Sunday, July 5th – Tuesday, July 7th 2015: Canadian Camping and other stories….

Whitehorse – Watson Lake – Meziadin Junction – Terrace: appr. 1200km

         

Already three days since my last Blog. Three days of driving on through the huge landscape of Yukon and British Columbia. Cruising smoothly (yes, that’s even with my offroad-used DRZ400 possible) on the highway 37 towards Prince Rupert. Again I saw breathtaking, beautiful spots and now even some wild animals: 2 mooses, 2 buffalos, 1 white-tailed sea eagle, uncountable sand squirrels and red squirrels, and even 1 bear unhasty crossing the street. So the days are just going by in an already „regular“ way. I get used to that way of living and feel really good with it J

 funny driving over these metal ridges !!

The most funny thing during the last few days? The Canadian official campgrounds: mostly no water (and so of course no showers), no electricity, no WiFi/telephone-availability. But in every campsite a table and bench and a firplace made out of a metal barrel with integrated grill ! SO I tried out my fire-making skills and hey, I got a really nice fire, lasting for some hours and feel absolutely cosy (still in the middle of bear-homeland). The bigger problem was to buy some food for me. All the stores just have food in XXL-amounts. As because of the bear you should not leave any food overnight ( and I do not have a car to close it in) I made quite a funny mix of food: some baked potatoes, 1 pack of Salami, 1 cream cheese and 1 pack of tortillas (they are really great roasted on the grill). What sounds a bit weared turned out to be a tasty dinner: Tortilla Wraps „à la Judy“, going together with a nice and hot Earl Grey tea…. After that I slept like a baby and did not bother about any bears hanging around my tent.

 

The most interesting during these days were the ecounters with all kind of different people: a Swiss couple at the gas station, the employee at Wallmart (actually a student from India) who sold me the cellphone and the camera), the three retired bikers at the campsite who invited me to join their 

„beer—and-gossip-party“ ;-)

No matter where I buy something or make a rest, people start talking with me. That’s really great and makes this journey even more interesting.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Prince Rupert… sort of „back to civilization“…. at least fort he moment :-)

  

nothing "wild" but my 3 companions on that trip :-) 

Friday July 3rd and Saturday July 4th 2015: on we go.... and women & technique!

Before I start: this blog might get short as I had far too much beer.... more about it later on!



Yesterday I actually managed 550km, though still without sheep fur on the saddle. Conclusion: 400-450km are ok, everything else is worth a message to Human Rights Watch!!!
From the cosy Motel in the middle of nowhere I drove through to Haines Junction and the landscape was still just breathtaking: simply uncredible wide and huge; the color green dominates, just broken up by a few pink Lupinias.



Wildlife seen so far: none! But hey, at kilometer 1350km I finally have seen three (3 !!!!) wild animals. They saved my day: 3 super small rabbits ...... isn't that cute? from bear and co. still no trace. But hey, I do not want to be tricky .... yes ... after all three wild rabbits within 1350km.



I set up my tent in Haines Junction and as WIFI wasn't really working fine I just went sleeping ...
Besides the rather restless night - no, no bears but a massive snorring tent neighbor (10 meters away) - I was waken up this morning by 3 USA motorcycles. What normally would be a nice sound, I do not need at eight o'clock in the morning. Really: the engines running for 15 minutes, practically next to my tent .... Why they did that just god knows.

After I got up I had to do some duties first: tensioning and lubricate chain, which worked out quite well. Otherwise a rather modest start to the day. Well, what can I say: it was somehow not getting any better: back "on the road", after about 50km the odometer broke down .... hmmmm .... ok, then we "feeing". Not bad either ;-)
As it flickered every now and then on the display, I assumed that it just had contact problems - unlike me ..... So I should somehow manage that in the evening (tutoring in "contact finding ....)
Once in Whiterhorse, set up the tent quickly at the Hot Springs and drove back to the city, finally buy a SIM card for Canada. Easier said than done. After what felt like 1000 hours we found out that my cellphone did not work in Canada ("gray-market cell phone, other frequencies, blablabla ...). So I just bought the cheapest phone in Wallmart (still way too expensive) and headed back to the campground. Wanted to actualise my blog and take some pictures from the running around squirrels. But you know what? My camera just did not work; the display a mix of grey and white (Ggrrrr, knurrrrr ....). I'm really giving up now.

I went to calm down in the Hot Springs. What a relief after all these troubles.

