I haven't posted for a while, a friend and I decided to take a trip up to the Arctic Circle actually it was something he had been wanting to do for a long time, I was lucky to be included.
We allowed 5 days to get as far as Dawson City via 37 where we took in Stewart, Hyder AK and had our first taste of gravel up to the Salmon glacier. Next stops were Watson lake to see the signpost park and Whitehorse. On the way we heard about a sidecar outfit crash so we went back to make sure the owner wasn�t laying hurt. The Ural rig was standing on it�s nose leaning against a tree dripping gas, the engine stone cold so obviously happened the evening before. We surmised the rider must have gone to sleep as the bend was quite gentle but the skidmark took off at an angle and the bike launched over the edge, Alberta plate
At Dawson City we took part in the Dust to Dawson Not a Rally and celebrated the summer solstice on top of the Dome at midnight, sun still well up in the sky.
I was quite nervous about the 400 kms of road to the Arctic Circle, I wasn�t sure how the Griso would behave on a rough gravel road, It didn�t help to hear about a number of riders crashing and having to get flown out.
The early stretches were fine gravel spread over a hard base that felt like riding on marbles with occasional groups of deep potholes that caused the suspension to bottom out, it was all you could do going at 80-100 kph to pick a way through trying to avoid the larger holes. Worse though was the section where instead of holes there were salient points of rock jutting through the gravel. Once I started to relax and let the bike handle the rough stuff with minimal input I learned to breathe again
Its about 400 km from the turnoff to the circle so I was carrying extra gas, it turned out the Griso has a range of 350 km with the reserve light coming on about 275 then counting up to 75, this is really good IMHO. I was interested to see what happened so let it run right out, gave a surge or two then died completely, started immediately with added gas. We planned on stopping the night at Eagle Plains but because of the 24 hours of daylight continued on another 36 km to the Arctic Circle signpost, had a beer and took a bunch of pictures
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then came back to Eagle Plains for the night. The return to Dawson City the next day was pretty un-eventfull but I did get to enjoy the solitude as we didn�t stick together, just tried to connect once an hour.
The following day we travelled the Top of the World Highway from Dawson to Chicken and Tok AK, this according to the signpost was the first land link between Canada and Alaska, the highway is decent gravel to the US border then turns to nice smooth blacktop for quite a way then just as you start to relax switches to the worst kind of gravel, large lose rocks.
We finally made it home down the Alaska Hwy and over past Whistler arriving home 2 weeks and 8 hours after starting out at 8060 km.
The bike was once clean
The first time I travelled this highway it was all gravel, now it's nice seal.
Bear Glacier
Entering Alaska, there is no US border guard, at one time he was in the small concrete building, the Canadian customs lady told me they keep an eye on Hyder and alert the US authorities if they see anything suspicious.
Because it was Monday the hotel was closed so we couldn't get Hyderised
Salmon Glacier - this is back in BC North of Hyder. I did some work at the old Premier Mine just up the road many years ago. There's an unmanned border crossing just North of town
At the end of this road is the Granduc site, an abandoned underground Copper mine.
Mehan Lake next day, further up 37
A couple of pictures of the Signpost Park at Watson Lake - this was started by US servicemen working on the Alaska Highway, it's grown a lot since I was last here.
We attended the Dust to Dawson dinner, a great steak meal put on by the local firefighters and wives.
The profits went to a local charity.
Waiting to celebrate the Summer Solstice
Back at the campsite at 1:00AM, the ferry seems to run all night.
The next day the weather seemed to be picking up so we decided to make a run for the Arctic
Waiting to greet us at the Arctic Circle
My traveling companion Bob
This guy and his Daughter turned up, they were on the way back from the Ocean
The bike got a little dirty
A couple of pictures on the road back to Dawson
The following day we travelled the Top of the World Highway from Dawson to Chicken and Tok AK, this according to the signpost was the first land link between Canada and Alaska, the highway is decent gravel to the US border, turns to nice smooth blacktop for quite a way then just as you start to relax switches to the worst kind of gravel, large lose rocks.
Haines Junction
These metal deck bridges would throw the bike around in an alarming fashion, just hit it at 50k and hope for the best
While I was waiting at Liard Hot Springs this guy wandered by, completely ignored me, I was ok with that
Turns out he owns the place
Obligatory photo of mile zero
0ur 6000 km trip turned into 8,060. the rear heidenau K73 is worn out in the centre but of course it still has chicken strips
The road from Dawson to the Arctic circle is 400 km of the roughest gravel i have ridden, unexpected potholes throw you from the seat.
The rear suspension has lost all the oil from the pounding, bad seal i guess so it's like riding a pogo stick, luckily that didn't show until we were back on pavement
