The Big Push

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Trip Start Jun 28, 2008 Previous
Entry Trip End Jul 19, 2008 Next
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  Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada
Thursday, July 3, 2008

Miles: 580
Weather: Sunny and warm, thunderstorms with lightening, heavy rain, and hail.

What a day.  Alex and I started out from Ft. St. John BC at 0900.  I was glad we were already 70 miles in to the ALCAN.  The ride up to Ft. Nelson as relatively uneventful through rolling hills of intermittent pastures and vast forests.  I think this area is the Peace River Valley. 

Had lunch in Ft. Nelson, gassed-up and headed out.  Did purchase a 'survived the ALCAN' sticker - for later:) 

OK, before I talk about the ride, I have to say something about Canadians.  What is up with Canadians at least BC'ers?  They are some of the nicest, laid back folks I've ever been around on my travels

Taken a Break

.   Everyone in Canada has been great.  Scary for a guy who has been places where the 'nice' people are the 'scary' people.  Anyway,  Canadians, you're great.

The ride was very, very, very long but awesome.  The ALCAN between Ft. Nelson and Watson Lake was unbelievable.  In a nut shell, mountains (big ones), lakes (big ones), rivers (big ones), two moose, five bears, and ~40 buffalo (in the middle of the road).  The highlight of our day was our near-death experience  going over  the  summit  of the  Stone Mountain  Provincial Park.  As we  approached the  summit, storm  clouds  gathered.  Soon  it began to rain.  The  rain  turned in to  a down  pour  all  while  we  climbed higher.  As we approached the summit in a literal down pour, the rain turned to hail.  Not just a little hail but all-out mid-western 'shot by a BB gun in your face' hail.  The road was turning white, I couldn't see, and my face hurt.   The ALCAN was throwing everything at us as we crept towards the top.   Just as I thought we would persevere there standing in the road AT THE SUMMIT was a bull moose!  No kidding!  Hailing like a  son-of-a-b....  the bike ready to go down any moment and then a bull moose.  Well we just putted on past him, him looking at us and we at him.  Wow.  Down the other side and back to 'just' rain. 

Having survived, we got gas at Toad River (yep) and rode another five hours finally arriving at Watson Lake YT.  Saw a place I recognized from my trip research, the Historic Air-force Inn.  So get this, a converted US Air Corps pilot's quarters (from WW II), located in Yukon Canada, run by a German couple.   Very nice place.

Tomorrow, Haines Junction.

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Move Over!

Storm Clouds Gathering

Ft. Nelson - Watson LK

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