And then there was one

After spending the day deep-cleaning the Alcan off our bikes yesterday -- a process that took four hours and involved some industrial-strength solvents -- Julie had her first showing of Firefly to a potential buyer. Five minutes later, the bike was sold, to a friendly guy planning a charity ride up the Alcan, and we were down to one bike between us. Rather than thinking of herself as being "without bike," I'm encouraging Julie to consider herself "between bikes."

I'll be visiting the Honda shop in town, known to have enthusiasts for old Honda fours, in the hopes of identifying a buyer for R2. In the meantime, Anchorage and our hosts here continue to be incredibly kind. We're catching up on some rest and enjoying the comforts of our temporary home.

Bon voyage, Firefly. Long may she ride!

Our route, days 67 - 74, from Fort Nelson, BC to Anchorage, via the ALCAN, Fairbanks and Denali National Park

Days 67 - 74: From Kacee's Northern Suites, Fort Nelson, BC up the ALCAN to Delta Junction, then Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Anchorage (1,544 miles)


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We made it!

We safely reached Anchorage, and the end of our motorcycle journey!

I am at a loss for words to convey what the successful conclusion of our motorcycle trip feels like. I am elated, surprised, relieved, flooded with recollections of moments, images, people and landscapes we've encountered over the last two and a half months, and also experiencing tinges of that familiar feeling at the culmination of a big trip: "whew, we made it, but does it really have to be over?"

We arrived to the warm welcome and comfortable home of our hosts for our stay, Everett and Linda, fellow travelers -- at first total strangers we met through the interwebs -- who treat us like family and have offered to put us up for our entire stay in this city at their place overlooking the sunset in Cook Inlet. Hearing their (frankly, far more adventurous) tales of travel in the Artic, with naught but grizzly bears and their wits for company, is an inspiring reminder of what a wide world we live in, full of opportunities for unforgettable experiences.

For now, I am happy to have reached a point where we can pause, catch our breath and contemplate the adventures that lie ahead. Today's agenda includes preparing the motorcycles for their first showings to potential buyers, later this afternoon. 

Whew! We're here!

Feelin' mavericky

Thanks, David, for the awesome prop!

Majestic Denali

Wow, wow and wow. In the opposite direction of this photo, McKinley
(which Alaskans often simply call "the Mountain") stands, regal even
75 miles away. These mountains are tricksters, disguising their
enormity through distance, and cloud, and by huddling together. We
were lucky enough to have *two* days of viewing the Mountain and its
attending peaks, first in Fairbanks and today in the park.

And now, off to Anchorage, and the (gasp!) conclusion of our
motorcycle adventure!

Sunset in Fairbanks

We've enjoyed the warmest temps and sunniest weather we've had since
Seattle today here, in Fairbanks, the very northwest corner of our
motorcycle adventure and the furthest north either of us have been on
the globe (tied with Reykjavik, Iceland and the family homestead in
Leksvik, Norway).

Tomorrow, we get up close and personal (okay, comfortably less remote)
with the towering giants of Denali, especially the superlative-
inspiring Mt. McKinley, North America's highest peak.

Unintended consequences

"Uh, yeah, I'd totally like to pay for my campsite, but..."

Alaska!

We've crossed our last border on the bikes, and reached Alaska!

Less than 600 miles remain in the motorcycle journey, from our current
vantage point in Tok. Today's destination: the northwestern end of the
Alaskan-Canadian Highway in Delta Junction, AK.

Our Yukon Pot o' Gold

We're in Beaver Creek, at Canada's western frontier, having dinner at
Buckshot Betty's. We left the wooly mammoths and incredibly friendly
folks of Whitehorse, who had me feeling like a local after five
minutes in a local pub last night (thanks, Ryan and J.R.!), and spent
the day today skirting the very edge of a storm front blowing in over
an endless mountain range to our left (that is, west).

