Glenallen, Alaska near Valdez

Saturday 30th June  Venue, Caribou Inn, Glenallen, AK For once we started the day with almaost clear skies although the temperature was only about 15C. We headed east on highway 1out of Anchorage and very soon we were rising with the mountains which seemed to wrap around us. The forest was dense with trees of a reasonable size and the ever present rivers powering down to the sea. We were riding through the Chugach Mountains and Mount Marcus Baker could be seen clearly in the south at a height of 13,300 ft. The road took us close to the Matanuska Glacier only a few miles away, shimmering in the sun, is four miles wide and extends back many miles into the Chugach Mountains.

The Matanuska Glacier

 The road rose to the high plains, 3000ft and trees thinned out to leave rolling hills covered with coarse grass and the occasional Black Spruce. Sheep Mountain, while not very high, stands out by its bronze colour, caused by the presence of mineral salts, is named for the frequent sightings of Dall Sheep licking the salt from the surface.

Sheep Mountain. So named for the Dall Sheep that lick the natural salts on the mountain

 Glenallen, our venue for the next two nights, is a very small village with one Motel and a supermarket with very expensive Breakfast cereal, but is representative of most Alaskan towns.

Anchorage

Friday 29th June  The last two days have been mainly occupied with housekeeping and recuperation but we did do a little exploring around town. The town owes much to Captain Cook as he was the first European  to explore the area and Cook Inlet and Turnabout point are named in his honour and of course they have a stature of Cook overlooking the bay and port area.

The statue of Captain Cook in Anchorage

The port of Anchorage receives most of the freight entering Alaska via large barges towed from Tacoma, Washington.  To the north and east we can see the first of a string of dormant volcanoes which link all the way to Russia via the  Alutian Islands. The last eruption was in 1999 and could easily seen from Anchorage. Thanks to the high latitude we are currently getting 19hours and 14 minutes of daylight with sun rising this morning at 4.26 am. And setting tonight at 23.40 pm. Takes a bit of getting used to and we need to keep the curtains closed tight to get a good nights sleep.

Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula

Wednesday 27th June Anchorage, Alaska  The day started out dry, although cool, so we headed south onto the Kenai Peninsula with Whittier and Seward as our destination. The road follows the coast into Turnaround Arm, which if my history serves me well, was named by Cook as the lead he was following turned into a dead end.

Vandalism is not restricted to Australia. Notice the mud flats left by the fast falling tide.

The entire Peninsula is;comprised of steep snow clad mountains and glaciers by the dozen. The mountains are green with spring vegetation in the lower area's but appear as green puddings drizzled with cream from the peaks, low clouds scudding along the tops as if skiers making use of the last snow.

Small Ice Bergs from the Portage Glacier in the bckground.

Yours truly with snowball

We skipped the trip into Whittier as toll to use the 2.5mile tunnel is $12 and we wanted to make it to Seward on the same trip. The road south passes through mountain valleys dotted with lakes and rivers and the ever present road gang often slows progress to a halt. The weather plays havoc with roads in Alaska. Seaward is about 220km south of Anchorage and at one time was the main port of Alaska serviced by a rail line which runs all the way to Fairbanks.

Waiting in the rain at another road works stop.

 The weather turned rainy and cold, so we left the small fishing port and headed back to Anchorage, arriving at 7.00pm, cold and wet, again although it was actually quite warm there, probably 15 deg.

Danali to Anchorage

Tuesday 26th june  Yesterday we rode from Danali to anchorage, approx. 320km. The weather was cool, perhaps 15C but felt much colder on the bike at 90kph. As we rode south the trees became much bigger and the road was never far from high, snow covered mountains, capped by light clouds blending into the dark sky above. The sun did not shine all day.  At the occasional stop the mosquitoes would appear as if on call , although they did not bother me that much but Mike seemed to be a magnet to them. As we are traveling early in the season they are nowhere near the problem they can be in August, even the Carabou are driven crazy by them. As we approached Wasilla, of Sara Palin fame, the traffic increased and the road divided into three lanes each way, all speeding home after work at 65mph, and the rain came pouring down. With a population of 380,000, the road system, within the suburban limits, seems to be over the top. perhaps they are planning ahead?  We checked into the Howard Johnson Motel, tiered and wet but glad to be off the bike.

