Whitehorse Yukon, Aug 30th
Whitehorse Yukon and I ended up here late tonight only because Haines Crossing ran me out of town. Got there after 9:00 with no place to eat, since they had all just closed and no place to buy food as well as no rooms that at that point I had no choice but to make the hour and half drive to Whitehorse. Oh, and lost an hour crossing the border that maybe I need to set an alarm when crossing those time zones where I’ll lose an hour, but why worry about that now – I can sleep that off when I finally get home. Not the kind of ride I’d recommend thru the middle of nowhere having to worry about moose on the road, and man does it get cold when the sun goes down, but was fortunate to make it to Whitehorse with only a few animal encounters along the road…wild horses. Sitting in Boston Pizza and it’s one of the few places in Whitehorse still serving food this late and couldn’t get a bed at the hostel’s since their full, that got a room at the Bonanza Inn…oh, and now Sarah tells me watch out for some of the people that hang around there.
Woke up in Alaska so you know what that means, some form of precipitation and you can see it looks like a very good possibility. Did get out of the hotel and filled up with gas without incident, but as soon as I pulled away from the station, and one with an awning, rain…remember it wouldn’t be Alaska without and that marks every day I’ve been in this state with some form of it. Well, turned around to get under the awning to don the rain gear, but talked to someone who just came thru the pass and they said it’s just a light sprinkle up to that canyon that I might as well go for it without the rain gear…feet up to keep the boots and leathers dry from the road spray and sure enough, once reached the canyon, no rain. That’d be where I captured pictures of the waterfalls and the ride out of Valdez is just as picturesque as the ride in was, except for the overcast skies I had to deal with. Oh, and the other thing, never did get a picture of it, but passed the old Valdez which I found out yesterday was moved because of the earthquake that hit Alaska back in the 60’s. Heard the same thing in Seward how the town uses to come right down to the water, remember where I pointed out the RV parking right on the edge of the water in Seward? well, about 200 yards of the shoreline and town fell into the water with the earthquake that instead of rebuilding on the edge of the water, better to let the RVs go in than buildings that they never rebuilt there. Hey, that sounds like what they say will happen to California with the next big quake, it’ll fall into the ocean. Anyway, Valdez use to be on the end of the sound, but because of the tidal wave that came into the bay from the earthquake it wiped out downtown and killed 33, that they moved downtown closer to the opening of the bay…and the reason for that is because now it’s protected that if I tidal wave came in the way it did, it wouldn’t hit downtown. Would have to show you on a map what they’re getting at because I thought the same thing, with downtown closer to the opening of the bay, wouldn’t that mean a better chance of a tidal wave?
Clouds or no clouds, but Alaska has a lot of beauty to offer and some of the pictures look even better with the clouds in the back ground. Forgot to mention the poles along the road yesterday, but they are for low flying planes so they know where the road is, but more importantly for people driving the roads since in these parts they don’t plow the roads down to the blacktop. They leave the roads covered with a layer of snow because black ice is worse than the packed snow and most if not all vehicles have studded tires, that during snow outs and when the weather is that bad, the only way to see where the road is by staying between the poles…interesting, but would have to drive it to experience it. Didn’t do a very good job capturing a picture of the glacier on the way out, but it’s that piece that looks like it’s hanging down from a cloud…like I said, the clouds help some of the pictures, but it also hurts others.
There is just so much to see that it’s hard capturing everything around and the views are just incredible that you really have to experience it on your own. Although Alaska is known as the last frontier, I don’t think anyone should be saving for an Alaska vacation for when their old and grey…it should be one of the first that people plan before others, because remember, life is too short that why put something like this off. I’ve had a number of friends tell me how this is on their list of the top 10 things they want to do before they die, that why put it off, death could be just around the corner that for me? I can mark that as well as a number of other top 10 things off my list even if something should happen around the next corner and on this trip…there have been a lot of corners. Did hit quite a bit of construction and at one of the stops that Joanne was watching made a Wisconsin/Minnesota connection. Didn’t get the ladies name, but she is originally from Fond du Lac and heading to Dawson where she lives, remember my Dawson City experience? Adam is from Afton MN and John from Green Bay that they are heading back from their Alaskan vacation via Montana and like I told them, if they have the time they have to do the Jasper, Banff trip…more incredible viewing. Oh, and while talking to Joanne found out she’s been engaged for 8 years that like I told her, either get it over with or move on…at that point why even be engaged.
