With the trip up the Dalton behind us, we needed a break. A rest day. Fairbanks is a nice town with great food. We decided to visit the Chena Hot Springs Resort to soothe our muscles and souls for the day.
Chena was found in 1905 by gold prospectors and was once one of the great interior Alaskan destinations. Although it’s July we hope the springs will feel good. This is really a winter destination with a northern lights viewing opportunity.
A beautiful hour and half drive and we’re there. The resort is rustic but the springs were nice . We soaked for awhile, met some locals and had lunch. We then headed back to Fairbanks to chill and have dinner.
We saw a mama moose in the pond on the way back to Fairbanks . Her baby was safely hidden in the grasses.
I’m not sure I’ve ever slept that hard before. The sun really never sets so I’ve brought a sleeping mask that came in super handy. Today we journey to the Arctic Circle. We’re not doing it on our motorcycles though. Since I’m on an Eaglerider Triumph and we still have 20 days and thousands of miles left on our trip, we decide to rent a special SUV to drive the Dalton Highway up to the Arctic Circle . It came equipped with a CB radio. We would soon learn the value of that radio. We picked it up yesterday so we make an early start this am with a quick stop at Albertsons for lunch supplies and snacks. We’re doing this trip in a day deciding not to go on to Coldfoot. We’re opting for another adventure tomorrow.. more on that in the next post.
Lots of people ask how the Dalton Highway is to ride or drive. I’m going to do my best to describe conditions.. because they change. Often and quickly. That’s probably why when you read blogs, some folks have an easy journey and some don’t. No rain, easy trip. Rain and it could mean the end of your trip.
The first portion of the Dalton is paved and rides quickly. The road becomes dirt after 30 miles or so but was a good grade up to the Yukon River Camp. This is your only stop until Coldfoot. There are no facilities or gas at the Arctic Circle. There is one pump. The camp has a restaurant with surprisingly good food. They do take credit cards but not at the pump, lol.
We stop to fill up and eat. It begins to rain. When we emerge, the dusty landscape now looks completely different. Mud is everywhere and potholes with mud seem to magically appear from under the ground. The drive to the Arctic Circle was a tough one. Not impossible, but tough. As if riding in mud weren’t bad enough, in the summer work crews try and rebuild sections of the road. They do this by digging dirt (pitfill) and making a new road. Keep in mind the Dalton is not flat so if you encounter mud or construction, be prepared to lay your bike down. The key is to try and maintain enough speed but not enough to need breaks.
We reach the famed “Beaver Slide” and going down seems pretty easy. I could see my motorcycle sliding like a hotdog in a hallway. :). We reach the Arctic Circle around 2 pm I think. I believe our average speed was about 40 or so miles an hour.
It was 84 degrees at the Arctic Circle. There were 2 volunteers collecting donations for charity in exchange for Arctic Circle certificates that they would write your name on. We met a biker from Argentina, another lady rider on a Triumph Explorer from Seattle, and her friend who was on a Motoguzzi.
We snapped pics, shook hands and set back for Fairbanks. The rain, which had stopped was back. It was slow going as we approached the Beaver Slide. My favorite man was driving and I was manning the CB radio. We saw the Beaver Slide and by now a construction crew had the northbound lane blocked. In the southbound lane (our lane) we saw the lady rider and Mr. Motoguzzi struggling to start the climb up the Beaver. I radioed to the construction crew, “4 wheeler southbound on the Beaver, permission to get in the northbound lane”. After a few seconds a voice came back. “10-4”. We carefully passed the struggling motorcycles and climbed the slide as an 18 wheeler got to the top of the slide. Luckily he’d heard us so he slowed down instead of barreling down the Beaver like they normally do.
Moral of that story. Cell service doesn’t exist right now on the Dalton. I think they are building some towers but even so, safety on the Dalton depends on your ability to communicate with the truckers. They use this road to make a living and have to deal with all us thrill seekers checking items off our bucket list . If you can get a CB radio you will be safer on the Dalton. Road conditions can change in 10 minutes so you need to be mentally and physically prepared to ride in mud, pitfill, water and dust. Carry extra tires, water and camping gear. I’d also recommend a satellite phone. You can rent one through Verizon for a reasonable daily rate.
Back on the motorcycles heading to Fairbanks today. On the way we stop at Denali National Park. This trip was surprisingly long with few gas stops. Get gas every place you can. There’s gas on the other side of Denali along with tourist shops but these are only open during the summer months.
If you go to Denali just to see the mountain, you will likely be very disappointed because the mountain is seldom visible, especially during the summer months because of wildfires.
The movie at the visitor’s center was great and the few hiking trails around were gorgeous and not very crowded even in July. We rode our motorcycles as far as we could go and had snacks and water at the Savage River parking area. There are really no trails in Denali, you are encouraged to make your own path…with bear bells and bear spray of course. There is also a bus that takes you closer to the mountain but since there were wildfires, we hiked a little instead. We saw sled dog training signs;in the winter the rangers use sleds to patrol the park. We had a nice lunch there as well.
