Picked up Suzuki 650 V-Strom from Riverside Yamaha/Suzuki/KTM. The adventure begins.
B
May 31
Dawson Creek, BC
Saw two bears, two moose and a deer.
C
June 1
Fort Nelson, BC
The old guys played pool against some twenty year old firefighters and lost badly.
D
June 2
Watson Lake, YT
Went to Liard Hot Springs. Water is 52 degrees celcius when it comes out of rocks but then it mixes with river water so it's not so hot further down the river where you get in.
Stopped at Contact Creek Lodge, just inside the Yukon Border. Watched the overtime in the hockey game, then headed to Watson Lake for the night. Arrived at 10 PM. It was daylight until 11:30 PM and dawn was around 4 AM the next morning.
We saw 4 bears, 1 moose and 2 deer. There were 5 caribou on the road and too many sheep to count. Also saw 4 buffalo, three on the road and one in the ditch grazing, see the photos below this text.
There is still some ice on the lakes and some snow on the roads. Magnificent Montain ranges.
E
June 3
Whitehorse, YT
It was cold and rainy when we left Watson Lake. As for wildlife we only saw one fox today.
After 50 KM the rain stopped and it stayed cold until Whitehorse.
There was about 40 KM of construction enroute to Whitehorse and some was just watered so we got pretty muddy.
Whitehorse is really nice--we went out for buffalo ribs last night at Chief's Steakhouse in downtown Whitehorse.
Today it's only 5 or 6 degrees, and although the bike now needs an oil change, it is running great. Highly recommend the V-Strom for this type of adventure. We keep meeting up with a fair number of other riders who are also riding V-Strom's--some of the guys have them all decked out. I will try to get some photos of them when we meet up with them again on the road. These guys do a lot of long distance travels. One of the fellows I spoke to also owns a Harley and a BMW and was a bit hesitant of the engine size of the Suzuki, but is now really impressed with it, also agrees it is a great choice for a trip of this nature.
In Whitehorse at 10:30 last night the sun was still shining--around 12:30 it was dusk.
F
June 4
Beaver Creek, YT
It was about 7 degrees out when we left Whitehorse and even snowing a bit. From Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek we met up with a lot of construction and some of the worst pavement I have ever driven on.
We rode around Kluane Lake. It is surrounded by mountains. Around this lake it was very windy about 30 mph. One of the construction workers told me today was merely a mild wind. A lot of times it will be around 80 mph with 6 or 7 foot whitecaps on Kluane Lake.
Around Haines Junction there was still a lot of snow on the mountains and it also looked like it was snowing as we rode through the area.
Heading into Beaver Creek, our destination for the night, it was raining. I believe Beaver Creek is the most western town in Canada and is right on the border of Yukon and Alaska. Our hotel does not have phones in the rooms. In fact you have to call a sister hotel and be transferred to this hotel to reach anyone here. I called home using the pay phone in the lobby, almost forgot how these things work. Rogers cell phone reception has been non-existent for four days.
The bike is amazing on these roads and the scenery is unbelievable!
The guys I am riding with did not turn out to be axe murderers, yet! Only kidding. I had only met Mike and Al once at the Edmonton Bike Show when they invited me to join them on this adventure. I took them up on their offer having faith in mankind that they were ok guys, turns out I was right. Rob and Dave also are great guys. What an adventure we are having--hopefully the photos will bring the story to life.
G
June 5
Anchorage, AK
Staying in Anchorage for 3-4 days.
In the Yukon a lot of Lodges have closed up and you never know when gas will be available.
We spent pretty much the whole day just riding, had to do 700 k today to get to Anchorage to our next stop. We went through a couple mountain passes just before Anchorage and it was pretty cold. We were on sunny side of the mountain and when looking across we were higher than the snow covered mountains on the other side.
Amazing bike roads. Economy seems way better in Alaska than in the Yukon.
There is lots of construction in the Yukon with 12 - 30 km stretches of construction at a time, which can create a hairy ride for the inexperienced There is some construction in Alaska but not a lot.
In Alaska the construction seems to only last about 30 feet --big difference.
June 6
Anchorage, AK
Today in Anchorage it is a domestic day. We are going to try our hand at laundry and the bikes need washing. Alaska is dusty as hell - perhaps it is so dry and dusty because of the cold - regardless it is hard to keep the bikes looking clean.
