One Mile At A Time

It doesn't get much better than this. 

Two years ago yesterday I started this trip. I thought about that all day yesterday, and about how far I've come in two years. Not just literally (3,229 miles) but figuratively as well.

For those who don't know, I found out I had colon cancer while on this tour in 2015. I started with stage II, which was aggressively treated with chemo and radiation. Six months later a follow up scan revealed more cancer. I was suddenly Stage III and required immediate surgery, which I had on June 9, 2016. I was in the hospital for a week and exactly one year to the day that I got out of the hospital (June 16th) I was back on the bike and cycling out of Fort Nelson, BC.

1693 Total Miles

It has been raining off and on most of the time and it was still drizzling when I left Watson Lake but it has been warm, so that helps.

Not long after leaving Watson Lake, the rain stopped and the sun came out and I actually had a tailwind...a real, honest to goodness tailwind, my first of the whole trip. It was a nice change and made climbing the hills a little easier.

The section of road I’m traveling, between Watson Lake and Fort Nelson, has more hills than any other section of the Alaska Highway. I have a nice little old lady to thank for this information that I wish I did not know.

I stopped in Contact Creek, which is nothing more than a tiny little gas station with a home on the property where the owners live. They have lived here and run this gas station for 31 years and the only thing keeping them in business are their repeat customers.

They are only 43 miles from Watson Lake but they deliberately keep their gas prices lower than Watson Lake to try to keep from shutting down and I have finally learned a little bit about the Canadian economic situation many of these people are faced with.

Generators are the only reason the people and businesses outside of major towns have electricity and I’m told they cost anywhere between $4,000-$5,000 per month to keep them running. Many businesses don’t generate enough revenue to afford that cost and that’s the reason the majority of these businesses are closed. The Alaska Highway was once a popular tourist highway but the majority of today’s tourists typically don’t drive anywhere. Remote businesses along the Alaska Highway now rely on truckers, and the occasional tourist, for their business.

After leaving Watson Lake I crossed into British Columbia. The trees in British Columbia look exactly the same as the trees in the Yukon.

I have reached a few threshold points on this trip and if you’ve been reading closely, you can figure out where they are. One of them was when I climbed the Continental Divide in the middle of the night while it was raining and was so tired coming down the other side I started falling asleep. At that point, I didn’t care if someone threatened to have me arrested for trespassing, I was pitching my tent wherever I wanted and going to sleep.

Another one was up on the Dalton when I camped near a grizzly. I didn’t know about him or I would have stopped cycling much earlier than I did. By the time I found out about him from a passing motorist, I had already cycled too far for the day and I was too tired to care about the bear

The threshold I reached at the hot springs was after cycling more miles than is even fun on a seat I can hardly stand to sit on anymore. I had been looking forward to the hot springs since everyone has told me they were not to be missed and they were without a doubt the highlight of this entire last section.

Despite signs indicating only swimsuit attire was allowed, I went in with nothing but a t-shirt and cycling shorts. No sign, no matter how stern it was meant to sound, was going to keep me out of the hot springs. I was the only person wearing non-swimsuit attire but I didn’t care and nobody said anything to me but if they had, I was prepared to pretend I didn’t speak english and pull out a selection of phrases I know in other languages...just to be on the safe side. I can order breakfast in Farsi, use a wrestling expression in French and say something not very nice but extremely funny in Polish. And I know the words to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in Spanish…all very helpful stuff.

I finally saw a herd of bison. They hang out on the side of the road and there isn’t much that will motivate a bison to move. It seemed as if they could have cared less that a lot of people had stopped to take photos of them so I have some great shots of them. I also saw two caribou but they were moving considerably faster than the bison so the photos are not as clear.

I have met a lot of touring cyclists on this trip and almost without exception they were self-supported, however, I ran into a guy in Watson Lake who is cycling from Seattle to Anchorage who was lucky enough to have his wife driving SAG (Support & Gear) for him. As we talked about our respective tours, he seemed as fascinated with my self-supported style as I was with his SAG-style and I’ve spent the last several days daydreaming about a SAG tour.

Did I mention I’ve been climbing hills? On the downhill sections (and there are a lot of them since it seems I spend most of the day climbing) I have to shift out of the saddle and onto one of the pedals to give myself a little break. Every time I shift out of the seat, I verbalize my discomfort. This seat is not going to make the cut for the next leg of this adventure.

