Shortened Yukon trip.

[Water Warrior 2]

Okay, we are back after cutting short the ride to the Yukon. First let me say it was an ambitious ride for 2 old folks. With all the planning and preparations there is no way to control forest fires, road construction delays, weather and my old back that decided I needed to slow down to a halt.
We did manage to ride as far as Bucking Horse/Mile 175 of the Alaska Highway. The entire planned ride would have been 5000 kms but ended at 2880 kms (1780 miles) by the time we got back home.
Not a super long trip but fairly exciting at times and filled with idjits on occasion because they have to first to the scene of the disaster or be first to the gas pumps. Did get some nice pics but not many of them. Met and talked to some really fascinating folks on the way too. Folks love to talk to travellers and they add so much charm to any given area with their personal stories and experiences. That seems to be a common truth anywhere we have been.
Now off to find my pics and make some decisions and comments. Be right back.

[Water Warrior 2]

Can you say smoke ? That is the sun shining through the smoke. A bit hard to breath and see through but we managed overall. Thankfully the much needed rain dampened the fires and cleared the air for a while to give the fire fighters a break. Question..............what happens when fire fighters take a break ? Answer.........they fill up every available room in a given area or town. We finally found the one last room after much searching. It came with it's own ant colony for entertainment. lol.

[Water Warrior 2]

Bijoux Falls is just a few minutes South of this rest stop and 90 seconds more into the nicest little picnic area with tall trees and friendly dogs. Quiet yet close to the highway. A nice place to suck down a bottle of water and listen to the birds.

[Water Warrior 2]

One of the sunny days. A good place to stop and stretch the legs a bit. More water of course. Lemon tea is also a hit with my taste buds.

[blaine]

Excellent pictures.Looks like you had a exciting trip. :roll: :cool:

[Water Warrior 2]

The bane of all travellers. Road repairs, upgrades and construction are common with up to 20 minute delays. We did get to chat with a fireman from Minn. who was riding to Prudoe Bay. He had more agressive tires waiting further North to tackle the tougher roads and possible weather problems. Good planning is a must.

[Water Warrior 2]

A metal decked bridge at Taylor B.C. Only the first few hundred feet are exciting............ :lol: . Heading north is slightly uphill and gentle acceleration lightens up the front end to make the front end less worrisome. Just let the bike do it's dance and smile. Heading south is downhill, the acceleration thing is a little iffy with a left curve right after getting off the bridge. All in all a good experience to add to the skills and pass on to the less experienced among us. Really no different from a grooved road surface but would be slippery in the rain.

[Water Warrior 2]

Lynda watched from the highway while I snapped a couple pics. This was at the North end of Dawson Creek. Then we went back into town and played tourist, bought T-shirts and talked to friendly folks. Was a beautiful day for a stroll, a bite to eat and a nice room with a relaxing shower.

[Water Warrior 2]

The Mile 0 sign post in the middle of the intersection is the real thing. Not the original post though. The original post was wooden and stolen during Halloween by pranksters who replaced it with an outhouse. This one is here to stay.

[Water Warrior 2]

Reflections on water. What can be said that a pic won't convey much better. After this stop I mounted the camera on the bike and a bug promptly smashed into the lense covers and jammed them closed. I didn't realize that until I got a few pics of dark. I don't look at the camera while riding but just push buttons and pray for good results.

[Water Warrior 2]

Final pic. It is worse than it looks. Idjit almost clipped Lynda while pulling out to pass. 60km zone(37 mph) for good reason. Speeding and passing on a double solid line in tight road conditions is a no-no. This was after a 35/40 minute delay because the fire fighters cleaned up the remains of a burning car and adjacent trees. Luckily no one was hurt in either incident but I am considering presenting this pic to the RCMP and attempting to charge him. The fire dept and local on the spot RCMP could varify the time and location. Decisions decisions.

[Water Warrior 2]

Excellent pictures.Looks like you had a exciting trip. :roll: :cool:
Thanks Blaine. I do what I can but it really is hard to stop when the ride is just right. The bike really needs an autopilot and self balancing hardware for some occasions.

[alanmcorcoran]

Had a similar experience with the firemen invading the hotels last year when I rode up to Salinas. It seems there are always fires burning somewhere in California all summer long. Got my mesh jacket and a new helmet and hope to leave on a longish ride tomorrow am.

[BusyWeb]

Hi, Mr. WW.
Glad you had a wonderful trip and safe back here... !!!
Looks a great ride for both of you.

PS, 3000 km is not short riding, ha ha ha.

[Water Warrior 2]

Glad to hear the pics are appreciated. For the rest of Lynda's time off we will be playing tourist closer to home with the cage. Then comes the clean up of the bikes and a check over for any wear items.

[dhgeyer]

Glad to hear you're back safe. I think touring is like camping in one respect: if it goes off without a hitch, you barely remember doing it in five years. If it's a real "adventure", then it makes good memories to share for a lifetime.

Great pics! Thanks for posting them.

[BillInGA]

I'm a little late to the party. Looks like you had an eventful trip. Glad you made it back with no serious issues.

3000 kms (almost 2,000 mi) is definitely no trivial ride. I can definitely empathize with your decision to cut your trip short of your original plan - been there, done that.

Congratulations on a job well done.

[Water Warrior 2]

There appears to be a Golden Lining to my back going out and shortening the ride. The forest fires are so bad North of here now that there would be no room at the inn sort of thing. We would be Sh*t Outta Luck for a bed overnight. Folks from a very wide area are being moved to cities and towns all along the highway where there is less chance of becoming a crispy critter. The smoke itself has crossed the Rockies and is causing health problem in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Bad, very bad.