Leaving Alaska, Pt. II
OK, I've completely gotten ahead of myself here and skipped over a lot of interesting times on my way south and east. I'l try to start filling that in here...
First, while the road from Wasilla to Tok in Alaska was treacherous in places and the weather was pretty wet for most of the day, it did pass through some stunning areas. During that day's ride, I rode next to glaciers and over mountain passes and through clouds sitting on the road like bloated, wet cottonballs. There were signs that warned of rocks and slides on the roads and for the first time that I've ever seen those signs they were right more often than wrong. As I got closer to Tok, the rain got nearly unbearable (as did the construction for a while), but I really wanted to press on and make it to the town we'd arrived in that first night in Alaska. I was even thinking about staying in that teepee again if I wasn't too wet, although the combination of the rain and the cold was making the motels look mighty tempting.
About 40 miles south of Tok, I came thisfuckingclose to running over an Arctic Fox. I think that's what it was - it was silver/grey and too small to be a coyote or a wolf (except for maybe a pup), so I think that's what it was. It just ran right in front of my front wheel while I was coming down a curving hill in the rain, so there was little I could do. Thankfully the bugger was quick enough to get out of my way, a fact I'm sure we're both thrilled about. If I'd hit him, I suspect he would have been toast. I doubt I'd have escaped unscathed, too, and I would have been bummed about squishing the poor critter.
After Tok, the road to Canada continued to be wet and the construction frequent. It seemed worse than when I'd ridden north with the Filthy Five, but that could just be because of the rain. The scenery continued to amaze me, however, and I was thrilled to see the road we took in from the opposite direction. While I rarely go back the way I came on a road trip (unless absolutely necessary), it is fun to see the sights from the opposite perspective. Hills climbed become hills to speed down, and some views look better the second time around when you know what you're looking at.
I made it into Canada for the second time on this trip in the early afternoon and headed south towards Haines Junction. The mountains there were shrouded in mist and the town seemed a little sleepier without the rest of the Filthy Five around. I got a room in the same motel but decided to catch up on some reading instead of soaking up some local culture (and beer) at the bar downstairs. I'd had a great time in that bar the last time I'd come through, but I wanted to feel a lot better than I had the morning after last time, if you know what I mean.
First, while the road from Wasilla to Tok in Alaska was treacherous in places and the weather was pretty wet for most of the day, it did pass through some stunning areas. During that day's ride, I rode next to glaciers and over mountain passes and through clouds sitting on the road like bloated, wet cottonballs. There were signs that warned of rocks and slides on the roads and for the first time that I've ever seen those signs they were right more often than wrong. As I got closer to Tok, the rain got nearly unbearable (as did the construction for a while), but I really wanted to press on and make it to the town we'd arrived in that first night in Alaska. I was even thinking about staying in that teepee again if I wasn't too wet, although the combination of the rain and the cold was making the motels look mighty tempting.
About 40 miles south of Tok, I came thisfuckingclose to running over an Arctic Fox. I think that's what it was - it was silver/grey and too small to be a coyote or a wolf (except for maybe a pup), so I think that's what it was. It just ran right in front of my front wheel while I was coming down a curving hill in the rain, so there was little I could do. Thankfully the bugger was quick enough to get out of my way, a fact I'm sure we're both thrilled about. If I'd hit him, I suspect he would have been toast. I doubt I'd have escaped unscathed, too, and I would have been bummed about squishing the poor critter.
After Tok, the road to Canada continued to be wet and the construction frequent. It seemed worse than when I'd ridden north with the Filthy Five, but that could just be because of the rain. The scenery continued to amaze me, however, and I was thrilled to see the road we took in from the opposite direction. While I rarely go back the way I came on a road trip (unless absolutely necessary), it is fun to see the sights from the opposite perspective. Hills climbed become hills to speed down, and some views look better the second time around when you know what you're looking at.
I made it into Canada for the second time on this trip in the early afternoon and headed south towards Haines Junction. The mountains there were shrouded in mist and the town seemed a little sleepier without the rest of the Filthy Five around. I got a room in the same motel but decided to catch up on some reading instead of soaking up some local culture (and beer) at the bar downstairs. I'd had a great time in that bar the last time I'd come through, but I wanted to feel a lot better than I had the morning after last time, if you know what I mean.
posted by Mathew Elsner at 11:10 PM
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