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North to ALASKA!

Thanks

I continue to enjoy the pictures. I'm glad y'all are having fun. It reflects in your pictures. That's a lot of gravel road, but I'm glad it is dry. I haven't been up the Cassiar yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing more photos. 31 degrees is too cold for camping, but it sounds like Paul has a good answer for it.
 
If this is the Cassiar, then it is a lot smaller than I anticipated. I assumed it was much wider like the Alcan only gravel instead of pavement. I'm not a big fan of gravel riding myself, but it is on the list "to do". I'm not a big fan of camping either, but your pictures make it look inviting. Keep up the good work.

The first road pictures are of the road up to Salmon Glacier from Hyder.

The one with the Yukon sign is pretty typical of the width, paved or not - except the centerline stripe just started at the Yukon border. It is unstriped and a bit narrower through much of BC, north of Dease Lake.
 
voni - what tires are you running on your bikes?

and... looks like you've seen woolie in florida and alaska. you all are having too much fun!!

ian

We're running MEFO 99's except one was backordered so Paul put a TKC 80 on the front of my bike . . .

Can't have too much fun!

The rain gave us an excuse to spend one more day in Watson Lake, home of the Sign Forest and Northern Lights Center.

And time to upload more pictures. This will catch you up to now:

http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/VoniGlaves/2008 North to Alaska 3/

Off to probably Skagway with sunny dry weather tomorrow.

Or somewhere else ...

Voni
sMiling
 
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Cassiar

Ok, the last picture with the Yukon sign shows the road more of a size I would expect. What are y'all doing to prevent a meeting with a bear at your campsite? I wouldn't be able to hang around there very long. :bolt


The first road pictures are of the road up to Salmon Glacier from Hyder.

The one with the Yukon sign is pretty typical of the width, paved or not - except the centerline stripe just started at the Yukon border. It is unstriped and a bit narrower through much of BC, north of Dease Lake.
 
Me, either. We've sure seen lots near the road and two separate times, bears have run across the road in front of us! We'd stop and give them - and mooses - plenty of time to disappear when we're riding.

When we camp we take the usual precautions. One good sign we've found are regular garbage cans. Where there are bears with any regularity, they have special bear proof containers. Probably won't camp there.

So far. So good.

Voni
sMiling and not planning to be bear bait
 

When we camp we take the usual precautions. One good sign we've found are regular garbage cans. Where there are bears with any regularity, they have special bear proof containers. Probably won't camp there.




Remember us telling you the story about about the bear being caught in our campround with regular garbage cans :)
 
Hey you two, thanks for keeping us all up to date and posting all the great pictures. :thumb
 
I'm headed down in another month or so (for the 16th time). What are the gas prices like in the Yukon Territory and along the Cassiar? I'm enjoying your photos! Thank you.
 
Fuel is $4.59 a gallon in Tok. It has been running between $1.42 to $1.59 a liter on the Alaska Highway and Cassiar.
 
More Road Report

The Alaska Highway is in pretty good shape north of Watson Lake, as far as Tok, except for the stretch from Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek. Here there are frequent road breaks (gravel filled) and plenty of frost heaves and potholes to keep everybody on their toes.

There are several construction zones, varying from very good compacted gravel to a few with more loose stuff on top than a motorcyclist would usually like.

Between the border and Tok, in Alaska, there is a 42 miles stretch of construction zone. Most of it is just a bunch of survey work and grade stakes. One 4 mile stretch has a pilot car and work going on. Big trucks! Graders! Big back hoe. They are tearing out part of the road, laying petromat (or equivilent, and filling several inches above the petromat. Only part of this 4 mile stretch was active construction in about 3 spots. BUT - from the survey stakes this looks like a stretch that will be torn up in spots all summer.

The bikes - two 1997 F650 Funduro's are running well and working great. No mechanical issues since I had to tighten the connection on the starter relay on Voni's bike on day one of the trip.

Camping has been cool at night - some in the forties, a few in the 30s, one night had a low of 29. It must be psychological because I felt really cold at 29 and felt warm and cozy last night at 31. Oh well - we are equipped for it.

4 layers of riding gear, tools, sleeping stuff, tent, and a couple of changes of clothes. Priorities!!!!!

More as it happens.
 
I did a little camping last night at the Red Earth Rally in OK. It got down to 74. I almost had to get under the covers. I may be too spoiled to follow your lead. It sounds like y'all are having a great time regardless of the winter-like climate. It's good to be on this end of the computer. We're ready for our photos :lurk


Camping has been cool at night - some in the forties, a few in the 30s, one night had a low of 29. It must be psychological because I felt really cold at 29 and felt warm and cozy last night at 31. Oh well - we are equipped for it.

4 layers of riding gear, tools, sleeping stuff, tent, and a couple of changes of clothes. Priorities!!!!!

More as it happens.
 
Valdez is a little slice of heaven!

We're camped right on the small boat harbor and stuffed with seafood after one of the most beautiful days of riding we've ever had!

Pictures here starting in Watson Lake:
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/VoniGlaves/North to Alaska to Valdez/

and Paul's here:
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/VoniGlaves/2008 north to Alaska Paul 2/

Sure wish we could bring you along. If we weren't having so much fun, I'd write more.

But, we are :whistle

Voni
sMiling

Voni AND Paul
 
Yesterday was a "grueling" day. :) We rode the entire 112 miles from Beaver Creek to Tok. The road was crappy; lots of frost heaves, broken pavement, and short gravel breaks.

But the reason the day was so short was that our next destination was Valdez. The weather forecast for yesterday was for some rain in Valdez, but more importantly, for snow possible at Thompson Pass.

In snow at Thompson Pass is pretty much where a motorcyclist doesn't want to be. It had 900 inches of snow one year. It had 62 inches of snow in 24 hours a few years back.

So we rode a short day yesterday and then rode to Valdez today. Camped right on the water's edge (self, watch getting out of the tent - the first step is a big one). A few clouds in the pass, clear blue skies at Valdez, and 10 degrees warmer than yesterday.

Which illustrates why I include weather in a presentation about trip planning for the riders at Camp Gears.

We're off to Alaska Leather in Anchorage tomorrow. Need tires!
 
Valdez is a little slice of heaven!


Voni
sMiling

Voni AND Paul

It is a beautiful ride heading into Valdez. We had rain and loose sand, but were still able to enjoy the view. The all day glacier tour out of Valdez is nice. They have soft seats :)

Here is Debbie near Valdez in 1988 This stretch of road was in great shape.
Valdez.jpg
 
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Great pictures

After viewing all your pictures I am sure I have to go back to Alaska. Thanks for posting them and keep sMiling!:blah
 
What town?

I sure agree about Valdez :clap
I'm sure I could tell from the pictures (if I could see better), but I can't determine which town this is that y'all went through. Can you help me?
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a...aska Paul 2/?action=view&current=DSCF0142.jpg






Valdez is a little slice of heaven!

and Paul's here:
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/VoniGlaves/2008 north to Alaska Paul 2/

Sure wish we could bring you along. If we weren't having so much fun, I'd write more.

But, we are :whistle

Voni
sMiling

Voni AND Paul
 
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