Today, Tuesday,  I needed a new tyre and oil change for the bike so made contact with a Honda shop and booked the bike immediately. Through rain and unknown roads I made it, left the bike and popped over to the Peanut Farm Bar for a spot of breakfast and coffee. Ten TV screens entertained the many patrons while I just enjoyed the creek running a banker outside the picture window. It helped pass the time while waiting for the bike, then back into Anchorage to meet up with Mike.

Downtown Anchorage

 The afternoon brought the sun out and we went gift hunting in the middle of town and also visited a museum display on the 1964 Alaskan earthquake which devastated much of Anchorage mad much of the surrounding area.

The Visitor Centre, Anchorage

 Another small museum was dedicated to Alaska's part in WW1 which included the construction of the Alaskan Highway and an attack by the Japanese. And yet another was dedicated to the history of the Alaskan Police who have been closely allied to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for all of their history

The oldest building in Anchorage. Many were destroyed in the 1964 earthquake.

Denali National Park

Sunday 24th June  Venue. Denali RV Park &Motel Today we visited the spectacular Denali National Park, all 63million acres of it, well part of it. Te weather was overcast, cold and a strong wind was blowing off the mountains. The park employs buses to shuttle people to various drop off points within the park and we elected to take a 130mile round trip taking 8hrs. As with all National Parks in the US, the park organization and facility was the best. Beautiful timber buildings with interesting geological and botanical displays staffed with well trained people. The trip took us through thick low forest at 1500ft to bare mountain slopes at around 3,000ft.

Dall mountain sheep high up a slope were the first animals to be crossed off our list then Carabou, a Linx, which I missed, a Moose hiding behind bushes and the highlight for the day, two large brown Grizzly Bears grazing well up a slope but close enough to get a recognizable photo.

Whoops, I forgot the real high highlight, an almost perfect view of Danali, Mount McKinley to the  uninitiated. The weather was clearing enough to let the sun shine on the scattered cloud suspended on the mountain crags. The mountain was framed by a valley which fell away from the viewing building and filled the viewfinder completely. At 20,300ft Danali is the highest peak in North America. We were very lucky as few days allow as good a view as today. We rode back to our cabin satisfied with the day.



The montain road up to the Danali viewing station. Notice the Braided River in the valley below, so called for the braided effect of the water flowing through the flat river bed.

Fairbanks to Danali

Saturday 23rd June  Odometer reading 49,738km  approx 4500km since I picked up the bike. Distance travelled today 180km Venue. Danali RV park and Motel We left our motel around 9.30am and drove around the outskirts of Fairbanks looking for some electrical components for Mikes' bike. He is having a little trouble with his air compressor and gps connections so needed to get some parts. No real join at this stage but be a real problem. We did not bother to see the downtown area but headed out of town on the road to Anchorage and Denali. The road rose into the hills west of Fairbanks permitting a superb view of the tundra for miles around. The trees become larger and more prolific with altitude with white spruce,  silver (paper)  birch, cottonwood and quaking aspen predominating. For anyone with a bent on tree species have a look at http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5320147.pdf We crossed the Tenana River at a small town called Nenana and walked the towns main street photographing some quaint buildings before visiting the Railway Station Museum. In the museum I enquired about several volumes of records titled "Nenana Ice Classic Guesses" . A curious title. The young lady at the desk explained the mystery.

ATM in a small Bar in Nenana

The local large river freezes over every winter and towards spring the local authorities erect a large wooden cairn in the middle of the river and wait for the spring thaw. The locals pay for the privaledge of guessing when, to the minute, the tripod cairn will fall through the ice. The winning guess receives all of the takings. This year the tripod fell through the ice on April 23, not sure of the minute, and the winner took home $350,000. the excitement must have kept the town on edge all winter. Our stop for the night was at an RV campground, with wood cabins for riders like us, not far from Danali National Park. I plan to be up early tomorrow to visit the park and hopefully get a glimpse of the mountain.

Beaver Creek, Yukon to Fairbanks, Alaska

Friday 22nd June Distance traveled today 530km. To Fairbanks, Alaska A long haul today from beaver creek in the Yukon  and as we headed north and west the temperature got hotter.

Roadside view, just out of Haines Junction, Yukon



The US border was only 30km from  Beaver Creek and we encountered the usual unfriendly and brisk manner of the Customs official. Welcome to the USA! While waiting for Mike to go through the process in front of me I took a photo of him and the customs building, next thing the Customs officer walked up to me insisting that he look at the photo to make sure that he could not be seen in the photo. Talk about paranoia!



