Adventures By Guy

I was glad we got to see those mountains last night when the evening sun was shining on them. It was sprinkling and clouds were camped out on the mountain tops this morning. We found out that everything is closed in Stewart on a Sunday morning. No breakfast. We mounted up to go see if we could get lucky and see bears snagging salmon in the little river. Cold fish creek in the Tongrass National Forest. You have to pay $7 to get in. I was surprised I had too because President Trump signed something that allowed Veterans and Gold Star families to get into National parks and federal lands for free. They don’t sell tickets there. You have to get them on line. There is no cell reception out there. So ride back to town a few miles. We saw a sign get tickets here. The website is so confusing the the proprietor has it on her phone and charges you a dollar to do it as you have to print it out and take it back to the ranger. She says it covers her paper and ink. How many times a day do you do this? Between 150 and 200. This only started last year! This is ridiculous!!! I am going to call Washington and chew out whomever made that terrible decision to do it this way. They should go back to selling them out thete. Said she… But we bought some stickers and I also bought some fudge. It is bringing business to your store why would you want that to stop? Because it is a pain in the *** for people and some people give up trying to do it and they leave. It used to be password protected. That’s how messed up this government website is. Ok.
Now about that fudge. Wow, it is very good. I got orange swirl, raspberry swirl, Maple Nut, and and one I haven’t tried. I didn’t get the cookies and cream. All of it has been exceptionally good.

20 miles past the Bear observation deck up a washboard gravel road is the largest glacier in North America… but I didn’t go.
I thought watching the Salmon was a very neat thing. The females make Redds (nests in the gravel) and a male stays there waiting and chases off other males. Other males are just hanging around. A bear finally showed up and chased the fish a bit and got one by the head. He walks out and he didn’t just drop it he flipped his head up and let go and the fish somersaults in the air and then the bear put a paw on it and starts to eat. After his meal he went to the river and got a drink. Then eventually he goes in again and caught one against the bank. After that it looked like he was going tonsettle down in the grass. So I started walking back taking video of the fish. Then I see the ranger and she goes… he just caught another one. I guess I should have stayed! Oh well!
Mike and Jeff were talking and I said I would meet them at the gift store as they said they wanted to come back for coffee. I just happened to be inside when they went by as they had changed their mind about stopping. . I didn’t know so I sat on the porch in a comfortable chair and ate fudge and some left over cheese for breakfast. I was there probably 30 minutes. Very relaxing as no sound but the wind and someone using a hammer in the distance. I finally got up and drive into Canada for some gas… and got cell reception and saw they headed for the Junction for gas and food 20 miles away over 30 minute ago. Ok then… I put the GoPro on my helmet and took my sweet time enjoying those mountains and waterfalls with the clouds kissing the top of them.
Got out to the junction and topped off my tank Mike walked over from the restaurant. Ok, I hadn’t planned on eating but as they were there I ordered. About that time they got up and said we’re going but you can catch up. I finally did 400 miles later. But when they left a guy from West Virginia I saw by the pumps walked in. I waved him over and we had lunch together. He is going to no further north. He has a month off and by going to Hyder he made it to the southern most town in Alaska. Looks to me as if it is dieing on the vine. We said by and I hit the road and put the cruise control on 70 mph. 100 miles later I am looking ahead and seeing big clouds getting darker and darker. Oh boy, rain. I was within 35 miles of my next gas stop and wanted to make it there but I was pointing right at the rain. But I looked on the GPS and saw there might be a chance as the road turned away at the very end. I made it to the gas station with just a few sprinkles hitting me. I was just going to close my vents on my suit, change into rain gloves and keep going. I looked up as I was gassing up and saw a guy walking towards me. Hey, I know you! Hi Guy, which way are you headed? East towards that storm. So are Darren and I but we’re going to try and wait it out. Come on inside and wait with us. Not my style to wait out rain but hey… it’s with two other Super Tenere riders we met these guys over breakfast up in Destruction Bay the day we crossed into Alaska. We had seen them one other time too. Sure, so in we went. Had a real interesting conversation and I think I discovered what my next adventure is going to be. Curtis has been a professional fisherman most of his life and in the off season has run a construction company. In retirement he just bought a 53′ Skookum (?) Tuna fishing boat. He is going to chase Tuna from San Diego up to Canada. I asked him if I could come along to help. He said we will talk later. First he has to close the deal. He has earnest money down now. Yippee! Now the rain had actually passed in the 30 or 40 minutes we had been sitting there. We said our goodbyes and I left and then had 265 more miles to go. I was closing in on Vanderhoof where we were staying the night. I saw two big bull moose in a marsh, and a deer as she decided to turn back off the road. Then hit town. Everything but fast food closes at 8 or 9 pm. Fast food at 10. I made it to an A&W.
So I tell Jeff about my day. I get done and he says… I gotta tell you about my experience! He said he was doing 80 down 16 which is a lot farther south than we were this morning and he sees something by the Jersey Barrier. Then he realized it was a grizzly and it was about to walk into the road. He hit both brakes hard and it turned back. With all 4 feet on the pavement it hopped to the top of the Jersey Barrier, stood there, looked at him then hopped off to the other side. Jeff said for a minute there I thought I was dead… either by hitting it at speed or hitting it enough so if I wasn’t dead it would maul me for attacking it!
After dodging that first rain that set the theme for the next 265 miles. Weaving my way through the mountains and I was looking at two major lines of Storms but the road always turned in time to avoid them. I woul come air really wet pavement so I knew I had missed them by just minutes. Yay! 400 miles today and really didn’t start until noon. It was kinda nice traveling somewhat independently today. Stopped when I wanted to and got going when I felt like it.
I ordered a new tire. Sent it to my sister’s address. That may give here a clue I will be showing up soon…