Non VFR ride - Prairies to Permafrost - Calgary to Inuvik

[superfunkomatic]

Day 10 - Fairbanks, AK - Off the Bike Day

When I picked my accomodation I wanted to be as close as possible to the motorcycle dealer so I can zip over and find out about a tire change. As luck would have it the motel and dealer are on the same block - how fortuitous! Harley Davidson Farthest North Outpost has Harleys, Hondas, BMW and KTM. Perfect - they'll likely have dual sport tires that will work for my bike.

I got to sleep in a bit today and ventured over on the bike for their 9:00 am opening. A couple other people hanging out waiting, too. I was third in line so I figured it would be a cinch to get in and get the tires done. I have all day so it's not a rush as long as they are ready for me to ship out tomorrow.

Talked to the service manager. Sorry, we don't do work on Kawasaki's - "we don't have time." Tire changes? Is it different to change tires on a Harley, Honda or Kawasaki? I bit my tongue. "Why are you even here?" He asked. "You should go to the Kawasaki dealer." Wow, that's customer service. I bit my tongue again.

"We only service what we sell. We don't have time for anything else." Huh? There are only 3 customers and you're already working on two of their bikes. That busy? I bit my tongue again.

"I have tools, I'll take the wheels off for you, should only take about 15-20 minutes to change the tires," I said. Still met with reservation.

Then he showed me where I could work on my bike. He didn't want me on the pavement because it would "interfere with the real customers." Yep, that's what he said. He pointed to a gravel area that would be, "out of his way." Haha. You just got laugh at times like these. "Yes, sir, no problem. I'll have the wheels off in a second for you." Haha.

Then he asked me to take the wheels from the bike to the back. So I did, only to get yelled at by the shop techie for being "behind the line." "Did I see THE SIGN?" - read "Idiot. I hate my job and yelling at you makes me feel better". Nope, I said. My apologies. The service manager said I was getting in their way by dropping them off and if I wasn't careful they wouldn't do them at all. Another ultimatum.

Finally I got things sorted out with the parts staff - they have tires that will fit. Then he reluctantly agreed to do them but didn't even come to talk to me again until the tires were mounted. He put the tires at the counter and handed me the bill -"Go pay at the cashier." When people are jerks like this I like to add fuel to the fire - "Wow! Thanks so much. Really appreciate the hard work. You're doing me a big solid here. Thanks again." All as polite as punch. When really I'm thinking how many way I could tell him to shove the tires into various orifices. But, I didn't. I got the tire done and off I went. Normally I'm the first one to sing the praises of businesses that go the extra mile - this guy did, unfortunately he was stuck in reverse. Not a pleasant experience and I'd recommend that if you need anything done - seek service elsewhere from one of the other couple dealers or shops in town here in Fairbanks. While he did ultimately get the work done for me he charge me $100 for mounting two tires that he didn't even take off the bike. Karma is a bitch my friend - prepare to have done to you as you have to others.

The new tires are a bit more 'streety' than the ones on the bike previously - that's really all they had that would fit. The tires are Pirelli Scorpion Trail - about 80 road / 20 gravel and off-road. I think they'll do the trick. They'll certainly last a lot longer on the chip-sealed pavement and highways on the way home than my 50/50 tires did. In retrospect I should have brought another set of the Heidenau K60 Scout tires with me, or at least, another rear just so that I didn't have the hassle of finding someone to replace it. Live and learn I guess.

I met a really nice couple from Ohio and spent the hour or two chatting it up with them. They were riding tandem all over the north on a big GSA BMW. Really nice bike. He even helped with me putting the wheels back on the bike.

Also got a hand from a nice feller from Wisconsin. Riding a Harley getting a service done while he's up here on vacation. He offered to help steady the bike while I popped it up on the stand and a side case to take the wheels off.

We all had some good chats about our trips, our lives back at home and of course, bikes.

I'm hanging around the motel for some lunch, some updates and to rest and relax. Tomorrow I head off to Dawson City, YK. It's a bit of a long day followed by the last two days to get up to Inuvik.

[superfunkomatic]

Day 11 - Fairbanks, Ak to Dawson, YT

Distance: 388 miles / 625 kilometers

Time on Bike: 9:30am - 5:30 pm

Temps: High 14 (Dawson) / Low 8 (Richardson Hwy)

Wow, what a great day for riding today. I couldn't have asked for better weather. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky for most of the day. Hardly anyone on the roads and the farther I got from the city the less I saw.

After a quick checkout this morning I was off on the Richardson Highway. It's freeway-like in Fairbanks and turns into a perfectly smooth, and vacant, two-lane highway all the way to Tok. The scenery is quite beautiful with snowy mountains lining the highway on the West side all the way down.

Stopped in Tok at Fast Eddies restaurant for lunch. I hadn't realized how cool it was this morning until I got off the bike. I was actually quite cold and took a bit of extra time to warm up and eat a good lunch. Great burger topped off with a huge slice of apple pie. Yummy!

