Solo Beyond the Northern Hinterlands: Return to the Richardson, I am Not a Pussy, The Jaws of Death and A Canadian Para glider Champion

The following email account describes this part of the trip best (complete with spelling and grammatical errors).

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Return to the Richardson, I am Not a Pussy, The Jaws of Death and A Canadian Para glider Champion
From: Grizz Lee <grizzlee@xxxxx.net>
Date: Sun, Jul 19, 2015 at 10:49 PM
Subject: Return to the Richardson, I am Not a Pussy, The Jaws of Death and A Canadian Para glider Champion

I left Fairbanks with a new rear tire. The ride out to Delta Junction was very pleasant and warm. I even captured video footage of a very young moose. I am almost thinking that its mom, must have been killed. It was hanging near the AlCan Hwy grazing, and wouldn’t venture far from it.  It seemed to be a bit confused.

Near Delta Jct

Back on the Richardson

Much better views the second time around

In any event, I was planning on returning to Tok by days end. The weather was so nice that decided to travel the Richardson Hwy and see if I could experience it without the rain. It was a 300 mile detour, but I figured that I am already here … why the heck not. Unfortunately it did rain past Summit Lake, but the road prior to that was wonderful. I caught glimpses of the Alaska Range on some of the bigger mountains sporting huge glaciers. Beyond Summit Lake to GlennAllen was miserable. Lots of rain and the road was hard to ride because of the huge frost heaves. This was not a road to be speeding on while riding a bike. It would be easy to get airborne and lose control.

This is the views I missed before

Lunch stop

Look closely, is it me, or does this glaciated peak look like it is smiling?

Taking a much needed break

Late in the day, I arrived in Tok, Ak and stopped in at Fast Eddies again for the all-you-can-eat salad bar. Fresh veggies up north are a real treat. While I was there, the two German gentlemen I met earlier showed up. We caught up and re-canted our travels and experiences. At evenings end we retreated to the Eagle Claw Motorcycle Campground. Eagle Claw is awesome. They cater specifically to motorcycle riders. In addition to the regular tent sites, it features a Teepee, Canvas Tent, Ambulance, Old School Bus and Small Cabins set up to accommodate overnight travelers to stay in. In addition, they have a steam bath… It was nice to take a steam with water poured over hot fired rocks. Very therapeutic and relaxing.  The owner of the place is a woman who is a long time Harley Rider. So she understands the quirks and need sof riders. She gave all guests a sticker for their bikes that stated “I am no a Pussy, I stayed at the Eagle Claw Motorcycle Camp in Tok”. I proudly display it on my helmet.

Alcan hwy, I pull off and check the route I did years before.

Freshly painted sign. Looks nice

Riding along Kluane Lake

That is glacial dust

Getting closer to Slims river

The silt was really mixing it up with the blue lake water

Windy as heck

I rode through this silty dust storm

Paint's Mountain

From there I rode towards Haines Junction. Incidentally, I met up with the Germans again at a AlCan Hwy Construction stop. We were in stop and go conditions following a pilot car for about an hour. I guess Claus’s bike couldn’t take it anymore and his bike, a KTM 950, overheated. I offered to stay and help, but there was nothing to do but wait and let the engine cool off.  Fill, the radiator and then move on. Later on in the evening, near Slims River in Kluane, they passed me, giving me the thumbs up … all was good. As I approached Slims River in Kluane park the wind became very violent and was blowing glacial silt out across the hwy and into Kluane lake. It was a sight to see, and even more interesting to ride through. I muscled through the wind and saw that it was raining towards the south. No way would I enjoy Haines. Bummer. I made camp at Pine Lake just outside of Haines Junction.

Pine Lake

Side trip to Grey Mountain outside of Whitehorse

Stupendous views

The true summit is about a 30 minute hike from where the road ends

Looking down onto Whitehorse

The next day I rode to Whitehorse and took a side trip up to the Grey mountain mountain lookout. Grey mountain offers tremendous 360 degree views of the area around Whitehorse. The road can be a little rough getting to the top. I would dare say that a non-dual sport bike would have a very hard time getting up there as it is steep and at times, nearly a 4x4 track (lots of rocks). Not a road I would go on if it was wet.

