Thursday, June 25, 2009

Day 19 From Watson Lake to Pink Mountain

We had planned on trying to get from Watson Lake to Dawson Creek today but did not plan on the amount of construction that was actually going on.  Wow! Is all I can say.  There were miles of it going on today and as usual, it was all gravel roads.  Some of the gravel was thick too and on roads with drop off edges too.  Pretty scary when you get in the middle of it and the bike starts sliding all over the place.  Very “colorful” words start coming out of your mouth.  Of course nobody can hear those words because you have your helmet on.  But they still come out. 

One section we had to go through was all dry.  So, the “follow me” truck was generating large dust clouds that we had to ride through while following him.  And when you can’t see the gravel you’re trying to ride through and it’s thick gravel too, it makes things much too exciting for me. 

Plus, in one section, they let a few big trucks come through from the other side and as they went by us at high speed they generated even larger dust clouds.  There was a little bit of time there when we could see absolutely nothing but a white cloud of dust.  Mighty dangerous riding there for a few minutes. 

We made it through ok but, as for me,  it was a really intense time there.  My blood pressure went way too high there. 

We made it to Pink Mountain and stopped at the same hotel we stayed at when going up to Alaska and checked for rooms.  There were no rooms available and I could see why.  There was a new clerk working there now and she looked a lot like Alexia from the Ugly Betty TV show.  And she was dressed just like someone from Mode Magazine would be dressed.  She was overdressed for that place.  We’re talking about a motel that rents rooms to oil workers and highway construction people and the occasional motorcycle rider.  Not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination. 

We went on to the next motel and it had rooms available.  This was the same motel I stayed in when I came to Alaska last year but now has new owners.  They are working hard to make it a better place then it used to be.  The rooms are cheaper too which is good. 

On the ride today we saw a lot of Stone Sheep on the highway, Buffalo lying in the grass along side the highway,  Lyle saw an Elk cow, and we saw one small black bear and Lyle saw another black bear. 

Tomorrow we’re off to Calgary if we can make it. 

3 comments:

  1. Hey Harry And Lyle,


    Welcome back to the lower 48. I hope it wamed up a bit since you left? I had my doubts that you would make it to Coustoms today but there you are!! How has the bike been running the last few days. Have been loking for posts but you two must be tired by now.
    Barry

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  2. Yes, Lyle was in such a big hurry to get back to the U.S. that we've been running too many hours per day. I've been really tired by the time we stop. Plus, the last two placess we've stopped hasn't had internet.

    Hopefully, we'll slow down a little now.

    My bike is still dowing the same thing. This morning I tried to run down to the donut place and it wouldn't hardly run on the road. I had to pull the clutch in an rev the engine to get it going it was missing so bad. This is the first time I've actually tried to run it on the road before warming it up and that doesn't work.

    It will run fine after about thirty or forty miles of cruising down the highway. You just have to put up with less and less missing until there is no more missing the rest of the day. I'll get it figured out when I get home.

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  3. Welcome Home:

    It has been a long trip Harry. Welcome home to you and Lyle, and how good it is going to be to sleep in your own beds tonight and not have to ride the bikes tomorrow. Just wanted to know, WHO has the best sticky buns in Mo., I will try them my next trip down Hwy 60 on the way to Quincy to hunt.
    I have realy enjoyed the ADVENTURE~!
    Thanks,
    Barry Klein , Mobile, Al.

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