                       

Since I was able to recharge my laptop in the Hostel-Office, I allowed myself in the meantime, something small to eat and to drink in the restaurant of the Hot Spring. That was theplan!!! I looked briefly into the menu (with us small draft beer show up always first) and ordered the beer right at the top. The waitress did not flinch a second and brought me the ordered Pitcher - 1.89Liter beer !!!!!!! Any questions? About the salad (at least something healthy), the potato specialty of the French cooking chef and about the price, I do not leave any more words ....
Conclusion: Tonight I probably will have to flee often times out of the tent, tomorrow I will have to buy a new camera and try to establish the contact of the odometer .... And hope that it will be a better day....

Thursday, July 2nd 2015: Denali Highway

After a quite cool and wet night I took it eays packing things together. First I settled down in the laundry room of the campsite: there it was warm and I had Internet access!!

 

I was not in a hurry to break my tent. 1. I wanted to comfortably shower (it had just 3 showers and when I went there a large Indian family occupied them) and 2. I took the chance of stop raining. 

Well, the Indians were still faster and the rain more persistent than expected. So I packed it all up in slight drizzle - hoping that I do not have to sleep in the wet tent tonight !! Hardly set off, the rain stopped and I looked forward to the 200km gravel road on the Denali Highway. Peanuts to drive aside from the many spots where the deadlocked earth looked like soap when wet. Since my experience of last year's offroading through the mud hell of Toscana - I did not get frightend that easily. Simply drive smoothly over it - but always with the highest attention since the front wheel of my fully loaded Suzy Blue something has less traction than it usually has. The longer the way, the drier, the more I was able to enjoy the vastness of Alaska. Incredibly impressive, although with one eye always on the road and the always surprising emerging potholes, one eye could still see enough of the gorgeous river landscapes and forests. 

On the 450km of today I encountered about 10 cars, I have overtaken 4 caravans, 1 village, 4 roadhouses, a few well-hidden campsites. That's all what I have seen today in civilization. However, unfortunately, not a single wild animal, except a few birds. Hope, of course, know that that will change to Prince Rupert. To see Alaska without a single bear - no way!!

Since I was at 450km not quite sure if the gas would last up toTok - I still struggle with the conversion of miles to kilometers - I took then the next best gas station with a motel (not that I would have had a big selection). My Suzy Blue fully fueled and I settled down and had a nice and cosy room for the night. Not really a bargain but I did not have the energy to look for a campsite and put up my sopping-wet tent.

For this, I came to enjoy a first-class Burgers with world-class "fries" too and because I settled right in the bar, even had some nice talking with "locals", drinking real Alsaskan beer. 

Tomorrow I intend to get up earlier: my bike needs a shower as well and the chain must be lubricated when due to give a while ... 

  

Wednesday, July 1st 2015: Alaska in the rain

I got up early this morning, trying to get on the road by time. Wanted to enjoy my first day of riding Alaska's highways. I packed easily, said goodby to the Southkorean girl who stayed in the same room for the last 3 nights. After a short phonecall to my mum back home "now that's nice that you are calling, but is it not too expensive to call me?".... I finally took off

The plan for today was driving up Parks highway to Denali, stay there overnight and then drive the Denali Hwy. heading to Paxson. That would mean 200km of gravel road and what I heard about: a stunning beautiful landscape and the chance of even seeing some wild animals.
But let's get back to the start first.....

Driving on the highway was not really a thing, the only interesting was the landscape that became wider, more forests, more mountains. Quite a bit along the highway was burnt land and it seemed not to be a long time ago. So far so good. But after about 1 hours drive it started to rain and the temperature was falling rapidly. Not really funny to drive but with my rainclothes on still no problem. I even could drive my first 5km of gravel: the street was freshly paved on a distance of 50km, part of it without any pavement yet. "motorcycles must drive extremely cautios" was written on a sign. I think this was more meant for the Harley drivers... this little gravel was of course no problem for my Suzy Blue. The only unfamiliar feeling is that she is quite packed and therefor different to handle. But I will learn it the longer the trip will last.
As driving the highway was not really heavy work and the temperature still kept going down my llittle three fingers on both hands decided to fall into wintersleep. So after 3 more hours I stopped by at a road house, having some nice hot coffee. While I had quite some difficulties to wake my fingers up again the Americans coming in ordered Icecream, wearing shorts and flipflops.... strange enough for me! Back to the street I was happy to reach finally Cantwell where the Denali highway starts. Because of the bad weather I had the plan to stay overnight in a cosy lodge or so. But no way, everything was booked. So I went to a campingsite and stayed my first night in Alaska in the rain with 6°C..... not really cosy but still everything is dry - at least what is meant to be dry.

As the wireless net on the campingsite broke down yesterday, this entry just comes one day too late.
Weather conditions are still the same, I will have to pack my wet tent as it is and am quite curious what the gravel road will be....

Unfortunately no pictures today.... I was stupid enough to erase yesterday's pictures before saving them on the laptop. But I'm quite sureI will be able to make some other rain-pictures today again ;-)

Monday, June 29th 2015: my Suzy is waiting...