The coastal range appeared on our right almost  immediately we left Beaver Creek and dominated the scene for the rest of the day, some mountains as high as 16,000 ft. We crossed several wide rivers carrying melt water from the mountains, north to join the Yukon River hundreds of kilometers away. The rivers were strangely wide, perhaps a kilometer or more, very shallow and littered with rocks and gravel carried down from the mountains. This is the process of mountain leveling in real time. Since leaving Whitehorse animal life has been strangely absent. I have seen only one Moose and Mike saw what he thought was a Linx. Perhaps the gun happy Americans have shot all the game or at least made them retreat to more distant and safer havens in the wilderness.  We stopped at Delta junction for a lunch break and petrol at a roadhouse and were confronted by an example of remote northern life. The use of drugs was clearly evident as one young woman laughed at anything and nothing while paying for her petrol. All the locals were sloppily dressed and the store was scattered with goods for sale in no particular order. There was cafe attached to the service station but was unattended and when we asked of the gas attendant he looked puzzled and said that they must be closed for the day. This was at 2.00pm. Along the roadside, in the vicinity of the remote towns, sat unkempt and sometimes derelict houses surrounded by old cars and the detritus of modern living. To the credit of the local authorities, the roadside was kept beautifully clean throughout all of Alaska, so far. The sense of remoteness was shattered as we approached Fairbanks. Eilson Air Force Base loomed on our right and dozens of plane sat on the tarmac in anticipation of an emergency. The road widened to a divided dual highway and for the next 20km we passed hundreds of commercial facilities but no obvious signs housing or shopping centers. It was around 5.00pm and the traffic was heavy and fast. Our motel, found courtesy of Mikes' gps, was in a secluded wood but still we saw no sign of houses or the city centre which is apparently on five minutes away. Maybe tomorrow. By the way, to date we have not camped at all as it is much easier to stay in Motels and the weather has not been conducive to camping, until today that is.

Whitehorse to Beaver Creek

Thursday 21st June  440 km ride today from Whitehorse  Yesterday we had a lay day in Whitehorse. Two nights were spent at a b&b run by a lovely lady who took us to heart as she has a daughter in Sydney. The morning rain showers kept us inside doing domestic chores and talking to our host.  In the afternoon we took in a few of the local sights in clouding a rushed tour of the paddle wheeler Klondike.

Whitehorse is located down on the Yukon river in a depression left by the recent ice age while most of the population are settled up on plateau west of the city. A visit to the Beringia museum was a highlight, where the geological history of the area is explained. This includes the movement of the massive ice blanket that covered most of the Yukon and Alaska between 20000 and 10,000 years ago. Today the weather was fine with scattered cloud with a top of around 22'c, the best day we have had so far. We rode north and west through valleys bordered by mountains of ever increasing height until we passed close by Mount Logan at 5959m, the tallest peak in Canada. A large moose tried crossing the road just in front of me but was scared off by and oncoming truck. I would really have liked to get a photo.



There was a minor mixup at Haines Junction when I mistook another biker for Mike while waiting for him on the road side. I took after this guy but was unable to catch him so ended up riding all the way to beaver creek alone while mike was looking for me around town. Not to worry, Mike arrived just 15 minutes after me.  As the mountains receded to the south east the county looked more and more like the Tundra, short wiry trees and lots of small shallow lakes. I rode past one shallow river that must have been 4km wide, strewn with tumbled rocks and broken trees. During the floods of a few days ago it must have looked impressive. The last 80km of road was badly effected by the winter ice pushing up and breaking the surface leaving a difficult surface to ride.

Watson Lake, BC to Whitehorse, Yukon

uesday 19th June  Total km reading 48486. Travelled today 440km Evening venue. Whitehorse, yukon  We arrived in Whitehorse after a long but reasonably dry day with boots well covered in duct tape and booked into a b&b run by a lovely lady, for two nights as we decided that Wednesday is to be a lay day. The highway, while sealed, was badly effected by frost and heavy rain with frequent potholes and at one stage the road had been completely washed away last week, stranding the north country for four days while repairs were made. A temporary repair had been completed two days before we arrived. We stopped over at Rancheria, a remnant of the Alaskan Highway construction from the 1940', for a quick coffee to ward off the cold then proceeded on to Teslin Lake for lunch. The lake is nestled between two low mountain ranges and is 120km long. The rain held off most of the day with only two or three showers.



