7.27.2009
Across the border it was and petrol at $2.39 a gallon, National Public Radio (NPR) was a welcome sight and sound. The first part of the Lake Superior Circle Route was following Minnesota Route 61 south along the lake, fog was in but finally cleared toward mid-day. Once arriving at Duluth, you hook a left and head into Wisconsin on Route 2 and basically just follow the coastline.
The first night stay in Wisconsin introduced me to the black fly. Makes the mosquito look tame in comparison to volume of blood drawned. The mossies were in strength though and how they manage to make their way inside the goatmobile is beyond me. The underside of the roof to the vehicle is looking like someone hit it with a paint gun with the number of mossies that I have splattered with the book of choice.
Of course there where a couple of major screw-up’s on my part thinking or miss reading the map that just had to be a bridge to cross over to facilitate continuing along the coast line. I just don’t believe the National Park Service would appreciate me driving my vehicle over their pedestrian swing bridge to access the road on the other side. So back it is and did I mentioned that this whole region has had the coldest summer in the past 5 years, major drought and the summer has just begin.
Michigan it is again following the coast as best as I can. And the further north I go into the Keweenaw Peninsula the more the area is economically depressed. The homes remind me of the poor section of town where I grew up at. Run down, abandon, trash everywhere and of course the local pub is doing a booming business. But what is amazing is that not every town is like that. You will go through 2-3 that are really depressed and the next one you could eat off the street.
The Keweenaw Peninsula is a must. Of all of the roads travel this year, following Route 26 to Eagle River then around to Copper Harbor has to be one of the most scenic that I’ve been on. Then over to Bete Grise Bay where if there is another person on the beach its busy. Follow the coastline from Point Isabelle to Gay; rest stops to the max to enjoy the beauty of Lake Superior. This loop around the top of the peninsula is a motorcyclist dream ride.
Back down off the peninsula and head east for the US Fish and Wildlife Refuge at Seney. The night stay was along a power line road that offered up the best selection of mossies.
Next day its northeast again to the coastline and finally topping it off with a stop at the Whitefish Lighthouse where everyone else thought to go for a Sunday ride. Back down to Paradise then left along the shoreline where curtsey of the US Government a night stay at one of the rest stops with a “No Camping” sign was most proudly displayed.
Early morn had us heading for Sault Ste Marie and back into Canada again. A quick stop at the visitor’s center and was told that the local library had WI-FI outside as a default. This of course gave me the opportunity to forward the latest newsy travel log along with the Facebook pics. And right next door was the local artsy museum which had a coffee shop and oatmeal fat pills for the taking.
Back on Route 17 north until just south of Wawa where subject bridge had access road underneath. You could not have asked for a better spot, the vehicle got washed along with El-bike. The first wash since May. I am beginning to have doubts if the bicycle is going to make it until October time frame with the crap that gets thrown on it and the slow erosion of the Schwin name. The bike was manufactured in China, painted in Burma, shipped out of Haiti and the bike’s manual is in Hebrew, how you figure?
Thinking that the outback of Ontario moving east would offer some excitement, wrong, try a paved road with trees on both sides for hundreds of kilometers. That’s it, I headed south to Niagara Falls via Toronto. Wrong move on my part of even thinking that circumventing Toronto would be easy. Think traffic, Sydney, Auckland, LA at rush hour and you have it along with road construction and rain. By 1700hrs I found the first hotel/motel and that was it for the fun part of the day.
Next morning it was across the border and heading for the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWF), the GPS brought me close enough that I was able to find sign of same. From Iroquois to Montezuma NWF was just another 2 hours traveling east. One thing that you pickup right quickly is this is not Canada where you can just pull over to the side of the road and camp out. Try doing this in these small towns and believe me you will have a visit from the local gendarme.
So it was into a RV park along the shore of Lake Ontario for the night. St Lawrence NWF was the next refuge of choice as it was in my travel itinerary compass bearing (what a terrible use of words). Traveling west to east through New York State we stay on the county roads which is a lot more enjoyable then the interstate. Farms, small towns, narrow roads, people willing to talk about taxes, politics and global warming. I’ve convinced everyone that the North Koreans are behind global warming…………..
