MC Raven Trip Report 12 - Top of the World Highway

MC Raven Trip Report 12

I arrived in Whitehorse mid-morning and headed straight to the Walmart to restock edibles and fuel then, struck out for the Klondike Highway to Dawson City. Confusing isn’t it? Didn’t I start this Alaska Highway trip in Dawson Creek? Now I’m heading to Dawson City! Who was this Dawson guy anyway that has a creek and a city named after him? Don’t know. Probably should find out. Never can tell, I might be on Jeopardy one day.

The Klondike Highway from Whitehorse to Dawson City was a good training ground for the upcoming “Top of the World Highway.” Plenty of roadwork going on with lots of torn up roads, mud and washboard surfaces. Because of that, I didn’t take any pictures until I arrived in Dawson City. I spent the night at a provincial campground just north of Carmacks, YT.

Dawson City is much like Skagway, AK. A town of only about 1,000 population that blossoms into a city during the tourist season. Tourism is the only real game in town and it shows: costumed interpretive guides, false front buildings, museums for Robert Service, Jack London and (to my mind the best of all) Pierre Berton the great Canadian historian who was born in Dawson City. Here’s some pics of DC.

I spent the night in an overpriced hotel (though, with the exchange rate it turned out to be less than I’d thought). Then, took the little free George Black Ferry across the Yukon River to the beginning of the “Top of the World Highway.” Here’s some pics of the ferry with Dawson City in the background:

I’d really been looking forward to riding the TOTW Highway. All the previous ride reports I’d read described it as spectacularly beautiful. They were right! From the riverbank that the ferry lets you off onto the road heads straight uphill to the crest line of the mountains. In my case it also took me into cloudbanks, fog and freezing rain. Didn’t matter. What I could see was unbelievable. Views to the edge of the earth on either side of the road. Mottled sunlight (when it finally came out) on trees and braided river valleys. Even a standoff with a large black bear. He wanted me to pay a toll, I didn’t. We spent almost a minute (forever in man/bear time) staring at each other until a large motorhome pulled up behind me and Mister Bear decided to move aside. This first pic is of a Rest Area along the TOTW Highway.

After the most pleasant border crossing I’ve ever experienced, I headed into Chicken, AK for lunch. Nice to use US money again. Chicken's TOTW Highway scrambled eggs were great as was the free coffee (my hands were frozen into little icy claws by then). As I finished eating Carl from California pulled in on his yellow GS. He and I had been playing highway leapfrog since Whitehorse. I’d stop for gas, he’d pass. He’d stop for a break, I’d pass. This was the first time in hundreds of miles that we’d ended up in the same place at the same time. Here’s a pic of MC Raven and C from C’s GS in front of the cookhouse in Chicken.

                           

I headed on into Tok, AK for fuel and a quick wash of the bike. I wanted to get the mud off before it had a chance to harden into concrete. All in all, the TOTW Highway was a great ride. The road was dirt with a few patches of slippery black mud but, for the most part, well maintained and, since it drizzled or rained most of the way, not too dusty.  

After Tok, I headed on up the highway to Delta Junction for the night. Since Delta is the 'Official End of the Alaska Highway' that we started way back in Dawson Creek I had to take the semi-mandatory “End of the Highway” picture. I even placed an “I drove the Alaska Highway” sticker on MC Raven to commemorate the event. Some visitors from the Netherlands took the picture of MC Raven and me (his bike at home was also a GS):

Tomorrow, on to North Pole where I’ll spend a week visiting with Shane before heading up the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay.

MC Raven Trip Report 11

MC Raven Trip Report 11

Well, I’ve made it to Dawson Creek, BC. Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. I just checked and it seems I’ve gone about 4000 miles so far. The illness I developed in the Black Hills is still hanging with me. Still coughing and snuffling.

Click on all images to enlarge

 

It’s been pretty much a series of interstate drone riding since Great Falls, Montana. I did manage to find a few adventures along the way but, to my mind, the real adventure starts here in Dawson Creek.

I got through Customs Canada with only about a 20-minute delay. They just couldn’t believe I hadn’t brought along some kind of self-protection: guns, pepper spray, scud missiles, etc. A quick search of my bags and, I was back on the road. I suspect that driving on an Alaska driver’s license while riding a South Dakota registered bike was unusual enough to tweak their interest. When our travel trailer was still registered in Washington State and our truck was registered in Alaska and we were headed north Christine and I had similar problems crossing the border (at this same location!).

My first stop (after the Visitor’s Center to get maps) was the McD’s in Lethbridge. One of the workers was quite interested in the bike and my trip. She suggested that I go to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. What’s a Buffalo Jump (about 3-feet! Badda-bump-bump)? I asked. 

Apparently, in the time before first contact and the adoption of horses and guns, native peoples on the plains would dress up as wolves and stampede the buffalo herd off cliffs then gather the meat (sometimes letting it age over the winter). Seems like a good idea. And, the Head-Smashed-In part?

Well, the story goes that this young man (a chief’s son in some versions) hid under the cliff where it undercut the edge (like standing behind a waterfall) to watch the buffalo fall past him. Either the pile of buffalo crushed him or, one kicked out and smashed his head in. This story just cracked me up! I could picture all these buffalos doing the Wiley Coyote oops thing. Where’s my ACME parachute?

