Friday, August 14th 2009
On the way into Liard Hotsprings I met my buddies, the 3 verterains from Beaver Creek. Met another young man traveling solo by motorcycle. He was on a tour of epic proportions! He'd left with a buddy from the wid west nearly two months ago, and had been nearly everywhere! Up through Bamph and Jasper, the Dalton Highway, Dawsoon City and the top of the world highway, down to Denalli, and out to Homer and Vadez.... he was riding a KLR650.
It never occured to be before talking to this guy that I should attempt to see or ride anyplace other than Fairbanks. The trip seemed so epic from back in NY....now....he was so excited.....kept spouting things like 'once in a life time'...and 'so many things to see'....hmmmm.
I never dawned on me that I'd not set my ambitions high enough or sights far enough. Catches one off gaurd.
There was only one camp site left when I pulled into the springs. Not unusuall for a friday. There was a 'bear trapping' going on in the next camp site. Huge dead animal and a bag of onions hanging in what looked like a large tube made out of green metal mesh. Awesome. Apparently, as I would learn later, there was a woman who was eaten last week at the upper spring(which was still closed). Even more awesome. Slept through the night just fine though. No bears. Was a little more cautious about putting ANYTHING that had been near food in the bear box though.
Oh, yeah. Had my first close call today. Nearly took a spill. There was gravel around a turn, and I took it too fast. That was pretty scary. When I put my foot down(bad idea), I learned how heavy my bike really is all loaded up. 425lbs(by my figure), straight down on my left leg. Ow. Had read a dirtbiking mag at the dealership in Prince George, and remembered some advice...."when in doupt...gun it!". So I rolled back the throttle, and was back upstraight again in a moment.
Oh, one last thing. The mountians are incredible! And appently it's only going to get better in the Yukon! When you come around a mountian and you see the 'wild' stretching on as far as your brain can imagine. In your mind's eyes you know how far it goes. You've been studying these maps for months....but to be riding through those little squiggles on a piece of paper....this ride is larger than I EVER imagined. If I make it to Fairbanks, through these endless stretches of wilderness, I am going to cry out in joy!