Crossing Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, there are no interstates east to west; every road is a county road. But then again the northern portions of each state is either farming or lumber and the population is just not there to justify the cost of a major road. Each state has a major road or more running perpendicular, must be the draw of Santa during Christmas.
My comments concerning the lumber industry in British Columbia as failing is a micro-crosim of the same problems facing northern Maine.
Norm
The Greynomad
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
07/17/2009 - Alberta-Saskatchewan-Manitoba-Ontario
Leaving the Northwest Territories and crossing the line at the Alberta border (Rt 35) did not shed any tears on my part. Just knowing that the further south I went the density of mossies and deer flies would diminishes accordingly.
Factoids as I see it:
The Yukon has 11 major roads whereas the Northwest Territories have 6. Yukon population, as quota by the Information Center was at 33 thousand and if you listen to the NWT, they are claiming over 100 thousand. Me thinks someone is smoking the funny weed again or hiding everyone up in the tundra (Google).
Mileage: With 2 months plus on the road 16,000 miles or 25,000 kilometers; averaging 25-26 miles to the gallon (US) 3.75 liters. Average cost of petrol around $4.00 per US gallon (Canada cost is from $4-5.00 per gallon) with a high of $8.00). The amount spent on petrol is double on what I had originally estimated.
California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario
Rest Stops/Rest areas: British Columbia has loo’s at everyone; Yukon close; Northwest Territories, find a bush and Alberta, forget it…….Saskatchewan, another bush and Manitoba has one. Of course you have to realize that British Columbia has the Rocky Mountains, gateway to Alaska, glaciers, the inward passage whereas Alberta and moving east is flat, farming and deer flies.
Before I forget there are some incredible waterfalls on the NWT Route 1 south to Alberta.
Across the border it is and after many many kilometers you begiinning to realize that you are back in the prairie (Alberta) where everything is flat and the roads are straight from Horizon to horizon. The radio stations are either trying to save you again or you best enjoy country and western music. Actually found a Laundromat and at the same time managed to wash many miles of mud off the vehicle. The night was at a provincial park. The next day it was to Edmonton (capital) for replacement of the back window and to Costco for rotation of tyres. The lad who did the work mentioned that I had enough mud on the inside of the tyre hubs to build another road. Oh did I mention rain; it started first night arriving in Alberta and has continued all day. The farmers are in for another dry year here in Alberta and the crops are suffering tremendously.
Some where on route 28 I camped last night before making the big push into Saskatchewan the following morn. Stopping for the morning brew is a must if I am to survive the crossing of the border. Saskatchewan in the north is all farmland as far as I can see. You continue in a straight line to the horizon and you have another straight line in front of you. Finally got on the west side of Prince Albert National Park. As there was a gravel road north of the park and as I have just a bit of time on my hands, gravel road it was. The road was in excellent shape, not much in the wildlife area except deer and being swallowed up in a dust cloud as the truckers go by. Now we are on the east side of the park, down we go to the entrance and pay your entry fee and next informed that vendors inside the park will charge additional fees for using the facilities. Got the monies back and found myself a rest stop for the night.
And rain it did again all night long. Lets see it started raining in Alberta, continued into Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well. Now combining rain all night long and continuing through the morning does not make travel on a dirt road enjoyable. A bit like driving on ice but after the first 15 kilometers the texture of the road changed to a mixture of gravel and dirt, which improved the driving 100%.
It has been confirmed that the deer flies in Canada are manufactured by Boeing Aircraft. Airbus had bid on the project but could not meet the specifications or the time frame.