Besides changing out the seat, I’m going to change the handlebars. The butterfly bars give a lot of hand-hold choices but don’t offer the option to lean on them on the downhill sections the way I would with aero bars. I had aero bars last year and, while I didn’t use them as often as I had envisioned, not having them when I need them is a huge inconvenience. Straight bars are too restrictive, so that leaves the drop-down style. The slight dilemma here is that I have a Rohloff shifter that doesn’t work well with the drop-down style, a dilemma I hope I can resolve. Or maybe I’ll design a new handlebar that suits me and the entire world will discover it’s the best touring handlebar option in the world.

I made it to Rancheria Lodge and another touring cyclist from Switzerland was just leaving as I pulled in so we talked about our bikes and routes for a few minutes before he left.

It seems required that all touring cyclists stop and talk to each other and we all ask the same questions. ‘Where did you start?’ ‘Where are you ending?’ ‘How much time do you have?’ And we have bike issues to discuss, such as components, gear, food, weight, etc...

Tents was a big topic today. It seems Harry from Switzerland is carrying a two-man tent and he gave a very logical argument why a two-man tent is better than the cocoon-style I have with me. He can bring all of his luggage into his tent at night and he has room to spread out a bit and he said the little bit of extra weight isn’t noticeable given that he’s already carrying a lot of weight. He has a good point but I like my tent so I won’t be upgrading anytime soon but for those planning a future cycle tour, it’s something to consider. I believe there are a number of lightweight two-person tents available.

There were a lot of hills today and it’s not even comfortable for me to sit down anymore...on anything. I remember adjusting a bit more quickly last year when I was on tour so not sure why it’s taking awhile longer this year...unless it’s because I’m using a new seat which would make sense.

Only a few sprinkles here and there today but I don’t think the rain is going anywhere for awhile up here. It’s still cold but when the sun does come out, it makes for very pleasant cycling.

I’m making good progress but I don’t like having to push mileage to meet a deadline. It makes the trip less fun than it would be if I could take my time and go at a pace that was less painful. I know you guys are all stoked about my mileage but the only reason i’m pushing it is because I have to be back in Salt Lake City on the 28th of August.

I’m staying in a little cabin-style motel and they shut internet off at 11 pm, I don’t know why...something to do with ‘nothing good happens after 11 pm’ or something along those lines, anyway, I have to get this posted before it gets any later. I don’t know how many more miles I have. I haven’t had the time to figure it out but I think I’m on track for Dawson Creek and will fly back to Salt Lake City from there.

1288 Total Miles

There was a lot of climbing today and I didn’t leave Teslin as early as I should have so didn’t get to the Continental Divide until nearly 11:30 pm, and at that time of night it’s dark so I didn’t get to see the views though the upside to this is that I didn’t see how high I had to climb either. I could only see the 2-3’ section right in front of my bike. This can be beneficial for me since sometimes I would rather not know about the upcoming hills I have to climb. (The same can be said about life, by the way.)

The B&M Luxos light works really well and this is the first time I’ve ridden with it where I actually got to see how much of a beam it really has. The Luxos light is powered by a small generator in my front wheel so as long as the wheel is rolling, the light will stay on. It was an upgrade I really felt I needed after an experience I had last year where I had to cycle late at night after discovering there were no accommodations of any kind in a town where I had hoped to stay and after last night’s ride over the Continental Divide (in the rain) I was really glad I made the upgrade.

I had hoped to make Rancheria Lodge, where the food is supposed to be phenomenal in very rustic surroundings, so that’s the primary reason I kept cycling last night rather than finding a place to camp along the road before it got dark.

I had numerous places I could have camped along the road prior to getting to Rancheria, but I was holding out hope that I would make it sometime before I fell asleep while cycling. Haha

At the bottom of the long (and slow, since it was dark and wet and I didn’t want to slip) descent from the Continental Divide was what turned out to be a large piece of property with a lot of buildings on it that appears to have gone out of business. I couldn’t see any of the signs around the buildings and didn’t want to keep cycling for fear of missing out on the ‘phenomenal food’ in the event it turned out to be the Rancheria Lodge, so I pulled in and was able to set up camp with the use of a flashlight. (I wasn’t going to bring a flashlight on this trip, since I had other lights I could use, but Scotty Bennett insisted I get one when I was in Fairbanks, just in case, and I was really glad I had it last night. Thanks Scotty!)

