Thursday, July 30, 2009

Day 17 - July 6th - Palmer to almost Seward and then to Tok Junction – 920 kms approx

9 am start after a rested sleep. Registered and got directions to a Wal-Mart in Anchoridge. Headed south to Anchorage 40 miles away for a Wal-Mart to replace my IPod. $145.00 – hope that was reasonable for a 8GB unit. Should be enough to hold all my songs at home. I have only 500 in my ITunes in the laptop. Still need to set it up and register it.
After Anchorage, a new IPod, and breakfast I headed south on the Seward Hwy. Pretty country, but much like the road to Valdez except some parts were next the water. Many photo opportunities. After riding 2/3 the way I decided that Seward wasn’t as important as making tracks for Tok. So I rested a while, took a few photos of the furthest place from home I will be and turned back. The ride was good and fast except for some RV’s. Could of been worse. The road out of Palmer was nice and twisty but then gave way to road of dips and rougher pavement and a long construction section of packed gravel. Finally made it to Glenallen hub and gassed up, chatted with a couple on a Sportster out for a escape ride from the kids, and then headed towards Tok. That road was worse than I remember from 2 days ago. Many, many dips and 5 sections of gravel that were sometimes not marked until you came on them. I got more cautious looking for them after 2 surprises set my heart going. Hitting them at over 100 kms per hour is nasty. Found a campsite in Tok – expensive and next to the hwy... bonus – no bugs. Dinner, gas and set up camp and started to write this. Later.



Kenai Penninsula


Kenai Penninsula


Kenai Penninsula


Kenai Penninsula
Furthest point from Home on this trip


1972 V12 E type Jaguar for sale
Cool car - nice condition


Alaska #1 Highway


Alaska #1 Highway

Day 16 – July 5th - Gakona to Valdez and then to near Palmer AK

Later start ... 10:30. Look for fuel to start.... found some with fumes only left. Headed down Richardson Hwy towards Valdez 115 miles away. Nice scenic road past the halfway point. Lots of mountains, streams, and waterfalls. Finally made Valdez – smaller town than I expected. Full of fishermen.. there is a fishing derby starting. Rolled around the town, taking photos and checking out the size. Had lunch at a small seafood diner and then visited the visitor centre. Time was passing, so I headed out the same way I started, back up the Richardson Hwy. Made a turnoff where the pipeline terminates, but it was too far down the road and closed to the public anyway since 911. But I stopped at the waterside and rested, chatted with a couple vacationing from Hamburg Germany in a RV. You meet the nicest people camping. The shore was loaded with rod casting fishermen. Water did not taste salty... too many mountain streams flowing into this area... surrounded by the mountains. Back on the hwy, made few stops for pictures and good time back to the cut-off where I fuelled up again – can’t have too much (unless you are on fire). Got instructions from a fellow with a copy of Milepost book on where to look for camping, road conditions and good place to start from in the morning. The road, AK 2 to Anchorage is rough in spots, 1 construction section of gravel that was washboard and slow going. Then came the twisty section, fun but caught behind a stubborn pick-up truck going under the limit. Finally got clear and had lots of fun chewing up the twisty sections. Palmer the town came up and I stopped again for fuel and chatted with some bikers from Anchorage 50 miles down the road. They told me where to find dinner and from there I found a nearby campsite... closed so I will register in the morning. Nice fellow Randy is camped next to me. He is a carpenter here looking for work from Iowa. Single guy, sold his house, packed his pickup with his stuff and a ATV and a trailer with tools and headed here. He was also in Valdez this morning too. Set up camp after a long chat and began typing this. Time is 11:30. Over 500 kms today. The roads are full of dips and frost heaves... they catch you unawares at times... testing the suspension of the bike to the fullest. I see other vehicles having a bad time with them too. Tomorrow I will shop in Anchorage for a IPod and then ride south into the Kenai peninsula full of mountains and scenic roads. Not sure if I will stay here again tomorrow or not. Need to catch up to the itinerary, but wanted to see this area too. Campsite is too far from office for the Wi-Fi to work. May take a walk closer to check email. Battery for computer needs a charge too. Later.


