Cheryl & Leslie's Triumph Tiger 800XC ADV to Alaska

Hinton, Alberta to Dawson Creek, BC


We took it easy last night and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Hinton. It was supposed to rain and it did. Plus, we wanted to load up a lot of pictures. Besides this is our hard earned holiday isn’t it?






Had a nice warm breakfast and headed to route 40 from the hotel. But before we actually got too far we needed to make a pit stop at the local Hinton Canadian Tire so Cheryl could go McGyver trying to figure out how to secure our GPS to her bike. We did not get the bikes soon enough to hard wire the GPS and me (Leslie) did not know the mount we had for the GPS was not a 1 inch ball. It is 1/2 so I bought the wrong attachment.
In any case of course Cheryl figured out how to secure the GPS using indoor outdoor thick double sided tape and electrical tape. This is now what her set up looks like and she LOVES it.









Weather was mostly sunny today but the cross winds were at times almost hurtful and I literally mean felt like we were being punched! After driving away from Hinton it was really cool to be able to make that right up Rt 40 to start our trek to Alaska. As I posted before we were in Hinton last year and had to pass by this sign to head home.









Our first pit stop was at Grand Cache, Alberta for some fuel and a quick poke around the visitor centre.












Some displays of the local wildlife.






Next stop was in Grand Prairie, Alberta where we filled up with some fuel and did a quick clean and lube of our chains. The dealer used wax on the chains. What a job to get that off and just use lube.


Just an observation about the Tiger’s center kickstand. Either the design is wrong or we are just stupid? On our Beemers we can easily lift our bikes without having to have help from the other. This bike NO WAY. It is weird and no matter what we do both of us can not get the bikes up on the stand by ourselves. Also, Triumph needs to add stronger springs, we even have a little bungee cord trying to keep the stands from smacking the underside of the bike. The bikes are great and I will try to do a post on the bad and the good as soon as I can. it’s the little things that make us scratch our heads.









Back on the road towards Dawson Creek and couldn’t pass by THIS character who was beckoning to us from the side of the road in Beaverlodge.






This is the sky for most of the day….very puffy eh?









How funny is this..we left BC on June 29th, lost an hour of time heading into Alberta and returned to BC today and gained the hour lost.






Last stop for the day is Dawson Creek where we are currently posting this update from.






A big thank you to Auntie Marilynne and Uncle Fred for their wonderful hospitality!









We will be spending tomorrow here in Dawson Creek and leaving for Fort Nelson on Sunday morning. Love Leslie’s helmet hair?







Next post will be????????? Hopefully when we get to Fort Nelson. This is where the real adventure begins and we are having fun talking with Cheryl’s family in Dawson Creek about what we might expect. Lot’s of things to watch out for and things to see. On thing is for sure the weather either makes or breaks this type of trip. Everyone send good vibes for weather we can deal with….we do not want anything to extreme. For now…..Cheers until next time.

the red containers are rotopax for extra fuel. 1 gallon in each pax. We will need extra fuel a few times on this trip especially on the Robert Campbell Highway and possibly the Dempster. The Tigers are not doing well on gas but to be fair the head winds we have been riding in have been bad. So, maybe things will get better gas wise if the winds change.

Try this method:

Left hand on the handle bar, right hand on a lower frame member. Step on the center stand tang, lift bike off the side stand until both center stand feet are on the ground. Pull BACK, not up. Should pop right up.

We just stayed @ the Lakeside Inn in Fort Nelson a few days ago, nice rooms, decent Internet and a free continental breakfast. Try Dan's Pub for supper. It was good pub food.

The day previous we stayed at the Laird Hotsprings Lodge. Not bad, decent food, friendly staff. Hot springs were great.

Watch for lots of wildlife both in the ditches and on the road, many bison whom do not know the rules of the road, bear and caribou.

Take care, ride safe.

BTW, we could not find anywhere with Internet between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake.

Later... OldMedic

Those Canadians just love BIG monuments.



Shediac, New Brunswick, alleged lobster capital of the world.

We did mention to ourselves that there was someone in GP but being on the road we forgot...should have asked you for your cell and we could have text you when we got there. Bummer!

good info keep it coming...I think we might be camping out in Fort Nelson. We need to camp as much as we can to save $$...but the tips are great!

here is the link to a nice article our local rag did on our trip...

http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/community/124674209.html

I think you folks might be passing thru Ft St John too early tomorrow for a meet and greet but I'll keep an eye on this thread and your travels....

Have fun :)

Not sure when we will be leaving Dawson Creek tomorrow but I know we will try to have a good breakfast before we take off...so it might not be that early. My guess would be around 9????

Just thought I would add a short video of our visit to the Columbia Ice Field on June 30th...been there many times but not this time of year.

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Ultimate thread. Enthusiastically subscribed. Bon voyage ladies!

By the by, Laird Hot Springs is awesome.