Manitoba is pretty much flat country and primarily farming which is not going to add a lot of excitement here. Found a provincial park and no attendee, so a freebie for the night and did it rain. Next morning it was up on Route 39 to 6 for a stop at the Pisew Falls. Worth the view but whether or not you’ll enjoy the ride is humbug to the max from the main highway to the falls estimate 600 kilometers round trip. It’s a two-lane road with trees on both sides for a 6 hour plus. As I took photos, they will save you a trip. Back to route 10 and a small town campsite. As I parked near the loo, unbeknown to me that there was going to be a ball game that night. Sleeping in the tent and listening to the loo doors open and shut finally pushed me back into the goatmobile where life was a lot quieter. Back on Route 10 going south and it was pretty humbug as the road is straight and trees on both sides. Coming into Swan River Valley made the day trip worth every bit. Here you have a huge valley in front of you with the multiple colors of various crops that just stretch to the horizon like a patchwork quilt.
A brief chat at the visitors center and into the Duck Provincial Park for the night.
Next morn it was over the other side of Lake Winnipeg and looking for a place to bed for the night. I finally found a rest site with a loo within Manitoba; of course it had to be the main road between Manitoba and Ontario. I am going to email the Premier of Manitoba and suggest that any tourist crossing into his domain be issued a case of Depends (Google).
The next day had us crossing over into Ontario and stopping at the friendly visitor center again. My query was concerning two water falls off route 105 (north). Be it that they didn’t know but did phone to the visitor center within the falls area. Information was the two falls that I was interested in were humbug but that there was a sensational fall up north that the locals only knew about. Well with all of this good info off I went 150 kilometers north to find what they considered just amazing was no more then water running over a set of rocks at the most 2 meters high. Someone somewhere is into a happy pill when they named this set “Big Falls”.
Next day it is south toward Thunder Bay and the crossing back into the US. There is a particular trip that circumvents Lake Superior covering Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and back to Ontario. Believe me when I cross back into the US I will be on fumes just knowing that petrol is $2.30 a gallon.
Norm
Factoids as I see it:
The Yukon has 11 major roads whereas the Northwest Territories have 6. Yukon population, as quota by the Information Center was at 33 thousand and if you listen to the NWT, they are claiming over 100 thousand. Me thinks someone is smoking the funny weed again or hiding everyone up in the tundra (Google).
Mileage: With 2 months plus on the road 16,000 miles or 25,000 kilometers; averaging 25-26 miles to the gallon (US) 3.75 liters. Average cost of petrol around $4.00 per US gallon (Canada cost is from $4-5.00 per gallon) with a high of $8.00). The amount spent on petrol is double on what I had originally estimated.
California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario
Rest Stops/Rest areas: British Columbia has loo’s at everyone; Yukon close; Northwest Territories, find a bush and Alberta, forget it…….Saskatchewan, another bush and Manitoba has one. Of course you have to realize that British Columbia has the Rocky Mountains, gateway to Alaska, glaciers, the inward passage whereas Alberta and moving east is flat, farming and deer flies.
Before I forget there are some incredible waterfalls on the NWT Route 1 south to Alberta.
Across the border it is and after many many kilometers you begiinning to realize that you are back in the prairie (Alberta) where everything is flat and the roads are straight from Horizon to horizon. The radio stations are either trying to save you again or you best enjoy country and western music. Actually found a Laundromat and at the same time managed to wash many miles of mud off the vehicle. The night was at a provincial park. The next day it was to Edmonton (capital) for replacement of the back window and to Costco for rotation of tyres. The lad who did the work mentioned that I had enough mud on the inside of the tyre hubs to build another road. Oh did I mention rain; it started first night arriving in Alberta and has continued all day. The farmers are in for another dry year here in Alberta and the crops are suffering tremendously.
Some where on route 28 I camped last night before making the big push into Saskatchewan the following morn. Stopping for the morning brew is a must if I am to survive the crossing of the border. Saskatchewan in the north is all farmland as far as I can see. You continue in a straight line to the horizon and you have another straight line in front of you. Finally got on the west side of Prince Albert National Park. As there was a gravel road north of the park and as I have just a bit of time on my hands, gravel road it was. The road was in excellent shape, not much in the wildlife area except deer and being swallowed up in a dust cloud as the truckers go by. Now we are on the east side of the park, down we go to the entrance and pay your entry fee and next informed that vendors inside the park will charge additional fees for using the facilities. Got the monies back and found myself a rest stop for the night.
