Day 16 – June 21, 2008
On Saturday morning our plan called for us to head to Haines, AK., 445 miles to the south, one of our longer riding days. After a quick continental breakfast at the Golden Bear Hotel we departed Tok. The weather was perfect of riding, mid-seventies with partly cloudy skies and no wind.
After about 50 miles of ideal riding conditions we entered the "frost heave highway" again, that we enjoyed so little coming north, limiting our speed to less than the speed limit just to maintain control of our bikes. To add insult to injury, we also had to traverse so many construction and blowing dust zones that the “End of Construction” and the "Construction Ahead" signs were nearly on the same signposts.
We stopped for lunch in Beaver Creek, Canada, at the Talbot Arm on the shores of very scenic Kluane Lake. The weather was starting to deteriorate and by the time we finished our lunch the rain was coming down in sheets, horizontally. Lane saw it coming and ran outside to grab our helmets and gloves as we settled up with the proprietor for lunch. We donned our waterproof riding gear for the umpteenth time in two weeks and headed south through the rain to Haines Junction, 67 miles to the south.
We gassed up in Haines Junction, where a mosquito nailed me in the forehead the two minutes I had my helmet off, and we drove south in the rain on Highway 3 toward the City of Haines, 154 miles and three hours away. The road to Haines had recently been repaved and was a marked improvement over the road we had been traveling on. En route to Haines, we caught a rare sight, a full-grown Grizzly Bear next the highway. We had previously seen full-grown Black and smaller Brown Bears, but this was the first adult Grizzly Bear we had seen. Lane and Tim whipped a quick U-turn and went back for pictures. I reminded them that Grizzly Bears can run 30 miles per hour so a rolling picture might be preferable to a nice still shot in this particular case. They go the shot, but unfortunately missed the one when he stood up on his hind legs, a very impressive sight, for sure.
Within 25 miles of Haines the road climbs through a mountain pass above the tree line before descending into the small seaport town. As we approached the pass and the US/Canadian Border, the winds picked up, the rain intensified, and clouds lowered until we were riding in a thick fog. Fortunately, it didn't last too long. Did I mention that the temperature also dropped from the very pleasant 70 degrees to just above 40 degrees?
We entered the United States just prior to Haines without difficulty. But, US Customs did note that our Passports were not valid, as we had neglected to sign them. Funny, no other crossing caught the error. So much for homeland security.
Finally rolling into Haines we encountered the tail end of a 150 mile bicycle relay race from Haines Junction, BC, to Haines, AK. Having ridden in the freezing rain in fully insulated and waterproof riding gear for the past several hours, one had to really admire the bicyclists clad only on riding shorts and lightweight windbreaker jackets traveling the same path.
Due to the bicycle event, nearly every room in Haines was booked; however, we were able to secure a one-bedroom condo in the converted officers quarters' at Fort Seward, an old US Army fort dating back to 1904. The one hundred year old buildings are slowly being converted to houses, condo and restaurants. The bicyclists were all camped out in tents and partying on the parade ground lawn directly in front of our house. It made for a very colorful and lively sight.
We ended our evening at the Ft. Seward Lodge restaurant, within walking distance of our accommodations. Tomorrow, we’re going to take the Fast Ferry to Skagway, about ten miles away, or 30 minutes by boat. Haines and Skagway share the same scenic Norwegian type fjord, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
On Saturday morning our plan called for us to head to Haines, AK., 445 miles to the south, one of our longer riding days. After a quick continental breakfast at the Golden Bear Hotel we departed Tok. The weather was perfect of riding, mid-seventies with partly cloudy skies and no wind.
After about 50 miles of ideal riding conditions we entered the "frost heave highway" again, that we enjoyed so little coming north, limiting our speed to less than the speed limit just to maintain control of our bikes. To add insult to injury, we also had to traverse so many construction and blowing dust zones that the “End of Construction” and the "Construction Ahead" signs were nearly on the same signposts.
We stopped for lunch in Beaver Creek, Canada, at the Talbot Arm on the shores of very scenic Kluane Lake. The weather was starting to deteriorate and by the time we finished our lunch the rain was coming down in sheets, horizontally. Lane saw it coming and ran outside to grab our helmets and gloves as we settled up with the proprietor for lunch. We donned our waterproof riding gear for the umpteenth time in two weeks and headed south through the rain to Haines Junction, 67 miles to the south.
We gassed up in Haines Junction, where a mosquito nailed me in the forehead the two minutes I had my helmet off, and we drove south in the rain on Highway 3 toward the City of Haines, 154 miles and three hours away. The road to Haines had recently been repaved and was a marked improvement over the road we had been traveling on. En route to Haines, we caught a rare sight, a full-grown Grizzly Bear next the highway. We had previously seen full-grown Black and smaller Brown Bears, but this was the first adult Grizzly Bear we had seen. Lane and Tim whipped a quick U-turn and went back for pictures. I reminded them that Grizzly Bears can run 30 miles per hour so a rolling picture might be preferable to a nice still shot in this particular case. They go the shot, but unfortunately missed the one when he stood up on his hind legs, a very impressive sight, for sure.
Within 25 miles of Haines the road climbs through a mountain pass above the tree line before descending into the small seaport town. As we approached the pass and the US/Canadian Border, the winds picked up, the rain intensified, and clouds lowered until we were riding in a thick fog. Fortunately, it didn't last too long. Did I mention that the temperature also dropped from the very pleasant 70 degrees to just above 40 degrees?
We entered the United States just prior to Haines without difficulty. But, US Customs did note that our Passports were not valid, as we had neglected to sign them. Funny, no other crossing caught the error. So much for homeland security.
Finally rolling into Haines we encountered the tail end of a 150 mile bicycle relay race from Haines Junction, BC, to Haines, AK. Having ridden in the freezing rain in fully insulated and waterproof riding gear for the past several hours, one had to really admire the bicyclists clad only on riding shorts and lightweight windbreaker jackets traveling the same path.
Due to the bicycle event, nearly every room in Haines was booked; however, we were able to secure a one-bedroom condo in the converted officers quarters' at Fort Seward, an old US Army fort dating back to 1904. The one hundred year old buildings are slowly being converted to houses, condo and restaurants. The bicyclists were all camped out in tents and partying on the parade ground lawn directly in front of our house. It made for a very colorful and lively sight.
We ended our evening at the Ft. Seward Lodge restaurant, within walking distance of our accommodations. Tomorrow, we’re going to take the Fast Ferry to Skagway, about ten miles away, or 30 minutes by boat. Haines and Skagway share the same scenic Norwegian type fjord, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
1 comment:
Hi Pops,
No worries about the lack of pix, your colorful narrative keeps the blog most interesting. With the exception of the rain your descriptions of the landscape and sights make me wish even more that I could be with you on the Alaskan Adventure!
I look forward to checking for updates every morning, and sharing them with the girls. Speaking of the "Girls" Alex is going to get on the keyboard now:
Hi Papa,
We are glad to hear that the trip is going well, the dogs really miss you! Get home safe so we can see you soon!
xoxo
Alex
Nani says,"when are you coming home Papa?"
Martha says." Papa, Father's Day I went for my first ride on a neighbor's Road King. I now know why you do what you do! John really needs to get another bigger bike."
All of us are looking forward to more pictures and stories when you get home. Give our best to the rest of the crew, continue riding safe and having fun!
Jr and the Girls.
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