Hacking our way North by Northwest…

.....Yes, well thanx, Elmer

However, I wouldn't exactly describe it as "zooming"... More of a plodding motion with the occasional plummet, and definitely leaning more towards the thin, rather than thick. (not all that brave, ye know!)

It was really a pleasure to have met you both, we feel it is a privilege, and wish you a great safe trip. Your posts are amazing.

(signed)...The Anonymous Kamloops Kouple

Greetings Sharon and Elmer -

The pleasure was ours. Was great to get to know the two of you, you're good people, and deserve a huge "Good on Ya'" for making the Great Northern Trek, and your continuing posts are both a delight and inspriration. Look forward to more posts, and also to seeing you on your return journey. And thanks for bringing the good weather with you when you came out here!

Best,

Wow! As usual another wonderfully executed ride report of your journey.
You two do a sensational job of documenting the journey, I look forward to each new posting to follow you on the trip.
It is, without a doubt, a trip of a lifetime. Your photography is amazing, comments insightful and even amusing at times, what a great way to document a wonderful trip and amazing people and places you have been.
I've learned to eat before reading your posts.....
I look forward to seeing more of your journey, godspeed to you both!
koifarm

Thanks so much for your effort that allows all of us to enjoy your trip. Nice balance of riding, touristing and just enjoying life. Best wishes for a safe trip.

Hi Koifarm, Ridenfly & Mikepa....thanks for your comments! Glad to know you enjoy the journey along with us . This IS THE TRIP of a lifetime for us as we are not getting any younger. We think that everyone should do something spectacular for themselves and we have always enjoyed adventures. I also like being with my man! One has got to live, enjoy and have fun. C'est la vie!!

Mikepa...we still have the good weather, except for a bit of drizzle today! You've given us good karma!!

By the way Koifarm...you should have had dinner first before reading tonite as there are no food pictures.
--Sharon (Die Frau)

We're still in British Columbia. It's soooo big...that we still have 1,013 miles to go before hitting Whitehorse, Yukon by either taking the Alaska highway or the Campbell Highway (60% paved/40% gravel) then Canol road. The Cambell highway route would be a good prerequisite before tackling the Dempster or Dalton highway.

Currently we're in Prince George after riding 534 km from Kamloops (Indian translation: "where the 2 rivers meet" rivers from the north and from the east). Temps have been in the 70's around Kamloops and are now hovering in the low 60's in Prince George. The further north we go....bbbrrrrr...! Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the high 50's. On goeth the electric vests, thermals, thick gloves.

I remember when I rode the great white eastern North Loop last year...and being a coffee connoisseur--I always hunted for Starbucks coffee shops. It's my road "beer"

I was told that the great institution that Canada offers to counter St'bucks is the contraption called Tim Hortons..eh,

So being here...might as well taste their javas in stride although not much desired>>>>




Believe me Hackers...this rig of mine draws crowds everywhere. It's nice..but often times a pain in the Derriere as I have to start reading lips while my wife is on the WC. Although they all mean well and are curious how this thing works. It is nice meeting peoplefrom all walks of life.



Canada Tire is the equivalent to Pep Boys, Advanced Auto or Auto Zone. Needed another low beam bulb. Used up my previous high beam bulb now the low one. GGrrrr...luckily Canada tire had them. The housing that held the contact prong totally disintegrated in my hands. So just connected the female and male spades together. Presto BMW computer accepted the damn Canadian thing.


On the road to Prince George..via route #97




There was an area where a vast acreage of Pine trees were dead. The area was pretty hot during noon....is global warming slowly creeping further north of this line?




Visitors Center built of small redwood beams...absolutley gorgeous...picture does no justice...



We've been riding so long ....so here's some roads for you to see





Cabin Art...





After so many uneventful road trips we're finally seeing what everyone tells me to avoid and hit the gravel roads...



Mikepa's future experimental Hack truck tire...



Cold front beckons in the distance...




Rain clouds....oh nooooooo...


Doned our Wally-Mart shower suits. Got sprinkled then rained a little...nuthin' extraordinary. No pics due to rain...
Something I learned from Advriders..next time you get caught in a rain storm and you're in town..seek shelter in a car power wash stall. Prefect overhang waiting for the rains to pass. No problemo as it's raining and no one will wash their cars...whoooooo...cheers

It's on to Dawson Creek tomorrow for the beginning of the AK highway

Great pics.

I love that neck of the woods. The Yukon even more.

Thanks for taking us along.

Thank you Thank you Elmer and Sharon!! You all make me hungry for food and also hungry for a long ride.

Hi, my friends the Alaska Thrillseekers!

Look for a piece of my "fossil" from my 1991 trip up there on my 1989 Honda Transalp. Unlikely, because I came home in one piece and so was my bike.
Also, look for Gallaudet and Kendall street names at the milepost town.
Enjoy and no reason to rush cuz no more Gold Rush !?!?!?

Don't mean to offend our fine brothers and sisters Up North, I have always enjoyed our treks through Canada, but I've learned three things about Tim Horton's from the one time we tried one:

- It really isn't coffee at all, I think, as a member of the Commonwealth, we're still being punished for the Boston Tea Party.

- Remember to ask them to "hold the water" when you order a salad. The chopped lettuce is apparently held in tubs of water laced with sulfites to keep them from browning, we had a good 1/4" (or, I guess that should be 7mm?) of water in the bottom of our salad bowl.

