Monthly Archives: July, 2009
FIRST LEG COMPLETED JULY 11th 2009 - 5466 kms!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, The First Leg of Alaska to Argentina 2009’s Charity Fundraiser is Complete! From, Victoria B.C. To North Pole , Alaska and Back, we’re still going strong! Thank You for your support and encouragement! We look forward to updating you on the amounts we’ve raised so far, and where that money has been going!
Port Hardy to Squamish
This Leg of the journey was the hardest on my motorcyclist Ego. I took it so easy on the bike that pretty much every vehicle from Motorhomes to 18 wheelers passed me as soon as they could. For all of you who don’t ride motorcycles, I should tell you that we’re not very used to being passed on the road. The XR650 that I used for this trip was the first bike I ever owned that even had a rear view mirror. So, to say that I drove this last leg slowly, would be an understatement… I was limping home.
I had a hard time focusing on anything but the sound of the bike, I had intended to stop the bike if the sound got any louder or changed at all, but nothing changed. This meant I could carry on as far as I needed to, which meant I was heading to Squamish.
Along with the ferry ride this last leg of the journey was really my most productive pensive time. I must be a bit of a procrastinator, or maybe I just really wanted to relax on my time off, but either way, I had saved most of my determinate thinking until this point. It was a good time to do so, I was grounded after such a nature filled solo experience and I was exhausted, which meant I probably wouldn’t have the energy to bullshit myself… I made a lot of final decisions on topics I had considered in depth along my travels. Decisions about the future and my goals and duties and the like. It was very productive and relieving, and I was heading home.
Terrace to Prince Rupert
Upon leaving Terrace with Mike I was forced to go into survivorman mode. I had abandoned all of my gear and equipment in the interest of less weight on the bike. I didn’t know where I was staying or if the bike would make it more than a few km’s. The guys at the shop advised me that the damage was already done to the bike, and I might as well ride it until it fails, if I had no other options. They had told me it was safe to do so, but there was no telling whether the bike would make it 2kms, 20 kms, 200kms or more. I loaded up my jacket as best I could with water, a knife, rain gear, spare socks, spare oil, a few tools and my toothbrush. I figured worst case scenario if I broke down, once I got to the island, I’d have to sleep beside the bike, hitchhike to a phone and call for a tow truck. Not the end of the world, but still not very desirable.
In Prince Rupert I stayed at the closest Hotel to the Ferry as possible because the next morning I was going to push the bike down the road and onto the ferry. I didn’t want it to break down on the mainland and I was pretty sure that BC Ferry’s wouldn’t let me transport a seized up bike onto their ship. I was very lucky to find that a few fellow bikers that I had met up in Chena Hot Springs Alaska had also arrived in Prince Rupert that night. Ben and Scott from Montana are two good friends who have been travelling through BC and Alaska from Montana on a couple of KLR 650’s. These guys were great! We had a couple of beers and had some good times talking about the road. I think they were very interested to see whether or not my bike and I would survive the journey home.
The next morning, after a nice little downhill roll to the ferry, well besides one hill, I arrived and boarded the Ferry. This part of the trip was unbelievable. The inside passage route between Prince Rupert and Port Hardi was phenomenal. There are a variety of seats available at different points on the ship where you can just sit and watch the coastline and the ocean for hours. I’ve really never been on a more enjoyable boat ride in my life.
Dease Lake to Terrace
After having almost run out of gas, I realized my bike was sounding a little louder than usual. This worried me a little so I I slowed down a bit and began to take it a lot easier. The noise however consistently grew louder over the next 600 - 800 kms. I would have had the bike looked at but in reality there is nowhere I could have taken it. At Bell two, I tried to find a helicopter mechanic, but he was away, and so I made the decision to straight shoot it for Terrace, the next town on the map…
Besides the obvious concerns about my bike, the road to Terrace was beautiful with a rugged forest feel and great road quality. At one point near dusk, I saw a cougar cross the road ahead of me which was really cool. Along the way, I kept passing an old VW van which I assumed was stopping to take pictures, but was actually repeatedly breaking down. I found this out later when we both arrived at the same garage to beg for assistance. There problem was simple to fix; their alternator had broken, and they would be stuck for a couple of days. I on the other hand was not so lucky. I guess my bottom end has suffered due to an oil filter issue. Regardless, I was stuck for a few days while we sorted out a plan to deal with the bike and likewise, so were my VW companions …
Well, Mathew and Hannah, my fellow sidelined travellers and I, had a great time together, experiencing the ways of Terrace. We ate at Denny’s almost every other meal, watched Ice Age 3 together at the local Movie theatre and invented a sort of competitive cherry pit spitting game. The two, were kind enough to take my gear for me in there vehicle to lighten the load on the bike. We also talked a lot about the fundraiser and the two have considered taking on a leg of the journey and doing their own fundraising. All together we agreed that the break down conveniently ended up becoming a blessing in disguise. Along the way we spent time with Leon, a local mechanic, who kindly organized a variety of rides and services for our entertainment. All in all the people of Terrace really treated us well.
