Adventures By Guy

First let’s go back to yesterday’s post that I typed out… and the internet glitched and it went bye bye.
We did 380 miles to Dease Lake. Bc. Lots of mountains and getting greener. So many big and beautiful lakes. They run for miles up these narrow valleys.
The rain had past and with it went the hot temperatures. Started out cloudy and 56° F which was fine by us. The guys went to breakfast while I finished up then after we all ate we went to get gas. I left for the station first but there were a group of Goldwings parked and two had Illinois plates on them…
I had to stop. Hey, who is from Illinois? We are!
So am I, I am from Rockford. We are from Genoa. What? I live 30 minutes from Genoa. No way! Yes. I also own a wing and a CBR 1100XX. The guy looks at me in disbelief and says… You own a Super Blackbird? Yes. (Now most people don’t know the full name so something was up) So do I and I love my Blackbird! So we chatted and his wife said. We have to get your number. Sure. So two more friends made this trip. They’re coming over for burgers sometime this fall.
We stopped by some people the guys knew in Iskut, BC. I asked how much snow do Ya’ll get up here. Oh, not much. We only get three feet. We live in between two snow belts. About 100 miles north or south they get 12 or 13 feet. Oh, only 3 feet. Good to know. Yeah, we just bought a house in Costa Rico and we’re retiring there in the winter and then come back here in the summers.
Then more miles to Dease Lake.
Today we got out on the road by 0620. Weather app said rain at 0600 and then possible T-Storm scattered along our route all day. They had the 0600 part right but by 0620 it had stopped. 56°F and we left and low hanging clouds. Within 50 miles they had lifted and we were happy with that and 60° running up along more lakes. We came out of the narrow valley and started crossing the flats which can only be called flat compared to the mountains we had just left. But it had burned sometime back. All green again as grass was growing and as usual the first trees to grow after a burn is the Aspen and they were short but flourishing. When we got up to the Alaskan Highway we stopped for gas. The guys asked me if I saw the two big moose in the road. Nope I was to far back. The lead guy was within 50′ of them.
I asked if they had seen the two fox kits playing right outside their den. Nope… ok, I guess we’re even! Haha
Stayed in the low 70’s all afternoon. We just gassed up and went. Then repeat. Along the way we did have to stop at a big Yamaha shop. Mike needed two plastic rivets that I discovered were missing from his bike. They had them in stock. Mike asked. Are you sure those are plastic rivets and not screws? Yes, I can show you on my bike, why? They have one in there with two screws there instead… Mike, trust me when it comes to taking this bike apart. That bike in there is screwed up. Go get two rivets and I will put them in. He did and I installed them. Just cause the dealer does something doesn’t mean it is right!
Now for the people story of the day. We are humming along and planning on stopping at a restaurant they know. A lot of places have closed in the last two years so we were wondering if they would be open. They were. The continental divide restaurant and gas.
These pumps are old and a kid wouldn’t know how to operate them as the numbers still roll up as the gallons go up and you need to swing the arm over. The guy comes out and hands me the nozzle. Starts it up. I pump a couple of gallons. He writes down something then tells me to remember $23.20. Ok. I move and the next bike in line pulls up and the same thing happens until all 4 of us are done.
I park and strip off the gear and go in and say to him. $23.20. Huh? You told me to remember $23.20. Oh, you don’t look like a biker now so I didn’t recognize you. I pay then go back through a passageway to this small quaint restaurant. A lady in the small kitchen just yells “when you figure out what you want come up here or I can come out there but it will be slower then. They had two egg omelets and I asked her if she had 3. I have as many as you want to eat. You want 3 or 4. I’ll take 4. ok, but I’ll warn you I don’t make pretty omelets. Actually they don’t look good but everyone says they’re good. As she was slicing off a chunk of ham from a real oven cooked ham. It was good.
Afterwards I go out and see a couple on two bikes. One of them looks like an NC700XD. (That’s what I bought my daughter) it was, so we chatted about that bike. Ends up they are from Maryland and they rode up to Alaska and they started in the beginning of July and need to be back by August. That’s some serious riding! Turns out he has leukemia so they’re getting out and doing. He then asked me if I knew anything about forks. Yes, why. His forks are leaking (KTM 1190… so fun, but so maintenance intensive)… right Mike? He told me what he did last night and it didn’t do anything to help. I told him what he had to do to do it correctly and he thanked me. A really nice couple. He started asking questions about my bike. His buddy has a Tenere. I asked if he was a form member. He didn’t know but took both Mike’s and my forum names and texted his buddy along with a picture.
Couple hours later I get a DM on the forum from his buddy. Motorcycling is a small world.
We wished them the best and headed out. Good Temps, sun, wind at our back. Does it get better? Sure does… we came up on some more snow peaked mountains and finally get to Haines Junction, Yukon. We eat at The Cozy restaurant. Nice people good food. While we are eating one of the kids working there comes up to Mike and hands him a paper that an order would be written up on and it’s blank. Mike, turn it over there’s something on the back.
This kid in about 5 or 10 minutes had drawn a very good likeness of Mike.. Mike’s ear is not on the back of his head but otherwise it’s close. We were astounded! After we ate we went another 65 miles to Destruction Bay, Yukon. We had just missed a rain storm and it was down to 65° and chilly. As we were checking into the hotel there were rumbles of thunder. We unpacked and then gassed up the bikes for tomorrow and we looked out over the lake. A storm was definitely brewing. We got inside and then bam, heavy rain. Nothing so satisfying than sitting in a motel room after >500 miles and have it rain while you sit snug and dry in your motel room. It’s now 1120 and just dusk out. A few more loud storms have moved through and cooled us off more. That’s good as none of the motels have had AC for the last two nights. Usually don’t need them this far north is the answer we hear.

Drawn at the cozy corner restaurant