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Published: August 13th 2015
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Ride Day 24:
Leaving Chatanika Lodge in cold, overcast but not raining (misty & colder on Cleary Summit) we covered the 40kms into Fairbanks arriving before Nthn Powersports who had our tyres were open. We had breakfast in the diner next door,collected our tyres & after strapping them onto our luggage,we headed south on the Parks Highway. Through Nenana & over the Nenana River we turned South and retraced the route we had been on a few days before. A few hold ups for roadwork slowed our progress but we still made good time through Denali and onto Cantwell. Whilst gassing up here the first of Rosco's group arrived - they were booked into a lodge here for the night.
After lunch we turned West onto the Denali Highway & within a few kms we were on a firm fast gravel road - albeit with the occasional decent pothole that you needed to be alert for. This road through to Paxson was 220km and all along their were hunters camped and riding their ATVS with guns in the rack as or over their shoulder. The only thing that was conspicuous by its absence here was wildlife either alive or dead!
The surroundings here were scrubby land with sparse trees and hundreds of lakes big & small. Of course we were surrounded by the usual towering snow capped mountains,Glaciers and in the distance the crowning peak of Denali. Climbing all the time we eventually reached the summit at 1270m & 5 degrees C! It is summer so even at this point there were hunter's camps setup. Just before this summit we passed at mile 42 (before the end) McLaren River Lodge where we had originally booked accommodation. As Google maps showed this Lodge to be 140kms further on at Gakona,we had cancelled as the days ride would have been too long. On querying this later by email with the lodge we were told google maps had them in the wrong location & they were unable to get them to change it! (This also happened to NZ Discount Car Rentals when we changed premises -took months for us to get it changed)
Soon we were back on winding blacktop for the last 10 or so kms. Reaching the junction with the Richardson Highway,we turned right after some discussions,GPS fiddling & then advice from a local truck depot.
15kms further on we reached
Meiers Lakes Roadhouse in all its derelict glory. This place was "Deliverance" but they couldn't afford the banjos!
We negotiated a dry cabin -supposed to be no water or electricity but this one had water - through the roof & all over the bunks when it had recently rained. Renegotiating with the monosyllabic owner, we shifted to one a bit further back in the bush that was little more intact. Battling bugs in plague proportions we changed the oil on our bikes,sorted our beds & crossed the road to the roadhouse for dinner. This place had a small museum with many old artifacts all of which were upstaged by the bar & it's occupants! An average meal & an early night followed. To it's credit,this place was cheap,bunks were comfortable,ablutions were clean & was in the right place on google maps.
Day 25:
Up early & on the road by 8.30am,we headed for Valdez via Gakona & Glennallen where we gassed up & had breakfast in a nice clean restaurant. This is a copper mining area & the restaurant had their ceiling clad in copper sheets to remind us.
Heading further south toward Valdez we were passing more towering mountains,
Mt Wrangell at 14000 feet & at least 3 others over 16000 feet make Mt Cook at 12340 feet approx seem like a little brother.
Cresting Thompsons Pass at 840m we stopped & took photos. Apparently this the snowiest place in Alaska where the average annual fall is around 500 inches and the record is over 900 inches. This pass was also used by the Klondike Gold Rush Miners.
Descending into Valdez we passed fast flowing rivers & waterfalls dropping ice melt from a height of probably 500 to 600 meters beside the road.
Arriving into Valdez we could see the oil storage tanks at the port where the pipeline finishes it's 800 mile journey from Prudhoe Bay.
The weather here is warm,the welcome friendly so we have decided to take a rest day tomorrow & take a 7 hour wildlife/glacier cruise on the Gulf of Alaska.
285 kms today & 9200kms in total.
P.s. Ian spoke to a group of adventure riders in town who we were turned back by blizzard conditions before the Atigun pass trying to get to Deadhorse. The Northern slopes of the Brookes Range were iced up & everyone in Deadhorse was stuck there until it thawed...our timing a day or 2 earlier was lucky!
A note to anyone reading this, apologies last night I pushed a wrong button or whatever & lost the 2nd half of the post so this is a tidy up. You may also notice that occasionally you get a notice of a repost with no major changes. This is usually to add a photo or correct some spelling errors.
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