After some valued consultation from the Motorcycle Mechanics at Kickstart Motors, I decided to change my route plan home. Francis, at Kickstart, organized a pickup truck through one of his friends, Mike, which would drive me to Prince Rupert from where I could take the Ferry to Port Hardy. My original plan had been to continue south, on land, through Prince George, 100 Mile house, Whistler, Squamish and Vancouver, but that plan was over now. And so, the next day, Mike and I loaded the bike up, and headed out to Prince Rupert. I said bye to my new friends and headed out, to limp home on a shorter route.
Laird Hotsprings to Dease Lake
After my Hotsprings adventure, I continued on to Dease Lake, through Juntion 37 and over the Cassiar highway. I met a nice young guy who was keen to talk about religion and reality and we had a very inspiring conversation. This portion of the trip is where some of my fortunes failed, while others remained…
The cassiar highway is a dream come true for enduro style motorcycles. It switches between rough pavement and dirt for over 400 kms. The road mostly follows the rolling, rocky terrain as it climbs over the pass. This makes for exciting, adrenaline filled corners, hills and crests. It’s one of those highways that you would turn around and do for fun…if there was gas… that’s right folks, up here a vital gas station could end up just not having gas when you arrive. This was the case for me and a variety of other motorcyclists during the day, as we usually can’t carry as much fuel as a vehicle can. Regardless some kind locals filled my bike up with a 5$ jerry can they had and I was on my way, wondering if I would make it to Dease Lake…
Well after the stress of almost being stranded, I stepped into a cozy looking restaurant in Dease Lake called Mama Z’s. I met a kind Belgium guy named Francois, Peter; a cook and Mama Z herself (the Z stands for Zora). Mama Z offered me a safe place to stay if I helped out around the restaurant and and I gladly did. There in my motorcycle gear I mopped the floor and cleaned the dishes and had the pleasure of meeting the rest of the staff there. We ended the night by talking about life and adventure… As a single mother, Mama Z had once taken a job as a 60 tonne dump truck driver at the Goldmines. She had a wonderful attitude and personality and a refreshing life success story. We talked about the Fundraiser and she was happy to donate to Dan and Global Peace Network. Thanks for everything Zora
Whitehorse to Laird Hot Springs
Well this section of travel proved to be one of the toughest of the trip. The day was not only filled with rain and wind but I also seriously underestimated the distance I would be travelling. Looking back, it’s usually the tougher times in my travels that I remember the best and most fondly. The landscape and scenery changed significantly as I ‘ve re-entered British Columbia via the Yukon. When it comes to wildlife viewing, this stretch of highway has been the best. In one day I saw 12 black bears, a brown bear, Moose, Buffalo and more. I also had the experience of driving through a recent forest fire, in which the smell of smoke, saturated the air for more than 40kms.
However, after a feverishly long day on the bike, I arrived at Laird Hot Springs, really in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night. I visited the hot springs through the misty, warm darkness, while 4 moose and their young rested in the mist. Here I really got the feeling of being isolated, the reality of traveling alone, and the dangers of this reality. It is a liberating and terrifying experience to be all alone, I imagine it is the closest I have ever felt to the reality of the natural world. I really felt like I’d imagine an animal to feel out in the wild, surviving by it’s own will. I don’t mean to say that I felt I had created my own destiny, I don’t believe that. I believe there is a Creator, and that we have guides through life. I just mean to say that it was a very real and sobering experience.
Later, my night really got interesting when I met a group of 10 treeplanters who had been planting for close to 3 months and had come to the hot springs to relax. Man these guys and girls were great! Most of the group had come from Saskatchewan to plant and really, they were like a great big family. Their dialogs and the way they treated each other really showed a lot of love. They were the first to admit they really got along well, and it showed. Their stories really made me wish I had tried tree planting. Anyways after a couple of bottles of wine, we headed back to the road, where some genius decided we should take the motorbike out for a spin, with as many people on it as we could fit… kind of like in the circus, only minus the professionals.