When the sun came up in this morning, I discovered I was at the abandoned Continental Divide Motel and Restaurant that is currently ‘For Sale By Owner’ and where ‘Trespassing Prohibited’ signs are posted. I packed up and cycled out in under 45 minutes (a record) and found a state-run recreational site not far down the road where I was able to make coffee and oatmeal...and where I’m now sitting at a picnic table under a gazebo writing this.

1210 Total Miles

I had gorgeous weather today and an all around great day of cycling. I had a lot of moments today where I felt so grateful to be where I am...not just on the road cycling the PanAm but in this place in my life where I have the freedom to have an adventure most people only dream about.

Tina was built for this trip and sometimes when I look at her I am in awe that I had the ability to purchase such a special bike. She’s an absolute beauty and I make an effort to keep her as clean as I can in much the same way someone keeps washing a brand-new car.

I was on the road fairly early today and made really good time getting into Teslin. I knew I was only going 45 miles so the cycling was fairly easy. If I have internet I’m able to see the upcoming route on Google Maps.

Today I counted all of the hills I was going to have to climb and I made the cycling go a little faster by checking hills off my list. The hills are not difficult for me to climb and sometimes I can stay in a mid-range gear for them.

1165 Total Miles

I left Whitehorse late and made 84 stops along the way. When I finally made it to the already packed campground, it was 10 pm. It’s still light up here at 10 pm (barely), but cycling that late is still risky. The light at 10 pm is equivalent to the light we have in Utah around 7 pm and usually that late at night drivers are starting to get tired. I was glad to stop.

Miraculously, there was one tent camping spot left open, but only because the passing cars couldn’t see it. Nearby campers told me I was lucky to get the spot because numerous cars and RVs has passed by looking for a place.

It takes awhile to set up and break down camp and though I’m trying to streamline this process to save time, it still takes about an hour to set up camp and get to sleep and at least two hours from the time I wake up until the time I’m on the road cycling again. If I stay in a place with internet, it takes longer. Internet is scarce along the Alaska Highway and it’s nice to talk to family and friends so I delay leaving, which isn’t necessarily a good thing since it puts me on the road late which puts me into my final destination late, which is what happened today.

1102 Total Miles

The weather was great today and the terrain was mild but I had a headwind most of the day. Despite that, I made pretty good time and was able to get into Whitehorse around 8 pm. High mileage days are really hard on the body and, at the moment, I’m glad to be off the bike.

I started listening to music today. I’ve spent the last 18 days not doing anything on the bike but looking at the scenery...and thinking. I always think a lot when I’m cycling but I’ve thought all of the thoughts I’m going to think, at least twice, and there’s really nothing more to think about so I got out the iPod and started listening to music...and singing. Only the ravens and ground squirrels can hear me but it helps to pass the time.

Today, to avoid keeping track of mileage, I avoided looking at the mileage markers. It helped a little.

If you guys followed the trip across the states last year, you’ll remember I had a few muscle stretches I could do while on the bike on the downhill sections to save time and I did a few of those today. Stretching on the bike keeps me from stopping so much which is a huge time saver.

I had purchased a can of Amy’s lentil soup (with a pull-top lid) at the store in Haines Junction in anticipation of wild camping tonight, but since I made it to Whitehorse, I ate it for dinner. I didn't even heat it up...too tired again. It was filling but I wouldn't say it was delicious. I would have rather had pasta with back-country marinara. :)

THE ROHLOFF HUB I keep getting asked questions about the Rohloff Hub and how it works. Quite honestly, I don’t know how it works but I throw out words like ‘cog’ and ‘standard deraulleur’ and ‘cable system’ and it makes me sound like I know what I’m talking about and people just nod because they have no idea how it works either.

The whole hub itself is brilliant and I love it. I don’t have to delay shifting into a higher gear by upshifting through each gear change. I just twist the dial into whatever gear I need and the whole thing instantly changes into the gear I want. This is really helpful when I’m flying down one side of a hill and trying to gain as much momentum on the upcoming hill as possible before absolutely having to change gears.

