Day 5 Recap

Yesterday is when the adventure really began. The day started in the cold rain. We rode through the rain, getting coated with muddy slime from the haul trucks passing us in the opposite direction. Gas stations are now less frequent, and we've encountered several that are unexpectedly closed for good. Or have a sign with something like "sorry, no gas today". The smooth pavement turned into a rough, jagged press of gravel chips. It began to be more... difficult.

 

But then the sun came out and dried us out. We made it to the Rockies and the road finally started curving. We passed the highest point on the Alaska-Canada Highway. Then the road got even worse. A sign said "Uncertain road conditions, next 200km". So the road would turn from pavement, to chip-and-seal, to pressed gravel, to loose gravel, to pressed mud, and back to pavement again every few kilometers.

And we saw our first bear. A cub, sitting next to the road, eating leaves and grass. He looked us right in the eyes when we pulled up next to him. Then just kept chewing. And we saw our first moose. Huge with huge antlers, just standing in a shallow pond, dunking his head and pulling up some plants from the bottom and just chewing them, uncaring of his audience. And another moose, standing in the road ahead of me. I gave a few honks and he ran off into the trees.

 

Finally, we reached camp. On the most beautiful lake I've ever seen. And there is more in store for today.

 

 

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