DAY Thirty-two: Haines ferry to Skagway

Left Haines Junction Yukon for Haines, Alaaska because so many different riders had told me the road to Haines was special. One of the most spectacular vistas to see. Am looking forward to it.

The morning started out promising, riding south out of Haines Junction. The road is wide and SMOOTH. The smoothest road I have ridden in two weeks, at least for the first 120 kms it is.

 

Looking west toward Kluane National Park, St Elias mountains, glaciers beyond...

Then the clouds came down....

 

Offering bits and pieces of vistas

Only to lift then drop again

High above the tree line, in the clouds, Da'mit saw a place where HER people drink water, so we stopped....

Ran with the fog lights on more to be seen more than to see. But then we never saw another vehicle for the first 80 km.

Rushing mountain stream from the melt off.

 

We finally crossed into Alaska at a lower elevation. The road followed the river for miles and miles, twisting and winding along. The people here are preparing for the salmon run, expected to start any day. Campsites are filling up, motels full, boats and rigs everywhere.

A most unusual fishing boat that I have only seen once before, and that was on the Yukon River near Dawson City, a wheel boat for fishing. Up there, only the First Nation people are allowed to use them as they fish for the whole village, not commercially nor for one family, but a village. Then everybody pitches in with the cleaning, processing, drying and smoking. Here are some shot of what they look like....

Three large net scoops mounted on a center axle between two large pontoons.

On each side is a canvas funnel to catch the falling fish.

The three large net scoops are turned by the water flow, spinning and lifting the catch, which slides toward the inverted "V" at the bottom of each scoop and into hoppers on either side, only to end up inside the pontoons. A fish combine.... not John Deere though. Maybe an International Harvester....... lol.

On a smaller river, Spotted a man-made channel that forces the migrating salmon through a narrow spot on their way upstream. A chalk board nearby is updated daily with the salmon count, so everyone knows when the migration has actually started. In the RV parks, large families of several generations are gathering, almost a festive atmosphere before the work of harvesting begins. They say even the bear sighting numbers are increasing, all in anticipation. The survival of both humans and wildlife depends on a successful salmon harvest which normally starts around the first of July. Because so much depends on a good catch, you cannot take a chance and be late. Better be early and be ready, than a day late and starve next winter.

Near Haines, spotted a perfect place for newlyweds to retreat to.......

Even has flowers in the windows(?).....ahem, openings

Arrived in Haines, where the fish fly...

After checking in with the Alaska Marine Highway agent, was going to take a short ferry ride to Skagway, then back up to the Alcan to ride south again. However, found out that there is a ferry going to Bellingham Washington, leaving tomorrow night, Monday. The internet schedule said the next ferry going south was leaving Thursday, which was too long for Da'mit and I to be in one spot.

We booked a spot for Da'mit in the hold and a deck chair for me. Can camp under heaters on the deck, no expensive cabins for this old timer.

So we rode to where the road ends at Chilkoot Lake. No bears out yet, only lots of sign telling you how to act around bears. Both humans and bears share the same fishing streams, often in close proximity. One sign in particular caught my eye. It said to leave open spaces between parked vehicles so the bears could get down to the stream too.

Maybe tomorrow we see something.

Finally found a small room for the night far from the fishing areas.

Nite all,

 

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DAY Thirty-one: A Spiritual Journey

Left the Tok motorcycle campground early. Rode to Haines Junction, Yukon. Not a great distance, but was one of reflection, deep thought and profound appreciation that our creator has allowed me to see and experience a few of his blessings today.

The scenery was beautiful and spectacular, but I have shown you many photos of it. Wide, wide rivers flowing to only God knows where.

Most of the day Da'mit and I were surrounded by snow capped peaks and mountain ridges. Sometimes near, other times afar, but never completely out of sight.

 

Today a new discovery was found in the spiritual world. First, even as the Alaska Highway was being built in the 1940's, the soldiers and workers found time to pray and give thanks. Early churchs may have been crude affairs, but it was what was happening inside that made a world of difference to those in attendance.

Quonset huts were often converted to churches. While Quonset were based on a British Nissen design from World War I, parishioners did their best to make the huts look less military and more holy.

In Beaver Creek, Yukon

Even log cabin type structures were the early churches. The structures were built with whatever materials the people of the community could donate. Did they think that maybe this would be a temporary structure until a "proper" church could be built? Little did they realize that over the years, these early churches became the repository of a communities happiness, sorrows, joys, tears and laughter. A modern structure could never replace nor improve upon the spiritual value these building now possess.

The final spiritual stop today had piqued my curiosity when I first saw it on the ride north. Today I had time to stop and investigate. Only fifty yards off the main road was a freshly installed memorial? Not your typical flowers and small white cross marking where someone had perished on the highway, but a strange and mystical circle of stones and rocks, some large, others small, smooth and round. Then the tall totems with carvings and animal parts. Approaching the site, one could see that the stones were not randomly placed, but carefully set in a design that held meaning for the creators.

 

Dismounting, I carefully walked around the site, trying to understand the meaning of it all.

On a large granite stone standing vertical like a headstone, was writing from and about Douglas Richard Twiss. This was his final resting place as selected, approved, created and sanctified by the local First Nation tribe, of which Douglas was a young member.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that many of the large stones carefully placed in the outer circle, had cravings on them

A wolf

Bear

Bison

Horse

Raven

Elk

The placement, size and arrangement of everything was done with careful thought, with great significance to the tribe and the the memory of Douglas.

Carefully I retreated, not wishing to disturb the site nor the spirits which reside there. There I realized that a whole community had put a lot of themselves into selecting, creating each individual piece and making its placement special for Douglas and his final resting place.

