7/21 Haines Jct to Whitehorse to Skagway and Back

Breakfast at the Raven was a traditional (we were told) German breakfast with various cheeses, yogurt, fruit, and meats as well as some incredible pastries. The weather was cool enough to warrant our use of the electric vests. Whitehorse is a fairly large town dating back to gold rush days and had many accomodations. We booked a room at the Edgewater since it was labeled as being "Motorcycle Friendly". They even had the basement of the motel reserved for motorcycle parking. Once in and mostly unpacked we took off for Skagway. It was overcast and misting for the entire ride into and out of Skagway over roads cut into cliff faces, steep up and down grades, gravel patches and emerald lakes. Though overcast the light and the mists served to fluoresce the greens of the trees and the yellows of the lichens that covered the rocks of the barrens above Skagway. Once in town we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the bay, the glaciers hanging above the village and the number of ravens. We walked through town and did not succumb to the temptation of the hundred jewelry shops lining the streets. We saw the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon railway and the wharfs where the cruise ships tie up. While there we saw a fur seal swimming in the bay. If you get there check out the National Park Service Gold Rush Museum and the Visitor Center. Very helpful and knowledgeable folks about the Klondike Gold Rush. We headed back to Whitehorse in raingear and electric vests for warmth, but broke out of the rain as we reached the motel. Pasta at a very good Italian restaurant set us up for the evening. Tomorrow to Watson Lake.

7/20 Tok, AK to Haines Junction, YT

We encountered the worst road conditions of the trip between Tok and Haines Junction. There were long sections of loose gravel where the DOT was trying to get rid of frost heaves. Slowing down for the conditions wasn't all that bad though because the scenery was spectacular. We were still seeing the easterly portion of Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska and the easterly portion of Kluane National Park and Reserve in Yukon Territory. The Al-Can runs through vast peatlands in this stretch. We stopped for lunch in Beaver Creek on Kluane Lake. Kluane Lake is a very beautiful, large waterbody in YT and is a halfway point or waystation on the Al-Can between larger villages. It began to rain later in the afternoon as we pulled into Haines Junction. We stayed at an incredibly clean motel called the Raven run by some German folks. We got surprisingly good chinese food at a nondescript restaurant in town. Initially, our itinerary had us ending our day in Whitehorse, but the miles and the rain was getting to us so we made the stop at Haines Jct. On reflection we then decided to go to Haines the next day and take the ferry to Skagway, then drive up to Whitehorse and perhaps beyond for the next evening. The ferry company rep told us that the ferry was not running on the following day. Of course she did not also tell us that there were other ferry companies that were. In our ignorance we decided to ride to Whitehorse the following day get a motel, then beat feet to Skagway for the afternoon and finally riding back to Whitehorse in the evening.

Still 7/19 Fairbanks to Tok

By now you should have guessed that I am posting these from home. Life on the road doing the mileage that we were each day is not conducive to keeping a regular blog, so these additional details are coming to you from my home pc. At the North Pole we met up with two riders from Pennsylvania. Very friendly guys; one on a Road Glide like mine, the other on an early model soft tail. The soft tail rider was a farmer who had fabricated aluminum trays to be attached to his rear footboards. The trays were specifically sized and shaped to carry two 2.5 gallon gas cans. Running out of Fairbanks to Tok we saw our first and only sandhill crane. Graduallywe left Fairbanks behind and began to get into much wilder sections of road. To our right was the back (northerly) side of Wrangell-St.Elias and although many miles away the huge mountains stood out as if we could reach out and touch them. The air was clear and the sun bright. Visibility was incredibly far and in the distance we could see storm clouds and rain falling. Conferring on the intercoms we decided to drive bit further before putting on rainsuits. Our mistake! Suddenly we began to get wet even though in bright sun. We pulled u-turns and blew back north out of the rain and suited up. Turning again to the south we entered the storm. Still in incredibly bright light, huge rain drops begin to fall as if in slow motion. We could see the impact on the bikes and almost hear the splash. With the light reflecting off the oncoming rain drops and the farground smooth dark blue-gray, it seemed that we were riding into a school of tiny silver-sided fish that flashed ahead of us and swirled away on wind currents. And then we were in heavy water. Running in rain is always a necessary evil for a motorcyclist; it happens, you have to keep moving forward to get to your destination, you have no choice. A good rainsuit, a good attitude and good tires are the most important tools when dealing with rain. We made it to Tok and found that the motels were full. We were referred to a B&B called the "Off The Road B&B" and it turned out to be one of many delightful surprises on the trip. It had a one mile dirt road that was flat thankfully. The proprietor was an artist named Helga Wagenleiter. Although she had a cabin we opted to stay in the bedroom in her house. The buildings were all designed and constructed by Helgo over the last 20 years. This was a place that we did not expect to find in the backwoods of Alaska. There was a rustic elegance about the place, and, I think speaking for Eric and Lou, we felt a certain peace as if we were truly isolated from the entire outside world. Of course, we kind of were. But what I mean is that Helga welcomed us as if we were long lost brothers and some of that reticence that those of us who aren't used to living with others such as in a B&B situation, melted away and we were made to feel very comfortable. The down quilts on the beds were also quite luxurious. Helga is a photographer and stained glass artist. Her house was full of little details such as stained glass and mirror pieces around the bathroom sink that were unique. Breakfast is "of your choice or my surprise". We chose "my surprise" and Helga made a "Dutch Baby", flour, eggs and milk baked in a cast iron dutch oven, with homemade blueberry preserves and bacon. Wow! But beyond the place and food, Helga was a treasure. She is a native of Germany, fluent in several languages, world travelled, Alaskan homesteaded, a business woman and an artist who clearly has thought through Many of the issues of our day and addresses them all with compassion, intelligence and practicality. Check out her website: http://offtheroadhouse.com/helga.html. I think we could have stayed a few more days but headed out to Canada.