The Yukon River

Marsh lake as seen from Grey Mtn outside of Whitehorse

What the?? This work of art can be found in Whitehorse on someones front lawn

Afterwards, I met up with my good friend Shawn. Shawn was an incredible host, makes great food and offered to take me down the Takhini River on a white water Canoe trip. The next day we drove out to Kusawa Lake and put a canoe in at the start of the river. The trip was pretty mellow with stop for lunch, made a fire and enjoyed the incredible scenery.  However, Shawn kept talking about a set of rapids called the “Jaws of Death”. The more he talked about it, the more he got me concerned. He even stated that the river was high and therefore, the rapids would be more vicious. He did say that many experienced paddlers called the rapids “The Gums of Worry”. After a couple more hours of paddling we passed the rock garden and approached the “Jaws”. We beached and looked at the route. It was pretty hairy. But we picked a path and said that we’d stick to it. Nervously, I got back into the canoe and we headed straight into the Jaws, hoping not to flip in the cold glacier water … brrrrr!!!  After 30 seconds of hard paddling and adrenaline, I was happy to say that we survived. We kept the boat straight and on the desired line through the rapids. I am glad to say that I survived the Jaws of Death.  Cold beers at the local grill were gladly consumed afterwards.

Shawn's method of travel after a long para glide flight

Fun with animals in Teslin

To top off my stay in Whitehorse, Shawn was heading out towards a place called “Jakes Corner” to paraglide. Asked if I would ferry his car for him. Absolutely, I said. A little bit of background about Shawn here. Is a an avid paraglider. A real pro, the best I will probably ever meet. His flying resume is impressive. He currently holds the Yukon and the Canadian Para Gliding Distance records. After a 50 minute drive we were at the destination… an old mining road. It is a pretty rough road, a 4x4 track that he takes his Subaru right up. I am impressed. We arrive and Shawn prepares for his flight. But first, he shows me the sign he made. It is a sign that he uses often to find rides back to his car after the flights are complete. For him, this is a normal occurrence. He often hitches several kilometers back to his car… or, as was the case of his record flight over 245 kms back to his car and his house in Whitehorse.

Today, I find myself at the Air Force Lodge in Watson Lake. I rode through 2 very heavy showers and was looking south on the Cassiar Hwy where I noticed dark, ominous clouds. Not quit dry, I whimped out for a motel room.

Tomorrow I begin my trip back down the Cassiar Hwy.  One of my favorite hwys in the north.
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Until next time....

Solo Beyond The Northern Hinterlands: Germans, A Man Turns 50, The Denali Hwy and Gretchen Gets a New Shoe

Email acct (complete with spelling and grammatical errors)

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Solo Beyond The Northern Hinterlands: Germans, A Man Turns 50, The Denali Hwy and Gretchen Gets a New Shoe
Germans, A Man Turns 50, The Denali Hwy and Gretchen Gets a New Shoe
From: Grizz Lee <grizzlee@xxxxxx.net>
Date: Tue, Jul 14, 2015 at 11:32 PM
Subject: Germans, A Man Turns 50, The Denali Hwy and Gretchen Gets a New Shoe

As I left Dawson City, the weather began to deteriorate. I knew from the weather reports that I was to experience scattered showers. However, about 10 miles above Dawson on the “Top of the World Hwy”, the sky opened up. It was déjà vu all over again. In 2013 Yukon Johann and I had a similar experience. The difference this time was that the roads weren’t all tore up. On the US side, they had actually paved 12 miles of road. The same 12 miles of shitty hell that was torn to pieces in 2013. I arrived in Chicken, wet and cold. There was a bright side, however, out front sat 2 KTM 950s and inside there was FREE COFFEE!! The coffee, was great. Not because it tasted good, which it didn’t, but because it raised my core temperature to a tolerable level. Once the shivers stopped, I began chatting with the owners of the KTMs. Their names were Claus and Jo. Two pals that were circumnavigating the globe on motorcycles. They were doing it 4 weeks at a time each year. Last year they finished the Road of Bones in Russia to Magadan and travelled Mongolia. They had some stories to tell. I had to hear them. We agreed to meet up in Tok, Ak and possibly travel towards Fairbanks together. Great time. We drank beer exchanged adventures. In the end, when we parted ways at Delta Jct the next day. We agreed to meet up next year as they ride through the west coast on their way to Mexico. Maybe, even possibly ride together a bit.