Redne

In.

Subscribed. Have a safe trip ladies!!

Will be watching your travels with great interest from my couch in Anchorage, AK.

Safe travels to you both!

Kathy

I'm just the oposite, it takes everything I got to get the Beemer up, the Tiger pops up no effort at all.
Perhaps it's that you have a lot of weight on the tail end. The Tiger on centerstand is nuturaly balanced. The GS on the centerstand is very nose heavy. You may have balanced them by leaving the panniers, etc on.

Today was a day to tour Dawson Creek with Cheryl&#8217;s Auntie Marilynne and Uncle Fred and what a nice day it was. We got up and just chilled with coffee and after a bit headed out to the CO-OP for breakfast. Before we ate we stopped at the local visitors centre to get some maps and see the Mile 0 info. While there we saw these two bikes. We left a note on the BMW saying hi and to check out our blog. So, if anyone out there owns these bikes that were obviously we equipped to head north say hello! Your bikes are stars!


The info centre was cool full of history and even a movie that plays over and over again about Dawson Creeks story and the Alaska Highway project. This building is right besides the info centre.






Still have not really seen too many bikes on the road heading north. Most seem to be heading south. Today was the first day we saw 3 ADV bikes all decked out for the trip to Alaska. Hopefully we will see more the further north we go.
Breakfast at the local CO-OP hang out was good and cheap.


Drove around and got the tour of the hills and some decent views of the city. Weather today was overcast, chilly in the morning but warmed up by afternoon. These are a few pictures from in and around the city of Dawson Creek.






While getting gas we ran into the Mayor of Dawson Creek and he was gracious to grant a photo op with the two of us. Mayor Mike Bernier. We handed over our ride card for ACT and he handed us his business card. Cheryl&#8217;s family knows everyone in Dawson Creek and of course the mayor.


I just love the next picture for some reason.


We drove a ways out of town up to Bear Mountain to see the new wind turbine project up the &#8220;mountain&#8221;. There are 34 wind turbines up there and although we have seen turbines before we have never been this close. They are HUGE!


That is Cheryl on the steps




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Bear Mountain Wind Project

Nice view from up on Bear Mountain of the city and farmland


Had to stop at the local Wal-Mart for some &#8220;stuff&#8221; and of course had to take a picture. To be honest we do not even have a Wal-Mart where we live in Maple Ridge.


Stopped the local outdoor shop, Corlane as well&#8230;this is what we got to see&#8230;and we ended up taking our bikes back so some of the staff could see what we were riding and learn a bit more about raising awareness for Autism. Nice guys!






Cheryl&#8217;s Auntie and Uncle&#8217;s dog Honey&#8230;.she is a sweetie


So after being out all day, which was a good thing, we got geared up and decided to do the touristy pictures this afternoon rather than tomorrow. This way we can get up take our time and leave straight from the relatives house versus having to go into to town and get the Kodak moments. So, here are our Alaska highway Mile &#8220;0&#8221; pics a day early in some way. At this time we both want to really thank Marilynne, Frank and the rest of the family for a warm welcome, nice bed to sleep in, great food and beautiful tour of their city.


Had to get one from the other side of course.


Some historical facts that hopefully some of the readers might find interesting.


oops can not read the sign&#8230;..hmmmmmmm, no that was not thoughtful of me! I wonder what it really says???






Then there is this&#8230;Feels pretty cool being here after reading about this mile marker on so many ride reports!




Since we have so many decals of Triumph and Western Powersports many think this bike is rental&#8230;we added a BC decal and Dawson Creek decal to try and show that these are different than rentals. I have a feeling we will also be correcting people who think we are from Ontario because of the plates. It&#8217;s OK, part of the chit chat and makes for a story each and every time we meet someone&#8230;.&#8221;No we are not from Ontario, these are owned by Triumph Canada and insured in Ontario. We are from BC riding borrowed bikes&#8230;..etc etc etc.&#8221;
We leave tomorrow for Fort Nelson and both are of us are getting eager to start exploring areas we have never been before.

Lookin good ladies! Here we go... I say we as in all of us watching from our computer monitors living vicariously through you. All the best

awesome to hear and this is getting exciting for us....and we have no idea how many are watching but it feels like it is indeed just the two of us but loving the fact anyone can come along!

I was there just a week ago. Now up in Dawson City, just did the ride up to Inuvik and back. Headed west tomorrow into Alaska via the Top of the World Hwy. Will be keeping an eye out for you two.

Here I am with my bike at the sign.



I will echo what Redne Dab said, Laird Hot Springs are great! And the camping was cheap, and they allowed me and several other bikers to put our tents up under the shelter in the picnic area so no wet tent in the morning!

Safe travels!

How you liking your trip so far? Weather been ok? The Dempster, was it nice to you?

Are you the guy from Florida?

Outstanding work ladies! A feat not for the faint hearted.
Cheers,
Mark