Alaska Day 20 500-k

 

It was about 9:30 pm last evening when the trucks north bound started rolling by…..the northbound road block was at Watson Lake which is appr. 250 k from Teslin Yukon…but the damage was only in one area; however, they were concerned that a bridge might go and closed the stretch between to major centers on The Alaska Hwy. Six days…alot of traffic piles up in that time. I met many Rv & adventure bikes heading north. Interesting that most were BMW Gs models, no VStroms or Tigers. the stretch that had been closed. this timber came from the mountain on the opposite side of the road and likely ran along the road about 1/4 mile…..the water was still spilling down the hill and through a large culvert with half the road washed out to a depth of about 20 feet……no pic couldn’t stop.

Just before Watson Lake, I turned south onto nthe Cassier hwy # 37. this is motorcycle paved track, all rollers and twistys so far over the 150 k I have been on it….with little traffic ….no white lines or shoulders. Watch for bears ….saw one BIG BLACK BEAR…..no courage to stop.

    

Tonight I am about 150 miles down hwy 37…..likely the same distance north of Smithers BC at a valley called Iskut. The Rv Park is in a valley well below the hwy,Mountain Shadow RV as the pic will explain the name. view from my cabin my 56.00 cabin no bathroom, its down the hill and it is spotless. from below the cabin at the lake

Expect a good sleep to night…….till tomorrow

Alaska Day 19 0-k

 

Still trapped….Hwys guys said this afternoon…maybe….miles of NOrth Bound tractors with Fuel and food goods and other cargo would be passed through first……then northbound campers..followed by cars. South bound would be next. It’s Almost 9 pm haven’t seen any trucks…can you imagine how long this is going to take to move 6 days of pile up from both ends……the closure covers 50 miles of road….how many slides and washouts. Its been dry for 4 days here but we are 52 k from the closure and weaqther really varies here over short distances. Elevation and valleys play a big roll.

One pic today of an Eagle next to my camp site……..

Goodnight.

Alaska Day 18 A&B

 

It is 7:30 am, ckecked Yukon Road Report, road still closed. Now 3;30 pm, rumour that road north may open tonight to allow 1st the trucks with refridgeration units through so goods don’t spoil, fuel trucks etc. If so hopefully by tomorrow night all the backlog has moved south and I may be able to move again. Today, I spent leisurely except for a couple hours in which I cut grass around the main lodge. Lovely, sunny day but it is currently clouding over.More rain will cause more landslides.

Last evening I met a fellow riding a BMw GS 1200 from Colorado. He has been retired a number of years from Miller….the beer co….spending most of his time travelling….RV’d Australia….then commission a catermaran built and sailed it for 2 years along the barrier reef. Sold it and returned home to become an adventure biker…he is a regular poster on Adventure Rider. This afternoon a Brazilan Rider on a GSA 1200 arrived to wait out the closure…speaks little English and me no Spanish. He has been on the road 2 months…..bike was shipped to Mexico. He was wearing the fancy BMW Motorrad Uniform…..must have $. I am amazed at the number of bikers my age enjoying the sport as I am. Just to bad that I couldn’t share a conversation with this gentleman.      

Tonight, the ladies are serving a roast beef dinner. Dnner was delicous bread pudding for dessert. Group pic afterwards of strandees .  Bob from Colorado has hs arm around Andrea, Leslie holding dog are the owners. Absent from pic is James the Brazilian Biker. Bob from Colorado and his GS

Alaska Day 17 0-k

 

It is 5 pm here at Johnson Landing Yukon……..I am fortunate that I stopped here 2 days ago. I read on the news that all motels and campgrounds were booked in Teslin 30 k down the road. That is the spot you can not get by on your ride out of the Yukon. Road remains closed between Teslin and Watson. The slide is suppose to be cleared by Monday. Its been hard on business north of this area as there is no traffic and it has been that way for 4 days. The main beneficiaries of this event are Watson and Teslin with the latter not referring the place here to stranded travellers. Leslie is co owner with Andrea, they purchased it 3 years ago. It has a gas bar, 3 unit motel attached to the living quarters and an RV & Tent Park. The park could use about 3 days work and the bath and shower facilities are tired. These two gals sold everything in Toronto On….and took out a mortgage to buy this place. The 1st season they said business was terrific….then it suddenly fell off. They are just trying to get this season in and if the place doesn’t sell….they will walk away. The community has not been supportive and without the financial resources they can not keep the place up. The restaurant, kitchen,motel and living quarters are immaculate. The food home cooked, baked goods all delicious. Currently they are running all sectors of this business by themselves and are beat at the end of a day…….both in their mid 60’s they have rented a fully self contained condo in Spain for 500 euro a month and this winter sold or not they will retire there.

Today, I spent a couple hours tilling by round mouth shovel part of their garden which has not been used for 2 years….they have been kind to me. Another camper built a new box today for their utility trailer.

Anyone looking for a retreat and running a seasonal business with handy man skills this would be the place. Scenic….a few pics the motel,restaurant….it has a balcony  across the back  which is a storey above ground and faces the bridge…..    facing the laundry and showers  HAYES PEAK…no kidding, next to my site, across from the motel.  the garden I partially tilled by shovel…will finish tomorrow.

