ALASKA AT EIGHTY - DAYS 3-7 UCC NORTH TO SOUTH 2025
CCjonGypsy RiderSupporter
Time for an update...
From the day I left Fairbanks on Tuesday, July 22, Day 4 of the UCC, the rains have followed me for next four days straight, morning till dark. So little picture taking happened. The temperature have been in the 30's and 40's. On a good day the high would get to 50.
By the fourth day, all of my riding gear was soaked, inside and out, nothing drying overnight. Not only was I wet all the time, was gutted, chilled to the bone. Not healthy. So stopped in Fort St. John for an extra days just to dry out and warm up.
Here are pics from those days...
The river along the road to the US-Canadian border. Never saw Denali on this trip. Its inside those clouds in the distance.
A female flagger in Alaska, all very friendly
The Pilot vehicle we were waiting of, stoped and the driver got out. Seems she had a flat tire. So we waited for another truck to come and repair the flat. The line of vehicles waiting, grew, and grew, and grew.
I do love the Alaska practice that motorcyclists go to the front of the waiting line, every time.
Once we got rolling, , we stopped. The equipment was blocking both lanes of travel.
A better view...
Then another flagger further down the road, this one cuter and more friendly. I met her going north a week earlier. Had another nice chat.
Made it late to Beaver Creek on the Canadian side of the border.
Looked out the next morning, still rain, still cold. Time to get rolling.
I find the fireweed flowers that grow up here after a forest fire, to be very beautiful.
A typical Alaskan brush country sight...
That day a quick stop at the Signpost Forest in Watson Lake. With this weather, walking among the signs was not appealing. So yes was there. I came, I saw, I rode on...
Though I washed Red Dog twice in Fairbanks, the rain is rinsing it good.
Next cold wet morning riding, stopped to get a coffee. Had a nice conversation with an older couple who own this spot. No one came in during the 30 minutes we talked. When I asked why so many of the little business I had seen on previous trips up here were closed?
They said the traffic count on the Alcan has steadily dropped by at least 50% over the last years. COVID, of course really hit them hard, was up after that with a lot of new RV traffic, but that too has slowed down.
Around the Muncho Lake area, the Provincial Park has been breeding it bison herd for decades. Ten years ago there was one main herd. Now there I saw three different herds. All munching along the roadway.
Here a young bull, not the lead bull.
On down a ways, this guy shows who is in control.
He was surround by a large herd, watching the vehicles whizzing by while many young calves were running and chasing each other on both sides of the roadway. I think he decided people were driving too fast when "his" offspring were nearby so he decided to slow everything down by walking out into the roadway and just stand there. It worked. All vehicles stopped.
After a bit I slowly crept by him, ready to floor it if needed. He glared, but did not move.
His herd...
For those who have ridden the Alcan highway, may remember Toad River crossing and the little rustic cabin there that had good food and coffee. It has been replaced with a new building and a dozen cabins facing the lake.
Is in a remote spot on the highway, no wifi, no cell phone service either. Very quiet.
Next morning when I went to leave, my parking brake was locked up. The Goldwing DCT has a parking brake since you cannot park it in gear. Laying on wet gravel in the rain, was able to release it. Have not used the brake since as getting under the bike to release the brake every time I stop and turn off the engine is not a solution. So I went old school to rig up a parking brake using the front brakes.
Visited a sporting goods and bought this exercise/jogging wrist strap. It works and will keep me safe until I get it up on a lift and do a proper repair. Might just be that calcium Chloride they put on the Haul Road.
They make a two piece plastic handlebar brake lock, but it's on my workbench back home.
Next day, another wet cold ride, what I thought were low clouds were that plus smoke from a distant fire.
On the other side of that ridge, I was brake checked!
She was watching my approach and suddenly leaped toward the pavement with her calf rfollwoing closely. I could see one or both of those animals were going to landing inside my sidecar.
Only to stop at the pavements edge, as I was slamming on the brakes as hard as I could. Then she turned and they trotted further up the road and crossied in from of me.
Safely across, they proceeded to disappear into the brush. This was my only close encounter with wildlife this trip. One is enough.
Ok, that wraps up those days. Hopefully I'll get into some dry weather.
In all the ride is going on schedule, though am re-routing, adding many more miles to the trip to avoid going through that dome of extremely hot weather in the mid-west.
Today I crossed into Montana, only to hit more rain in Great Falls. So what's new...
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