I’m sure the young man had to sneak off to watch the buffalo-fall. His mother surely would have told him “Don’t you hide under that cliff! You’ll get your head smashed in!” Or was it you’ll shoot your eye out? Kids! You can’t tell them anything!

I think that’s the cliff with the undercut on the left-center.

Before Dawsons Creek I stopped to check out the giant Beaver at Beaver Lodge. Here's my shot of a giant beaver:

 

After Dawsons Creek, my first night was at Fort Nelson. There were large forest fires all around the back country. Even in town the smoke was very thick and choking. Ash was falling everywhere: I set my jacket down to erect my tent, when I picked it up again it was covered with ash just like a snowfall.

After Ft Nelson, I visited the spot along the highway where Christine and I used to camp each trip up the highway. It’s a wonderful place right alongside the river with stunning mountains rising up on every side.

Saw these guys just north of the Hot Springs. Wonder how high they can jump.

Since the rains were threatening to return, I spent the night at Liard Hot Springs and got an early start up the highway.  

Yipee! I made it to the Yukon!

I stopped for early-lunch at Watson Lake then pressed on to Teslin.

Watson Lake’s famous street sign forest.

Tomorrow Whitehorse and the beginning of the Klondike Highway leading to the ‘Top of the World Highway’.

MC Raven Trip Report 10

MC Raven Trip Report 10

 

I woke up this morning in a place called “Deadman’s Basin.” Here’s some pics of the campsite and lake just as the sun was setting – just before the world erupted in a cataclysmic display of thunder and lightning.

I’m sure it’s “Deadman’s Basin” because the poor fellow as struck by lightning and died a horrible death! Was that going to happen to me? Guess not; I’m still here typing away. Let’s go back a few days to bring you up to date.

I left off the blog from the expensive motel room in Keystone. By Tuesday, I wasn’t feeling well after that weekend’s rain and storms. In fact, I was feeling so bad that I checked out of the motel and went down the mountain to the nearest Urgent Care clinic. Since you know me. You know just how badly I felt to make that happen. The doc there was also a motorcycle nut (rides several BMWs) and also an ex-Air Force (flight surgeon rather than intel). We spent more time chatting than diagnosing my illness. Most enjoyable doctor’s visit I’ve ever had. Diagnosis? Bronchitis. He prescribed me some antibiotics, cough syrup and, Advair inhaler.

One of those made me unable to breathe and the other kept me up all night, amped up and unable to sleep. So, I reduced my pills to only the antibiotics and am feeling much better.

After leaving the doc’s office, I rode to Sturgis, SD where I had the bike scheduled for warranty work on Friday. Was going to stay at the Bear Butte Campground but the rains had raised the level of the lake and saturated the ground so much that I didn’t feel like I wanted to stay there. So, back into town to the Day’s End RV Park. Good location, very friendly staff and, 1/3 the price of the Super 8 in Keystone!

Here’s some pics from my exploration of Sturgis:

Here you go Shane; we could move to Sturgis and open a biker bar! It’s even for sale! Unfortunately, the following is what’s right across the street:

Here’s some random Sturgis shots:

Our competition (where the Ghost Rider Statue is).

And yes Shane, I did manage to make it to the Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. It really is a spectacular collection of bikes and bike memorabilia. 

I took the bike into the BMW shop on Friday at 9am for the “2-hours total” repair work. Since they’d be removing the rear wheel to do the brake flange warranty work, I thought I’d have them replace the tires with some that are more appropriate to the Alaska roads and camp trails I’d be driving. The 2-hours stretched into 5+ hours. I’m still very ill and barely able to go up and down the stairs from the waiting area. “There was a hitch.” They told me. On my bike, the fuel gauge doesn’t use a ‘strip’ to sense the fuel level (that was the most common solution to the fuel gauge gremlin I’ve been having). On my bike, the fuel gauge uses a float attached to an arm on the fuel pump. The ‘strip’ repair is covered under warranty. The arm/fuel pump repair would cost more than $500 for parts alone plus labor and is not covered under warranty. Since I’d just spent a significant amount for new tires, I decided to just live with the nonfunctional fuel gauge until I get to Fairbanks and have the time to let Northern Powersports or one of the local BMW guys work on it.

Final tally from my bike repair adventure:

-          -So far as I can tell, the brake/flange repair went well

-          -Fuel gauge gremlin still winning

-         - Oil and filter change poorly done. Found small puddle of oil under my bike next morning. Mechanic failed to properly tighten the filter. Leak deposited oil all over the under-surface portions of my engine and threw oil onto my brand new tires. I was forced to lay on my back in the gravel parking area and repair the leak. Not a happy camper that day.

-          -Tires (Heidenau K-60 Scouts). I love ‘em! From being afraid to venture off the paved surface, I’ve moved to looking for dirt to play in!

I left Sturgis and headed to Devils Tower in Wyoming. What a powerful place this is! This will be my third visit here and it still moves me. Christine always loved it here too. Here’s some pics:

Chrissy’s view.

I spent the night at the Tower then got up early and hit the road. Ended up staying at Deadman’s Basin in Montana. My first 400+ mile day; my backside still hurts!

Tonight I’m at a cheap motel in Shelby, MT and expect to cross into Canada tomorrow. 10 states (11 if you count going into South Dakota twice) and now, a new country!