The ride in to Stewart on 37A yesterday was a gem.  I can’t even imagine what it would have been like on a sunny day.  The skies were overcast with low clouds but it was still amazing riding along a raging creek with views of snow-capped mountains, glaciers and waterfalls.  And that was just the appetizer for the day!

I left New Hazelton not so early to dark stormy clouds and a slightly mist in the chilly air.  The lows have been in the 40’s overnight so the morning starts have been quiet cool.  I fully expected to get wet but it never happened thankfully.  A few hours of riding brought me to the 37/37A junction.  My plan was to ride into Stewart and then cross into Hyder, Alaska to see the Salmon Glacier.  I stopped for a break at the gas station/shop at the Junction and pulled up next to a fully loaded 1200 GSA.  After taking care of business in the restroom I came back out to Lee who was the owner of the GSA.  He was on a month-long hall pass from his life in Seattle exploring the great white north – something he gets to do every summer.  He was also heading to Stewart so we agreed to ride together – beneficial for me as he has ridden this area many times.

We arrived into Stewart mid-afternoon after the amazing ride in on 37A.  Lee didn’t have plans for the night yet so while he checked availability at the King Edward Hotel, I went to check in at the B&B House Austria that I had reserved before I left New Hazelton.  Stewart is a tiny town with limited options so I wanted to be sure I had a place to stay.  Camping is always an option but camping in the cold and rain wasn’t appealing to me when I woke up that particular morning so pre-booked a sure thing.

I threw my duffel into my room and then re-joined Lee in front of the King Edward where we started our ride to the glacier.  The ride to Hyder is only a few kilometers and strangely there is no US customs crossing over – only Canadian customs coming back into Stewart.  I read where this is the only US border that is not protected by US customs and immigration.  Don’t tell Trump the Canadians are freely invading the town of Hyder, AK – population 87!

Soon after passing through Hyder the road turned to dirt for the 20 mile ride up to the glacier.  Again no shortage of amazing scenery!  Bubbling creeks, wide glacial rivers and snow-capped peaks around every turn.  The glacial viewing area boasts a commanding view overlooking the glacier snaking through the canyon.  There were also a half-dozen more glaciers peaking through other side canyons around the mighty Salmon Glacier – a pretty amazing area!  The dirt road continues about another 3 miles or so past an abandoned mine (reason for the road) to a wooden bridge crossing a creek.  This is where we turned around but the road continues off into the distance.  The bridge was as far as Lee had ventured in the past so we didn’t know where this unmarked road ends.  Hyder is water locked from the rest of Alaska so definitely doesn’t go anywhere resembling civilization.  On the way back past the observation area we ran into 3 more adventure bikes carrying 3 couples riding two up from Monterray, Mexico on a couple of BMW’s and a Triumph.  They were also staying the King Edward hotel in Stewart.  And then to top off the day I had my first bear sighting on the way down to Hyder.  A cub scampering across the road into the brush.  Up to that point had only seen the scat droppings along the road.

We returned to Stewart around 8:30pm and got to the restaurant at the King Edward just in time – they close at 9pm along with all the restaurants in Stewart.  The Halibut fish and chips were amazing!  We also ran into a couple of other ADVrider inmates Trasch and fjmartin in front of the Edward.  Trasch is heading south but fjmartin is on the way up so may ride with him for a bit as he is also solo.

If it was sunny I was planning to go back up to the glacier, but sadly it is still socked in.  I’m probably just going to head back to the Cassiar and continue north.  Hopefully I can get a second day of staying dry!

Obligitory bike with glacier pic…

Lee from Seattle…

Fellow moto travelers…

Today I rode the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) towards the famous Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37).  I was pretty much rained on throughout the entire day.  The worst came right when I left Prince George – it just opened up tropical style.  My wet streak is still alive – been rained on at least once every day on the bike so far.  All part of the adventure!

