Alaska-End of Story

 

This was a great trip…….met many people from all walks of life , different countries and of various ages. The interaction with all was positive and in the end a humbling experience.

Scenery was spectacular…….22 hours of day light difficult to get accustom to and wild life almost as abundant as if one was at the Zoo.

Now on my mis adventure……..went to family Dr on tuesday for final twin rex vacination and follow up to Golden Hospital report. Dr Gair ordered new Xrays and on Wed at 9am they were taken and I was detained pending the Surgeon, Dr Gupta, talking with Gair….back to the hospital Wednesday afternoon….I am now considered Ambulatory …..must be good because no waiting in Emerg….bumped to head of line…LOL….after some discussions with Gupta, I learn that I have 3 fractures possibly 6 and a partial collapsed right lung….no big deal but they are concerned about the 15 to 20 % of air outside of the lung wall…….it is decided that because the accident was more than a week ago that they would let me go home and I was to be back at 9am for more x rays and a decision on inserting a tube…YUK…would be made.

Ok up early, packed an overnight bag just in case…..X rays taken….Dr Gupta notes no change which I think is a good thing….says he is sending me home with 1 restriction…..no flying for 8 weeks….I took that literally. Should I experience extreme pain or shortness of breath call him……gave me his card…..allow 6 weeks for ribs and I should be good for the CA & South America trek on or about Sept 2nd…….this will be the start of a new blog.

Thank you for following along……..

Alaska Day 33

 

We are stopped west of  Sault St Marie for the night……..went through # of construction sites…slowed progress somewhat…will  be home late afternoon, Sunday. Some pics of Lake Superior….

Alaska Day 32

 

Up and on the road about 730 am. Drove in great weather through to Kenora On……..No exciting news to report….just that we are safe and about to get some shut eye…….can almost smell Muskoka….yeh……..

Alaska Day 31-800k

 

Up early and on the road home but we were stopped at Golden and told to take a 300k detour as the road to Banff had been closed due to a mud slide……we are now in Swift Current Sk. Don’s new GpS tells us we averaged only 52 miles per hour and descended 9880 ft for a total of 800 k. We are back on the Trans Hwy and should be in Ontario by tomorrow though at least another day to get home. Road Hazard….goats   Blue Skys Saskatchewan Grain EL Saskatchewan New Grain El

Alaska Day 30

 

Don arrived at 8:30 pm Golden Bc time…..1500 k….wow….Andrew, manager of the Park Inn, called a friend who’s husband works for the CP railline and she led us to the CP yard loading ramp where I drove the poor beast unto the truck. Don did all the work tieing her down as I was not up to the bending…..again thanks DON.

Don had dinner much deserved and late while I enjoyed a beer. He is off to bed….its 11 pm and i know he is beat….on the road tomorrow and moving again….Great

Alaska Day 29

 

Don is now in LaPortage Manitoba….approx 1500 miles away…..looking forward to meeting a good friend. Thanks, Heather for letting your husband run off to my rescue. Doug would have gone with him but had a Dr appointment Monday.

My son commented on yesterday’s blog that it appeared to be cloudy all the time…….the clouds hang over the area and are like a mist rising from the mountains…..the sun does shine through them but throughout the day we get short showers as these clouds bump into the mountain tops.

Golden has an actual population of 4000 but services an area with a pop over 25000…..small outlying communities. As I mentioned yesterday it is a haven for sport enthusiasts year round.

 

 

Alaska Day 28

 

Don is on his way, made it to Marathon last evening about 8 pm. Still 2100k to go……its a long way from home.

A few pics from the motel…showing the mountains surrounding Golden and a few of the runs at Kicking Horse Ski Area. ski runs

Alaska Day 27

 

Resting at the Park Inn, Golden Bc. Don Jones left this morning to bring me and my ride home……its close to 3700 k depending on the route and likely a 4 day drive at 9 hr days. Thanks Don…..and to Doug who also volunteered.

Went for a slow 2 mile walk to the crash area, I am missing a lot of pieces and found some black parts, no fairing pieces or the left mirror which my leg likely removed as I am cut above my left foot. I did find a dead deer near the same spot and a speaker cover for the 2006 Gold Wing which went down after hitting it…..its at the same pound with minimal damage but the passenger was not so lucky and was badly injured.

Sleep is difficult due to the ribs, pulling on my pants is difficult as I am right handed….so I walked out without my fly done up….discovering this after noticing a slight breeze….adrenalin kicked in and I got the zip partly closed. Breathing is still shallow which caused the paramedics to administer oxygen even though I told them I was ok but they were concerned about some level or other…..GOT RELEASED SO CAN”T BE THAT BAD….I am not looking for sympathy just relaying the story as it unfolds……

From the motel I can see Kicking Horse Ski Hill which is an expert class hill. During the summer they have paragliding which I would like to try.The hills become a mountain bikers delight during the summer months…..the gondola's at Kicking Horse are another big attraction as is white water rafting. Hiking trails are abundant in some of the most natural beauty on this planet. Should not forget to mention Boo, the Grizzly who lives in a huge compound at the mountain….he is aBIG attraction…..in winter one ski run goes over the top of his den.  

