharing a site with another motorcyclist – Les from Portland Oregon. He was waiting since Wed for a fuel pump for his bike from Edmonton. Went to dinner, made calls to home and Lisa and MarJ and then met a couple I earlier met at Laird Springs on Friday morning from an island near Vancouver. They offered me a beer and I visited with them for a while. Sunset is 12:32am. Sunrise is 3:53 am. I have not seen darkness in several days now. It is now 12:09 am and I can see well inside the tent without a lamp. Time to turn in though.