I last wrote in Tok, northernmost point in our journey and we have just arrived in Muncho Lake, British Columbia, for our third rest day. We've ridden another 1,187 kms in eleven days along the Alaskan Highway. We stopped in Whitehorse after five for the second 'rest' day, which evaporated in a flurry of bike cleaning, tent drying, laundry, phone calls and re-packing! No working WiFi was a disappointment and despite status as the capital town of Yukon it had distinct echoes of Princetown, enhanced by the chilly, wet, windy conditions!
Out on the road the scenery is genuinely awesome; it's as if we're travelling through the lungs of the earth, every inch below the rocky peaks densely covered in trees. Wild fires occur routinely, a natural element in the cycle of growth, decay and regeneration and even the stark skeletons are beautiful against the sky. Some of the hardest climbs are rewarded by spectacular views of rivers and lakes far below and realisation of the immensity of it all.
I've seen bears, bison, a coyote and best of all a most elegant lynx who slid out of the forest, walked unhurriedly across the road ahead then turned for us to see full face and tufty ears before slipping back into the trees. Pretty little chipmunks and squirrels routinely busy themselves around our camps. So far, not a single moose and not because I'm saving it for afters. There is abundant bird life topped by a close encounter with a white eagle; every day has a sound track of cronking ravens and distant calls I can't identify but sometimes the familiar hecking of a hawk.
The last week on the bike was pretty brutal with the longest stretch on the fifth day in cold, driving rain that made even the downhills painful, stinging eyes and face and seeping gradually through protective layers. Packing a wet tent in the morning is never fun knowing it won't be any drier when you dig it out in the evening.... What joy when the sixth day not only brought us to this comfortable lodge but included the Lower Liad River Natural Hot Springs along the way. Our many aches were soothed in the beautiful pool with seriously hot water at one end graduating via a jacuzzi-like fall to a cool stretch where a fresh stream joined. I could have stayed for ever.
Later, a bit of excitement was generated when one of our trucks pulled on to the shoulder to give water to a tired rider and became stuck in deep, soft gravel. Various efforts to dig it out failed and only the good offices of a passing Australian with a 4x4 truck succeeded in dragging it free and then not until the entire load of bags and equipment had been heaved out on to the road side. It happened to be the tour mechanic at the wheel so he's suffered a wee bit.
I'm really enjoying the company of my fellow cyclists, especially the group of crazy, warm-hearted French Canadian women, skilled but modest riders who bring great energy and humour to it all. Isabelle is in excellent form and we've quickly slipped back into the African pattern of early starts, short regular breaks and a proper stop at lunch. I do wonder at eating a huge sandwich at 10.30 am having already consumed a hearty porridge breakfast but then the day started at 5.30!
The early hours on the road are serene before the thrum of monster trucks and RVs (Recreational Vehicles) begin to disrupt the calm. The traffic tends to come in short waves and is mostly considerate to the cyclist on the shoulder but the odd one is close enough to keep the adrenaline firing. The RVs are the size of Intercity coaches, usually with a regular 4x4 in tow and to my amazement, once parked they expand widthways to create the living space of a decent terrace house! One such drove off from a rest area leaving the pet Chihuahua behind, which was cared for by our lunch truck driver until he managed to forward it on with some friendly motorcyclists...
And that is undoubtedly more than enough! The week ahead includes a 20km descent, tra la!
Hope all's well with all of you.
So long,
Viv x
