There are many jokes that center around older adults waking up before the sun, and even more about teenagers’ late-sleeping habits. I now wonder how people in these parts deal with nearly 24 hours of daylight. I haven’t seen it get dark yet. Roberto 1 seems to be more affected by two things the farther north we go towards the last frontier. Mosquitoes and too much daylight.
Last night he claimed that in our room he was still being attacked by mosquitoes. Maybe it’s the mosquito spray that is making him attractive to the little vampires.
Roberto 1 yesterday ordered halibut burgers all the way wrong. Our options were very limited for dinner. The little old well worn woman with a warm smile tallied up the order and told him the price. Roberto said no, I think you may have made a mistake.
She says no, I think that’s the amount. Roberto then proceeded to add up the four orders and still came up with the same amount. to the same amount. She added again and now realizes she was only charging him for two of the four orders.
Yesterday we picked up an Alaska dog. A black one with tuffs of white, pointy ears, and a curled up tail. The dog was only with us as long as she got leftovers. This morning she was still waiting for us sleeping peacefully by a truck. It was near freezing when we suited up to ride. About five minutes after departure we spotted our first moose. The animals spotted from this morning included a fox walking down the road with a squirrel in its mouth. We were spread out over several miles and nearly everyone spotted the same fox with the squirrel in its mouth. Next came the black bears. There were several. I had to hit my brakes to keep from hitting a wolf that darted across the road between a truck pulling a camper and I. Freddy was right behind me and saw it too. And finally two coyotes were spotted.
Dogs so far are waste management at its finest. Nothing goes wasted. Canadian people are not litterers. Their roads are surprisingly clean from any type of debris.
While Freddy and I came to a stop by a roadside flagger as we approached a wooden deck bridge we spot a guy with a pressure washer hosing off the bridges deck.
The flagger tells me a load of gravel spilled onto the bridge and they are removing the final sand and gravel. I turn to Freddy who asks me in Spanish what they are doing. I tell him a group of bears came onto the bridge and crapped all over it. They are now wiping it off so that other bears won’t try to mark the territory. He bought the story. Later tonight I’ll tell him the truth.
In Roberto 1 and 2 and Freddy I have now found the most kind souls and kindred spirits humanely possible. Each one totally understands the humanity path of life. We all possess the calling we refer to as adventure motorcycle riding.
It has taken Roberto 1,2 and Freddy 13 years to make it this far north to Alaska. Family and other commitments all competed for their time, energy and money.
Gpskevin told us a story about when his daughter was ready to graduate from high school she said dad; you know what this means don’t you? We only have so much time left to do an adventure together! He looks at her surprisingly and says what do you have in mind. She said, ride to Alaska. And they both did. Him on a BMW and her on a Yamaha Tenere. He can still utter her exact words about how moved she was when she saw a glacier for the first time in her life. Priceless!
What’s your excuse for not getting up here and seeing this part of the world? Everything is so majestic that it almost brings tears to one’s eyes. And the air?
Anything that ails your insides can possibly be cleansed through inhaling it. Anytime we ride near aspen or birch trees they emit this awesome scent that makes me want to breathe in deeply and taste it.
So what is the correct path, in your mind, is it to finish school, to work, so one day retire and do what, wait around to die with all the acorns that you have accumulated? Or is a better path now to take some of those acorns and hit the road? Yes, the road can be tough but, it’s way easier when you find kindred spirit friends to go along with you.
The hotels owner is an English woman. She just prepared her little tea tray to take back to their room. I said to her that looks so cute.
She said with a smile it’s an English thing and the motel is for sale. I think someone might have the C word (cancer). There’s a sign on the rear windshield of their truck.
If this dispatch starts to appear more random thoughts and information to you; than a well thought out written story then 1) you can blame it on the lack of good wifi, 2) the amount of time that we are on our motorcycles riding.
Harley guy – I asked him if he knew where we could find anything to eat. He said he ate at Watson lake; about 11 kilometers from here. I asked him how is it that there’s no bugs splattered across his Harley. He said it’s this new Harley paint that reflects everything. He laughed. Said he paid two filipinos $15 in Watson Lake to detail it and remove the mess of blood and guts gore that was previously on there.
55 kilometers – Earlier this morning the road was just stunning as the sunlight cut through the stunted small forest trees. The road curved and the elevation was uphill and then down. Up ahead I spot an adventure rider heading my way. He must’ve spotted me because at the precise curve we were facing each other with a bikers wave at each other. The moment couldn’t have been more perfect.
We’re in Whitehorse for the night. Tomorrow we finally get into Alaska.
End
Trawlercat Chronicles 