Received an email from Paul Hewgood who I was to meet in Fairbanks but as I was way ahead of schedule I  was there days ago….he is stranded on the other side of the slide in Watson…GO FIGURE.

Alaska Day 16

Looks like I accidently deleted the blog for the 16th….so to recap. I was sitting at Macs in Whitehorse debating on venturing south as it was drizzling with heavy dark clouds to the south. I still had not taken down my tent at Robert Service Campground.

Did you know, that Whitehorse with a population of 26,000 makes up 75% of the territories total.

This town was the jumping off point for the gold stampeders heading down the Klondike and in latter part of the 18th century travelled by rafts and moose hide boats or birch bark canoes…..in the early period of the 19th….steamers such as the SS Klondike ferried freight and supplies to Dawson City. This paddle wheel boat has been fully restored and sits dry docked as a museum.  While sitting here I met another older biker from Boston, riding a big harley….he was also camping. He was heading in the direction from which I had come and I gave him info on conditions….he said he had spent the last 5 days in torrential rains….O and I am going that way……I was soon to learn the facts.

Sun was breaking between a cloud, so back to camp and quickly packed away a wet tent and by 9 was on the road in a light drizzle which lasted about an hour. Stopped at Johnson’s Landing…just happened to have spent a night here on the way north…..well I am here again camped, the staff remembered me and said do you know the road conditions, I replied fine but they ment ahead of me not behind. The road is closed at Teslin and has been for a couple days. No word on when it will reopen. That was at 11 am , it is now 6.30 and more closures behind and ahead of me…so I am trapped…HELP

Will follow up tomorrow…..have a good night

Alaska Day 14 update

 

..it’s now 4:11….no change,no traffic,tent set up to wait it out…heard the Cassier is also closed….I xpected this to happen in South America not here……

Update on day 14…..as you know I road about 100 miles of dirt on the Top of The world Hwy and 10 hours in the saddle ;  spending the same time inside your helmet leads to many thoughts. One such idea formed, prospecting,this led to a small adventure. I didn’t have a pick or a pan or a floppy hat so I would improvise. The Discovery Channel once had a program on searching for Gold…I remember a good place to start would be a bend in a creek….why….because gold is heavier than sand and tends to collect at these spots or eddies. I passed a small gold dredging operation and then came upon a likely area about 1/4 mile up the road. This would be excellent, the water was flowing towards their operation, the gold had to get by here. I parked the bike, put on my Voyager hat backwards and with water proof boots walked the shallow creek bed……wasn’t long before I came upon the shiny stuff and gold fever took over. In my excitment I slipped on the rocks and my boots were no longer so waterproof…….I needed a sample for Assay purposes….I had pill bottles with me…would it be heart or blood pressure…heart lost…threw those pills out and filled the bottle with mud and the shinning flexs….claims are staked with 2x2 posts…..I had passed such a post with a red flag near a bump…..this would be my stake….now to register and get the assay….Stopped in Chicken and a Sign said assay office and gold panning excursions.

Two old timers that looked like they belonged in the gold rush period approached me, can we interest you in a little prospecting they said. No, I have already found the mother load, they snickered and I proudly held up the speciment bottle  which wiped that smirk away. The one with the new sears rubber boots said, where you get the mud . In the creek down stream, I replied. Claim Jumper he said to the heavy bearded guy……..what, I babbled….10 years, he said to rubber boots. By this time they had the pill bottle. I excused myself, for the bathroom. I headed down the hall and out to the outhouse. My bike was parked next to it, and without further hesitation I cranked her up and hit the road…..10 years ? Didn’t stop until I was back in Canada.      

Alaska Day 15

 

Up with the birds. Camped in a Yukon Territory Park which has an honour system, you fill out a form after picking a site and put your money in the envelope and stick it in the hole in a lock box…$ 12.00.no services….Joan and Heather would squirm here…..no wash facilities. Tonight I am at Robert Service campground in Whitehorse….all motels were booked….fees 150. to 189.00 per night. Prices are high here but it does cost extra to transport goods to the far north. With  the higher costs come bigger portions as per my lunch at again an unassuming cafe. I stopped because I saw 2 bikes parked out front. This place was miles from any place near the forks of the Robert Campbell hwy ( 300 plus miles of gravel ) and the Klondike hwy. While I was there 2 buses stopped….the waitress said they were tour buses from the ships at skagway. My meal with small styrofoam coffee. By the way, that is sitting on a Dinner Plate…$ 15.65 Delicious….only ate half…taking 2 COLESTRAL PILLS TONIGHT.

  THE YUKON SITE….I KNOW I MIXEDUP DINNER & CAMP.

Set up tonight in the rain…..had a long shower which should have cost $ 2.00 but it didn’t shut off after the last guy. Then I put 1.25 in the pop machine on the way out and it gave me change of 4 Quarters for my loonie plus the pop. OK, I am an honest enough guy, I reported the shower and the coke machine behaving like a slot machine. The office took my winnings, fixed the shower and then charged me $5.00 to use the internet…GO FIGURE.   the vastness of this place is amazing the inside of that Cafe….the bikers said their sandwiches had been the same… 

  Have a good night