The last part of the journey, and the longest, was the Taylor Highway aka The Top of the World Highway. Wow! It climbs up out of the valley to 1200m (3500 ft or so) at spots. The entire highway runs along the ridge line of the mountain range. It's paved for the first third on the American side of the highway, then turns to gravel, then muck and construction right past the town of Chicken. The middle 1/3 of the road varies from deep sandy mix and wet clay to thick gravel. While they are rebuilding and rehabilitating parts of the road it gets a bit dicey for bikes. The combination of wet, slippery and deep mud are a challenge on two wheels. Luckily today there was no rain or moisture except for a few very short sections. I can't imagine taking a bike through here if it had rained or was raining - it would be a complete disaster and virtually impassable. I think it would even be a challenge for cars and trucks in those conditions.

The new tires (Pirelli Scorpion Trail) work surprisingly well in the dirt and gravel in dry conditions. They feel just like sport -touring tires when on the pavement. These tires would not be very good in any kind of wet conditions with gravel or mud.

I was fortunate enough to see another moose today. She was feasting in a roadside marsh area. I also saw the biggest porcupine in my life. He looked like a big rotund beast. I must have caught him sunning on the road because he didn't move until I was right up beside him. Unfortunately he did not hang around long enough for me to capture his portrait for posterity.

After hundreds of kilometers of gravel roads it was nice to arrive in Dawson. There is a hostel just before the Yukon river crossing at the ferry. I had a look since it was cheap. It looked fine. Then I zipped across the street to the provincial campground. For $12 a night it seemed like the best deal and the nice part is that due to being midweek it is virtually empty. After setting up the tent and such I wandered down to pay for the site in the dropbox and noted a sign warning of recent bear activity in the area. Yikes! Oh well. I guess anywhere up here is really a place of potential bear activity.

I wandered over to the ferry and took a jaunt around the town of Dawson. It is so cool. It's literally like walking back in time. The buildings are all period buildings from the turn of the 20th century and before. The frost heaved roads and well-worn streets and buildings are quite charming. I picked up a few supplies from a market and walked back to the ferry and the campground. The ferry runs back and forth across the river literally every few minutes which is very convenient.

Tomorrow is the real deal and the purpose of the trip - the ride up the Dempster highway. By all accounts it looks like it's going to be nice weather for the ride tomorrow. No rain forecast for days - fingers crossed that holds true. I'll be riding to Eagle Plains the first day and likely stopping there for the night to do the second half of the highway. Being that it is 400 kilometers for each part of the trip up I'll probably be tired after riding gravel and will want to stop. I'm really looking forward to venturing out onto the tundra tomorrow.

Top of the World Highway - I'll say!

[superfunkomatic]

Day 12 - Dawson, YT to Eagle Plains, YT

Distance: 407 kilometers

Time on bike: 8:00 am - 3:45 pm

Temps: Low 8 (Dawson) / High 22 (Eagle Plains)

The camping experience in Dawson was quite interesting. It was nice to have the entire campground, or at least one section, almost completely to myself. I say, almost.... There were some twenty-somethings that rolled in across the way from me while I was down in town and went to pay for my site.

It was very quiet and peaceful until the aforementioned turned up their car stereo to eleven. Then because their music was so loud they had to basically scream to talk to each other. I must say I did the same thing when I was their age but I really do appreciate the quiet sometimes, too. When their revelry was finished before eleven you could hear dogs/wolves howling in the distance to each other. I'm guessing it was sled dogs as I've heard them howl like that in the winter night when I lived in Yellowknife. It was cool to hear their voices echo back and forth in the river valley.

I slept like a rock last night. Sleeping outside in the fresh air after such a physically demanding day was the recipe for a great night's sleep. The temperature dipped down near zero last night and I ended up sleeping right inside the sleeping the bag - head included, to keep warm. The sleeping bag from the MEC did it's job and kept me warm right down to zero as advertised.

I've got the knack now for organizing all the gear so it can be quickly assembled and put on the bike. Packed up, crossed the ferry, fueled up and hit the highway.

I was a bit concerned about the distance and lack of fuel stations. It's 374 kilometers from the junction to Eagle Plains. Plus another 42 from Dawson to the junction. Luckily, there is another gas station at the junction. Without it, the journey would come perilously close to causing me to run out of fuel again.

The turn to the Dempster Highway is well-marked but when you look at its entrance it looks like a small side road. The first few kilometers are paved then the road turns into gravel and packed mud which is easy to ride on and continue to maintain highway speed. As the highway continues, however, the road devolves into a bit of a mess. Some sections, usually the ones marked with a construction company's sign, are very well-maintained. Many sections, roughly 1/2 of the road, on the way to Eagle Plains are not. A lot of potholes, missing sections of road and some really dangerous thick gravel, sand and mud sections. I've read all the hyperbolic statements about this highway. For the most part they are correct - it's a bit of a gong show. It's also that reputation that appeals to many travelers - to see if they can do it - me included.