Having left the northern Rockies yesterday we now approached the Coast Mountains which like there higher cousins, still have snow cloaking their upper reaches. Just before arriving in Whitehorse I discovered a loose footrest on the bike but fortunately the bolts were still there so only need tightening when we stopped for the night. The rough road is taking it's toll. Wednesday 20th The morning started out with rain, no surprise there, but developed into a fine sunny afternoon.

Fort Nelson to Watson Lake, BC

Monday 18th June  Stopover at Watson Lake, Yukon. Approx distance covered today 400km I will try to give you a word picture to describe today which in becoming typical because of almost constant rain. We have had one day so far without rain. Dress for the days ride! Undershirt, underpants, shirt, heated jacket, riding jacket, rain jacket, riding jeans and rains pants wrapped with duct tape to the boot tops to prevent rain ingress. We left Fort Nelson in fine weather with the sun shining for once but that did not last long. Soon the rain was pelting down so hard it felt like hail and within a couple of hours my right boot was full of water due to the duct tape slipping off the boot allowing water to run down my leg and into the boot. Not a pleasant feeling. We definitely started our trip a month too early. Perhaps the highlight of the day was the animals we saw, several bears, well fed and with shining coats, a herd of Buffalo including several calves, all relaxing on the wide verge and lastly another moose or two. The road verge is about 40m wide on either side and is the only area not covered with trees and therefore green with lush pasture, even the bears seemed content to graze. The rain showers were interspersed with periods of scattered cloud and sometimes sunshine.

 

A black bear on the roadside between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake

Muncho Lake between Watson Lake and Whitehorse

Stone Mountain between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake

Grand Prairie, Alberta to Fort Nelson, BC

 Moose on the run

Sunday 17th June . Fort Nelson , BC Bike total km 47,499 Distance travelled today  600km On leaving Grand Prairie we rode west through rolling prairie farm country dotted with the occasional oil well or gas well. The rocky mountains could be seen in the south west not to be seen again on this trip. We crossed back into BC and the rural town of Dawson Creek where the start of the Alaskan Highway is celebrated with monument to it's construction in 1942. At the town of Fort St John we stopped by to say hi to Dave Menzies who I met on our 2008 trip north. For the next 400km we passed through continuous Lodge Pole and Aspen forest, growing taller as we rode north. The road varied between excellent blacktop to recently gravelled surface which made riding difficult but in general the surface was good. The severe winter weather conditions play havoc with sealed roads this far north. Word is that the Alaskan highway is closed just south of Alaska due to flooding.

Mile "0" on a wet day in Dawson Creek, BC

 Siesta for the Buffalo family

Hinton to Grand Prairie, Alberta

Saturday 16th June  Bike total km 46892. Daily run 351 km Venue :  Grande Prairie, Alberta Scenic Route to Alaska read the sign on highway 40 just out of Hinton. we were at last heading in the right direction. The sealed road passed over rolling hills in sight of the Rockies to the west and the forecast threatened rain and strong winds, neither of which occurred but the cold forced us to rug up.  Millions of acres of Lodge Pole Pines interspersed with small Spruce and larger Aspen keeps the logging industry employed alongside coal and natural gas in abundance. The wealth of Alberta was blatantly obvious when We arrived in Grand Prairie, a city of 50,000 plus with dual lane highways and several shopping malls. This place is in the middle of nowhere??? On the road north Mike spotted four Moose and we were able to get a good photo of one, plus a few deer.

The Athabaska River just north of Hinton, Alberta

A big boys toy. Grand Prairie, Alberta

Kamloops, BC to Hinton, Alberta

Friday 15th June  Bike km at end of the day. 46541km. 523km ridden. Venue: Hinton, Alberta We headed north on highway. 5 out of kamloops and for most of the day we followed the North Thompson River between two mountain ranges which ultimately became the western Rocky Mountains. The further north we rode the higher the mountains and the more snow. The day was fine with scattered cloud but cool. A highlight of my day was the spotting of a wolverine which had just crossed the road. These animals are quite rare and resemble a large brown weasel. The crossing of the Rockies from west to east was real chocolate box territory with Mount Robson perhaps the most grand. We stopped for fuel at Jasper but did not linger as it was late and we still had another 90km to ride to Hinton, our destination for the day. A long and tiring day but very satisfying.

Rocky Mountains just east of Jasper in Alberta

Abbottsford, BC to Kamloops.

