RubiKon Adventures: Our Life Behind Bars – Father & Son Doing Time in The Northern Frontier (Mile 1750 to Mile 2305)

Days 8,9,10 (July 6-8, 2013)

Yukon Johann Writes:

Lots happening these next few days.

We left Telegraph Creek and headed back out to the Cassiar Hwy. The ride back from Telegraph Creek to Dease Lake was as amazing as the day before. On the way out we came across the cemetery, it's located on a bluff overlooking the village. The views from there to the coastal mountains will be etched into my memory forever. You could see the path the Stikine River carved into the mountains for miles and miles. All the way toward Wrangell, Alaska we were told. The cemetery is a place that I think one would be very grateful to claim as their eternal resting home, if not for the humbling views, but for the serenity and beauty it provides in a remote setting; very quiet and peaceful.

Old truck mentioned previously

Our Camp in Telegraph Creek

Old Church in Telegraph Creek

Yep, we were in Telegraph Creek... the sign says so.

Above town there is a cemetery with an unbelievable view

No roads, no people, no nuthin' all the way to the ocean

From there we followed Telegraph creek road, pretty much in the same manner as we rode in. Slow, methodical, and savoring every mile to the fullest. We even rode side-by-side (slowly and carefully) with a herd of horses in the valley who seemed to express no concern by our presence.

Moring sun on the pillars in Stikine canyon

View of the road

Where the 2 rivers meet... a scared place

Leaving the Stikine Canyon

Once at Dease Lake we made tracks to Jade City to meet up with Kendra, a friend we have made over the years, who works at the Jade City Store. After saying hi and goodbye we headed north to Watson Lake, hoping to be there before too long. We went through Good Hope Lake and at one point, my dad happened to get a nasty hornet inside his jacket. he told me that it worked its way down to his torso area. I could tell that the hornet was not happy about being stuck in his riding jacket, and was trying to sting him. He pulled over quickly and nearly tore his jacket off to get the darn hornet on its way without harming him.

Back on the Cassiar Hwy we arrive at Jade City

On the way to the Yukon border we pass through a burn area.

The fireweed was in full bloom

We came across a large burn area just prior to crossing into the Yukon. We noticed huge swaths of beautiful fields of fireweed, the official Yukon flower.

Pretty eh?

Gretchen taking a break

We made it to the Yukon

Yeah baby!!!

I present to you... Yukon Johann, "Larger than Life"!!!

We arrived in Watson Lake much later than anticipated and found a really nice place to stay… the Air Force Lodge. It is a charming place that once played a role in WWII as it was on the Staging route for the Lend-Lease of Aircraft to Russia.

NomaGal (AdvRider name) Working on her KLR

Frenchman riding around the world

The next morning we washed the bikes at the only carwash in town, at the Petro Station. That was the beginning of us meeting many interesting motorcyclists form the US and around the world. Of those people we met a Frenchman, which we sadly can't remember his name. He is halfway through his trip of riding around the world, he said he was doing it in two years. We met another guy named Mike, as I recall, he was making his way up to Prudhoe Bay, and then going kayaking somewhere. We also met another adventure rider. She goes by NomadGal on ADV rider she has popular thread called "A Year On the Road" she was a very interesting person and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her telling us about some of the things she has seen and done. Another guy we met shortly after leaving the carwash was a German fellow from Washington D.C. he also had the same idea in mind, go to Prudhoe Bay and back home. He was also doing something very similar as I. He was doing a charity ride as well.

Watson Lake Detail Shop

Mike from Denver

Sign post forest

Adventure riders come in all shapes and sizes

The "Mystery Machine"

We finally left Watson Lake very late into the day, we knew we weren't going to make it to Whitehorse so we thought we would just go half way and spend the night at Teslin Lake. My dad spent the night talking to the German guy we met in Watson Lake and another German guy who had just pulled into Teslin Lake shortly after we did. I, on the other was trying to catch up on sleep since I really didn't sleep well at all the past couple of days. It was a great social day you could say. A lot more talking than riding, that’s for sure.