Peace,

Nite all

 

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DAY Thirty: Up to Tok

Do you believe in providence? That some things in life happen because they were meant to be? Was delayed yesterday getting off the spit in Homer fighting with the wind, then there were so many photo opportunities on the ride north up the Kenai Penisula that I missed the ferry from Whittier to Valdez. So I rode on back to Anchorage and camped the night at the Harley dealership. Next door is MOTOQUEST, the Alaska motorcycle touring offices. After learning of the ride Da'mit and I did from Key West to Deadhorse, Phil Freeman, the owner told me to come by the shop about six the next morning, he would have something for me.

So instead of being on the road early, I slowly packed up camp, loaded Da'mit and was at the shop when the Phil arrived with several others riders. He then proceeded to introduced me to Charly Boorman and his film crew from England. Charly Boorman is well known within the adventure rider community as the co-rider/actor/producer along with Ewan McGregor in both the TV series and movie, "The Long Way Around". where they rode motorcycles around the world. Their second movie "The Long Way Down" was about Charly and Ewan riding from the northern part of England to the southern tip of Africa.

Charly now has a British TV program called Extreme Adventures, meeting and interviewing riders around the world. He was in Alaska looking for adventure riders for his program. Charly admired Da'mit and interviewed me for a future program. He seemed to enjoy tooling Da'mit around the parking lot too.

Before parting, I asked him to autograph Da'mit's nose, he did.....

If I had taken the ferry to Valdez, never would have met Charly or have been interviewed for TV. Providence.... Fate.... Destiny... or happenstance? Life is good.

Motored out of the parking lot with the cameras rolling. Today Da'mit and I rode to Tok, where we will decide to either continue north to Dawson or head east to Destruction Bay, Yukon. It all depends on the weather in the morning..... or on providence.

The rain and clouds lifted long enough to see the Matcanuska Glacier... Does not matter what the weather or the temperature is in the region, around glaciers it is always cold.

Stopped for gas and food at the Eureka Cafe. Halibut and chips, coffee and coconut cream pie.

Don't know what it was about these trees, but they really caught my attention, so had to take a photo.

Spotted this old farm tractor converted for snow removal service. Pretty ingenious.

Food caches were the thing of their day in the far north. Stored dried or smoked food during the winter away from the bears. Like miniature windmills in Texas, there are many mini-food caches seen for sale. Here is what the real thing looks like.

Am in the Eagle Claw motorcycle campgrounds in Tok sleeping in the "Ambulance" tonight.

Hope that's not bad karma or .......

Nite all

 

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DAY Twenty-nine:Riding back up from Homer to Anchorage.

Last night a strong wind blew from the west as I set up the tent, so staked it well as best one can do in the sand. Once settled in, and the gear safely inside (sleeping bag, inflatible thermarest, riding gear, tank bag with camera, water bottle, extra blanket which I needed, extra jacket which I use as a pillow, left-over food from lunch for dinner).... slept well. The wind finally died down. In the morning could feel the wind picking up again, Out of the sleeping bag and dressing about 5 am. Up and packing, great until I stepped out of the tent and it blew over. The wind had changed directions in the night. now blowing against the unstaked side. Was a battle to get the tent down, folded and packed against the wind.

Riding off the spit, spotted this lighthouse on the edge of Homer.

 

Da'mit was feeling neglected, so we tried on an Alaska headset. Meet Da'mit the Alaska Moosemule. Would sure clear people out of our path, if it lowered, would make a good snow plow too.

 

 

The scenery was spectacular today. The sun was shinning, snow glistening and rivers flowing.

Took a turn-off to see Portage Glacier

 

Finally arrived at the Harley dealership to camp for the night.

Knocked the sand out of the tent and set it up.

Tomorrow we might meet a special guest motorcyclist. Wait for tomorrow posting for details.

 

Nite all,

 

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DAY Twenty-eight: Kenai and Anchor Point

On the way out of Anchorage, stopped in to see Mickey the Ural dealer. He was busy last night working on his Ural, rewiring it for an upcoming trip. Is unusual to have to rewire a Ural, but Mickey is running a winch, four auxiliary lights, CB radio and other items that require that his rig have two batteries.

With Mickey...

Riding along the Turnagain Arm, Da'mit and I escaped the heat of Anchorage for the cool, even cold air of the Kenai Peninsula. The winds blowing across the glaciers is like standing in front of an open refrigerator door. Finally we reached Anchor Point, the westernmost point one can drive to in the 49 states.

Rode out to the Anchor State Park on the bay. Spotted these four eagles feeding and playing.

Then watched a large tractor type rig drive out onto the mud flats, since the tide was out, with a boat trailer to meet a fishing boat returning with the day's catch.

 

Was getting late so on to Homer, the halibut fishing capitol of Alaska. The most famous spot in Homer is the SPIT. A long, very long causeway, dike that reaches on from the mainland to the deep channel in the bay.

There are a few motels, RV parks and a city campground on the SPIT. $165 for a motel room, $30 to camp in an RV park and $8 to camp in the city park on the beach. The young lady at the RV park could not tell me what I was getting for the $30 camping spot...... Hmmmm, ok, it's the $8 site. Good thing I have two wheel drive, the sand is soft on the beach.

 

The two wheel drive on Da'mit...needed it last night and again in the morning to get out of the soft sand in the parking area for campers.

The wind was blowing hard, making it more difficult to set up the tent. Stakes do not hold well in loose sand.

Finally got it staked on the windward side. With all my gear and me inside, it wasn't going anywhere. Wrapped the extra blanket around the sleeping bag to sleep warm and cozy.

Nite all

 

Posted with Blogsy