 

 

 

Alaska Day 26

 

I will be moving from the Best Western over to the Park Inn which is across the street. Could not get a deal with BW but Andrew gave me a room with fireplace for 50.00 a night vs BW at 130.

THE STAFF at both places are nice…….last night the 21 year old bar maid at the Park paid for my beer. This am the girl running the cafe at BW said breakfast was on her.

AS i LAY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD YESTERDAY….I was amazed at the concern and kindness given by total strangers who kept me calm, made me comfortable, re treived items which I re quested on or in my bike and went and got shopping bags from their cars to put the stuff in and gave blankets etc to put under my head……DIRECTED traffic around me…  I am humbled by this experience.

WENT TO WRECKING YARD…BIKE STARTED AT THE TURN OF KEY…DROVE IT IN YARD IST GEAR…..MOST LIGHTS WORK THOUGH THEY ARE MISSING LENSES AND SOME HANGING…….WIRES ALL EXPOSED….WIND SHEILD CROOKED….FAIRING MOSTLY MISSING…tIME FOR tHE DUCK TAPE….I WILL TRY AND RIDE IT LATER TO THE MOTEL…JUST AROUND THE CORNER. IF MY CAMERA WORKS i WILL POST SOME PICS….I WAS WEARING IT AROUND MY NECK INSIDE MY JACKET AND I BELIEVE THIS IS HOW I DID THE RIB DAMAGE….I KNOW STUPID.

Ok some pics just before accident…near Rogers Pass  Lodge & old ghost Town

 Parking Lot At Rogers Pass Museum   Heading toward dis aster at Golden  of Avalanche Tunnels…..they are all along the valley both rail and auto

Now the Bike

a don’t have the missing pieces.

Maybe this would be a good project for Frank and E-Bay…lol

Alaska Day 25-OVER

 

Accident, total bike, breaks locked at 90k or so lost control. I hit the pavement, the bike went across the hwy into the ditch.

Doug or Don if you read this go to your email….need to see if you can come to Golden BC and retreve me and bike with my truck….if we can find the keys.

 

bob  my cell is dead

Alaska Day 24-390 k

 

Rode hwy 97 to 100 Milehouse, yes that’s a town, following 2 orange KTM bikes. My GPS was screaming at me to turn left. I banked away from t he KTM”s and soon was on an old paved road with little traffic….this was the best bike road i had been on the entire trip. thirty k later i meet hwy 24 and the GPS summons me to turn left. At Brooks Lake I pull in for gas and meet up with the Ktm riders who went a different way. These two are the same guys I met at Destruction Bay Yukon….remember I posted their pic……they had ridden north to Inuvik and where heading home to Kelowna BC.

The Gps diects me back on to 24 south and I soon pull over and take a snap  

As you can see the fields are flooded. I am instructed to turn off 24 by the Gps and find myself with no traffic on a lovely paved road and no traffic. I am in a valley surrounded by low forested mountains with cattle farms and long green grass. Why are they irrigating, I wonder. I come upon a roads worker and stop and ask him. He says they usually get little rain in the valley though this spring has been an exception. 

This is where I meet the gr gravel road, turn righ

t and follow a logging truck foe 20 k to the mill. This was a very scenic ride high above the lake you see running along a mountain ridge.

THE MILL

I am now in Revelstoke, waiting to break camp it is raining. O this sucks.

Alaska Day 22 ..Day 23-667 k

 

The 13th finished off the Cassier Hwy which was a great ride camped next to bikers Smithers Municipal Campground

 

On the road early out of Smithers and had a big black bear dart out in front of me…we missed….no time for a pic.

This day was in a little heavier truck traffic, it was getting late, 10pm, so I stopped at a Provincial Park, Bowroy and set up in the semi darkness. Pic taken this am after tent down.   

Alaska Day 21 805-k

 

Terrific Day of riding twisty up & down terrain, scenery always breathtaking…. Stop here for breaky   This moose kept an eye on me the entire time  the cooks   Had quite a fright through the night. I forgot to shut the door and awoke to growling noises…..pulled the covers over my head, while thinking what to do…..*idea*….threw my week old socks out the door and flash this pic as they bolted for the prey….slammed the door….that was close. In the morning I found my socks shredded. it was time for a change anyway. scenery  stopped for construction and these guys pull up stop down the road and this fellow in red from Ohio is going the opposite way. the 4 other fellows are from Lexington Kentucky. Whats so special….these are the first Vstroms I see on the trip and the 4 in the 1st pick are coming back from Deadhorse……all riders in their 60’s six black bear today and 1 Grizzly…no pick…not that crazy Glacier near Stewart Bc Hyder Alaska Hyder has seen better days more to come