Made my way back thru Tok and guess who I ran into again, yep, Fred Knutson , remember he’s protesting the politicians blowing smoke…tobacco smoke that is. Met him a few days ago heading north out of Tok and thought that he was on his way back form Haines which he is shooting for, but found out he’s still working his way down. Apparently he takes his truck 5 miles down the road, walks back to the last stop, but to the truck and 5 miles past and then back to the truck where he can go another 5 miles for the next days travel…now if you didn’t understand that, neither did I, but he’s still waling it all. Tok is 90 miles from the Canadian border that should be able to make that in no time, but notice on my way…hit 33333 across the odometer and hell, this bike is only 3 months old…what timing.
Well, made the Canadian border and this one is different than any others I’ve visited, because the US border patrol station and Canadian station are 20 miles apart. I have 20 miles of Canada to ride before hitting the station, but I turned that into a 40 mile ride. The road is rougher than any I’ve hit so far and after a car flashed it’s lights at me, wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t have a helmet on or not, that decided to check the gear and also the side bags. Well, one of the side bags had popped open, the one with the bad latch that Anchorage said I’ll have to get fixed at home that sure enough, some stuff flew out that have to drive back to pick it up. Ok, it was just a chamois that I lost, but it’s turned out to be pretty handy that would like to find it…that you guessed it, 10 miles back found the damn thing – ok that makes 40 in my book. Oh, and notice how Canada is helping me out with my kph/mph calculation? well, 90 kph is still calculating at 70 mph for me… but then again, 55 mph still comes out that way too…ok, I know, can’t complain if I do get a speeding ticket, but remember, I’ll try to work it to see what I can get away with – just like the female speeders. Ok, when I say this road is rougher than any I’ve encountered, there was a bump I hit that I thought for sure I was going down with the way the front fork buckled and the back end flung around, but hey, while knocking on wood, fortunate enough to say that brought it under control before going off he road that ok, will pay more attention to all the red flags along the road, but when is it going to get fixed? probably after someone kills themselves? More road construction and once again, bikes get front row, but that’s because we’re riding gravel again, and I’ve probably hit a quarter of this trip… the one from Valdez here, on gravel. Nothing but dust following these patrol cars, but that’s not as bad as all the loose gravel warnings along the way, that if you don’t pay attention to them and slow down, you’ll be goin down. Oh, and my final strip of construction, well on my way to Haines Crossing, got the meet the night crew, Bonnie and the pilot driver with yapping dog. Had a great time talking with her and it just reinforces that thing about Canadian women…not only are they beautiful, but they have a different disposition that most of us can really appreciate….age doesn’t matter, if you get a nibble, set the hook cuz ya never know, you might get a catch. Ok enough, but that’s what brings me here, to the Boston Pizza and eventually Lizards…if you don’t remember that from my last visit to Whitehorse, the late night bar to party at…oh ya! Valdez to Whitehorse pictures.
Woke up in Alaska so you know what that means, some form of precipitation and you can see it looks like a very good possibility. Did get out of the hotel and filled up with gas without incident, but as soon as I pulled away from the station, and one with an awning, rain…remember it wouldn’t be Alaska without and that marks every day I’ve been in this state with some form of it. Well, turned around to get under the awning to don the rain gear, but talked to someone who just came thru the pass and they said it’s just a light sprinkle up to that canyon that I might as well go for it without the rain gear…feet up to keep the boots and leathers dry from the road spray and sure enough, once reached the canyon, no rain. That’d be where I captured pictures of the waterfalls and the ride out of Valdez is just as picturesque as the ride in was, except for the overcast skies I had to deal with. Oh, and the other thing, never did get a picture of it, but passed the old Valdez which I found out yesterday was moved because of the earthquake that hit Alaska back in the 60’s. Heard the same thing in Seward how the town uses to come right down to the water, remember where I pointed out the RV parking right on the edge of the water in Seward? well, about 200 yards of the shoreline and town fell into the water with the earthquake that instead of rebuilding on the edge of the water, better to let the RVs go in than buildings that they never rebuilt there. Hey, that sounds like what they say will happen to California with the next big quake, it’ll fall into the ocean. Anyway, Valdez use to be on the end of the sound, but because of the tidal wave that came into the bay from the earthquake it wiped out downtown and killed 33, that they moved downtown closer to the opening of the bay…and the reason for that is because now it’s protected that if I tidal wave came in the way it did, it wouldn’t hit downtown. Would have to show you on a map what they’re getting at because I thought the same thing, with downtown closer to the opening of the bay, wouldn’t that mean a better chance of a tidal wave?