I have just received a video camera so will be trying that out when we start riding again.
June 7
Anchorage, AK
Toured around Anchorage and Al, Mike and I decided to head to Seward, AK to check it out. It was really cold only 42 degrees F. Anchorage at this point was still a balmy 56 degrees F. Seward is an ocean port and the most expensive gas to date was here. So far we have been paying anywhere from $4.20 - $4.56 per gallon.
In Canada the most expensive gas was $1.56 per litre.
When travelling back from Seward we passed by Rob and Dave who had decided to also head that way, however they had bought camping gear and thought that camping would be a wise choice (42 degrees F remember) - we haven't seen them since....we do hope to meet up with them in Beaver Creek on the 9th.
June 8
Glenn Allen, AK
We left Anchorage and drove about 300 km to Glenn Allen where we stoped for the night. Tomorrow we will only need to travel about 400 km to reach our next destination of Beaver Creek again and hopefully meet up with Rob and Dave. After speaking to Gwen she tells me in Barrie, Ontario it is hitting 34 degrees C. In Alaska we are putting on 5 layers of clothing to keep warm.
June 9
Beaver Creek, YT
We met back up with Rob and Dave yesterday in Tok Alaska. We just finished lunch and they rode by us. We went back to the restaurant and sat while they had lunch and got the scoop on their camping ordeal. Turns out it was too cold, but they found a great cabin to spend the night in at Dahl Mountain. They also spent one night in Seward.
We are leaving Beaver Creek today and expect a scenic drive around Klune Lake (National Park). We went through here last week and it was the roughest stretch of highway so far. At least we know what we are in for. Our journey today is to Whitehorse, where it snowed again yesterday. We will also be going through Haines Junction as well and the weather forcast is calling for flurries. Yup, cold day today.
June 10
Whitehorse, YT
Rob saw a grizzly yesterday. When we arrived in Whitehorse, I was just taking my helmet off in the parking lot and the BikerTV crew pulled up. Heather, Tom, Alexis and Bob rode up to Inuvik to the Ride for Sight. Heather and Tom were riding Yamahas which were on loan to them from Yukon Yamaha. Today they are taking out some Rhinos to try out. That should be some great footage.
Today we are leaving Whitehorse to head to Watson Lake, YT and from there we are heading in about the same direction we came here, but may make a few different stops.
June 11
Watson Lake, YT
Yesterday was great riding weather. It was about 19 degrees celcius, however we ran into a bit of rain and the weather dropped quickly to 9 degrees. The bike is running great, love it. Rob and Dave once again decided to try camping so they headed to Liard Hot Springs. Mike, Al and I are heading to Fort Nelson. This has been a great journey. We picked a great time to ride as there are not a lot of motorhomes out yet. I hear that once school is out the roads are full of motorhomes, even with the high price of gas.
June 12
Fort Nelson, BC
Yesterday Rob and Dave went camping at Liard Hot Springs. In our travels Mike, Al and I had heard a grizzly had ripped up a few tents and trashed some belongings that same time that Rob and Dave were to be there. We asked at a local gas station and described Rob and Dave and were told that they had stopped and got gas at 8 am in the morning, so we relieved to know that they were ok. I really think Rob and Dave were not meant to camp. In Seward, AK when they wanted to camp it was 42 degrees celcius, and this time it was picnic time for the bears. I'd be returning the tents guys.
We had the best day of riding today. Scenery is unbelievable, saw a lot of wildlife again today, buffalo, caribou, sheep, mountain goats and bears. Two days left of riding, then home again and back to work for a week then off to Atlanticade in Moncton, NB - maybe see you there.
June 13
Grande Prairie, BC
Made it to Grande Praire for the night. Would have liked to call on a few friends but not enough time. Sorry Betty and Mark would have been nice to visit for a few minutes.
June 14
St. Albert, AB
left Grande Prairie on our final leg of the journey back to St. Albert, Alberta. Stopped for lunch in Whitecourt. Anxious to get home again. Arrived around 4 pm. Washed the bikes and had supper then took a drive down White Avenue and around Edmonton for a bit, then called it a good day.
June 15
Motorcycle Mojo World Headquarters
Arrived in Toronto around 11:30 pm. Missed the Shuttle so waited until 12:30 for the next one. Pulled in the driveway around 1:30 am to complete darkness. 1500 homes in our area without hydro since about suppertime.