And rain it did again all night long. Lets see it started raining in Alberta, continued into Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well. Now combining rain all night long and continuing through the morning does not make travel on a dirt road enjoyable. A bit like driving on ice but after the first 15 kilometers the texture of the road changed to a mixture of gravel and dirt, which improved the driving 100%.
It has been confirmed that the deer flies in Canada are manufactured by Boeing Aircraft. Airbus had bid on the project but could not meet the specifications or the time frame.
Manitoba is pretty much flat country and primarily farming which is not going to add a lot of excitement here. Found a provincial park and no attendee, so a freebie for the night and did it rain. Next morning it was up on Route 39 to 6 for a stop at the Pisew Falls. Worth the view but whether or not you’ll enjoy the ride is humbug to the max from the main highway to the falls estimate 600 kilometers round trip. It’s a two-lane road with trees on both sides for a 6 hour plus. As I took photos, they will save you a trip. Back to route 10 and a small town campsite. As I parked near the loo, unbeknown to me that there was going to be a ball game that night. Sleeping in the tent and listening to the loo doors open and shut finally pushed me back into the goatmobile where life was a lot quieter. Back on Route 10 going south and it was pretty humbug as the road is straight and trees on both sides. Coming into Swan River Valley made the day trip worth every bit. Here you have a huge valley in front of you with the multiple colors of various crops that just stretch to the horizon like a patchwork quilt.
A brief chat at the visitors center and into the Duck Provincial Park for the night.
Next morn it was over the other side of Lake Winnipeg and looking for a place to bed for the night. I finally found a rest site with a loo within Manitoba; of course it had to be the main road between Manitoba and Ontario. I am going to email the Premier of Manitoba and suggest that any tourist crossing into his domain be issued a case of Depends (Google).
The next day had us crossing over into Ontario and stopping at the friendly visitor center again. My query was concerning two water falls off route 105 (north). Be it that they didn’t know but did phone to the visitor center within the falls area. Information was the two falls that I was interested in were humbug but that there was a sensational fall up north that the locals only knew about. Well with all of this good info off I went 150 kilometers north to find what they considered just amazing was no more then water running over a set of rocks at the most 2 meters high. Someone somewhere is into a happy pill when they named this set “Big Falls”.
Next day it is south toward Thunder Bay and the crossing back into the US. There is a particular trip that circumvents Lake Superior covering Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and back to Ontario. Believe me when I cross back into the US I will be on fumes just knowing that petrol is $2.30 a gallon.
Norm
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
07/08/09 Tok, Alaska-Dawson City, Yukon-Dempster Highway-Watson Lake, Yukon- Northwest Territories
Up and a cuppa next following Route 2 west until Tetlin Junction where you hook a left and follow Rt 5 to Chicken. At Chicken its another cuppa with 2 fat pills to cover the rest of the trip to the Canadian Border. From here its Rt 9 commonly called, “The Top of The World Highway” to the Yukon River ferry landing. The river must be running in excessive of 8 knots and just watching the ferry going back and forth, its amazing that the ferry can make the run from one side to the other.
Into Dawson for fuel and food for the trip north on the Dempster Highway. Its 750 kilometers of gravel road to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, one-way. The gravel road as far as I’ve gotten today is in fine shape; the mosquitoes are another question though. Once you open the door to the vehicle the suckers just swam in and it’s a mad rush to shut the door again before you are inundated. Of course for the next half hour or more while you are driving you are doing your best to kill the bloody pest but by this time they have already taken their fair share of blood. With this in mind my thoughts for stopping for the night had to be off the river and as high as possible, cold and windy as hell. This is found but there is enough bear scat (Google) around that I could very well open up shop selling fertilizer.