At several points we punched through the storm's leading edge, but
thankfully without too many miles of deluge. (The wavy, buckling roads
were tricky enough as it was on two wheels, thank you!) At one such
point, as we began our northernly journey along the western banks of
the enormous and beautiful Kluane Lake, we were greeted by the most
amazing, thick, bright and low rainbow I have ever seen. We could see
it end to end, and it's western terminus seemed to be beckoning us to
continue down the sun dappled but still damp road ahead. I've never
felt so close to the rainbow's end!

We're now just a stone's throw from the Alaskan border, and are
preparing to reach the end of this amazing time in Canada as we cross
back into home soil tomorrow.

1,200 miles to go

Pictured: Julie examining the "trees" in the Signpost Forest, Watson
Lake, Yukon Territory

We're in Rancheria, Yukon Territory, having escaped yesterday's rain
and cold for the comforts and good company of the Rancheria Lodge.
We've spent the morning plotting the rest of our motorcycle voyage,
now down to 1,200 miles on some of the roughest, most remote but
thankfully still quite ridable roads we've encountered. Today's
destination is Whitehorse, Yukon's capitol and most populous city with
25,000 inhabitants. The adventure continues!

More things to do while riding on the Alaskan Highway, Fantasy Edition

We've re-entered the Canadian Rockies, this time their northern
extremes, and the landscapes are so fantasical, it is as though we've
passed into another world. The locals might describe it like this:

"And ye though the travelers, clad in leather and raiments of unknown
provenance, with magical proofing against water, tarried not through
the rain or fog or fairer weather, the mountains would not relent. And
days and days would come to pass before they would see the end of them."

Here, then, are the ways we'd suggest spending your time while
traversing these mountains:

• Stop at all hobbit crossings

• Wait for Venger or the Dungeon Master to appear

• Keep an eye out for the exit to Narnia

• Conjugate verbs in Elvish

• Practice perfect wrist flick for 20-sided die roll

• Craft legislative arguments to rename it the "Tolkien Highwëigh"

• Make nerdy lists

Scenes from the start of the Alaskan Highway

Things we do to amuse ourselves while riding through a forest larger than than Midwest:

• Refine faux Canadian accent


• Invent new wordless, inexplicable road signs


• Write lyrics to the next twangy country hit, "How Many Miles to Delta Junction?"


• Practice arithmetic conversions from kilometers to miles


• Think of Hawaiian tropical breezes (especially if it's raining)


• Consider reducing paper consumption with each passing logging truck


• Ride alongside other traffic, and shout that they should check their ennui light


• Count the acres, or, um, hectares


• Wonder why all the other motorcyclists are riding BMW GS Adventures


• Prepare to dodge moose, stone sheep, caribou, deer, bear and beaver (so far, without actually needing to)


• Ride, ride and ride through an inexplicably vast, beautiful landscape

Our route, day 66, from Pink Mountain, BC to Fort Nelson, BC

Day 66: Pink Mountain Campsite and RV Park, Pink Mountain, BC to Kacee's Northern Suites, Fort Nelson, BC through rain and fog! (143 miles)


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Our route, day 65, from Grand Prairie, Alberta to Pink Mountain, British Columbia

Day 65: Motel Satellite, Grand Prairie, Alberta to Pink Mountain Campsite and RV Park, Pink Mountain, British Columbia, via the Alaska Highway! (219 miles)


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Our route, day 64, from Jasper to Grand Prairie, Alberta

Day 64: Wapiti campground, Jasper National Park, Jasper, Alberta to Motel Satellite, Grand Prairie, Alberta, via Miette Hot Springs, Hinton, and Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreational Area near Grand Cache (288 miles)


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Scenes from our ride to Jasper National Park

Sparkling

Today's route... to Alaska!

The first mention of Alaska on a sign today, and our first use of our
Julie's-bike-has-a-100-mile-range patented turkey baster fuel transfer
technique!

We've arrived in Grand Prairie, Alberta, on the doorstep of the Alcan!

Our route, day 62, up the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper

Day 62: Two Jack campground, Banff National Park, Banff, AB to Wapiti campground, Jasper National Park, Jasper, AB via Moraine Lake and Lake Louise townsite (199 miles)


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Untethered!