THE TIRES - MY PRACTICALLY PERFECT PANASONIC PANARACERS By now some of you are wondering about the tires. I started using Panaracers last year after a series of flat tires that seemed to occur on average of every 200 miles. The Newton Bike Shop in Newton, Kansas recommended the Panaracers, along with STANS in each tube, which instantly seals anything that might have made it through the tough PT Shield the Panaracers have and I haven’t had a single flat tire since.

While Tina was being built, I suggested Schwalbe Marathons as I have several friends who have used them with good results. It turns out that Schwalbe Marathons are one pound heavier than the Panaracers and since reducing bike weight is important to me, I stuck with the tried and true Panaracers.

The extra tube I got in Fairbanks was just a precaution, since it probably won’t be needed and I didn’t get an extra tire since any wear on the tire can be sealed with a folded dollar bill, which is significantly lighter than carrying an extra tire.

I have traveled hundreds of miles over gravel roads with sharp rocks, hit numerous potholes and even run over glass and truck tire fragments that had wire sticking out with not a single issue with my Panaracers. Changing tires now, just to see what the Schwalbe Marathon Plus is like seems like the equivalent of cheating on a good thing.

THE ORTLEIB PANNIERS For those of you who went through the bike building process with me, you’ll remember I had an issue with the weight of the Ortleib Panniers. The Back Roller set weigh in at just under 4 pounds and the Front Roller set weigh in at 2.7 pounds for a combined weight of 6.63 pounds. That much weight just in the carrying cases for the stuff I have to carry! It still seems excessive but after the mud-covered days I’ve had, I’ll admit I’m glad I went with the Ortleib’s. Everything has stayed completely dry and when Tina had to be cleaned at the carwash in Fairbanks, I was able to spray the mud off the panniers too.

1006 Total Miles

I woke up at 0600 to a downpour so went back to sleep and didn’t get on the road until after it stopped raining around 11:30 am. It was a relatively easy day of riding and the only major hill I had to climb started at Christmas Creek to the top of Bear Summit, the highest elevation on the Alaskan Highway at just under 3,300’.

I must have had a steady climb going into Haines Junction that I was unaware of because 12 miles outside of Haines Junction began a gentle descent of 6 miles where I didn’t have to pedal once and never had to use my brakes to slow down. It was pretty awesome and I got into Haines Junction at 7 pm. I made really good time today despite the late start and the numerous stops I made along the way.

I had put my rain gear on prior to leaving Destruction Bay but never needed it today. It’s very cold here so I was glad I was wearing it. Snow is all over the mountain tops up here. The rain in the valley last night was snow in the mountains and it’s really pretty. I took a lot of pictures.

I’m completely out of fuel and despite assurances that Haines Junction would have some, since it’s a bigger town than the last few I’ve been through, there is none. I’m assured there will be fuel in Whitehorse, 100 miles down the road, which means I have to try to make Whitehorse tomorrow. I don’t know how I will be able to do 100 miles tomorrow since today was 67 and yesterday 83. Those high mile days usually have to be followed by a lower mileage day to keep from getting too tired. Option B is building a fire to make dinner tomorrow night.

Haines Junction has a brand new hostel that I’m told is really nice, but I opted to stay in the little motel nearby so I could keep my bike with me. Dinner was cheese and Triscuits since I’m too tired to make anything more.

Border City Lodge, Alaska to Discovery Yukon RV Park, Canada 856 Total

It rained last night but I have a Terra Nova Laser tent so I stayed warm and dry. I was too warm actually but I didn’t want to vent the tent because of the rain so I just went to sleep.

My tent/sleeping bag combo combined weight is only two pounds but they have done an excellent job of keeping me warm and dry, even up on the Dalton where nights dipped to freezing. I wear my base layers for sleeping clothes and if night’s are especially cold, as they were up north, I’ll use a Hot Bodies packet, which keeps the whole sleeping bag warm all night. I haven’t needed those since leaving the Dalton and as I go farther south, things seem to be warming up.

It’s easy to fall asleep after cycling most of the day. I make a lot of stops, mostly because my behind hasn’t adjusted yet and I need to get out of saddle for comfort’s sake, but I still cycle a good portion of the day.

There don’t seem to be as many steep hills in YT as there were in Alaska but I’m sure my time will come and I’ll have to face them again. There are hills here, I just haven’t encountered as many of the steep grades I had to face in Alaska.