The Dempster Highway north it is for this bright and sunny morn. Underway by 0700hrs heading for petrol, cuppa, fat pill and lets just get there. Goal was the Native village of Inuvik (Google) with a quick stop at the Arctic Circle. With the Arctic Circle behind me it’s the ferry across the Peel River then into Fort McPherson for a cuppa. Inuvik is only 2 hours away and is doable. Well 15 kilometers out of McPherson I hear a loud noise such as a rock hitting glass, nothing on the front windscreen, but looking through the rear view mirror I see a small hole in the rear window and its getting bigger by the second. Over to the side of the road, out of the vehicle and the back window is just crumbling in front of me. I think that the rear wheel picked up a rock bounced it off the bicycle into the rear window.
Back to McPherson with gravel dust, glass pieces and mosquitoes coming through the window. After checking with a few people it was to the local canvas shop for help. Fortunately they carried a roll of clear plastic that once cut to size allowed me to cover the window and Duct tape it to the max.
After fixing the window, I decided that my fun quota for the day was over. So back south I went and 11 hrs later I am back at the campsite from the night before.
My chances that the Honda dealership in Whitehorse (Yukon Capital) will carry a back window for the Honda Element is slim or none period. The province of Alberta is probably going to be my best bet. And here I thought things were getting just too easy….!
As the sun never sets at this time of the year and with the broken back window on my mind; 0130hrs I was up packing the stuff away and what do we have but none other then a dead battery. As the vehicle is automatic, we are not jump-starting this sucker. Well after pacing up and down the road until 0445hrs, a vehicle shows up but being that it is a tractor-trailer with a 24-volt system which is not good for the 12-volt system of mind, but no worries.......! Actually 5 hours later another vehicle makes it to the horizon. Its good to go and while we are charging my battery I spot a flat tyre on his truck. Now my handy-dandy air compressor kicks in plus a few other items that he does not carry and by George we are both happy and I can now look forward to a 3-hour drive on gravel roads south.
Back in civilization, I contact the Yukon Honda, as Wednesday is a holiday, he won’t be able to order the glass until Thursday with a delivery date of a week Thursday. It seems that Alberta is going to be my only bet not unless I can live with the plastic window until October.
Anyhow it’s down from the Dempster Hwy turning east on Route 2 to Carmacks for the night.
Carmacks for the night was another interesting scenario. Starting around midnight we have 3 women in the next house over trying to out do them selves on who can scream the loudest, then we have mom coming out and adding her voice to the song fest. Next it’s the lads across the way drunk and calling the women every name in the book. And we have a repeat at 0400hrs.
From Carmacks, its back across the bridge and hooking a right on Route 4 with a petrol and cuppa at Ross River, population 400, then continue on 4. The road after Ross gets a bit narily, but considering what I’ve been through, it’s a major highway.
Did photo a black bear but other then that it was just another gravel road. Thinking that I just might escape without the front windscreen suffering any damage, wrong on all accounts. Two dings today with one going from right to left. I am starting to believe that the Yukon has less then 30% of their roads sealed and they are in league with the glass manufactures. Even the Alaska Highway is gravel in many places but what really amazes me is that the native bird is not the mosquito.
Simpson Lake campsite it is for the night with Watson Lake tomorrow, hopefully getting a Honda Dealer lined up for a replacement to the back window.
Alberta Honda is going to ship the back window in and when I get to Edmonton, Alberta, they will install same.
Starting from Simpson Lake and heading to Watson Lake was supposed to be a piece of cake. But due to the heavy rains for the last couple of days the roads that were being worked on were a bloody mess. A bit like trying to drive on ice and my thoughts of anyone trying to go through this mess on a motorcycle is definitely going down regardless. Into Watson Lake with a stop at the Information office for a cuppa and a brief chat. They must have 10,000 license plates and signs that adorn the surrounding area around the center. Traveling east from Watson we encounter, black bears, moose, bald eagles, bison (2 herds), reindeer, and mountain sheep. I haven’t seen this many animals in the 2 months on the road and I get all of this in a 5-hour period.
It’s Route 77 British Columbia going north to Yellowknife, capital of the Northwestern Territories, which we look at next. Plenty of gravel, potholes and mud.
