A bad BC trip, man...

[redcoat]

I get restless, and I struck out last Friday from Vancouver BC at lunch for the North, expecting the Yukon, the slight chance of touching Alaska. I figured 3 days up, three down, one at the top and I could say I'd been there. I usually manage 900km a day and ride to enjoy the ride, and see what I see from the saddle.

25 km from town I got stuck in 2 hours of traffic jams on the highway, followed by 3 hours of rain.

Halfway through the Fraser Canyon I rounded a curve to find a truck in my lane, swerved and went over a chunk of fallen rock the size of a baby's head laying mid lane. The wheel felt round, but the handlebars now had a 15 degree counter clockwise spin on them. But they seemed firm, so I just continued.

Then I got a roofing nail just outside of Lac La Hache. Grabbed a hotel and got it fixed in the am. And had a second flat 1/2 an hour later. Finally left town about noon. Got to Chetwynd at 11pm.

Did get to race an elk- about the only wildlife I did see. Apart from a crow. And a chipmunk. And a crow eating a flattened chipmunk, and near Wonoma, what I'm sure was a crow eating a flattened crow.

Outside Fort Nelson I just had enough of trees. I hate trees. I think they should all be turned into bog roll. I gave up, went back to Fort Nelson, had a pizza and checked into the cheapest dive. I toyed with the idea of continueing the next day to Watson lake, then down the Cassiar Highway and jumping the border at Stewart to fullfill the "been to Alaska" quota.

I woke at 11:30 pm, went outside to meet some fellow riders who had just turned up, drank their whiskey, checked I could read a page of print at midnight (dusk- i had wanted to be able to read by the midnight sun, even if at dusk), and called the trip quits and rode south with them.

It was a lot more fun and made some friends and a sketchy plan to Panama was agreed on.

Points to note: fuel is sparse, 250km+ apart and not always available. I have carried a 1 gallon jerry can all my life when outside of my area. It was useful this time.

I ride an athsmatic 1978 CB400 twin, carry spare everything (tubes, cables, fuses, wire, extensive tool kit

Justin

[redcoat]

And it's nice to have McDonalds back on the menu!

[Dodger]

Bummer !

Watch out for trees in Panama .

[BlackBeast]

This just means that you still have reason to make another trip north, which can't hurt.

[Bill Ryder]

Ride later in the season then you can have some dark time and ride when you can't see the trees......just eyes of critters ready to cross the road. Too bad you didn't get farther north it really is light at bar closing time. That 400 must get pretty good mileage.

[buyarbi]

The road to Whitehorse is totally different than the basic crops and trees up to fort nelson. Then to Skagway also a scienic ride. You just didnt go far enough to see the change.
Next time.
Bill