Alaska Trip - Day 6, 7 and 8

We left Boya Lake early on the 7th of July (Day 6) and made our way into the Yukon!!  So far the bikes have been running flawlessly.

Our friends Terry and Marilyn Branthwaite who came up with the idea for the trip.

Yours truly!!

  While stopped for a short break we ran into a couple of Canadian Bikers who we have been leapfrogging for the last few days.  They eventually plan on heading up toward Inuvik or Prudhoe Bay, We rode along with them for quite a ways before separating around Whitehorse.

We made it to Whitehorse on day 6 and decided to spend an extra day there to relax and see if we could find a power block for the laptop.  I found one at a place called the Source for $149 CDN, but just across the parking lot was a Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart had a similar unit from Targus for $69 CDN and it included a separate USB charger!   The campground in Whitehorse was not really well set up for tents but all of the facilities were excellent.  While there it rained hard on us.  Sure glad I brought along the tarp for over the table.

We met a couple of groups of people during our two days there.  One was a group of 70-80 year old riders who have been riding together for over 20 years!!  They had plans to ride all the way into Alaska but decided to turn back because they were told the road conditions going into TOK were pretty bad.  The frost heaves tore the road up heavily this year.  The evening we met them they invited us over for "Camp Pies"  (Pie filling between two pieces of buttered bread toasted in a metal Sandwich Cooker over the hot coals).  God were they good after riding in the wind and rain that day.

Their bikes, 2 Victory Visions and 2 Goldwings

The other really great couple we met were from Quesnel, Darrel saw us sitting under the tarp working on the pictures for the trip in the rain and came over to offer us some coffee.  Darrel works as a logger (Buncher Operator), he and his wife Corrine had taken a few days off to enjoy some time away from work.  We talked for a long time with them, they are a fantastic couple.  Darrel and Corrine if you read this we wanted to say thank you very much for the coffee and hospitality.  If you get to Washington State let us know, we would love to return the favor!!

By waiting the extra day in Whitehorse the rain stopped for the most part and we enjoyed a mostly rain free day to Tok, Alaksa.  We did have to dodge the occasional rain shower.

The road got progressively worse the closer we were to Alaska.  Once we crossed the border it was new surface for about 15 miles and even after that the patches were much better than in the Yukon!!.  Of course the views of the mountains, small and large lakes were beautiful.  I quit counting the number of Black Bears we say along side or crossing the road.

Looking toward the IceField Ranges from a small rest stop along the Alaska Highway

Its hard to keep your mind on the road when the views look like this!!

Mosquito's as big as helicopters come from these small lakes!!!

It's almost like every rest stop in the Yukon has a beautiful lake next to it.

Another of the road hazards on the Alaska Highway!!

Well we finally made it to Alaska on the Alaska Highway.  We rode the rest of the way into Tok and set up camp for the night.  It poured on us hard over night and stopped just long enough for us to pack up in the morning.  We packed up our wet tents and headed into Fairbanks.

The Branthwaites have officially made it to Alaska!!!

Back again, but this time on a Motorcycle!!

Our soggy wet campsite in Tok.

The rain came down hard enough that the Terry and Marilyn got water in their tent.  I really appreciated the owners of the campgrounds use of wood chips under the tents.  It made for a very soft surface to put the tents on.  We had to wait till we got to Fairbanks to dry out the tents.

Alaska Trip - Day 4 and 5

Wow has the Cassiar Highway changed in 10 years.  The last time we drove up Hwy 37 it was mostly gravel and now it is nicely paved.  The rain had let up and was starting to clear up a bit as we packed up to leave the hotel.

As we drove up Hwy 37 we passed a number of rivers, each of which were pretty well swollen from the recent rains.  This is the Nass River.  We had stopped at a rest area just before a bridge and could hear the river but not see it.  I stepped out on the bridge and this is the view...wow!

We drove up past Meziadin Lake and then went west to Stewart, BC and Hyder Alaska.  The ride to Stewart/Hyder is very nice.  Waterfalls, glaciers and beautiful mountains everywhere you look.

We had plans to view the glaciers further up the road from Hyder but the dirt roads in Hyder were so heavily pot holed that there was serious risk of damaging the bikes or dropping one of them.  We spent a bit of time in Stewart having lunch and looking around.  It is a nice small town with fantastic views of the mountains around it, Hyder on the other hand is just the opposite.  Most of the buildings are pretty run down, no paved streets, broken down vehicles left where they stopped running and blue tarps everywhere.  Since the Salmon were not yet running the bears were not down in the streams yet. 