Crossing into the Yukon Territory meant crossing into the Pacific Time Zone so I lost an hour of cycle time today and since it’s been rainy most of the day, I stopped after only 56 miles.

I’m in an RV Park called Discovery Yukon and I’m really glad I stopped. Tent camping is $21.50 but they have structured tents with wood floors and real beds inside for only $31.50. They are not heated and I still have to use my own sleeping bag but the beds have fitted sheets over the mattresses and real pillows. The pillow I’ve been using every night is a stuff sack with my Nano Puff jacket stuffed inside, which is still a great pillow but a real pillow will be a nice change, as will a real bed.

The road between Beaver Creek and Discovery Yukon is awful. It’s barely paved and in some places it was washed out and there’s nothing left except for dirt/gravel. It’s like being back on the Dalton Highway and progress is pretty slow. Everyone drives very slowly here.

By the way, I’m in CANADA! Eh? Do you know what the mosquitoes say in Canada? They say “Bzzzzzzz, Eh?” Also worth noting is that I’m in the Yukon Territory. Yukon, as in “Yukon Do It!” Haha! Those are the dumb jokes I thought up while riding today. :)

Speaking of mosquitoes, I had to wear my mosquito head-net today for the first time while riding. It seems the farther south I go, the thicker the mosquitoes are and they like to make a game of dive bombing the cyclist. I stopped twice today to make sure I had enough DEET on all over me, feet included, because those nasty little insects will stop at nothing to get to skin. I’m sure I looked a little silly riding down the highway with a bug net over my helmet, but there were swarms of them and I cycled right through all of them. “Bzzzzz, Eh?”

On a completely different note, the border patrol officer didn’t ask me if I was carrying mace. He asked about firearms and then wanted to know about my cycling trip so, the mace I got from Marie in Poway made it safely across the border.

Dinner was angel hair pasta with “marinara” sauce.

How to make Marinara sauce in the wilderness: One half package of dry spaghetti sauce mix and 5-10 packets of ketchup you happen to have from a local diner where you ate breakfast because you knew you were going to make marinara that night and would need ketchup.

In the bowl you’re going to eat the pasta from, add half of the package of spaghetti sauce powder, open all of the ketchup packets and pour on to the dry powder and drain your pasta water into this mixture. Stir well, then add the pasta.

I thought this was delicious and since I have another half packet of powder I’m going to find more ketchup and make this again though to be honest, I don’t think I would find this to be as delicious if I made it at home.

Day 17 11 August 2015 Discovery Yukon RV Park to Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory 83 Miles / 939 Total Miles

I saw a grizzly bear today. He was on the side of the road eating berries and I wouldn’t have stopped to take photos of him if I had been alone. He was far too close for comfort, but other cars had stopped to take pictures of him and the bear didn’t seem to care what we were doing, he just kept right on eating berries.

There was a truck next to me and I wasn’t in any danger, but I could have jumped into the truck if I had been in trouble. Anyway, the pictures are really good and while I was really glad I got to see him, I kept an eagle eye out the rest of the day for more bears.

The terrain was relatively mild today but the road was terrible. At least 30 miles of road today was nothing more than washboard dirt and my front tire hit a patch of thick gravel and slipped away from me and I couldn’t unclip fast enough and Tina and I both went down and my left knee...yes my left knee, the same knee that always gets it, hit the ground first. I don’t know how this knee takes so much abuse and never seems to have any long-term problems. Anyway, Tina and I are both fine and I’m told the road between here and Haines Junction is better.

Destruction Bay is a small town and it can hardly be called a town. There are two buildings and one of them is a gas station combo restaurant with internet service so I’ll be able to get this online tonight.

799 Total

The Border City Lodge has a tiny restaurant inside and sometimes there is a cook, not always. He was there today and made me macaroni and cheese and a small bowl of potatoes and carrots.

I need another can of fuel for my stove but haven’t been able to find one since leaving Fairbanks. I should have bought one in Fairbanks but at the time didn’t think it was absolutely necessary. So I’m rationing for now…

There are several ravens who live at the Border City Lodge. They hang around the lodge looking for handouts and one of them is so tame he’ll eat out of hand. They are all wild birds but the owners are very gentle with them and feed them puppy chow every day so they’ve become accustomed to people.

