We Survived the Bears, Now we Have to Survive the Fires

After 9 bear encounters (while bicycling) we thought we were in the clear. What laid around the corner?? Forest Fires! One day there were 700+ forest fires burning. Our planned route soon had closed roads and evacuated towns. The ash in the air gave you headaches and sore throats. We were forced to change our route from Whistler to the Fraser Canyon.

The canyon itself was quite a sight to see. Initially it was a desert with temps of 106 degrees. After 75 miles it changed to a rain forest. We welcomed the cooler temps. After the canyon we met some friends and went to Vancouver to their home. They were bound and determined to spoil us and they did. Alice and Dave made Vancouver very memorable with one last hurrah before we ended our foreign travel.

Mile Post 0 of the Alaskan Highway

We've finally hit Mile Post 0 of the Alaskan Highway in Dawson Creek. We have cycled 1650 miles from Anchorage in 30 days and still have 650 miles before we reach Vancouver! This is a big, vast country! We are ready to hit more populated areas where food and water are more dependable.

The terrain is beautiful but after seeing it day after day for 7-8 hours on the bike (70-90+ miles a day), it is starting to become monotonous. The Canadian Mountains and the heat (which is now reaching 100+ degrees) are challenging. It is definitly toughening us up. All in all we are really enjoying it and loving all the friendly people that we are meeting along the way.

Photos of: sunset in northern BC, Ward catching fish for supper, sign for chains on tires (never a good sign for cyclists) and the Mile Post 0 sign.

Bison and Moose and Bears, Oh my! Bison and....

Little did we know what was in store for us as we entered the Canadian Rockies. Not only did the terrain change from flat and rolling hills to steep grades, summits and sections of gravel but the wildlife changed as well. In a 2 day period we had 3 different encounters with bear, woke up to a moose in the pond right next to our tent, saw many dahl sheep, played "chicken" with a caribou and passed by many bison right on the side of the road. Do you know how big and intimidating they can be when they are only 10 feet away?

Some things that did not change were the miles of nothing, the many stores and lodges that were closed because of economic times, the wild camping, the cycling 7 hours a day (65-90 miles), the duration of 4-5 days without a shower, the diet of rice and pasta and...of course, the GIANT MOSQUITOES!!!! When we do come to a town we tend to take the day off to hopefully internet, do laundry, resupply our food, enjoy some civilization and mentally prepare for the next leg.

Biking in the Yukon

I knew we were in for very desolate wilderness but I was surprised at how beautiful the landscape was. The dark green pines standing tall in front of the snow capped mountains were phenominal. It was just as pretty as Denali Park.

Along the way we saw many moose, a fox, wild horses and we even had a black bear cross the road right in front of us. Because we had to bike stretches of 400 miles without a town, we had to carry all of our food with us. We tended to free camp in the forest and a real shower was a luxury. Otherwise, in desparation we would wash up in a nearby ice cold lake.

We ran into 2 younger guys that are biking down to the tip of South America. They are raising money for Autism. We also met up with an English guy who started biking in Prudhoe Bay. We biked together for a few days. The additional company helped the miles go by faster and also increased our safety level.

We are in Whitehorse at this time and we're enjoying a day off of the bike in real civilization. Tomorrow we hit the road again.

Alaska gets an "A" rating for hospitality

Alaska has totally overwhelmed us by the hospitality that has been offered to us. Because of the vast wilderness, lack of roads, harsh winters and generally hard living...the Alaskan people really depend on each other. Nina, a fellow Rotarian provided us with all the necessary fishing gear that we would need and had us over twice for dinner. The halibut and king crab were a specialty. We were also invited to outdoor barbecues while we were standing in line at the grocery store and had numerous home stay invitations. One invitation was just too good to pass up. We stopped at the Midway Service Station to have a rest and take a break for lunch. Before we knew it the owner had arranged for us to stay in a refurbished bus behind his station, he had 2 fisherman take Ward out fishing, grilled cod and halibut for supper and asked us to help him deplete his supply of beer. He would not take any payment. He said, "this is what we do in Alaska." WOW! Hats off Alaskans. You are some really cool dudes.

Fishing in Alaska with John and Molly

We were to do some fishing. Our son John and his wife Molly joined us for 5 days of marathon fishing. We fished the Russian River for Red Salmon and then the waters off Homer for Halibut. We clammed at the Clam Gulch. Great fun and 160 pounds of fish sent back to Decorah. It was a great time to be with John and Molly. Great memories. Now to Canada.

A Day with the Bears - Denali Park

Alaska Adventure - Chapter 2. After the Arctic Circle ride Jeff and Joanne had to leave while the rest of us continued our excursion up to Denali Park. (No bikes for this portion.)

We took the camper bus back to Wonder Lake, a 5 hour ride. Along the way we saw a mother grizzly and her cub come running up toward us from afar. We all sat silently and motionless as we watched both bears walk right between 2 vehicles parked next to us and then cross the road. Wow! Can it get better than this????

We drove further down the very narrow, windy road up along the mountain. We stopped at Eilson Visitor's Center and witnessed Mt. McKinley unveil itself right before our eyes. 1 out of 5 days of the month the mountain can be seen. It makes its own weather.

After Wonder Lake (which is a mosquito haven) we jumped on a bus to take us back. The mountain no longer could be seen. However, we did see many moose, caribou, dahl sheep, and wolves. We also saw 5 more grizzlies. Two were from afar but the other 3 were 2 cubs and a mother. They were smack dab in the middle of the road. The mother was content on eating while the 2 cubs wrestled on and on. Yes, it did get better.

Along the way we would get off of the bus and do our own hikes.

It was a spectacular trip. Wow, we feel so lucky!