The scenery again today is absolutely stunning. There are high passes, river valleys, tundra and alien arctic landscapes. There is no shortage of interesting things to look at on this route. There are also plenty of animals along the way - a family of moose, grouse, birds of all kinds, among others. It's amazing to see how completely untouched most of the region is. Even with the highway access there is very little visible human impact.

The highway is very quiet and I saw maybe 15-20 vehicles throughout the day's travels. One truck was unfortunate enough to have a flat but was quickly assisted by two passing trucks working on the highway. That's one thing I really appreciate about the north - people really need to help each other. This is such an unforgiving place that you can get by without needing some help at some point.

The going today was quite slow and distance covered was far less than by highway. For an entire day I covered only about 416 kilometers. After hitting several thousand potholes and divots in the road, and missing just about as many, I was physically exhausted by the end of the day.

I stopped for lunch at about 3:15 in Eagle Plains. After finishing off my chow I was informed by the waitress that if I was traveling north that the road is closed. The Peel River ferry at Fort McPherson is closed due to high water. Apparently they are having a tough time maintaining landing areas for the ferry. It's been out all day today. Everyone heading north has been stopped at the river crossing. This effectively stops the movement of everyone in and out of the Red River/Tsiigehtchic and Inuvik areas including supplies.

So, I'll wait it out here tonight in Eagle Plains. The ferry may not be open again tomorrow. If that is the case I'll venture up the road about 40 kilometers for the obligatory picture at the Arctic Circle sign then head right back down to Dawson or farther south and begin the run back towards home. It would be a bit disappointing to not reach the 'end of the road' but Mother Nature sets the rules up here. With about three weeks of steady rain I feel fortunate to have made it this far. I also know that if the weather changes I certainly do NOT want to be riding the Dempster Highway.

I'll wait and see how things turn out tomorrow. I'm guessing that I'll be making the run back towards the south. So far I've already ridden 6,000+ kilometers - the farthest ride I've taken to date. And I still have to ride all the way back home to Calgary….

The Dempster Highway - Where It All Begins…

Two Moose Lake - Indeed! One, Two….

The Oglivie Range of Mountains - You can see about 180 kilometers from here

The Booming Metropolis (Truck Stop) of Eagle Plains, YT/NWT

[Polarbear]

OK, now it's official: your posts are making me want to do it too!!!!!

Good luck tomorrow Mike!!

C

[superfunkomatic]

Day 13 - Eagle Plains, YT to Carmacks, YT

Distance: 682 kilometers

Time on bike: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Temps: Low 8 (Eagle Plains) / High Carmacks 24

Well, sometimes things don't work out as planned. I checked with the front desk at the hotel who has been relaying information about the Peel River ferry. Sounds like the ferry will be running "intermittently" through the day. Unfortunately, "intermittently" is not going to work. It's about 250 to the ferry and there are no services at the ferry. If the ferry is down again I'll be stuck without accommodation and will have to wait it out.

The other unfortunate part is the weather has changed dramatically - it's the Arctic after all. The weather to the North was forecast as heavy rain and the weather to the South was forecast as showers throughout the day.

These two factors made my decision clear - the final push of 400 kilometers was off. I'm disappointed to not make it all the way as planned but I'm also not risking being stuck somewhere along the way or having to wait for ferry service on the way back. I'm also not interested in the risks of riding on a very difficult road in heavy rain - too dangerous. I decided to head back down and get off the Dempster Highway as quickly as possible.

I was fortunate enough to sneak in between the fronts to the North and South and actually have a really good ride on the way out on the Dempster. After reading about the number of accidents, fatalities (recently - motorcyclist), and people's reports of 21 hour days riding out in the rain, I'm okay with the decision not to go forward. I know others may go on just to prove the point that they 'did it' but I'm quite happy with how things have gone on the trip thus far and I wan't to keep it that way.

I set my alarm for 6:00 which because of the time change was actually 7:00 am. Doh! Oh well, I would have plenty of time to ride out and wasn't exactly sure where I'd stop for the day.

The Dempster commands a lot of respect for the harsh environment, road conditions and potential for nasty weather. It also is one of the most beautiful places I've ever ridden. It travels through several high passes, alongside beautiful and often huge rivers, and has an abundance of wildlife. A truly entertaining and enjoyable ride.

Minutes after leaving I saw a big black bum hightailing it into the brush - a black bear. About 10 kilometers later another interesting beast - some type of fox (black with white tail tip). And more birds than you can shake a stick at.