While in Stewart we met a future Goldwing rider.  This little guy was so fascinated with the bikes he spent about 10 minutes with us before his very patient dad could get him to continue on.

We turned around and headed back to Meziadin Lake to set up camp for the night.  This is a very beautiful lake, Edie and I had stayed here the last time we made the trip.  The Provincial Campgrounds in BC are some of the best I have ever stayed in and this one is no exception.  The host was worried that we might get rained on so she had us set up in the shelter for the night.

It didn't rain that night, but the Cottonwood trees were sending out tons of seeds!!

The morning turned out to be very nice, this is the view we woke up to....any one have a fishing pole??

Packed up and headed on up Hwy 37 toward Boya Lake where we would spend the next night.  On the way there was a new surprise around each corner.  We stopped for a short bathroom break and this is the view from the rest area!!

We set up camp at Boya Lake Provincial Campground and then walked down to the lake.  I don't think I need to add any descriptions to this picture, what do you think!!

It's not getting dark now till close to midnight and the sun is now coming up around 3:30 AM.

Alaska Trip - Day 2 and 3

We got up fairly early and packed up to head out.  This would become the routine for us in over the next few days.  The ride from Lillooet to Prince George was beautiful.  Not long after we left we went past a couple of lakes and the Marble Canyon Campground.  The lakes were absolutely stunning, I was so entranced I forgot to get pictures!!  The road was great for riding with long sweeping turns and a bit of up hill and down.  Each time you crested a rise you were presented with another great view.  I will be back to this area again just to go camping!!!

We stayed in a campground just outside of prince George.  It was at this point that I discovered we had left the power block for the laptop at home.  We went looking for one in the morning but most of the stores did not open till 10:00 AM so we headed out toward Kitwanga.

Leaving out of Prince George the weather had started to change on us.  By the time we got to the beginning of the Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37) it was raining pretty hard.  We stopped at the Gas Station/Restaurant at Kitwanga for a bite.

As soon as we pulled up a Harley rider came up to us and asked jokingly if one of our wings was for sale.  He had pulled in for gas and when he started his bike the drive belt broke and was laying on the ground under his bike.  He still had over 1,000 miles still to go to get home and was stuck until he could get a new belt in. 

We decided to not to try camping in the pouring rain and went back a few miles to New Hazelton.  By the next morning the rain had mostly stopped and the ride started out well.

 

Alaska Trip - Day 1 of the trip

We started out from our friends house in Carnation Wa. and headed for the Canadian Border in Blaine WA.  We had no problems getting through the border with the bear spray since it was the right size and properly labeled.  It was cloudy on and off for part of the way but by the time we got through Vancouver and into Horseshoe bay for lunch it was turning nice and warm.

The view from downtown Horseshoe Bay where we stopped for lunch.  After lunch we headed up Highway 99 toward Whistler.  Wow were we in for some treats.

Driving along Horseshoe Bay

Near the end of Horseshoe Bay just before the road turns toward Whistler.  We discovered there are just under 1/4 million stops signs in Whistler!!  Almost not kidding!!

The views as we passed Whistler just started getting better and better.

We spent the night in a BC Hydro campground (Seton Lake) at Lillooet, BC.  The campground is free and quite nice!!  The lake was high and there had been lots of rain lately so they were letting out lots of water.  The sound of the water running by the campgrounds behind the trees was soothing and I slept quite well that night.

Success

We just got back from Wal Mart in White Horse where I picked up a power adapter!!

I'll go through the pictures after dinner and start posting some of them.

Dang nabbit

We left the power block for the laptop at home!! We tried to pick one up in Prince George but had no luck. We will try again in Anchorage, but until then all I have to access the Internet is the iPod. I'll have to wait to update the blog with pictures, but you can still track us from the tracker link.

Sorry

Last post till we are on the road

The bike and trailer are packed and we are ready to head out.  I have to work tonight till 3:00 AM PST, after I get some sleep we will start out.  Our first stop is at our friends house in Carnation WA. where we will spend the night.  Saturday we will get up fairly early and head for the Canadian border.

Our route on Saturday should take us through Vancouver, BC and up Hwy 99 the Sea to Sky highway.  It starts at Horseshoe Bay goes through Whistler up into the mountains (check out some of the images available on google) and ( Trip Adviser review of the Highway) .  Not sure how far we will get on Saturday, it all depends on how long it takes us to cross the border.  Probably stop somewhere between Lillooet and Cache Creek.

It was raining earlier this morning but this evening it has started clearing up and is now bright sunshine here with just a few clouds over by the mountains.