Monday, July 22, 2013

Day 10 - Riding through soup

Well today started like it ended yesterday, constant rain. This was what my office looked like all day.
You can follow my actual satellite tracking by clicking on this link.  I like to imagine all my friends watching this all day long...  :)


This morning, I reluctantly packed up Red Velvet put on my damp gear, but did drag out my electric coat and put on heavy gloves and we were off, pointed northwest on the Alaskan highway.  We cruised 70-80 kph and I wished I had windshield wipers on the outside and inside of my helmet visor.  It was 53F and oddly enough stayed that temperature almost all day.  After about 120 kilometers and riding with two Harley's off and on a bit, I pulled away from them but not much longer I saw handwritten signs about the worlds best cinnamon rolls in Canada.  Curious and Hungary as not having breakfast, I kept my fogged up glasses eyes pealed.  I saw the sign and pulled into this place.  
This is what the bathroom looked like.

It was really cool and unique and a cool old guy served me up a bun (that's what he called it) and a cup of coffee.  Wow, the best bun and coffee I've ever had.  He said he serves up to 200 of the each day.  The place was like an old trappers cabin and he had many stuff animals that he said he shot himself.  I wish I would have taken pictures inside.  I talked to the Harley riders and the were from Montreal, father, mother and son.  They were hardcore, no windshields and half shell helmets.  They looked like me, miserable but happy about the hot bun and coffee!  Back to the road...and rain...and gravel...fun, fun, FUN!

The ride continued and the roads were awesome going through the Canadian Rockies, if it just was not raining!  It got cold going over the mountain passes and at one point it dropped to 38F and I think sleeted.  I kept motoring and Red Velvet was not phased by it all.  I listened to Neil Young and Rush and it helped the time pass.  I hit construction, yes construction in rain...and had to sit and wait through a 10 kilometer one way pass.  Lovely, now I was sitting in the rain at 5,000 feet and the wind was blowing good.  We finally got to make our trek and the road was more mud than asphalt.  The knew tires got a good work out.

I stopped for lunch at Muncho Lake and it was a very nice surprise.  I had a snitzel sandwich that was awesome and I found out the area and lodge was started by German immigrants that still run it.  
My view at my table
The place is called the Northern Rockies Lodge and they are known for flying people in bush planes to fly fish.  The picture above is a map carved in wood of where they take you.   I plan to stay there the next time I pass through. As I gassed up here, several people warned me to be alert for wildlife.  We took off and here is what I saw (yes it was still raining).
Buffalo and some of them are huge. I saw buffalo all day long.  I also saw deer, bald eagle, mountain goats and a huge elk.  Then I saw a bear again and got good pictures.
And he crossed the road right in front of me, not more than 30 feet away.  I could hear him grumbling and panting...so cool.  I saw another black bear later in the day but have not seen a brown (grizzly) bear yet, I hope I do!

I also continue to be intrigued by the Canadian road signs.  So what does this one mean?
It was warning me of a bridge with metal grating as the floor. The bridge crossed the Peace River and I thought how cool it would be to have property or fish on the peace river.  Crossing on the grating felt what it might feel to ride on ridges of jello...the bike moved all over the place...the slower you go, the worse it was.  I went across 3 or 4 more brides like this.  Also notice in the picture the flowers/memorial on the left bridge support for someone who did not make it across.

I finally crossed into the Yukon Territory.
And decided to stay in Watson Lake, the second largest city in the Yukon Territory, and not much different than Darbydale or Harrisburg.  I saw bikes outside of "Andreas Hotel & Restaurant" and decided to stay here for the night.  About an hour later and the rained stopped.  Lets hope it continues that way tomorrow!


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