I even had a 'mexican standoff' at the halfway point - Engineers Creek. As I was motoring along down the road, just past most of the worst parts of the highway conditions, I noticed two forms on the horizon. Big forms. Even with my glasses on I wasn't quite sure what they were until I was right on top of the them - two grizzlies. Momma Griz and Baby Griz (a yearling) were wandering down the highway nonchalantly. As I approached Momma showed no interest of leaving her path through the centre of the road. I honked, yelled, stood up on the pegs to 'look big' but Momma wasn't interested in what I had to say. As I kept moving away to get a photo she kept on her merry way towards me - a bit unnerving. Every time I was going to get off for a picture she'd approach to a distance I wasn't comfortable with. What do you do in this situation? She owns the road and I'm just a guest. Finally I had time to jump off and snap a few quick picks (adrenaline running at full by this point). I then hopped on and decided to try and quickly ride around the pair - Momma thought best and finally took Jr. off to the side of the road and stood up on her hind legs to protect her offspring. What a magnificent creature. I've never been so close and this was a truly amazing experience.

I stopped at many points along the way for photos. What was particularly funny was to pass by "Two Moose Lake" the point where, ironically enough, I saw the two moose yesterday. The Tombstone park and range of mountains are spectacular with spongy looking green hills and mountains, tundra and valleys that stretch for as far as the eye can see which at one point is about 180 kilometers.

I stopped at the Dempster Highway sign for a picture. I was lucky to see a couple from Drumheller who offered to take my photo for me. And after two full days of travel on the Dempster this part of the adventure is done. A quick stop at the junction for gas and now the return south and towards home.

The ride to Carmacks was largely uneventful and the Klondike Highway is less than spectacular. There are some enormous rivers along the way but the rest of the ride is relatively scenery free.

One final event to report. At the junction for Stewart Crossing I had a 'get off'. Yep, after all the difficult riding I actually had a wipe out on the highway. Lucky for me it was at very low speed. The junction at Stewart Crossing goes immediately over a bridge at a ninety degree angle to the highway. There is no runout or place to slow down until just before the quick right turn. Unfortunately for me as I was completing the corner I noticed that the road was covered in pea sized gravel from one side to the other. This posed a significant problem - haha. Tough to corner, break and navigate not hitting the embankment on the bridge. As I tried to break the front end washed out and I low-sided the bike (tires first slide) and slid across the pavement for about twenty feet. Ouch! Not to worry as I am okay except for a road rash on my elbow (inside and through my riding gear) and a bit of a sore shoulder joint. The bike made out okay, too - minor scratches on the protective bars, bash bars on the handle bars and a bit of scraping to the aluminum panniers. All in all not too bad. Might have been different if I'd hid the railing or concrete around the bridge. But alas, everything is AOK.

The last few hundred kilometers were uneventful. Made it safely to Carmacks for the night. Still undecided which way I'll go back. Part of me wants to return down the Cassiar Highway but the other wants to explore new routes through Fort Nelson. Guess I'll decide before I set out tomorrow.

Nasty weather - not going up North any farther - retreat!

In the distance - Tombstone Mountains

Yes, that is snow and ice still on the lake below - in July!

Grizzlies.

ATGATT - All the gear all the time. Sure paid off here. Road rash under my riding suit

Some scratches and scrapes but no major damage.

[superfunkomatic]

It's certainly a fun ride and very challenging.

You'll have to try it. It is quite a change from living in the city.

OK, now it's official: your posts are making me want to do it too!!!!!

Good luck tomorrow Mike!!

C

[Olive]

One final event to report. At the junction for Stewart Crossing I had a 'get off'.

Glad to hear that you are OK despite the get off. How did the bike fare?

I'd like to ride north on the route you are taking, or even explore Labrador, but that's all territory that a VFR isn't suited for. Really looking forward to seeing your photos!

[V4 Rosso]

Wow, what a great ride report! And the way you describe everything makes more than up for the lack (for now) of pictures.Keep it coming

I've seen many animals. More bears, a moose, deer, a beaver and bald eagles. They must have some special contract as I haven't been able to capture any of them with the camera.

you can attract bears with salmon, I heard they love salmon

This commercial for salmon always makes me laugh:

What a magnificent creature. I've never been so close and this was a truly amazing experience

How close is close? There are some bears in the Alps, maybe a hundred, so they are very rarely seen.

The only wild animals I saw on my latest trip was af fox and this marmot, or murmeltier as they call them. I got of good pic of it though.

The last 60 kilometers from Meziadin Junction to Hyder were nothing short of amazing. unreal glaciers and mountains. Pictures will have to be in my photo bucket account until I have better Internet access.

Can't wait to see those pics

[superfunkomatic]

It can be done on street bikes. Most of the roads are quite good. Check out our member jmpepper's report. He was up here the last couple weeks on his VFR.

One final event to report. At the junction for Stewart Crossing I had a 'get off'.

Glad to hear that you are OK despite the get off. How did the bike fare?

I'd like to ride north on the route you are taking, or even explore Labrador, but that's all territory that a VFR isn't suited for. Really looking forward to seeing your photos!