Clouds or no clouds, but Alaska has a lot of beauty to offer and some of the pictures look even better with the clouds in the back ground. Forgot to mention the poles along the road yesterday, but they are for low flying planes so they know where the road is, but more importantly for people driving the roads since in these parts they don’t plow the roads down to the blacktop. They leave the roads covered with a layer of snow because black ice is worse than the packed snow and most if not all vehicles have studded tires, that during snow outs and when the weather is that bad, the only way to see where the road is by staying between the poles…interesting, but would have to drive it to experience it. Didn’t do a very good job capturing a picture of the glacier on the way out, but it’s that piece that looks like it’s hanging down from a cloud…like I said, the clouds help some of the pictures, but it also hurts others.
There is just so much to see that it’s hard capturing everything around and the views are just incredible that you really have to experience it on your own. Although Alaska is known as the last frontier, I don’t think anyone should be saving for an Alaska vacation for when their old and grey…it should be one of the first that people plan before others, because remember, life is too short that why put something like this off. I’ve had a number of friends tell me how this is on their list of the top 10 things they want to do before they die, that why put it off, death could be just around the corner that for me? I can mark that as well as a number of other top 10 things off my list even if something should happen around the next corner and on this trip…there have been a lot of corners. Did hit quite a bit of construction and at one of the stops that Joanne was watching made a Wisconsin/Minnesota connection. Didn’t get the ladies name, but she is originally from Fond du Lac and heading to Dawson where she lives, remember my Dawson City experience? Adam is from Afton MN and John from Green Bay that they are heading back from their Alaskan vacation via Montana and like I told them, if they have the time they have to do the Jasper, Banff trip…more incredible viewing. Oh, and while talking to Joanne found out she’s been engaged for 8 years that like I told her, either get it over with or move on…at that point why even be engaged.
Made my way back thru Tok and guess who I ran into again, yep, Fred Knutson , remember he’s protesting the politicians blowing smoke…tobacco smoke that is. Met him a few days ago heading north out of Tok and thought that he was on his way back form Haines which he is shooting for, but found out he’s still working his way down. Apparently he takes his truck 5 miles down the road, walks back to the last stop, but to the truck and 5 miles past and then back to the truck where he can go another 5 miles for the next days travel…now if you didn’t understand that, neither did I, but he’s still waling it all. Tok is 90 miles from the Canadian border that should be able to make that in no time, but notice on my way…hit 33333 across the odometer and hell, this bike is only 3 months old…what timing.
Well, made the Canadian border and this one is different than any others I’ve visited, because the US border patrol station and Canadian station are 20 miles apart. I have 20 miles of Canada to ride before hitting the station, but I turned that into a 40 mile ride. The road is rougher than any I’ve hit so far and after a car flashed it’s lights at me, wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t have a helmet on or not, that decided to check the gear and also the side bags. Well, one of the side bags had popped open, the one with the bad latch that Anchorage said I’ll have to get fixed at home that sure enough, some stuff flew out that have to drive back to pick it up. Ok, it was just a chamois that I lost, but it’s turned out to be pretty handy that would like to find it…that you guessed it, 10 miles back found the damn thing – ok that makes 40 in my book. Oh, and notice how Canada is helping me out with my kph/mph calculation? well, 90 kph is still calculating at 70 mph for me… but then again, 55 mph still comes out that way too…ok, I know, can’t complain if I do get a speeding ticket, but remember, I’ll try to work it to see what I can get away with – just like the female speeders. Ok, when I say this road is rougher than any I’ve encountered, there was a bump I hit that I thought for sure I was going down with the way the front fork buckled and the back end flung around, but hey, while knocking on wood, fortunate enough to say that brought it under control before going off he road that ok, will pay more attention to all the red flags along the road, but when is it going to get fixed? probably after someone kills themselves? More road construction and once again, bikes get front row, but that’s because we’re riding gravel again, and I’ve probably hit a quarter of this trip… the one from Valdez here, on gravel. Nothing but dust following these patrol cars, but that’s not as bad as all the loose gravel warnings along the way, that if you don’t pay attention to them and slow down, you’ll be goin down. Oh, and my final strip of construction, well on my way to Haines Crossing, got the meet the night crew, Bonnie and the pilot driver with yapping dog. Had a great time talking with her and it just reinforces that thing about Canadian women…not only are they beautiful, but they have a different disposition that most of us can really appreciate….age doesn’t matter, if you get a nibble, set the hook cuz ya never know, you might get a catch. Ok enough, but that’s what brings me here, to the Boston Pizza and eventually Lizards…if you don’t remember that from my last visit to Whitehorse, the late night bar to party at…oh ya! Valdez to Whitehorse pictures.
posted by Dalej Webb at 3:05 AM
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