The morning was totally foggy, with a visibility of about 40 feet, and there, after a number of near crash attempts, we successfully got moving! We had done it, packed 4 grown men onto a motorcycle built for one, drunk as skunks, disappearing through the fog. Along the way, as we got going, a long haul trucker passed us… man he must have thought he was hallucinating, as we faded in and out of view through the fog… what a mess:)
Dawson to Whitehorse
The trip from Dawson to Whitehorse was quite serene. By now I’ve mellowed out enough to really appreciatte the open road and the time alone. I do however get pretty lonely all by myself but that is usually remedied by stopping into some nice little town and meeting others. It’s interesting up here because everyone is so friendly and open. In my opinion it feels as if , because of the mutual isolation, people are more appreciative of each others company. I think life up north can be very lonely at times.
The road to Whitehorse got me to thinking about the future and all sorts of good stuff. My absence from my personal relationships at home began to sink in, I was after all now traveling a route I had seen before, in the company of my best friends Jeff and Biln. Regardless, this pensive loneliness was easilly resolved with some good music, a fresh tank of gas and the reminder that I was now heading south, on the route home.
Chicken to Dawson
The road to Dawson and chicken is called the top of the world highway. At one point on this highway a single drop of water will split and drain down 360 degrees around the whole world. The roads are mostly dirt up here, which I have enjoyed a lot. The bike seems to work better off road than it does on road. Coming through chicken is always an experience. I visited the local watering hole, where a group of local guys were fabricating a plan to woe a group of tavelling european girls. I repeadedly watched their creative attempts turn to failure. As a final act of desperation, they shot fireworks at each other from a small iron mortor gun… it was great.
Dawson city was my staging point from which I headed towards Inuvik and the Tombstone mountains. This scenic drive was a perfect Canada day experience. I found a great little beaver pond and spent the evening watching the beavers work…Wow what a Canada Day eh?
I’ll update further when I have a bit more time
Much Love, John
Anchorage to Denali National Park and beyond
Anchorage proved to be an an amazing city. I was fortunate to meet a really nice couple, Heather and Jeff and their friend Ryan, who are up here working. In addition to these great folk I met the staff of Alaska Motorsports who maintained and fixed my bix on a moments notice. Another highlight of Anchorage came in the form of a true alaskan experience… cleaning and packaging Salmon! One day I managed to find myself part of a packaging assembly line for a group of fishermen who had just caught over 600 red Salmon, 90 of which we cleaned and packaged. It was an interesting but great experience.
After Anchorage, I left for the serene mountain highway of Denali Natonal Park. This section of the road really mellowed me out. I spent the night camping in the forest where I was promptly eaten alive by mosquitos. I had to build a series of fires around my campsite and stay in the middle of them to even have a chance. These hungry little guys would fly right through the smoke for a fresh serving of my blood. According to people up here, the mosquitos can take about a pint of blood a day from the cariboo. That night, many a cariboo must have roamed free of bites, as the mosquitos feasted on my ears and head. Oh well my redemption comes every night when I scrape their little remnance off of my helmet… Karma…
After this experience, I decided to head North past Fairbanks to North Pole Alaska, where supposedly Santa lives. Actually I happened to run into him, he works at a gas station/liquor store a couple of miles down the road during the slow season. He told me that most of the people I know were doing quite well, except for Jeff Kindree. who apparently hasn’t been on his list for years. He also told me Brandon Biln was barely hanging in there, and might not make the cut this year. “I don’t know about Brandon Biln, there’s a lot of good up and come’ rs this year, we’ll see?” were his exact words… man that guy is tough…
Next, I traveled north to Chena Hotsprings, where I spent a few days in a Yurt, relaxing and tuning out. There was an amazing Ice Hotel up there which was very impressive, along with some wonderful people.
By now I’ve seen my fare share of moose, porcupines, baby foxes and the like. A small bird even kamakazi exploded on the chest the other day… The road is very lonely at times, but also very calming and peaceful. I have been spending a good 8 - 10 hours on the road each day, taking my time, taking pictures and listenting to my ipod (thank you very much Daniele for the music, it has been great) Otherwise, I’m really genuinely impressed at how friendly the people are up here, both fellow travellers and locals, it has really inspired me to ask people about their stories, and there have been some great ones!
Soon I will travel on to Chicken, and Dawson City and the top of the world highway, where I’ll update you all further.
Much love, John