[superfunkomatic]

V4rosso - close is "way too close" - 15 m (40 feet). The bear wasn't showing any signs of aggression. I was just in her way and she kept walking down the road towards me. Baby was just following mom. Pretty cool and scary at the same time. :)

[superfunkomatic]

Day 14 - Carmacks, YT to Liard River and Hot Springs

Distance: 827 kilometers

Riding Time: 9:30am to 7:30pm (long day)

Temps: Pretty much low 20s since I left this morning - lovely!

A long day today to make up some miles. I had a feeling this part of the journey would be less than spectacular scenery-wise. I was right. Don't get me wrong it is scenic but there aren't any of the jaw dropping vistas from the previous days journeys. Fine by me as I'm working my way back south and towards the Rockies again.

The hotel last night, appropriately named the Carmacks Hotel, was quite good. It was surprisingly nice for such a small town. One drawback was the bar next door that they own. There was hooting and hollering well into the night. It was Friday so that's to be expected. I slept through most of it anyhow.

I set my alarm for the wrong timezone again and woke up late. After grabbing something to eat and loading up the bike I didn't get on the road until 9:30. I wasn't entirely sure how far I'd travel today. I figured I'd aim for Watson Lake and see how the weather was. Turns out there were some huge rainstorms but I was able to sneak right between them and only get a tad wet for a few minutes. I'd battened down the hatches preparing for the worst but luckily my preparation was for not.

Again a day of traveling through treed valleys with the occasional viewpoint of the large rivers. While they are not particularly picturesque they certainly are impressive. The shear amount of water moving through these rivers up here is astounding. The Yukon, Pelly, Dease and Liard Rivers are absolutely gigantic.

After reaching Watson Lake and looking at the time (around 4:30 or 5:00) I decided to push on. I'd already stayed here (not much in the town) so I figured I'd work my way further down the road to see what was there. Well, nothing at all until you get to Liard River which was one of my scheduled stops anyway. There is a world renowned hot springs here and camping.

Along the way I saw two more black bears and got a good picture of one. I'm a bit apprehensive about getting off the bike too close to these guys as they are pretty quick and if they wanted to could be on me before you can say "white on rice". I also saw a few Bison (Buffalo) and then a large herd of them with many small ones. Pretty cool to see the Bison out roaming around - much different than seeing them outside of the lodge at Yellowstone. :)

I thought I'd stay in the provincial park for camping but it was full. There was overflow camping in the picnic area which would be fine. Unfortunately, they only accept cash as payment. HUH?! Unreal. I've never been to any provincial or national park in North America in all of my travels that ONLY accepts cash. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I rarely carry any cash at all anymore. The odd thing is she would take a cheque! A cheque? Who takes cheques from out of province anymore.

I was ticked off. There's no bank machine for about 150 kilometers. Before getting to hasty and jetting off I looked and there is an RV park across the street. $20 a night, debit payment and plenty of room. It's not exactly what I'd call camping but it will do for one night. There a restaurant here too but it closes at 8:00pm. By the time I got my gear off the bike and was about to set up it was too late. So I had the 'dinner of champions' - Hawkins Cheezies, Lay's Ketchup Chips and some water and Gatorade. At least the snack shop was open. ;)

I'll get up tomorrow and pack up first then head over to the hot springs for a dip. Then head further south. I'll see if I can make it down to Dawson Creek. I think I'll leave Vancouver for my trip from Nelson in August.

Itchy Bear

Hungry Bear - Mmmm, flowers….

Bear giving me the royal stink eye. "Hey! Beat it human - I'm eating!"

Waking a sleeping Bison

This is one big hombre. I could 'feel' him from about 50 feet away.

Set up in the 'campground' - Could you please turn on any loud appliances or generators. Thanks!

Dinner of champions! All food groups represented - grease, sugar, preservatives, colouring….

[Polarbear]

Cash or cheque? Cheques?!?! What are those again???!?!!!

Seriously, keep it coming Mike, I'm still living vicariously through you. But please be careful to grizz, elk and deer, they're no joke.

C

[superfunkomatic]

Day 15 - Liard River, YT to Dawson Creek, BC

Distance: 813 kilometers

Time on bike: 7:30 - 5:30

Temp: 8 celcius to start / 24 end of day in Dawson Creek, BC

A fantastic day of riding again. I was a bit concerned this morning when I woke up, more on that in a second, and saw dark clouds and spitting rain.

Let's start with the camping experience last night. I say 'camping' since it in no way resembled any form of camping I've previous known.

I was able to sneak across the street after 8:00pm for the 'free' dip in the hot springs -which was awesome. When I came back I had a quick chat with a couple from Montréal who were just coming back from Alaska and their attempt at the Dempster highway. They had the same luck - they turned around the day before when it started to rain. They rode in for 6 hours turned around and straight back out the same day - 14 hours in total back to Dawson. Wow! That's full day.