With another RV parked in the same area (Rt 77) for the night it was 3 cups of your finest in the morn with the same amount of BS to go along with it. So Route 77 north to the Northwest Territories border then we change to Rt 7. First petrol stop is Fort Liard and of course not asking the right questions again leaves me to believe that there is petrol ahead at a particular gas station. Well as all good bits of data come to fore, subject petrol station had been closed for the past 2 years. This meant that I had to go west 65 kilometers to Fort Shimpson to get fuel plus the 65 kilos back. As the next petrol station was 300 kilometers in the eastily direction and the fuel gauge was just below the half mark…………did I mention that since the Yukon I have killed over 1000 mosquitoes. To get to the fuel stop it also included a ferry ride.
Anyway up Route 77 to 7, which follows onto Rt 1, which at the time I am spending, the night right below a bridge and the mossies are in great form. Tried stopping at other areas but the deer flies (a bigger bite, more blood) were about in abundance. Bison and reindeer were the noted animals for the day. The dirt road up on Rt 7 was right bloody nasty in spots, wet, slippery as bull dust (Google). The biker that I met the night before had gone down in this very area.
Getting finally on the road to Yellowknife (Northwest Territories capital) and a day later I am there. Ride around it twice trying to find a place to wash clothes and Wal-mart. I finally decide that life is a lot better out of the big city and head south. It’s another long ride south to Alberta, hopefully leaving the mossie;s and deer flies behind.
Would like to make one statement here; anyone that comes north this time of the year and wears shorts and a t-shirt has got to be a total nut case do to the mossies and deer flies. The only good thing is that there is a lot of flying insects now blessed with my DNA.
Facebook for photos.
Norm
The Greynomad
Into Dawson for fuel and food for the trip north on the Dempster Highway. Its 750 kilometers of gravel road to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, one-way. The gravel road as far as I’ve gotten today is in fine shape; the mosquitoes are another question though. Once you open the door to the vehicle the suckers just swam in and it’s a mad rush to shut the door again before you are inundated. Of course for the next half hour or more while you are driving you are doing your best to kill the bloody pest but by this time they have already taken their fair share of blood. With this in mind my thoughts for stopping for the night had to be off the river and as high as possible, cold and windy as hell. This is found but there is enough bear scat (Google) around that I could very well open up shop selling fertilizer.
The Dempster Highway north it is for this bright and sunny morn. Underway by 0700hrs heading for petrol, cuppa, fat pill and lets just get there. Goal was the Native village of Inuvik (Google) with a quick stop at the Arctic Circle. With the Arctic Circle behind me it’s the ferry across the Peel River then into Fort McPherson for a cuppa. Inuvik is only 2 hours away and is doable. Well 15 kilometers out of McPherson I hear a loud noise such as a rock hitting glass, nothing on the front windscreen, but looking through the rear view mirror I see a small hole in the rear window and its getting bigger by the second. Over to the side of the road, out of the vehicle and the back window is just crumbling in front of me. I think that the rear wheel picked up a rock bounced it off the bicycle into the rear window.
Back to McPherson with gravel dust, glass pieces and mosquitoes coming through the window. After checking with a few people it was to the local canvas shop for help. Fortunately they carried a roll of clear plastic that once cut to size allowed me to cover the window and Duct tape it to the max.
After fixing the window, I decided that my fun quota for the day was over. So back south I went and 11 hrs later I am back at the campsite from the night before.
My chances that the Honda dealership in Whitehorse (Yukon Capital) will carry a back window for the Honda Element is slim or none period. The province of Alberta is probably going to be my best bet. And here I thought things were getting just too easy….!
As the sun never sets at this time of the year and with the broken back window on my mind; 0130hrs I was up packing the stuff away and what do we have but none other then a dead battery. As the vehicle is automatic, we are not jump-starting this sucker. Well after pacing up and down the road until 0445hrs, a vehicle shows up but being that it is a tractor-trailer with a 24-volt system which is not good for the 12-volt system of mind, but no worries.......! Actually 5 hours later another vehicle makes it to the horizon. Its good to go and while we are charging my battery I spot a flat tyre on his truck. Now my handy-dandy air compressor kicks in plus a few other items that he does not carry and by George we are both happy and I can now look forward to a 3-hour drive on gravel roads south.