The most tame of these birds they call Heckle and he has decided he likes my bike and everything about it. He’s been all around the bike investigating...most likely he’s trying to figure out a way to get my panniers open, since he knows that’s where I keep the peanuts that I’ve been feeding him.

757 Total Miles

I bought cottage cheese at the Three Bears Grocery in Tok, then proceeded to eat it all...which was a bad idea. I started to feel unwell around mile 30 and by mile 40 I was off the bike and walking, wondering how I was going to make it to Border City, another 50 miles, which was my goal for the day. It was mostly nausea and after a few minutes of walking it would go away and I was able to ride for a few miles again.

At mile 50 I stopped at the Naabia Niign Quick Stop for a sprite, hoping that would make me feel better and when I found out they had showers and tent camping I was done for the day. It’s rustic here but cheap. A shower and tent site was only $10. I skipped dinner and was asleep early

708 Total Miles

Got up really early but it was cold outside so I made coffee, crawled back into my sleeping bag and went back to sleep and as a result I didn’t get on the road until 1000. Breakfast was rehydrated potatoes and another cup of coffee.I saw a coyote today, my first wild coyote ever. He was scrounging for something along the side of the road but when he saw me he bolted for the cover of trees. Bummer since I would have liked to have taken a picture of him.I made it to Tok which is pronounced Toak or Towk or Toke, but it’s spelled Tok which makes no sense since there are at least three different ways of spelling it that would make more sense than Tok. Here are a few random things that might interest you…

FOOD I have a lot of food with me having prepared for a 10 day ride without access to anything other than what I had with me. It turned out I actually got quite a lot of food along the way. In total, three truckers stopped to give me food, a tour bus operator and my new friends from Texas, Sara and Wayman. In addition, I was able to eat in Coldfoot and again at a couple of places between Coldfoot and Fairbanks, so by the time I got into Fairbanks, I still had a lot of the food I had started with.I took a picture of some of what I’m eating so you guys can get a look at the diet. I don’t focus on healthy eating out here…I focus on high calorie in as light weight a package as I can get.Breakfast - either last night’s leftovers or oatmeal with dried berries / coffee with cream Lunch - Tuna, cheese, pilot bread, crackers, cream cheese, peanut butter Snacks - GORP with peanut butter, GORP with Nutella, snickers dunked in Nutella

Dinner - pasta with tuna, mac and cheese, instant potatoes with tuna and cheeseSome of the above things might sound gross to many people but this combo really works for me. Most of the stuff in this list is super light and there’s just enough variety to break things up.The Pasta Roni dinners are taken out of their boxes and put into ziplock bags to save space. I started with 7 of these Pasta dinners and still have 4 left. They’re too much for one meal so I save the leftovers in the ziplock bag they came in and eat it for breakfast.The Mountain House mac & cheese dinners are three servings and I’m never able to finish one in one sitting, no matter how hungry I might be. I eat as much as I can and then the leftovers for breakfast.CLOTHES

I only packed one extra shirt that I didn’t need, which is surprising since I thought I was taking too many clothes on this trip. At the last second, Bekah gave me a fleece zip up hoodie and a very lightweight black skirt. I told her I wouldn’t use either one of them and she insisted I take them, just in case. She told me to just toss them if I didn’t need them. As it turns out...I have needed both items. The fleece hoodie I have slept with every single night I’ve been on this trip and the black skirt is invaluable for discretely changing out of cycling shorts in front of people which I had to do at one of the campgrounds.The following list is what I’ve brought with me.

For Sleeping:

Black fleece bernie (for keeping head warm and pulling down over eyes to block light) Arcteryx pullover base layer Patagonia long john bottoms Warm socksFor Riding: two cycling shorts two cycling shirts one patagonia base layer shirt (haven’t used once but brought for cold cycling days) one black stretch pants (for wearing over cycling shorts in cold weather)

Jackets: Patagonia lime green nano-puff (that goes on every adventure with me) Bekah’s Fleece Zipup hoodie Patagonia waterproof shellExtra Stuff: cycling gloves ski gloves balaclava (not needed after Atigun Pass though handy to have - just in case) Bekah’s black skirt two pair cycling socks cycling “clip in” shoes with recessed bracket white shirt and long sleeve grey flecked shirt (for flight home with black cycle pants) canvas flats (used as camp shoes and also for flight home)

664 Miles Total

Sweet Little Old Man at the Alaska 7 Motel asked me about my trip today. After I told him I was going to be cycling down into Canada he said “Well, you can lose a little weight and get your girlish figure back.” OMG... I just looked at him and smiled but I have laughed about it since. People are so funny sometimes.