Got everything set up and hung out as long as I could outside before the bugs started to drive me crazy. Not biting or anything just plenty annoying. This has been the exception to the rule up here - the bugs haven't been that bad, in my opinion. So I took a book and huddled up in the tent to read for a while before bed. That's when the 'camping' experience began....

First of all the place is run on a giant diesel generator. Fine by day, unfortunately, they don't turn it off at night. I figured about 10-11 pm they'd shut it off for the night - not a lot of call for power. But, they didn't. Luckily it's a consistent sound so I feel right asleep. That is until a band of idiots rolled in at midnight. Four tents with adults, kids and complete chaos. One would think that if you rolled in that late at night you'd try to be as quiet as church mice. Not! Finally at 2am I'd had enough. If you've ever heard my "oi!" at the top of my lungs you'd know that all bets are off and I'm pissed off. Apparently, that was the sign they were waiting for as they were completely silent for the remaining 4 hours before I had to get up. Thanks guys!

They came by to 'apologize' in the morning to which they were greeted with a waving hand as in 'talk to the hand, Hammerhead!' Not impressed.

The day went very well from that point on though. The ride from Liard River through to Muncho Lake and into the Rockies is really fun! It's a great curvy and twisty road for several hundred kilometers and is very scenic. There are lots of glacial moraines and plenty of changes in altitude right up to 1300 m (3500-4000 ft).

I stopped in Muncho Lake for gasoline. The lake is a lot like Lake Louise with the opalescent blue waters and the rock lined shores. It is also the home of Canada's most expensive gas - I really needed gas and they really wanted to sell it to me - for $1.89 per litre (for you Americans that's approaching $7.50/gallon). Ouch! I have to remember though that if I'm by there again that the lodge looks like a great place to stay - a wood log cabin.

I hadn't realized that this would be it for gas stops. Many of the other places on the map were just that, on the map. They were little mom and pops that have been deserted. Kinda sad really to see all those small businesses left for dead.

Quite a few sheep sightings along the way today. I know I've seen them a million times on rides around Calgary but I still like to stop and see them. There were some youngins that were strutting there stuff alongside the road. Pretty cool to watch.

After several hours the mountainous backdrop starts to change to more deciduous trees and eventually back to rolling hills. This is where the day turns into making distance and less about the scenery. It's a long way to Dawson Creek.

Not much to see for the last half of the day. Treelined highway with no views to the horizon. This is when the iPod is a lifesaver. You can pass time a lot better when you can sign along with your fave tunes in your helmet. Trust me, it works!

I stopped in what is the most interestingly named place thus far - Pink Mountain. I'll have to look and find out how it got that name because there is nothing pink around. Haha. I got to meet the local guard dog at the gas station a Coon Hound that apparently was on break and taking a nap on the porch.

I kept pushing along kilometer after kilometer and made it to Fort St. John and decided I might as well push on to Dawson to save about 75 K for the next few days riding. It's pretty odd after spending two weeks surrounded by mountains to suddenly be out in a yellow field of flax. It seems to happen so quickly but it's been coming for days. Things are starting to look a lot more like things around home.

One last butt pucker moment. In the town of Taylor which has a really long and high steel grated bridge deck. These are pretty challenging as they grab the tread of your tire and cause the entire bike to oscilate or wobble back and forth. There are a few of these along the way and I've ridden over them before but this one had another challenge - wind. Strong, wind. Gusting winds pushing the bike across towards oncoming traffic as the bike wobbles. That really tests one's intestinal fortitude! Whew!

Wheeled into Dawson Creek and found a room at the Lodge Motel - $85.00 seems to be the going rate for a decent room.

I've mapped out the final two days of the trip. 1000 kilometers is too far for me to go comfortably on the KLR (I could easily do it on my VFR). So two 500 K days should do it. Tomorrow through to Grand Cache and down to Hinton, AB. It's supposed to be a really scenic ride and it's one of the few in Alberta that I have not done yet. The last day will be back over through the Icefields or Nordegg and back to Calgary.

Muncho Lake

The Greeting Committee - Sheep

The Pink Mountain Coon Hound

[Guest]

I made it to Prudhoe Bay on the VFR, you should have taken it :).

[superfunkomatic]

I thought about it. I think the Dempster, from what I've read, is more scenic and more challenging conditions. You never know maybe I'll try it on another trip up here. There's always the possibility of a return trip in the future :)

I made it to Prudhoe Bay on the VFR, you should have taken it :).

[superfunkomatic]

Day 16 - Dawson Creek, BC to Hinton, AB

Distance: 459 kilometers

Time on bike: 8:30-4:00pm

Temps: Very nice mid-20s all day (sunny)

Today has probably been the least eventful day of the trip. Which I guess is a good thing since everything went according to plan.

No rush today as it's a short riding day at least in comparison with the past couple of days. Didn't leave the hotel until 8:30 this morning.