Richardson Hwy


Richardson Hwy


Richardson Hwy


Glacier


Valdez


Valdez


Valdez


Valdez



Valdez


Waterfalls next to Richardson Hwy


Hwy to Anchoridge


Camping near Palmer AK

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Day 15 - July 4th Dawson City to Gakona AK – about 500 kms across the Top of The World Hwy

Slept good, woke past 8 am. Breakfast and a start on the Top of the World Hwy to Alaska. This road is 107 kms to the US border which is open 8 to 8 only for US Customs. Before that is the 107 kms of Gravel road... rough and rougher... washboard, potholes, short paved sections, and very scenic at times. Stopped for photos along the way, including at the point where I figured the Top of the World was. Many cars and RV’s along the way. Finally past customs, greeted along the way with a welcome to Alaska sign and a bit further a VW Beetle changing a flat tire... not the only one I saw. Tough road on tires. Not as bad as the Dempster... but close.
Passed the turn-off for Eagle.. a town on the Yukon river downstream from Dawson. It was practically wiped out this spring but ice flooding and the chunks of ice dislodged the homes from their foundations. Quite the local disaster. I found all this out in the Tok visitor welcome centre later. I finally made it to Chicken AK. The town was originally supposed to be named Ptarmigan after the abundance of those birds in the area... but nobody knew how to spell it. So Chicken stuck. Chicken is a village with gas, shops, restaurant and RV park and also a place you can pan for gold. Had a lunch of Hot dog and potato salad, gassed up and headed out. The Hwy following was paved... but lots of sections of chip seal which is okay once you understand it is chip seal and not loose gravel which it looks like. Scenic ride. Found a hatchet on the highway and picked it up.... it may have messed up someone’s tire. Finally arrived at the end of this route to Dawson at the Alaska Hwy and made a right turn west to Tok... where there is a crossroads to several places. Decision time to head for Fairbanks or Anchorage direction. The road to Fairbanks is faster and smoother I was told, the other is 55 mph and has lots of frost heaves. I took it. Should have gassed up but didn’t. Not much on this road.. hwy 1. Lots of land, scenery and few places to camp or gas up. There is a town called Glenhaven but judging by the stuff along this route and the fact the campground was sold out of tent sites... I picked a place here 25 miles short of Glenhaven in Gakona. Still 2.5 hours short of Valdez or Anchorage. Ferries are $189 one way to connect the 2 so I think I will ride tomorrow instead. Good fishing area apparently, from what I found out at the local restaurant 2 miles down the road. Set up camp in wind. It turned my tent turtle before I had a chance to anchor it. A gentleman from Texas came over and offered assistance. A short rain immediately after I set the tent and before dinner. Mosquitoes here... more I was told down at the next RV park in Glenhaven. I gave him my found hatchet which he said would be handy.
Waiting for the key to the shower while I type this. Not bad RV park here. Near a river where there is fishing I think. Signing off for today. 9:30 local time. 4 time zones from home. Should sleep well. Still lots of light though.


Scenic hills


Top of the World hwy


Top of the World hwy


Snow along roadside


YK to AK boundry marker - on 4th of July, 2009


US Customs entering Alaska.
The guy in the VW with GRDEAD plate (Grateful Deadhead)
unfortunately had a flat a short time later. Shredded his tire.


Welcome to Alaska!


Scenic view. These purple flowers were everywhere.




Really is like the Top of the World.


Chicken Alaska


Chicken Alaska


Road to Alaska Hwy was desolate


The Alaska Hwy... I turned right to Tok... construction both ways


Camping in Gakona AK for the night

Day 14 – July 3rd, spent in Dawson City.

Rode into Dawson and first went to the huge dredge on display that was restored by Parks Canada for display. Tour took 1.5 hours. It was very interesting. Into Dawson proper, went to buy tickets for the 3 PM walking tour. Also bought the tour ticket for the paddlewheel boat Keno. Fitted it all in, then had dinner, and headed for the ferry to to cross the Yukon River and find the campground across the way. Disappointing – just a Government campground... no nice facilities. Pitched the tent anyway and got water, registered and cleaned the bike before heading to the ferry again to take in Diamond Tooth Gerties 8:30 show at the casino. Good, enjoyable show.. only 40 minutes long. Outside, called mom to find out what inn Sean Totten worked in last year. Located it nearby. Went back for the 10:30 show... this time better, closer seat. Gertie sang a song while I was sitting getting my hair rubbed by her...... LOL At least better than getting chosen to go up on stage...as some did. Sat at table where a couple were vacationing from London England and celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary trip.
Now headed for the ferry and the campsite... after I finish this on borrowed WiFi.