We ended the day in Fairbanks and found a gem of a restaurant in The Jazz Bistro. The owners are jazz musicians and great cooks. We had the best caper salmon I’ve ever had and then were treated to great music. We were able to Uber there and got to experience the land of the midnight sun. The sun never really set on us.
Day 8. I can’t contain my excitement. This day is one of the biggest reasons we’ve ridden our asses off for days…today we see bears. Not just any bears…the coastal brown bears of Katmai National Park. Katmai is the 4th largest national park and is home to Brooks Camp. Brooks Camp is a fishing camp with six or so cabins and ranger station accessible by sea plane only out of Anchorage. There are more bears than people and the bears always have the right of way. Brooks is the bears’ home. The Brooks waterfalls are world famous and the subject of many documentaries on the bears.
After the 2 hour flight with our bush pilot Mark, our seaplane lands on the beach at Brooks Camp. Immediately we hear that bears are on the beach. My heart is pumping. We head for restrooms and to bear school…yes bear school. Every visitor to Katmai must go to bear school to learn safe interaction with the bears. This training would come in handy later (I’m foreshadowing, ya’ll). After school we head to a picnic area surrounded by an electric fence. While we’re eating our delicious lunch provided by Rust’s Flying Service we hear about a bear jam on the bridge to the falls. It’s common for bears to nap on the bridges and on the trails and when that happens the bears have right of way. They stay put and the humans have to deal.
Our pilot tells us to head back to the plane and he’ll fly us to the other side of camp and land on a beach there. It’s a 2 mile walk to the falls but we are assured of getting to the falls this way. We eagerly agree and soon we’re just high enough to clear the treetops and splash down again. I’m ready to see bears!
We walk to the falls and put our name on the list to get on the viewing platform. There’s only 40 people allowed at a time and you can spend one hour out there at a time. The wait was long so we walked to the ripples, just down from the falls where sows and cubs fish for salmon. After that short hike, we decide to hike to the bridge and pit toilets about 1.3 miles away. We had barely gotten off the platform when we were surprised by a sow and her 3 two year old cubs. Yikes! We remained calm and talked to mama in hushed voices watching her every move. Each time we took three steps back she came two steps forward. One of the cubs came around her to say hello. Mama was not happy but soon the cub realized mom was not happy so he rejoined his family as she walked beside us and up the trail.
Katmai is an amazing park and well worth the time and expense to get there.
Alaska is synonymous with salmon. We decided to try and get a last minute fishing charter for July 12th… I was calling boat captains on the 11th, lol, hoping to get lucky.
After several calls and referrals, I called John at Inn and Out Charters in Seward. He was not taking his boat out but for some reason agreed to take us. It would just be Capt. John, my favorite man, and me.
It was about a 2 hour ride down to Seward so we were up at 4am. The boat was the Nauti Girl…somehow that just seemed appropriate. Off we went searching for silver salmon. The day was warm and clear and we saw bald eagles, seals, sea lions, and whales. There was so much wildlife it was hard to focus on fishing but Capt John was awesome. I caught the first fish and was first to catch my limit of salmon and rockfish.
Capt. John expertly fileted our fish so we could take it to the shipping dock to send home. He have us a bag full of rockfish and sent us to the Apollo restaurant in Seward where we asked for Capt. John’s fish dinner for two. They fried some and grilled some for us. This had to be some of the best fish I’ve ever had and definitely the freshest!
We decided to explore the Kenai Peninsula today and head to Homer, Alaska. This drive past Beluga Bay and on to the Peninsula was some of the best scenery in Alaska. On the 222 mile ride down we saw Moose and 3 volcanoes. Mt. Illiamna was the most spectacular and the picture is here. The stratovolcano is over 3,000 feet high and sits near Cook Inlet. It is still venting.
We stopped at a small restaurant on the fringe of Homer and had halibut because Homer is the halibut capital of the world. It’s a light tasty fish that can be seasoned any way you like.
We continued down to the Homer Spit. The spit is a 4.5 mile piece of land jutting out in to the bay. There are lots of little tourist shops and restaurants here. There’s a campground or two and a few boats in the marina. It also docks cruise ships and one was in port during our visit.
We also visited the Alaskan Island and Oceans Visitor center where we walked along the salty marsh viewing birds and animals.
The ride back was good but it was a long day. We stopped at Tournagain Arm Pit BBQ in Anchorage on our way back to the hotel.
After sleeping it off in Tok, we were anxious to get down to Anchorage. At 317 miles, this would be an easy day down Al-1 we thought. We’ve booked a rental car to get some needed time off the bike. It was dreary and cold as we rode. The road surface was not too bad but there are few gas stations and even less food until you get close to Wasilla, so do not pass up gas.
About midway there is one gas station with porta johns and 3 small food truck type vendors. There is no indoor seating but luckily the coffee shop had standing room. We chatted with a nice couple while drinking a mocha and eating a $5.00 3 inch square frozen cheese pizza…and we were glad to get it and be out of the drizzle and cold for awhile.