When I say not eventful - no animals, no weather events and really nothing to see on the way. Contrary to Alberta Tourism's recommendation of highway 40 between Grande Cache and Hinton, AB being a scenic byway - well, it isn't. It's better than taking the superfreakinghighway number 2 south through Edmonton. But really, there are no vistas, no scenery, not much of anything to catch your attention. It does gain significant altitude up to 1300 metros at some points but other than that it is a tree-lined highway to avoid bigger highways.

After several longish days my arse is getting sore. The KLR seat is very narrow and causes extreme discomfort when ridden for long days for several days in a row. So when I arrived in Hinton today I was glad to get off the bike to give my tuckus a break.

Hinton is kinda like the Teutels (American Chopper) meets extreme sports meets ultimate fighting challenge. Yikes! I didn't bring my requisite 4x4 with 40" wheels and a dirt bike in the back. Guess I'm really going to have to buy one of those TapOut shirts after all - just to fit in! Welcome back to Alberta, Mike! Haha.

Midweek hotels are easy to come by and cheap ($65) - the Tara Vista Motel. So I've relaxed and had some grub. Tomorrow is the last day of the trip. I'm looking forward to being home in my own 'crib' and bed. I'm always a bit sad to see the trip each year come to an end. Before it's over though I'm fortunate enough to zip back through Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff before getting back home to Calgary. Should be a few more pics from this ride.

[superfunkomatic]

Day 17 - Hinton, AB to Calgary, AB - Final Ride Day

Distance: 493 kilometers

Time on bike: 8:30-3:30 pm

Temp: High teens / Near freezing at Athabasca Glacier in Icefields Parkway

The last day is one of the best because you get to go home but it's always bittersweet since it's the end of another good long ride.

I slept in again since it wasn't a very long day and I knew I could make it back home by the middle of the afternoon. The final pack took only a few minutes. I noticed something that I missed after my 'get off' the other day - the supporting racks for the right side luggage was bent a bit. A quick firm pull and it bent right into shape.

I love riding the Icefields Parkway highway. Even after all that I've seen on this trip, and others, it is still one of the most beautiful highways I've ridden. I was very fortunate to be able to duck and weave through the various storm fronts that were moving through the mountains and only had about ten minutes of rain the entire day.

The first thing I notice every time I come back to Alberta is how terrible the drivers are. I rarely crowd the middle of the highway or the left side of my lane for this very reason. People are tired or inattentive and on several occasions drivers crossed the centre line - yikes!

There was also some sort of Cannonball Run type race going on; the "Bull Run" I think. I'm all for enjoying a day in a nice car in the mountains but these yahoos were passing on double lines, in speeding through pedestrian areas, and driving about 50-60 km/h over the limit. Pretty dangerous considering it is a scenic drive and not a race track.

I took a few pics along the way. Stopped to look at the scenery and generally took my time winding me way back home on this final day. A successful and enjoyable trip. Wrap up report to come….

Since my 'get-off' these damn mirrors won't stay put - three joints in opposite directions

Back through the Icefields Parkway - Cold!

Welcome back to the prairies and Alberta.

[superfunkomatic]

For those of you reading along - thanks a bunch. It's great when there is audience for your trip.

Pictures are now up to accompany the journal.

mike

[Guest Longdraw]

Wow that looks like you had a great time. Glad everything went well too. I have a friend with a new FLR and he loves it. I need to do trip like that on my VFR. Again great write up.

[superfunkomatic]

If you're looking for a long ride that will literally take you away from civilization - This is it!

It's an astoundingly beautiful land.

Wow that looks like you had a great time. Glad everything went well too. I have a friend with a new FLR and he loves it. I need to do trip like that on my VFR. Again great write up.

[Polarbear]

Thanks for the report Mike, and for the pics. They sure made me daydream and you are to blame for my lack of productivity at work in July!! Thanks a lot!!!

Love the pic with the dog...

Cya in Nelson!

C

[Guest]

i enjoyed your narrative. one thing i realized, if i were to undertake an adventure like this, is to buy some really good rain gear and truly waterproof boots and gloves.

thanks for sharing, i appreciate your efforts.

[Polarbear]

Yes ditto here. Good rain gear, warm clothes, a grizzly and deer whistle (?!?!??????), and some ear plugs!!!! But it sure makes me wanna go.

C

[superfunkomatic]

Trip Summary - Prairies to Permafrost

Details of the trip:

Distance Traveled: 9347 Kilometres (5808 miles)

Approximate Cost of Fuel: $450-500 dollars (fuel is very expensive up North)

Lodging Costs (Camping and Hotels): approx. $1,100-1,300

Number of Days on the Road: 17 (15 on the bike)

Lowest Temperature: 0 Celcius (Destruction Bay, YT - sleet and snow-like conditions)

Warmest Temperature: 24 Celcius (Carmacks, YT and Liard River, YT)

Repairs/Maintenance: New Tires in Fairbanks, AK - $350 USD

Least Expensive Accommodation: Tie - Sealaska Inn (Hyder, AK) $65.00/night - What a deal! and Tara Vista Motel (Hinton, AB)

Most Expensive Accommodation: Best Western (Homer, AK) - really, not worth more than most of the 65-85 hotels

Worst Accommodation: Downtown Hotel (Prince George, BC) - honestly, Prince George's downtown is one of the scariest places I've been next to East LA

Best Road: The Dempster Highway - hands down the most challenging, beautiful and interesting ride of the trip

Worst Road: The ALCAN/Alaska Highway in Yukon Territory - the Alaska side is beautiful, the Canadian side looks like it has been in constant decay since it was made during WWII - parts of this highway are worse than the infamous Dempster Highway.