gold dredge #4 - one of 2 largest - rebuilt by Parks Canada


Museum near to dredge


stern paddle wheeler 'Keno' served the Yukon River
bringing news, people, and supplies


size of property lot that sold for $30,000 in 1898
Not everyone made their fortunes panning for gold


Dawson tour guide


Robert Service's Cabin


Diamond Tooth Gertie


Poster at Diamond Tooth Gertie's


ferry crossing Yukon River


My humble camp for the night (already packed up)

Day 13 - July 2, from Inuvik to Mile 0 of the Dempster.

Early start.. on the bike at 7:15 am. Daryl and Karen left at the same time in their truck. No gas open... but there will be some in Ft McPherson. I poured the contents of my gas can into the tank and headed out.
Started out in foggy conditions... which made seeing through the moisture on the windshield tough and also to see the road. Looking over the windshield I don’t see close... just down the Road. I have 2 tank slappers in the gravel in the first hour.... and another an hour later... before the first ferry. Up on the pegs and accelerate out of them works.... but the experience makes me more cautious. Long day overall. I met up with Sean, Ingrid and Kate again... they were just short of getting to Eagle Plains. When I got to Eagle Plains myself.. I left my credit card number for them to take a room for the night., since Sean said they would be camping.... I thought a night in a bed would be good for them. That Dempster Hwy was a lot more of a challenge for them than they anticipated... but they have 2 years of challenges ahead of them if they stay out that long to South America. The room cost was $139... a bit more expensive than I thought it should be.... considering the motel is rather plain.... just the only one around for hundreds of kilometres which explains the cost.
Later, I would reflect on that this generated one of the most rewarding moments of my trip, with the positive feedback I recieved, and the personal satisfaction.
After Eagle Plains (still 370 kms to the end) I ran into a short but hard rainfall for about 5 - 8 minutes. It was enough to start to turn the surface into a wet and slippery mud, but thankfully it stopped before it turned sloppy. I rode that part very carefully.
Towards the end of the Dempster, the road conditions were the best - hardpack and scattering of gravel, my mind at maximum tired and I was caught up from behind by the first large transport truck of the entire Dempster journey. Being passed by one of these rigs was something I wasn't looking forward too, unless I was at a full stop, because the dust will be blinding for a long time after. This guy was in ahurry, and gave me a hard time about my blocking his progress, while I looked for a good spot to pull over. He zoomed up on my rear, maybe 15 feeet behind me and then engaged his jake engine brake to make the maximum noise and intimidation factor. I put on my signal to pull over and slowed to the shoulder in the deeper gravel, while he passed without allowing me time to even slap my visor down. The dust took waht seemed and eternity to clear, must have been at least 4 minutes before I could satrt out. The trees blocked any air currents to clear thre dust, so I had pockets of dust to ride through.
Long story, I took many rests, shot lots of photos... and made to km 0 about 10 pm. That made the entire trip down a 15 hour journey. I had made it!!!
Daryle and Karen were at the Klondyke Lodge campground at their RV as they said they would be, greeted me warmly, Invited me to stay the night and eat with them, which I was pleased to accept. I used the car wash pressure washer to clean the bike off of the heavy dust coating everything, particularily the wheels which had a very thick layer around the circumference. I also took my gas can which I had picked up at this location, emptied it again into my tank, and took it into the store, wrote a marker message for the next rider to find it, to use it, and Pay it Forward.
My hosts plied me with homemade red wine... which I drank the better part of 3 bottles that were shared. Crashed into a foldout bed comfortably and slept soundly. Woke with a well earned hangover at 8:15 am.

PS: weeks later I found out that the rider that left that gas can for the next rider, was my friend Steve Rudd, and reading his blog he made reference of leaving the gas can with the note for the next rider. We both found this co-incidence rather amusing. We live about 15 kms apart, and left home 7 days apart. We compared notes later on our trips, and there were many more times out paths crossed, even though our routes were nearly reversed in direction for much of our trip.



McKenzie river

ferry

ferry bridge


more gravel- all gravel


Ferry


Dempster Highway


Dempster Highway


Dempster Highway


Dempster Highway


Dempster Highway


Karen preparing dinner


my Camp for the night - Daryl and Karens fifth wheel trailer