Back in civilization, I contact the Yukon Honda, as Wednesday is a holiday, he won’t be able to order the glass until Thursday with a delivery date of a week Thursday. It seems that Alberta is going to be my only bet not unless I can live with the plastic window until October.
Anyhow it’s down from the Dempster Hwy turning east on Route 2 to Carmacks for the night.
Carmacks for the night was another interesting scenario. Starting around midnight we have 3 women in the next house over trying to out do them selves on who can scream the loudest, then we have mom coming out and adding her voice to the song fest. Next it’s the lads across the way drunk and calling the women every name in the book. And we have a repeat at 0400hrs.
From Carmacks, its back across the bridge and hooking a right on Route 4 with a petrol and cuppa at Ross River, population 400, then continue on 4. The road after Ross gets a bit narily, but considering what I’ve been through, it’s a major highway.
Did photo a black bear but other then that it was just another gravel road. Thinking that I just might escape without the front windscreen suffering any damage, wrong on all accounts. Two dings today with one going from right to left. I am starting to believe that the Yukon has less then 30% of their roads sealed and they are in league with the glass manufactures. Even the Alaska Highway is gravel in many places but what really amazes me is that the native bird is not the mosquito.
Simpson Lake campsite it is for the night with Watson Lake tomorrow, hopefully getting a Honda Dealer lined up for a replacement to the back window.
Alberta Honda is going to ship the back window in and when I get to Edmonton, Alberta, they will install same.
Starting from Simpson Lake and heading to Watson Lake was supposed to be a piece of cake. But due to the heavy rains for the last couple of days the roads that were being worked on were a bloody mess. A bit like trying to drive on ice and my thoughts of anyone trying to go through this mess on a motorcycle is definitely going down regardless. Into Watson Lake with a stop at the Information office for a cuppa and a brief chat. They must have 10,000 license plates and signs that adorn the surrounding area around the center. Traveling east from Watson we encounter, black bears, moose, bald eagles, bison (2 herds), reindeer, and mountain sheep. I haven’t seen this many animals in the 2 months on the road and I get all of this in a 5-hour period.
It’s Route 77 British Columbia going north to Yellowknife, capital of the Northwestern Territories, which we look at next. Plenty of gravel, potholes and mud.
With another RV parked in the same area (Rt 77) for the night it was 3 cups of your finest in the morn with the same amount of BS to go along with it. So Route 77 north to the Northwest Territories border then we change to Rt 7. First petrol stop is Fort Liard and of course not asking the right questions again leaves me to believe that there is petrol ahead at a particular gas station. Well as all good bits of data come to fore, subject petrol station had been closed for the past 2 years. This meant that I had to go west 65 kilometers to Fort Shimpson to get fuel plus the 65 kilos back. As the next petrol station was 300 kilometers in the eastily direction and the fuel gauge was just below the half mark…………did I mention that since the Yukon I have killed over 1000 mosquitoes. To get to the fuel stop it also included a ferry ride.
Anyway up Route 77 to 7, which follows onto Rt 1, which at the time I am spending, the night right below a bridge and the mossies are in great form. Tried stopping at other areas but the deer flies (a bigger bite, more blood) were about in abundance. Bison and reindeer were the noted animals for the day. The dirt road up on Rt 7 was right bloody nasty in spots, wet, slippery as bull dust (Google). The biker that I met the night before had gone down in this very area.
Getting finally on the road to Yellowknife (Northwest Territories capital) and a day later I am there. Ride around it twice trying to find a place to wash clothes and Wal-mart. I finally decide that life is a lot better out of the big city and head south. It’s another long ride south to Alberta, hopefully leaving the mossie;s and deer flies behind.
Would like to make one statement here; anyone that comes north this time of the year and wears shorts and a t-shirt has got to be a total nut case do to the mossies and deer flies. The only good thing is that there is a lot of flying insects now blessed with my DNA.
Facebook for photos.
Norm
The Greynomad
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