Honorable Mention for Best Road: Tok, AK to Valdez, AK on the Tok Connector Highway - high passes, mountain ranges, wildlife and beautifully paved

Impressions of the Trip:

The North is absolutely outstanding in every way. It's remote, isolated, stunningly beautiful and a challenge to travel through. These are all the attributes of a great adventure. The weather can be abysmally bad and quite the opposite really quite mild. There is no shortage of scenery and wildlife on this trip. I'd hazard a guess that anyone traveling this area will see more wildlife in a few weeks than they've seen in their entire lives (unless they work at a zoo).

I'm quite happy with how things unfolded during this trip. I've only had some off road experience for day trips into gravel and forestry roads. I think as I got more comfortable riding in this terrain I'd be more likely to venture off on to more gravel, dirt and abandon roads.

This is a type of trip you could be a lot more adventurous if you had a riding partner or two. Being out on the Dempster Highway 400 kilometres from help is a bit unnerving when you're riding solo. Having a serious accident could literally be life or death - having help would certainly make the trip less risky. Although, it's been very hard for me to find anyone that will take on these types of challenges or that has enough vacation time.

The North is definitely a place you could visit again and again and still only scratch the surface of what there is to see. I think I can safely say that at some point I'll return by motorcycle to the North. If you're looking for an adventure and place that not many will see - this is it! Go and see for yourself - it's amazing!

Equipment:

SW Motech Crash Bars - essential for a dual purpose bike - these prevented hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of damage in my get-off

Barkbusters Hand Guards - on the cold days they helped keep the wind and rain off, also prevented major damage to my bike during aforementioned get-off

Tires - The Pirelli Scorpions did very well on the highway (4500 kilometres and still going) and fine on the Dempster (in the dry - they'd be scary in the wet); Heidenau K60 Scouts - I'd definitely use these tires again - they were excellent highway tires and superb off-road

More Tires - In spite of what people say - bring a second set. Road tires for the trip up, knobbies or good 50/50 for the Dempster or trips off road

Oxford Heated Grips/Jett Hawaii Heated Vest - I would have been miserable and cold without these. The Jett Vest is unreal - on low it will keep you warm for the entire day, and, it's got no wires tethering you to your bike

Good rain gear - You may not need it, but if you do, you'll be glad you brought it

Trax Panniers and SW Motech Racks - Hard luggage is the best investment you can make in any bike - they kept everything dry, there's tons of storage, and they are excellent crash guards :)

Camping Gear - really helped on the days where it was nice to get in touch with nature, also the days where I arrived late and didn't feel like seeking out expensive accommodation (you can save a bundle of cash traveling with camping gear) - on average 15-18/night.

The Bike:

The KLR did the job it was asked to do. After traveling up and down the west coast so many times on my VFR this pales in comparison. It was passable as a highway bike, moderately capable as a dual-purpose bike, and required nothing to keep it going for the trip except gas and 1/2 litre of oil. It gets superb gas mileage (45-50 mpg on the highway /53+ on the low speed stuff like the Dempster Highway)

I must have tried to switch up into sixth gear about 45,000 times during the trip. Really, Kawasaki, would it be that hard to add another gear for cruising on the highway. It drove me nuts after thousands of kilometres vibrating along at 5,000 RPM. I'll consider a larger front sprocket to lower the revs if I was to do another long trip on the bike.

To me this seems like a bike that would lead me to purchase a larger adventure bike - BMW GS Adventure. It seems like a perfect bike for trips like this. The KLR has been a bargain bike to equip for the trip and I easily could have bought two completely kitted out for the price of one GSA.

Hotels:

I can't believe there are still 'smoking' rooms in hotels. Most municipalities in North America don't allow smoking in public places, why in hotels? Also, non-smoking seems to mean that there is no one currently smoking in the room with you. Many of the hotels stunk of smoke even in their 'non-smoking' rooms.

If you can hit the major towns or trap towns mid-week you'll save a bundle. Most will gouge you if they can on weekend rates.

[BonusVFR]

Bravo on your trip. Welcome to the club.

I put in a new spring on my KLR when I got back plus the raising link which I had on for the trip. I want to go back but trying to figure out how????

Mirrors...............same thing on my KLR when I went "over the side". Easily fixed though with a couple of wrenches.

I did not want to know how much I spent