Coming in to Anchorage seeing an expressway with more than one lane each way made us rejoice at the thought of getting a good cup of coffee but instantly miss the solitude we had for the last 5 days. For the first time in a long time, we paid at the gas pump with our credit card!
We checked in to the Hampton Inn, split to get the rental then headed to Girdwood for dinner at Jack Sprat. We had no reservations and got lucky to get a table in 30 minutes or so. Make a reservation if you go. They’re on the Opentable App. Girdwood is a ski town about 30 miles south of Anchorage that courts summer tourists with glacier views and great food.
The weather cleared and the drive along Beluga Bay was stunning. This was also the first time we really noticed how light it was at 10:30 pm. We also noticed that the mosquitos weren’t quite as bad as they had been in Canada.
The food was delicious and scenery made our first night in Anchorage memorable.
Waking up in Teslin, Yukon looking forward to making it to Alaska. Our goal was to make it to Tok, AK (pronounced with a long “O”). After a muffin, coffee, and gas we start out on another long day on the Al-Can. Its a cloudy day with rain and cool temps in the forecast. The ride will be long and will take us along the border of Kluane National Park and around Destruction Bay. The rain and fog settles in on us and I’m grateful for my heated jacket and gloves along with my waterproof Firstgear Kilimanjaro jacket and pants. We have lunch at a small bar/cafe in Haines Junction and meet two other adventure riders from Seattle heading home but looking for a new route because of the raging wildfires in Brittish Columbia. There was a pinup map on the wall and for the first time, we realized just how far we had come and how much further we had to go on this adventure. The fog was so thick we could barely see the tall peaks of Kluane. Kluane National Park shares mountains with Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska (the largest national park in the US). Ever heard of it? I hadn’t either until planning for this trip.
On we rode, knowing Alaska was possible today. Eventually the sun came out and warmth returned. The Al-Can highway for the last 100 miles up to Beaver Creek, Yukon were unpredictable. There were lots of weird construction zones but since it was Sunday they were unmanned. Lots of gravel, mud and sharp hills and turns in the construction zones as they detoured you off the road. Be warned, when you see an orange flag or sign, slow down. Remember to use only your back brakes on gravel.
There’s one stop for gas in Beaver Creek that has high octane gas. The 1202 Motor Inn and gas station offered us a chance to get a much needed water and rest. When you pull in the gravel lot, you’re greeted by dusty motorcyclists sitting on the porch or readjusting their gear on their bikes.
Whenever I pull in somewhere people always notice I’m a girl. A conversation strikes up and my favorite man and I listen to the stories from the riders. A guy from Chicago walked up as we were admiring an older BMW motorcycle. He proudly told us he was from Chicago and that the bike had been rescued from the junk yard. There was so much pride in his face. Then he showed us the kickstand he fashioned from a stick.
There’s a couple of good lessons here. Recycle, be creative, be adventurous. Get out there. Make friends.
We left the store for the Alaskan border and on to Tok, Alaska where a comfy cabin was waiting on us. Reaching the border felt good. Something that once seemed impossible was not only possible, it was done.
Recycled BMW with stick kickstand
We ate at Fast Eddies in Tok. It’s the only restaurant there really. The Burnt Paw Cabin was clean and comfy and I was grateful for sleep.
Woke up, had breakfast at the lodge, fueled up and sat off for Teslin, Yukon by way of the Cassiar Highway. This road is in decent shape, mostly hard scrabble. I’ll talk lots about the roads in Alaska and Canada. Hard scrabble is where rocks are thrown on hot asphalt. No grading, no nothing. Excess gravel can peel off at any time. There are some lines on the road but no shoulders on the road. There is little elevation change and no guardrails. There are a few rest stops with pit toilets and enough gas for motorcycles along the way. Do not pass up a gas station.
This road is desolate. We saw maybe 200 cars in 2 days of driving. Book rooms in advance or bring a tent. Lots of bears along the road. It’s 495 miles and you will be glad to get off it. For us the end was at the 37 Junction, our first ride on the Alaskan Highway.
We kept seeing signs for the 37 Junction while on the Cassiar and had high hopes for a coffee shop, Tim Hortons or a credit card pay at the pump. Alas, all we found was a small store with old pumps and toilets in a barn…and herds of mosquitos, the national bird of the Yukon.
We headed on to Teslin and the Yukon Motel and cafe for the night. The room was ok but the view and cafe was excellent. They have a great wildlife museum there. This part of the Al-Can Highway is isolated and we saw our first moose cross the road in front of us.
Day 3. Riding 4.5 hours to reach the Cassiar Highway. The dessert is gone and now snow covered mountains abound. It is chilly, 68 degrees and damp. I’m excited to reach the Cassiar but enjoyed our ride up. Saw 2 bald eagles and a bear.
The Cassiar is not disappointing. It’s a long lonely road with beautiful scenery. There’s been 2 gas stations and I was glad to have booked a cabin at Bell2 Lodge. Saw 2 more bears. The lodge is great and they served dinner until 8 pm. Tomorrow is a full day on the Cassiar and we will ride with heated gear.