When the skies did open up the snow-capped mountain views were really nice. I also passed by several lakes beautiful and rivers – the Bulkley River was raging as it came into the narrow canyon just before Moricetown.  Tonight I opted for a hotel in a small town a few clicks before the Hwy 37 junction.  I was soaking wet with more rain on the way so didn’t feel like camping.  I’m also sleeping in a bed tomorrow night as I have booked a room in Stewart – which is right on the Southern Alaska border.  Hwy 37A into Stewart boast views of several glaciers – some that come very close to the highway.  I don’t plan to cross the border into Hyder – just do the out and back to Stewart and then continue to Cassiar on the 37.

Yesterday I did some bike maintenance – I attempted to seal up the oil leak w/ the Seal-All and cleaned out the air filter.  My gas mileage has been crap so I tried cleaning the filter and airing up the tires a bit.  Didn’t change a thing as today I still averaged only 16k per liter or 37.5 mpg.  Should be getting we getting around 21/50 + or – a few points.  The next culprit in line is most likely the carborator – much more difficult for me to deal with.  It doesn’t seem to be running rich but the fuel consumption is saying yes.  I’ll mess around a bit with the air/fuel screw and idle tomorrow after warming it up.  This current range will mean buying a fuel can for the gap between Coldfoot and Deadhorse in Alaska – something I had hoped to avoid by adding the 25L/6.6 gal. tank before I left.  Hopefully I can get the range up a bit before getting to Fairbanks.

Looking forward to the ride tomorrow – the reviews on 37 and 37A are pretty much calling for stupid good scenery.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate!

Little waterfall near the river…

Below is what I carried for this trip to Alaska.  For this most part, this is also what went on the previous two big trips – except the redundant items like parts tools, etc. were split between two bikes.  A bit more to pack and carry going solo.  I absolutely have items I will most likely not use in terms of parts, clothes, etc, but had them on hand and they were small enough to not affect volume much.

Helmet, BMW Rallye 3 Jacket, BMW Rallye 2 Pants, Sidi Canyon Boots, Klim Leather Gloves, Ikon Waterproof Gloves.

2 Pair Convertible Pants, 1 Pair Shorts, 2 Short Sleeve Synthetic T’s, 2 Short Sleeve Cotton T’s, 2 Long Sleeve Synthetic T’s, 1 Wool Long Sleeve T, 1 Long Sleeve Synthetic Collar, 1 Short Sleeve Synthetic Collar, 4 Socks, 4 Boxer Briefs

35/50 Degree Flip Sleeping Bag, Inflatable Sleeping Pad, Sleeping Bag Liner, Inflatable Pillow, LED Headlamp, LED Lantern, Soup Pot, Drinking Cup, Jack Knife, Water Filter, Water Purification Tablets, Head Mosquito Net, DEET, Bear Spray, Air Horn, Zip Ties, Koozie

Tool Kit, Tire Irons, Tube Patch Supplies, Jumper Cables w/ Lithium Battery Pack, WD40, Volt Meter, Oil Filters, Rope

MSR Stove, Fuel Can, LED Tail Light, Wheel Bearings, Brake Pads, O-Rings, Spare Bolts, Chain Master Link, Spark Plugs, Plug Socket

Garmin In-Reach, Sunglasses, Camera, Passport, Oil, Ear Plugs, Pressure Gauge

Not Pictured:  Nemo 2-Man Tent, Ground Cloth, Small Toiletry Kit, Small Camp Towel, Trail Shoes, Choco Sandals, Small First Aid Kit, Garmin Montana 600 GPS, Heated Jacket Liner, MacBook Pro, iPhone, 2000 Suzuki DR650

I left Cynthia’s place around 8am Monday morning with a plan to head towards Banff and Jasper National Parks.  The best route to get there was back south towards the border and then track east on Highway 3.  When I arrived at the north/south road I looked to blue skies to the south and dark stormy skies to the north.  A last second instinct made me head north for some reason.  I think the oil leak was playing with my mind and told me to start taking a more direct route to Alaska.  So off into the stormy skies I went.