Claus and Jo, travelling the world on KTM 990 Adventure Bikes

Attack by the state bird

Facts about the ALCAN

The End of the ALCAN Hwy in Delta Junction

Maybe it was a sign, or maybe it was fate, but as I headed south on the Richardson highway, alone, the sun disappeared and the dark sky was again my friend. The Richardson Hwy was beautiful, as I saw 2 black bears and got to photograph/video a lone moose grazing in a pond. Along the way I had a near miss with a moose crossing the road. A real pucker moment. I arrived at Summit Lake and the rains really began to worsen. I was near 4000 feet in a valley surrounded by glaciers ... although I couldn’t see them from all the clouds.

Lone Moose on the Richardson Hwy

Roadside stop that should've been scenic if it weren't for the weather

I pulled into Tangle Lakes Lodge for a bite. I also wanted to dry off a bit. The sun came out and it was gorgeous. So I decided to set up camp at a developed campsite nearby. No sooner had I gotten the tent up and it began to rain again. It was a wet, humid night and a bit chilly. The next morning it was cold, but breezy. So I dried everything out and hit the road. I was traveling the high country, riding parallel to the Alaska Range. There were supposedly 12,000 foot peaks and lots of glaciers. Occasionally I got a sneak peak of the glaciers, but the mountains stayed hidden in the clouds. Along the way, I met a gent riding a new BMW 1200 R. He rode up from Los Angeles. He had just turned 50 years old and this was his Birthday Present to himself. I told him that was exactly what I was doing as well.

May map says there are glaciers back there

The Denali Hwy - Cold and Beautiful

The road heads through that notch in the center across the tundra

I loved the views form this pass at Maclaren Summit

Coming down Maclaren Summit

After 136 miles, I was at the end of the gravel highway and found myself at Cantwell, the entrance to Denali Nat’l Park. Of course, the sun was shining and the temperature rose to 80 degrees. I had to peel my rain gear off and dry out again. I headed to Fairbanks through several construction zones. 2 hours to go 30 miles yikes!!! I arrived at Fairbanks where I had reservations for a room at the University of Alaska (Thanks to Lori who called ahead for me). Luckily, I had the reservations, because they were full. First time ever they said. They rent student door rooms for $38/night during the summer. Shared showers and bathrooms, but the laundry is free. Not a bad deal considering that motels run about $130-$150/night  in Fairbanks during the summer. In any event, I was glad I was indoors as it rained hard overnight. I decided to stay an extra day because I needed to get a new tire for the rear installed and secondly, I really needed a break from riding for a day.

Scenic ponds and lakes

Gretchen was having a great time.

Whoze dat guy?

The clouds were lifting

Towars the end of the Denali Hwy, the clouds receded and I

could see the base of the Alaska Range that eluded me all day :-(

Scenic rivers proved to the best views I had

An Adventure Rider Moment

It began to get warm and interesting as I finished the Denali Hwy

I spent a good chunk of my time off at Adventure Cycle Works just north of Fairbanks. It is a business run by Dan Armstrong who caters to the adventure riders passing through and/or doing the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. Dan is the salt of the earth type of guy. However, one thing you don’t want to mention is that you own a Harley. He doesn’t like Harleys and Hondas. He said he will not work on either. In fact, if you pull up on a Harley, he will politely ask you to leave and/or park it along the street, downwind from his home/business. He put a brand shoe on my Gretchen. Recall, earlier, 4 days into my trip, I had my first flat on the rear tire and thus had a plug in it. All working fine, but with the tires over 50% gone and still a long way to go home, I felt better about having a new shoe installed. Gretchen is loving her new Heidenau K60 rear tire and I am going to sleep better knowing that I have good tires … one less thing to worry about.

Well, it is time to turn in and start thinking about the ride home. Tomorrow, I point my bike south and begin the journey home. It is always a bit somber for me, as I hate leaving the north. It is a place I feel like I belong, my home. Soon I will be in the big city, fighting traffic, working and dreaming about my next trip north. However, there are still some adventures waiting for me on the way home…
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Until Next Time...