I left my bear spray behind today and told the Sweet Little Old Man to give it to a cyclist heading north. I won’t be able to get it through customs in Canada and I didn’t use it so don’t want it thrown away.

I told the SLOM it was given to me and I wanted to make sure it was given to another touring cyclist. He promised he would give it away, but he probably won’t do it before he tells them they need to lose a little weight.

I’m now officially on the Alaska Highway and mile markers changed so I lost track of how far I rode today. Fortunately, I got a text from someone who is tracking me and found out I went 68 miles, which was uplifting since I thought I had only gone 50.

I found out today I have to get back to work early so have to either bump up my daily mileage or stop earlier than the United States...or both.

596 Total Miles

Had thunderstorms mixed with lightening for the first 8 miles out of Birch Lake today with rain the rest of the day. I considered going back to Birch Lake to wait out the lightening but ended up continuing on and finally stopped just prior to Delta Junction to get out of the rain.

Met several other touring cyclists today. A group of 6 guys with bike set-ups similar to mine and two New Zealanders who were overloaded. I thought I was overloaded until I saw their bikes. I still feel like I’m carrying too much but it wouldn't be too smart to carry less given the distances between services and the need for wild-camping.

560 Total Miles

I planned to stay over one day in Fairbanks so I would have time to get things handled with Tina. There were several issues I had to address before we could continue on and I was able to get her to the best little cycle shop in Fairbanks (Goldstream Sports) thanks to “The Wind Beneath My Wings” which is what I’m now calling my techie/ person-who-handles-stuff for me back home. He doesn’t know this is his new name... I used to call him “Tina You Fat Lard” for no other reason than it made me laugh, but I found a new Tina so, he needed a new name. Anyway...”The Wind” it is.

Tina had her brakes adjusted, got new fenders, two water bottle cages, STANS in the tubes and a new tube for the repair kit. I bought a mirror for the helmet since I can’t seem to keep mirrors attached to bikes without breaking them off in a fall.

I saw Scotty Bennett again and got to meet his sweet wife of 38 years, Bethy. They are the most fun couple I have ever met. They both have the same personality and find humor in almost everything. They took me to dinner at The Alaskan Salmon Bake which is sort of a restaurant but it’s all outdoors. I took a lot of pictures. The buildings and artifacts around have a lot of history and onsite is the SS Nenana, the only remaining wooden ship of her kind in existence and efforts to protect her included moving her to Pioneer Park in Fairbanks where she was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989. Scotty was instrumental in restoring her and his name is on the commemorative plaque on the side of the boat.

There was a tour bus full of retired people from the lower United States and we had a lot of fun talking to a few of the seniors in this group who happened to be sitting with us. Esther and Verdeen have been married for 60 years and when I told her that was impossible, she was far too young, she laughed and said “I’m 81!” And then Verdeen chimed in and told us he was younger than she was by several months and she had robbed the cradle but they had decided to get married when they were exactly the same age so it would look better in the papers. Haha! Then there was Saundra and Joe, who had known each other for over 50 years but only hooked up after both of their spouses passed away. They decided to make it official by having a “commitment” ceremony rather than a wedding, since a wedding complicated things too much but they wanted to “get right with God.” Old people are so funny.

The whole night was a lot of fun and the food was really good. It was a nice send-off after a rough ride down the Dalton but I’ll miss Scotty and Bethy (and Rancid Crabtree) a lot. Alaska has some pretty awesome people.I had a nice ride out of Fairbanks today and passed through the town of North Pole, Alaska. Cute little town.

The campground at Birch Lake was really nice. The difference between a state run campground and wild camping is the difference between the Hilton and Motel 6. I pitched my tent right next to the lake and had a real picnic table to use for cooking...also helpful for leaning Tina against. The sunset at Birch Lake was really pretty but I thought “red sky at night, sailor’s delight” mean good weather ahead.