DAY Twenty-seven: Riding thru Denali NP

June 18th, the days of the week are now a mystery to me, but then does it really matter when on the road? As long as the gas stations are open, can find a wifi connection and a place to sleep.

Left Fairbanks around 8 am, (11 am in Houston), riding south to Anchorage past the Denali National Park. The tourist traffic around the park itself was at it's season peak. Did stop though when I spotted a camera store. Somewhere on the road, I lost the lens cap for the Canon. Did not like having the lens exposed to road dust and grit. With as new cover in hand, hit to road get away from all the tour buses, RV's, trailers, cars and trucks with campers.

Only spotted one moose today, grabbed a quick shot before she was gone.

In a mountain view photo op stop, pulled up next to a couple of Harley Davidson and Victory motorcycles. Owned by two couples out of Calgary, each having their own scoot. Glad to see more and more ladies discovering the freedom of motorcycling. Troy asks me if I had stopped to visit Destination Cycles in Airdrie Alberta. Well, yes I had. He said he was there a few minutes after I left. Barry, the owner of the shop was telling him about me and Da'mit making the ride from Key West to Prudhoe Bay. He wanted a photo of the two of us together to show Barry he had met us on the road in Alaska. Then he offered to take a photo of Da'mit and I with the mountains in the backghround.

 

This photo is to prove that I am actually in Alaska with Da'mit, and not lying on the beach in the Bahamas sipping piña coladas.

The scenery here is spectacular.

By mid-afternoon the temps were in the 90's near Talkeetna. Heat wave, hot sun and exhausted, I pulled off the road, found a shady spot, laid down and took a nap. Had to completely cover the face so the mosquitos would leave me alone.

Finished the ride into Anchorage, arriving about 8:30. Put the address of the Ural dealer in the GPS, went there just to find out where it was so could easily find it in the morning. The owner Skip happened to still be there, working on his Ural for a long ride he and his wife were going to take next week on a fishing vacation.

He looked at the throttle lock on Da'mit as it was not holding. We discovered the plastic had split. Skip said the Honda dealer has them. So will hang around until they open in the morning. If they don't have one, will rig up a fix until I get home. The throttle lock is a hand/wrist saver when riding all day.

Now to find a place to sleep. Was told the Harley dealer in Anchorage offers free camping to any motorcyclist, found my way over there, set up camp and slept soundly. There were four other tents ahead of me.

Is 10 pm here now, still light out.

Was too tired to remember to take a photo last night when I arrived, By 9 am, all were packed and gone. The dealer also provides a clean restroom and shower for M/C campers.

CCjon

 

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