After a real good and long sleep I was ready for my first challenge on my trip: find my motorbike and get it ready for the trip!
After quite some phonecalls I finally found out where my Suzy Blue was stored. I just arrived there at the same time as the 2 guys from US-wildlife&homeland-security. They check every motorcicle coming to Alaska and look whether you bring mud or so with you. I tried to persuade them that my bike was absolutely clean. But no chance, they wanted to check it. So I helped them opening two other bike-boxes; meanwhile we had a nice chat about Alaska, what could be nice roads for me to drive, the perfect motorbike for a trip like that...etc. While talking my confidence about the cleanliness of my own motorbike slowly disapeared. I was absolutely not sure anymore whether I washed it before putting ut into the box. But everything was fine and I got the seal I needed to go forward to US-customs and get there another seal. The whole thing took me about 15 minutes and now I was officially allowed to bring in my motorbike.
I hurried back to the hostel to get my tools and buy some fuel. As the bus-driver did not let me into the bus anymore - could be dangerous with a can full of fuel!! - I took a taxi and had a funny drive with an Ex-Croatian taxi driver who was talking all the time.

Back to the storage place they brought my wooden carte to the outside and left me alone with it.

Hmmm.... I knew what was to do now, but was absolutely not sure whether I would manage it all of my own....
The start was quite easy: take away the top and one side, put all the personal belongings to the outisde. And now try to put the bike into a position which would make it possible to put the front wheel in again. Now that wasn's easy at all and in the end the guys from the storage company had to lift it up a bit with the forklift.

 

 

The rest was actually astonishing easy: built the front wheel in, fixed the battery (thanks to my friend Joe who teached me all theses things), filled up the tank. And hey, the engine started without any problems. I was ready for take-off :-)

With a loud "yeeeehaaaa" - that of course nobody heard than me - and a big grin on my face I drove back to Anchorage. Now I am ready for my adventure!!

Sunday, June 28th 2015: Anchorage "one way"

wow.....finally the day has come, I will leave Switzerland and my familiar life for the next 6 months. Not knowing what I will experience, whether I will handle all the adventures that might occur to me on my way down to Southamerica....

But let's get back to the start:
I was so excited , I did'nt sleep much that night. My best friend brought me fresh Croissants - though I could hardly eat something - and I had a really warm goodby from my neighbours. Together with my sisters with families I drove to the airport and of course: many hugs and tears until I finally could go through the security check. I think that was the most feared moment. But once I passed the security check it was like something was fallen away from me: it was not a pan anymore, it was REAL!! I was on the way to Alaska!

The flight was ok, I watched a sort of strange Iceland-movie and because of the deleay we had already in Zürich the change in Reykjavik was without any waiting. I was tired menawhile but did ot want to fall asleep already. Would make the change of time even more difficult.

  

 


But the scenery I was able to see from my window seat was that amazing I just did not have the time to sleep. We flew directly over Grönland and I've hardly ever seen something impressing and beautiful before. And to know that this incredebile area is in enviromental danger makes it even more impressing.


Landing in Anchorage then was easy. As it was Sunday there have been almost no travellers at the airport and I had shortly after goig through the customs I shuttle bus ("people mover") that brought me into town. After checking-in at the hostel (Alaska Bent & Prop Inn) I just went for a short walk. I did not want sleep already as it was daylight until 11.45pm!!

And I found the perfect place for my "welcome-beer" :-)

2 months to the take-off

Time's running and it's just another 8 weeks to go now until I will quit Switzerland for quite some time.....

SUZY BLUE

And that's how "she" will look like more or less - my trusty "companion". Now we are already two in our team - another one will join us. Who? You will have to read my next post to find it out ;-)

In these bags all my belongings will fit: the complete camping gear includig cooking stuff, my clothes and shoes, the tools and spare parts (that bag I hopefully will NEVER have to open!), camera, laptop and all the electronic stuff to be able to keep in contact with you.
It is really interesting to minimise your belongings to a minimum. I will write you how I handle that - will I miss some things? or realise that I could even have done with less.... who nows

There are still some things to change on my bike; but with the great help & explanations from Joe, my dear offroad-friend it looks already quite good - well ok; not on that picture yet ;-)
A bigger tank (that is painted from yellow to black right now), a bigger gear for smoother driving all day long, change the offroad-tyres with Heidenau K60 Scouts, blinkers and mirros, electrical-connections, etc..... etc.

A self-made-woman.... with the right incstructions I can (have to) change and fix it all on my own. Quite a struggle sometimes....

On the next post you will see "Suzy Blue" ready for taking me everywhere

Hasta luego mi amigos....