AM in R3 & AK

What an amazing week!

Was going to make some significant posts, last night but after sending some messages, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

Here are some highlights for now:

Made it to Yukon and Alaska!









Denali





Kenai Peninsula









Met the 1st two Viffers I've seen on the trip in Seward. They were on a med school victory tour and on their way home to Eastern Canada.



Spent a few days blasting through Alaska, Yukon, BC, and Alberta with them seeing things including amazing hot springs! Split off Sunday night, but not without new lifelong friends.







Made it to Edmonton to visit Glenn and leaving here today to continue the journey.



I'm okay, moto is okay, and leaving Alaska when I did was perfect as I missed a huge snowstorm that would have had me stranded.

So many stories and photos to share, but laters. Hope you all are doing well!! I'm overwhelmed and overjoyed, but ready to be traveling the way home...



For now, gotta go!



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I've listed some highlights, but time for some some day to days...

I may not get to all of them by time I have to stop to pack up camp, but here's a start:

Saturday, June 10

So I left you all detail-hanging with me continuing into the North alone.

Rich, his friend John, and I had an amazing ride up part of the Cassiar to 37A to Hyder, AK.



The road conditions were amazing and the scenery was that out of a mountainous rainforest it seemed. Green mountains covered in lush foliage, at the very top rocky with snow and waterfalls streaming from the mountains everywhere. A mystical wondrous fog enveloped some if the mountains. I felt I was riding in a dreamworld. Bear Glacier was amazing!!









Once we got to Hyder, there was no American check point. Went right in and had a looksee...no, I did not get Hyderized, I would have been flat on the floor!! No time to go see the huge glacier, but had fun looking around.



Took photos, and made sure to include a special drawing I've been carrying around. This drawing was made for me by a special little creative joyous girl with an adventurous curious spirit like mine. How fun to snap photos with it and have her vicariously travel with me!! <3 <3



In Canada and U.S. at same time!





Went to the end of the road in Hyder.









When we were finished in Hyder, we did have to go through the Candian customs that was there...pull out passport and all full questions. Seemed silly when they saw us cross, take photos, with no where to go but right back in to B.C., but I understand safety. They let me in!

I LOVE BC!! <3 <3



Rich elected to zoom off up the road alone back to to Meziadin Junction (where 37A begins and ends, but John and I took our time to soak in the magic of the place.



Continued...

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Saturday, June 10, Continued

Rich was there waiting for us and we talked about him going south and me heading north on my own so thats just what we did. We said our goodbyes and he left south with John and I north into the great unknown for me.

Typical muddy gas stops throughout northern BC and Yukon:



After leaving Meziadin Junction, B.C., I continued north on the Cassiar Highway.

Gorgeous ride, road good and great in some spots all the way up to around Kinaskin Provincial Park.





First gas stop was at Bell II where I saw a heli take off...sooo cool!!



There's the heli in the distance...



Somewhere around Kinaskin the road started being inconsistent: no painted lines, road then small shoulder (softest times) then drop off, gravel at times surprising...nothing too tricky though if one is paying attention.

This is where I faces death head on with a semi. I was on an unpainted part of the road, about 100 km/h, up a steep hill. As I crest the hill a semi is in my lane trying to pass a truck.

No time to react (speed up, slow down), no time to swerve between them, no substantial shoulder to go to.

In that split second my brain assessed the situation, my only option was to hold the line on the right edge of the road and hope for the best. The semi trailer was violently swinging as the driver was going super fast...uphill pass :/...and I just kept hoping that the semi driver realized I was staying put and would keep control of the rig...so I wouldn't smash into the front or side of rig or into ditch (I would have thrown myself into ditch if I had to).

The timing of this put the semi passing right in between myself and the old people in the truck. I'm pretty sure I closed my eyes for the initial pass. When my brain processed myself in the moment by the trailer, it seemed to be a foot away from me.

As the semi trailer cleared me and the old people in the truck, they looked at me and me them, with a terrified look of desperation on our faces; hoping no one was smashed.

I came to a stop on the road, shaking, legs like jelly. Didn't start to get emotional until maybe a few seconds after stopping when the trauma of just what had happened took hold. I knew I had to pull over somewhere safe. I took deep breaths, snapped photo of road, stretched legs to get them to calm down, then made it a couple minutes to a pull out.



There I finished coming down from almost dying for about 45 mins. If I was in a car, I'd be a goner. More moto riders with me?...we may have chosen a different out and made things worse. So happy I was on moto alone that day.

At least the pull out had mountains and some flowers. Tried to get myself to smile and cheer. I was so tired then.









Fight or flight...I definitely fought. Never know what your brain will do, but I'm no panicky rider/driver/person, so it at least helped save me...or something saying it wasn't time to go.

After that ordeal and recovering a while, I continued on to find camping.

Made it to Dease Lake where I stopped for gas at Petro Canada.

I arrived at around 8:30, but the station closed at 8:00. Guess I was staying there to camp.

Another rider, Marv from California retires Marine, pulled up as I was leaving and we started chatting. He offered me to stay with him in his motel, but I politely declined.

Just then another rider, Greg from Florida retired high school teacher, pulled up and asked if we had seen his friend, John from Michigan retired school superintendent, ride by...heading to a campsite...answer was no, but I inquired about the camp. Decided I'd camp there.

First we went for food at a small food shack. Had fun chatting with locals. Marv went on to hotel and Greg and I to camp.

Marv's:



Greg's:





Made it to camp at Water's Edge Campground and John was there waiting for Greg. We had convo, set up camps, and I took photos. The place was beautiful and a treat after a long and stressful day.









And it never got dark!!



View at around 1:30 am:



I finally turned in for rest and woke to a beautiful morning. A great day to head into the Yukon through the Great North!! <3 <3



Into the Yukon later...

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That's one beautiful moto, Glenn! I needed it here in Sawtooth in Idaho...every single one of the side roads to adventure were dirt. I was wondering when I was approaching the area seeing so many dirt bikes leaving...

Miss you!

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Sooo... I'll have some things to add to this thread tonight.

But as a quick update, I reluctantly enters the states late Thursday night. I've been messing around in Idaho the last couple days. Heading up to Yellowstone area today and for tomorrow. Then Colorado Tuesday and Wednesday. Then the fattest plane in the entire universe on Thursday.

I'm well and thanks to friends, many here, moto is well too! No major issues. Minor gear problems and lost my gloves liners so I'm dealing with the usual skin issues.

Here are a few photos from leaving Canada in Kananaskis Country and some from Idaho yesterday.

Hope you all are well and I am haply to get back home to regularly keep up here again! <3 <3



Idaho


Been a crazy trip. Ups and downs, and I've had to remember to smile sometimes. You better too!!



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