- If you order fries, they may ask "yellow or brown". Silly me, I thought they had a choice on the type of potatoe, but no, they were asking if I wanted yellow or brown "gravy". As near as I can tell, the gravy is that nasty instant canned variety that requires no refrigeration, however, it can be used to lubricate your wheel bearings should you have any further problems with them.



Good Eats (not!).

It just ain't right!

And don't even get me started on "Poutines", as I am a firm believer that French (or American) Fries were created solely for the mass consumption of the food group known as "Ketchup".

..........Mike, I do hope your comments were
tongue-in-cheek, and not meant to be taken
seriously.

Not that I would want to get into a pissing contest
re quality of fast-food (and coffee!) either side of
the 49th (I'd win!)

If you really are serious, I have to say that
as a "new" Canadian of 40 years standing, I
have never experienced what you have, although
there is good and piss-poor everywhere in the world.
There was, admittedly, a time when Tim Horton's
wasn't up to much,
but they have bought it back from the US chain
(who shall remain nameless)
and it is now just fine. We are, after all talking fast-food
here, not gourmet dining.

As for the gravy on the fries, yes...a quirk of the
North, but I've never been served it
without asking for it (yellow? never).
(..and your picture shows a Pepsi!...Ugh!)

Poutine?......Well they are French!, you have to
make allowances, especially when you've REALLY
eaten-out in Quebec...mmmmm!

(With Apologies for the Hijack)

Yup!

I'm not prone to ranting, really, there's enough noise on the web at it is.

Unless of course, you want to engage in a heated thread about the merits of the oilheads vs. hexheads (I own both!), but that would be another thread, on another forum, for another day.

Best,

Excellent!.....And, Mike: 3rd Party thanx
for the treatment afforded "Deaf On Wheels"

Kudos, Man!

I kinda like gravy on fries myself. But then again i like chicken gizzards too

Went to sleep last night in semi-bright sky...this was taken at 10:30pm!

Woke this morning to 40 degree weather...broke out our winter riding pants and put away summer pants til we work our way south. Brrrrrr....

As soon as we rode out of Prince George we could see a change in scenery.

Saw many trees that were blackened (from the great fire in BC - 2003??) and other places where trees were being lumbered....sad to see this destruction of beautiful forestry in BC! Shaun...thanks for the info. on Pine Bettle killing pines around BC/Canada...sad sad sad!!




291 km to Dawson Creek! Rt. 97 on this stretch were pretty sparse of cars/trucks/motorcycles...even cyclist!

oh...heavy mists and rain ahead!:eek1

yeah, those are raindrops!!!

Stopped in Bear Lake for break and put on our famous Wally Mart rain jacket.

Oh...a sign of things to come?!! Those are trash receptacle...in case you didn't know :huh :eek1


Our first encounter of the Ursus Americanus. Yep...our first black bear sighting. He/she walked across the road slowly and we didn't want to linger for close up shots.




Gased up in Chetwynd which is famous for chain saw architecture


Bench made for me...





This used to be a grain tower now turned into a visitors center as well as local arts..



Proof's in the pudding..we wuz there!!!



Some history readin' for ya!



The famous hotel ya'all know....

The Alaska Hotel located on 10th Street just a few feet from the Mile Zero Post, is the oldest operating business in the community. In 1930, this hotel was known as the Dew Drop Inn Hotel with 6 rooms, a lobby and cafe. The Dawson Hotel located on the corner of 10th Street and Alaska Avenue was another popular Hotel in the 1940's. In 1943, a fire and explosion did extensive damage and it was rebuilt in the fall of 1943.





Lots of traffic on the road when I took this picture





Now....about Tim Horton...we thought the coffee was not too bad. Pretty much equal to our Dunkin' Donut in the states and we will be eating there mostly for breakfast. Their bagels n' eggs are pretty good, actually!! We are not big on eating french fries and will have our salads elsewhere...no offense Shaun!

Saw 3 cyclist biking, with 4 bags of stuff attached on their bicycles...must say we admire them for tackling their way through wherever they came from and wherever they're going! Missed getting photos as it was raining.

Just returned from dinner....Mikepa, Shaun and all others....eat this!! :dg



this...


this too...


and this....:dg :dg :dg


burrrrp!!

Now you've done it....didn't get a warning on the food pics and guess what.....nailed me!!
Sitting here with stomach rumbling at 11:23 ravenously hungry for whatever the heck was in that chocolate covered substance tray that you entirely consumed.........I'm going to bed and suck on my thumb!! Darn diet anyway....I should have known better than to open a new report......this time of night.......

Okay, here's the deal, from now on if there is going to be food pictorals and gustatory adventures, the post should be preceded by the nomenclature,

NSFD

which translates to "Not Safe For Dieters" that way we can be forewarned and have our insulin and syringes ready to go when we read the food posts. Geeze, it's only fair!!!!

oserkoifarm

Hummm...not only NSFD, with all that fresh air, beautiful scenery, and good eats---This post should be labeled---NSFACWBB!!!

"Not safe for armchair wannabe bikers"!!!!

Excellent ride report. I bet you have gotten a few people out there somewhere off their arse now!!! I bet a few are now planning a trip at this time!!!

I am having a great time reading this---please keep it up. I know this got to be alot of work on your part to keep us wannabes happy here in America suburbia!

Do you think that TAT will be as good as this??? My mind is turning here now...

Tom