Julie and I continue to have an amazing, unforgettable experience in Banff National Park, and are preparing ourselves for the next section of our motorcycle adventure, north through Jasper National Park and on to the even more remote Alaskan-Canadian Highway.

Our stay in Banff has brought home the power of the wilderness we're traversing, from the abundant, snow-capped mountains watching our progress with their characteristic indifference, to the... brisk conditions greeting us in the park (we seem to have two weather patterns on offer: cold and dry, or cold and damp), to the enormous grizzly bear we saw 200 yards off the road, not five minutes after crossing into the park.

Needless to say, if we needed any sobering reminders of the road that lies ahead, and the magnitude of our quest compared with the scale of these landscapes and their principal inhabitants, we've had them!

We've also had a simply amazing time, hiking and riding among the peaks, meeting fellow travelers, relaxing with warm beverages to escape the rain and cold, and taking in breath-taking vista after breath-taking vista. (Does Google have a superlative index? Cuz I might need one if these views continue to be so astonishing.)

My father and brother also gave me the news: under their able stewardship, the condo sale closed successfully and happily, on Friday afternoon! With this transaction completed, I am flooded with dizzling reactions. First, the elation that this major question mark hanging over the trip has been resolved. Second, gratitude for the many people who made this possible, especially Jesse, my Dad, Ann, and of course Alison, the new owner. Then, more slowly, the realizations that all the talk about "we don't know what's next or where we'll land" has more potential, more gravity now that we are, even more truly, vagabonds in this wide world.

It is perhaps no surprise that a rush of home-, family- and friend-sickness followed. It is an incredible luxury, of course, to have the freedom we are now (even more!) experiencing. But there is also something unsettling about the notion that the wind truly could sweep us off anywhere. As much as I am energized by the prospect, it makes me miss home and the people who make it so.

I am, of course, a lucky man to have my best friend in the world sharing the tent with me, and to have electronic and metaphysical connections to so many amazing people. It's a time of drawing strength from those bonds, being grateful for my good fortune for those connections, and embracing the excitement, potential and unknown of the road that lies ahead. Who knows where it leads us? (The next bit should lie to the northwest!)

Scenes from Banff National Park

Our route, day 60, from Lake Louise, AB to Banff, AB

Day 60: Lake Louise campground, Banff National Park, Lake Louise, AB to Two Jack campground, Banff National Park, Banff, AB (41 miles)


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Our route, day 58, from Field, BC to Lake Louise, AB

Day 58: Monarch campground, Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia, to Lake Louise campground, Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Alberta, with a stop in Field (20 miles)


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Our route, day 57, from Canoe, BC to Field, BC

Day 57: Hidden Valley Campground, Canoe, BC to Monarch campground, Yoho National Park, near Field, BC (186 miles)


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Our route, day 56, from Pemberton, BC to Canoe, BC

Day 56: Pemberton Hotel, Pemberton, BC to Hidden Valley Campground, Canoe, BC, with stops in Lillooet and Kamloops (243 miles)


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Our route, day 55, from Vancouver, BC to Pemberton, BC

Day 55: Budget Inn Patricia Hotel, Vancouver, BC to Pemberton Hotel, Pemberton, BC with a stop in Whistler, in the pouring rain! (98 miles)


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UPDATE: Correction, this was day 55 of our trip (Monday, August 10, 2009), not day 56 as I'd originally posted it.

Beautiful B.C.

(Seton Lake, near Lillooet, British Columbia)

And now, the turning point

Lucky us! We spent a restful week in Seattle and its vicinity, meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones and enjoying so much that the Emerald City has to offer.



With Donald's comfy, centrally-located and verdant home as our home base, we spent our days in Seattle encountering the city, and reconnecting with some of the joys of domesticity that itinerant motorcyclists lack: a stovetop, a refrigerator and actual cookware! There were fine meals, an embarrassment of movies (offering the added bonus of air con), fine swill and performances raucous and ribald. And that's not to even mention the karaoke with Jim!

