Friday, August 18, 2006

Watson Lake Yukon, Aug 17th

Watson Lake Yukon, in the Yukon Territory…yep, that’d still be Canada and my first territory on this trip and maybe only, but don’t start selling the trip short – not just yet. What a beautiful ride thru the Northern Rockies and the pictures once again don’t do the scenery justice. Wait, for my eyes only because I didn’t take any pictures to share, but more on that later. Got an early start which is normally the case when camping cuz once I wake up got so much other on my mind that can’t sleep so just gonna get ready to roll, that is once everything dries off enough that I can pack it and get showered. Ran out of gas right out of the gate and that was getting from the campground to the nearest gas station which I was fortunate enough to be able to coast into. With just that and for as bad as the gas mileage has been the last few days, definitely filling up the gas can I have along and strapping that to the bike for the trip along the Alaskan highway. The pictures you do get to see are me leaving Fort St John’s behind, the beautiful flowers along the road, my odometer and the deer I almost hit…yep, this one deer, but saw more than my share of Caribou along the way. Had to get a picture of the bike turning over 30,000 miles and you can see that that was the last picture taken with this camera before it shut down for good. Not happy about it either cuz the scenery along the way, especially from Fort Nelson west is suppose to be incredible that’ll have to see what I can get done on the way.

Well, even though the picture doesn’t do them justice the flowers along the road to Fort Nelson are beautiful with vibrant purples, yellows and whites in clumps all the way along. Not sure if they were planted at some point or common foliage in the area, but having caught a picture of the purple plant on top of Lake Louise Ski area would suggest native plants to the area, right? The ride from Fort St John’s to Fort Nelson isn’t much except for the Northern Rockies in the distance and with a few spots of construction took a little longer than hoped and the nice thing, any of the construction areas where we had to follow a pilot vehicle, bikes got front row priority, not for the reason you think either. Thought it might be because I’ll be going faster than the rest and won’t have to try and pass them, but the lady with the stop sign said a bike went down last week on the loose gravel and it wasn’t until the last car came thru and let them know before they could get a paramedic to them, that they decided from that point on to have the bikes right behind the pilot vehicle so they can keep an eye on them…thanks, just what I wanted to here. While waiting the Greyhound bus driver, Rick came and asked me if I wanted to swap vehicles, which of course not, and started telling me about the bike he just got an how he wants to ride Hawaii sometime, been there done that a couple years ago that told him the best way to do it, so hey, maybe I helped him out today. He returned the favor because I asked about an electronic or camera store in Fort Nelson that might be able to help me out and he suggested I stop at the bus station and talk to Michelle about that…ok, thanks and’ll check it out.

Ok, ran out of gas for the second time already today and that was even taking Rick’s suggestion to stop at most of the gas stations along the way and topping off, but once again, fortunate enough to be able to coast into a gas station and remember, I do have a gas can full strapped to the bike, but lets hope I really don’t need it too often along the way. Instead of stopping into bus station and seeing Michelle, just asked the attendant where the electronic store was and headed there to get the camera fixed. Nothing they could do, but would sell me a really cheap one, normally $230 for $199, boy what a deal, but I’d really like to get this on fixed or one that can use the memory cards I’ve already purchased for this trip. Ok, no help that they sent me to the next place and same story, nothing they can do and don’t have cameras that could use that might just have to wait until I get to Whitehorse to take care of all of that…the camera and my stop for the 30,000 mile maintenance the bike could use before hitting Alaska. Called them from Dave’s pub, was lunch time so had to have a little something and my phone barely works in these areas, that was happy to at least let them know I’ll be in tomorrow so they can get the work done…how’bout this, hope to make it by tomorrow. Stopped into the visitor’s center to find out about accommodations at Liard Hotsprings and really wanted to get a picture of the curling club building that the visitor’s center is in, but oh well, maybe the next trip.

Now you know why you don’t see any of the scenery from Fort Nelson to here, Watson Lake and it is some incredible scenery through the Northern Rockies. If my writing were better would be able to describe what I saw, but that’s pretty tough to do with out the pictures and was trying to think of another area to compare it to, that there just isn’t anything that I’ve seen that compares. These mountains look like they haven’t been touched with all if not most of the trees still in tact and some other incredible vegetation growing up the mountain which is different than the rest of the Rockies that I’ve seen, you know the western Rockies in the states and the Canadian Rockies…well, they’re all different and all definitely worth seeing. The road along the way wasn’t in the greatest shape and hit a lot of gravel spots, but guess that’s how they patch the roads around here that if I can just get in front of the rest, don’t have to eat there dust which I made sure happened…no, not me eating their dust, but them eating mine. Ran into a lady along the stretch which just wasn’t having a very good day cuz her car was still smoking as the fire department was putting out what was left of it from the fire that it caught. Didn’t stop to ask how it happened, but she didn’t look to happy, but was taking pictures of her adventures – sure hope it worked out for her. More gravel spots and this time along some of the most scenic road so far…if you can imagine the walls of the Rockies skying above the road on one side with a lake and Rockies off the other side that it was a great curving road to ride and not one that you’d want to run off from, well, ok, on one side you’d hit the wall, but the other, you’d be wet.

Listened to Rick on this stretch of drive and hit most of the gas stations along the way until Liard Hotsprings and according to everyone I’ve talked to, have to check them out which was definitely worth the $5 to get in, put on a suit…no, not like the hot spring in Colorado that the ladies sent me to, and take a dip which was pretty cool…ok, what’s that word they use, not bitchin, but ‘wicked’ and that it is. Since it’s a river the further down from the start you go the cooler it is, but you can work your way upstream which is just what I did to the hot water. It is definitely a place worth stopping and wish I had more time cuz I could stay in longer for as great as it feels…ok, does stink of sulfur, but that just adds to the adventure making you a little high on sulfur…right? Talked to a guy from Bemidji since he saw my plates and found out he is heading back to school in Arizona coming from Alaska where he spent the summer working. Have heard a lot of people talk about working in Alaska that maybe I’ll have to check the job market out when I get there…ok, we’ll see about that. Oh, also met another one of those hot blonde Canadian rangers, Darla and she suggested make the trip to Watson lake since there’s nothing that goes on around the hotsprings at night…I think she was just trying to get rid of me.

Did start making my way toward Watson Lake cuz want to get closer to White Horse where I’ll be getting the bike maintenanced and although some said don’t drive it too late because of the animals, figured once I hit the rain, probably don’t have to worry about them being out and about as much, which reminds me, saw a lot of Caribou, smaller than the ones from yesterday on the road from Fort Nelson to Liard and they just can’t make up their mind which way to go, because everyone of them that I came up to standing on the road starting running in the direction I was going on the road until I’d goose the gas a couple of times which would send them into the ditch…what better way to get them outta the way than with the sound of a bike – a Harley that is. Ok, back to the rain and put on the rain gear to make it here the restaurant/bar in the Belvidere hotel and once I pulled in was too cold to even sign my name, but hey, they have a spot to park the bike so it doesn’t get wet tonight…like it already hasn’t been thru a wash getting here. Tomorrow, that much closer to White Horse that while their working on my bike, I’ll have to go and purchase another digital camera. Yea, called Canon once again which I don’t know how may times have called to see if there is any way they can help me out, but keep getting the same answer that can’t go thru Alaska without pictures…have to prove that I was there although I though about just heading home since I don’t have a camera to capture the trip…right. Let’s just see what tomorrow brings as their kicking me out of this bar, but did tell me to show up where the party is at, just down the street…ok, let’s see how Watson Lake parties. Handfull of pics.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home