Thursday 14th June. We departed from Abbottsford just after 10am, having sorted and left those items not considered necessary for the journey north, difficult choice as we really had no idea what to expect with regard to the weather. At Hope we had entered the mountains and the entrance to Fraser canyon and hells gate where the Fraser river passes through a narrow gap and the salmon are forced to swim through fish ladders to make it on the spawning grounds. At Lytton we turned east following the Thompson river through 10,000 year old moraine left by the last ice age. The mountain sides show clearly the passing of glacier and the river has cut deep through the moraine. Before we reached Cache Creek the rain was falling steadily making the riding unpleasant and dangerous and did not stop until we had reached our destination for the day, Kamloops. Wet boots means that I need to tie more tape around the bottom of my new rain pants. Out with the duct tape. Kamloops is a surprisingly large town, population 85,000, and local industries include a pulp mill, plywood mill and copper mine.

 Mike and Roger about to leave Abbottsford

The juction of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers at Lillooett

Wednesday 13th June. Since last Sunday I have moved only as far as Abbottsford, BC, about 60km east of Vancouver where I am staying with my friends Wes and Debbie. Mike Green, my riding mate, has joined me and we should have been riding north today but being BC it has been raining steadily since late yesterday which is both good and bad.  Good because we rode to a meeting of the Greater Vancouver Motorcyclee Club last night in the rain which confirmed what I really did know, my boots and rain pants were not worth a pinch of the proverbial in Vancouver rain. So this morning Mike and I went shopping for Goretex boots amid better rain pants.  Bad because we have postponed our departure until tomorrow when it won't be raining, ha ha. Last Monday I accompanied Wes & Debbie on a car trip, truck actually, down to Seattle in Washington on a flying visit. The day was fine with great views of the Cascade mountains to the east ranging in height from Mt Baker at around 11,000 ft to majestic snow covered Mt Rainier at 14,400 ft. 

Main Street, Port Alberni with 5,900 ft Mount Arrowsmith in the background.
Today, 9th June, Lynne drove me about 45km west of Port Alberni to a six section Zip Line. For the uninitiated a zip line is the equivalent to a flying fox for humans not cargo. They all the rage on the west coast. A joy ride with a difference.

Mount Klitsa on the way to the Zip Line.

Typical forset vegetation in roadside park.

Now this takes the cake, can you imagine your wife sitting on the throne on the side of a park walk doing her business with not a care in the world when along comes a class of year nine boys on a nature expedition. Admittably, the path is on the high side of the dunny and about 10m away, but all the same!!!!!!!

Now here was a forest river pond to die for.

The infamous Zip Line with Lynne opening her arms to joys of nature.

This was a shot half across one of six crossings. It's a real buzz.

This is yours truly doing a death defying leap across the abyss.

Mount Arrowsmith from across Sprout Lake.

Monday 4th June and I have just finished my first full day in BC Canada. The trip here was uneventful, as such trips should be. After 24hrs traveling on planes,  trains, buses and ferries I arrived at Nanaimo and our good friends Darlene and Michael were waiting at ferry dock. It was great to meet up with them and I was immediately made to feel welcome in their lovely home overlooking the gulf between  Vancouver Island and the mainland where the hint of tall snow covered mountains showed through the low grey clouds. If today's weather is any indication of the immediate future I may need to shop for warmer clothes. After making contact Rob Strachan and Doug Martin , the owner of my bike to be, and with the help of Darlene and Michael I became the proud owner of a loud Honda Shadow. I picture myself as the kick ass leader of biking duo cruising the highway to hell. The only thing missing is the tattoo. Tomorrow I actually pick up the bike.

To view the photos in a larger format, just click on the photo.

 The grand entrance to the terminal at Vancouver airport

The view from the dining room window of Darlene & Michael Booths' house where I stayed.

Poppies growing in Darlenes' garden

The front view of the Booth house

Wednesday 6th June.

45224km on bike odometer on day one.

Well this was my first day on the bike. After spending a very pleasant three days with my friends Darlene and Michael I said my temporary farewell and departed after lunch for Beaver Creek, home of another good friend Lynne Schingnitz, in the middle of the Island just out of Port Alberni, just 102km out of Nanaimo.

The Stamp River Falls, Port Alberni

 

 Sockeye Salmon preparing to enter the fish ladders on the Stamp River

The Stamp River

A rare view of a River Otter in the Stamp River