The bike also paid another visit to the shop to prepare for the next leg of the journey -- in this case, Jim's Southend Motorcycle Service, where the bike named R2 was taken in by a guy named Frog, and serviced by a mechanic named Eric. A new front tire (after putting upwards of 8k on the previous one), new plugs, a brake fluid flush and a bow-to-stern systems check later, we picked R2 up, and rode two-up to Vashon Island, for a memorable stay with friends in a yurt.

Tom (Julie's classmate from OSU) and his sister Emily and brother-in-law Shane live in a green paradise, with daily opportunities to apply their maker inclinations to life's little challenges. We ate beautifully from their incredibly productive garden, admired the ingenuity of the pedal-powered washing machine, listened to these three music majors turn a bewildering assortment of instruments into music and slept peacefully under the roof of the yurt they built themselves, chickens clucking away in a nearby coop.

Returning to the city, and after having a tasty send-off meal with Donald, and solving some logistical questions related to health insurance in Canada, Julie and I reluctantly prepared to leave Seattle.



We crossed Puget Sound from Anacortes, through the San Juan Islands, our destination: Victoria on Vancouver Island. Somewhere out on the water, we crossed our first international border of the trip.

As you may have seen, our brief stay in the charming town of Victoria was memorable, but did not afford much rest. The following morning, we packed up early and decided to head for Vancouver, featuring another ferry crossing (likely our last with the motorbikes).

Our stay in Vancouver has been rich and varied, and entirely different from whatever preconceptions I held of this place. Our budget hotel located along one of the most bustling, chaotic urban corridors I've ever seen, with rampant homelessness, drug abuse and prostitution. We have been reflecting on the social cues that serve to convey that one has one's shit together, or conversely, to indicate whether the person approaching on the sidewalk is strung out, or likely to ask for a cigarette or offer a joint or perhaps extend a cup or a hungry hand. I am rarely at peace in such situations -- my thoughts run to the scale of the interventions needed to change them. Yet, the neighborhood is quite peaceful. The dozens of people we encounter walking along East Hastings Street, despite being in the midst of desperate circumstances, mostly just ignore us. But I don't mean to say that there is simply neglect, either. (There are programs in place at various locations along this skid row.) What's most striking to me, I guess, is that I've been in few places where this dire poverty and addiction and the survival-living that go with it have been so concentrated, apparently tolerated and then allowed to persist, co-existing with the rest of the city's identities and aspirations. Julie wondered how Vancouver's preparations for the 2010 Olympics might impact its residents living on the margins.

Our hotel is also two blocks from Vancouver's Chinatown, one of the largest in North America, and our visit happens to coincide with the tenth annual Chinatown festival, bringing even more activity to the streets (including, oddly, some amazingly talented white boys on BMX bikes).



We've spent our time taking long strolls through Vancouver's very distinct neighborhoods, seeing the city at sunset aboard a water taxi, taking in some high school students' outdoor performance of MacBeth, visiting the geodesic dome and OMNI theater at the Telus World of Science, and enjoying a romantic dinner following a screening of the much anticipated (and well made) Julie & Julia. Tonight, a dim sum dinner and a rarely-performed opera (in the original Hungarian!) are in store for us, followed by a Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art Class held in the pub on the ground floor of our hotel.

And so, we come to it. Leg 1 of our motorcycle adventure was getting to San Diego. Leg 2 was our winding ascent of the Pacific Coast. And tomorrow, we begin Leg 3: inland, on the long road to Alaska! We anticipate that internet access will be available less frequently, and that our rhythms of exploring urban centers will shift to a beat measured in miles. We estimate 2,800 miles to go! Wish us luck!


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Avant et après en Vancouver

(Before and after in Vancouver)

Our route, day 52, from Victoria, BC to Vancouver, BC

Day 52: Ocean Island Backpackers Inn in Victoria, BC to the Budget Inn Patricia Vancouver Hotel in Vancouver, BC (121 miles)


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Our route, day 51, Donald's in Seattle, WA to Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

Day 51: Donald's in Seattle, to the Ocean Island Backpackers Inn on Vancouver Island in Victoria, British Columbia, crossing into Canada via the San Juan Island ferry (145 miles)


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Leaving Washington

Next stop, Victoria, British Columbia!