I started getting rained on almost instantly and after 45 minutes arrived in Penticton and stopped at a Tim Hortons to dry off and get a cup of hot coffee.  Shortly after sitting down a guy (John) approached asking about my bike and where I was heading.  A rider himself, a loaded adventure bike evidently sparked his interest in where I was going.  In our conversation I mentioned I was a bit worried about the oil leak.  He said he knew some great guys at the local Honda dealership that would be friendly to travelers and probably take a look at it despite a most likely booked service schedule.  As Monday was an official holiday due to Canada Day on Sunday, they would not be open until Tuesday.  I contemplated finding a camp spot and wasting a day to have a mechanic take a look the next day.  After shooting a quick text to his friend at the shop we exchanged contact info and he said he would let me know if he got a reply.  He was on a coffee break from work so had to get back to it.

A few minutes later my phone rang and it was John telling me to forget the camp/hotel options he provided earlier and that he had a spare bedroom and I could stay with him.  I accepted his offer and killed some time until he got off work at 1pm.  I arrived at his house and met up with John and his wife who had to head off to work around 3pm.  We spent the remainder of the afternoon enjoying some World Cup highlights, beers at the local brewpub and great conversation.  Sometime during the day the shop contact had returned a message that I should bring the bike in at 8am when they opened and they would have a look.  We ended the evening watching Charlie Boorman’s “By Any Means” documentary over some Safeway sushi.  John had a 4am wakeup call for work so we retired early.  Thank you so much John for the amazing hospitality!

I arrived at the shop a little after 8am and Andrew got me in the queue for a mechanic to have a look.  Only 20 minutes later they had my bike on the lift…and they were super busy so really grateful.  The mechanic confirmed it was the base gasket, gave me some Seal-All and some advise on how to possibly slow down the leaking so I could get through the trip.  The shop labor to get to the gasket would be almost half what the bike is worth.  Plus the down time would delay me for several days or more to schedule the work.

I was off again before 9am and continued north to Williams Lake – a beautiful spot a couple of hours south of Prince George.  I found a camp spot for the night, went out to finds some carb cleaner to clean up all the oil on the engine and got to work attempting to seal the gasket from the outside.  The process the mechanic suggested involved laying thin layers of the Seal-All and tissue paper along the gasket line on top of each other giving dry time between each layer.  We will see today how much difference it makes.  Oil always seems to find a way through these type repairs so I am a bit skeptical.

Today I plan to stop in Prince George to pick up a few supplies (my headlamp crapped out on me already), and then find a camp spot somewhere on a lake along the Hwy 16.  It’s a beautiful morning so hopefully today will be the first of the trip I don’t get rained on!

Looks like rain ahead…

Friday mid-day I made the crossing into Canada – easy peasy at the Osoyoos, BC border station.  I only have to cross borders 3 more times on this trip and of course all CAN/USA so very easy compared to previous trips where there is always hassle and stress involved.  I headed straight to the resort town of Osoyoos to meet my friend Cynthia.  We had met in Panama 6 months ago on my last moto trip and she offered up tent space by her cabin on a beautiful orchard in Keremeos – just 30 minutes north of Osoyoos.  After a quick bite at the Owl Pub we took a scenic route to Keremeos – she had just received her motorcycle endorsement and bought her DRZ400 earlier this summer.

This area of BC is really pretty with lots of mountains, rivers and lakes and packed full of fruit orchards – mostly apples, cherries and nectarines from what I could see.  So many fruit stands everywhere selling fresh fruits – I could smell the fresh cherries in the air while riding into town!

We arrived at her cabin and turns out I didn’t even have to pitch my tent – she had a little A-frame the size of a shed next door finished out with carpet and a mattress that I could lay my sleeping bag on.  Thanks so much Cynthia!!!

The next morning after enjoying a coffee with her friends Vanessa and Rosie (also wonderful people!) we went out for a backcountry ride near Apex Mountain.  The morning ride offered up views of beautiful meadows full of wildflowers, bubbling creeks and near the end of the loop a killer overlook of the river valley below.

