07/28 Sometimes things just have a funny way of working out. After riding for 55 miles I reached my planned stop for the night, Otter Falls Cutoff. They wanted $17 to camp plus another $3 for the shower which seemed a little steep. Well after how much yesterday set me back I’m probably the cheapest guy in the Yukon these days. I said no thanks and headed back on the road. To get motivated to find a spot I bought some Yukon bannock from a kid selling it from a little shop at a rest stop. Yum.
10 miles later I found a great spot right next to Marshall Creek. When I first reached the creek I went left into the woods along an old, grass covered road. I made it about 1/4 mile before the devils of the North, the mosquitoes, found me. Holy crap I never pedaled so fast to get out of a place ever. On the other side of the river the road is covered in stones and it ends after 500 meters or so. There are a lot of mosquitoes but nothing like what was on the other side. I’ll be testing out my new mosquito shelter tonight which should be interesting.
It was another hot one today so after setting up my tent I changed into some shorts and headed for the creek that’s only 10 feet away. It was so refreshing. Got cleaned up, washed some clothes and am relaxing as I enjoy my mountain view and the sound of the rushing water. I’m once again too lazy to filter the water so I drank from this stream and another one earlier today. Hope I don’t get sick but I don’t think it’ll be a problem.
Still riding in the valley but the St. Elias Mountains are getting closer which means I’m close to Haines Junction which is where I head Northwest for the final stretch before Alaska.
Met 2 south-bound cyclists today. The first was a woman heading down from Deadhorse. I didn’t catch her name and after 20 seconds I was looking to end the conversation anyway. Tip: When you meet other riders it’s really not necessary to critique how much stuff they have. Fully self-supported long distance touring isn’t about how little you can bring with you; it’s about bringing what makes you comfortable. And I’m needy. So you have less stuff. Awesome. Can you claim to have the ugliest backpack in the Rocky Mountains? No you can’t! The next rider was a younger guy heading to California from Prudoe Bay. Didn’t catch his name either but he was nice enough and will probably make a lot of friends along the way.
Entries (RSS)
ok, first, stop drinking the water without filtering it, you never know what kind of bacteria is in it.. second, i like your net cage. just don’t forget you’re in it and stand up! and third, some people are just mental, don’t pay any attention to them. and fourth, i like it when you put comments with your pictures, even if they are just scenery. and lastly. WOO HOO!! almost in Alaska!!!:):):)