The day before I had noticed an oil leak seeping from the engine case so Cynthia had offered to ask her friend Jeremy who was a home mechanic to have a look.  Near the end of the ride he had sent her a text to come on over. Before heading to Jeremy’s we got a message from Rosie and Vanessa that there were free burgers in town at the local Legion – apparently a special occasion for Canada Day so of course we headed on over to join them.  After a burger with the girls we met up with a Jeremy at his house.  He confirmed that he also thought the leak was coming from the base gasket – a bit of a PITA to get to.  For the time being, I have just decided to live with it and just make sure to keep an eye on the oil level and add as needed.  I was hoping it would be something easy but seems not to be the case.

Cynthia and I left Jeremy’s after socializing a bit with friends over some cider and took another short ride up along a steep creek and parked to do a short hike up to a waterfall –  well worth the short bush-wack hike in.  By the looks of the faint trail in, it appeared not too many people visit so I’ll call it the secret waterfall since no-one could tell me the official name.  Surprising that it wasn’t more popular as the drop was more than 10 meters!  We ended the day back at Rosie and Vanessa’s place – also in the orchard, grilled up more burgers, enjoying cider and good times!

This morning I am heading north with no real plan for a destination.  Rosie came over for coffee and to pick up Cynthia to go fly fishing, so I said my goodbyes and thanks for the awesome hospitality and great stay in Keremeos and hit the road again.

Cynthia – AKA badass ninja spider monkey…

Nice dirt roads to ride…

A short break by the river…

Quick hike to a beautiful waterfall…

 

I’m finally getting close to departing solo to Alaska by motorbike.  Since returning from Ushuaia in February, I have spent the past several months prepping my motorbike, toy hauler/camper and pickup truck for travel.  Well, in actuality I did take a break during month of May and part of June visiting Belgium, France and Turkey – off the motorcycle traveling by planes, trains and automobiles.

I do really want to offer my sincere thanks to Marybeth and Ken in Virginia, Jason in Colorado and Steve and Ellie in Brussels for allowing me to stay with you while I am homeless (traveling).  You guys really are amazing and I throughly enjoyed the good times spent hanging out together.   Ken, you get an extra thank you for use of your shop and all of your help with my various projects prepping for Alaska.  I could not have accomplished everything without your help.  I’m really fortunate to have a friend with your mechanical and practical knowledge!

Today I am finishing up the last few preparations before heading north.  My plan is to travel in the truck and toy hauler up to Spokane where I have storage arranged while I continue north into Canada and eventually to Alaska on the motorbike.  I’m leaving a little later than originally planned so hopefully will not run into any issues with the weather.  I’m planning to be back in the lower 48 by early/mid September.  I’m hoping to cross the border  into Canada by the weekend.

The bike for this trip is a Suzuki DR650 I have had since 2015.  I had originally planned to take this bike on the trip down to Ushuaia, but purchased a DR350 in the final months leading.  I’m kind of glad that I changed bikes back then, otherwise the 650 would have been sold down in Chile and unavailable.  I had considered taking my BMW 1100GS that went around the world in 2014 but decided to go with the lighter DR.  The bike set-up is basically the same as the trip to Ushuaia – soft panniers, top and side bags for the tank, duffel bag on the rear along with heated grips and heated jacket.  I’m also bringing the same theme of camping gear, sparse clothing, tools, spare parts and electronic gadgets that traveled south on the last trip.

This trip will be different in many ways – English spoken throughout, easy border crossings, only two currencies to juggle…but the main difference will be traveling solo this time.  Ken can fix pretty much anything so that security will not be present on this trip.  Although I have learned a lot (mostly from Ken) about motorcycle maintenance since purchasing my first motorbike in 2012, I still consider my mechanical skills to be fairly weak.  There will most surely be plusses and minuses to travel solo – both of which I’m surely about to experience.

I’ve also recently switched my blog platform from Blogger to WordPress – Google has just made it too difficult over the years to use Blogger with Apple gadgets.  For those interested, our (w/ Ken Showalter) 2014 trip around the world can be viewed here– and the recent winter ’17/’18 trip from Virginia to Ushuaia can be viewed here.

Thanks in advance for following along!

The rig…