2017 Motorcycle Adventure to Alaska (Day eighteen)

It had been a few days since I last had an opportunity to shave and shower so that was my priority this morning. It always amazes me how something as simple as a shower can really change your outlook.

After a quick breakfast I packed up the camper and was on my way by 10:00am which was considerably later than I planned but the shower was well worth the delay.

The sun was out but there were plenty of clouds in the direction I was headed so I decided it best to put on the rain gear again. The roads between Beaver Creek and Whitehorse are some of the worst I’ve ever ridden so it was tough making good time as my speed was very limited.

It did finally rain but not for too long after which the sun came out and it got very warm.

Despite the roads and rain it was a ride through some beautiful parts of the Yukon. I saw my first Grizzly Bear today just snuffling in the grass beside the road. I slowed down and desperately wanted to take a photo but idling by at 30 feet was close enough. I also passed a small creek and saw about five swans just floating there. They looked so out of place but they seemed right at home. I just took this one photo because I had gone a little overboard the last couple of days with scenic shots.

Now that I am headed east instead of west I find the morning sun is a little hard to take and seems to make me sleepy. I had to stop several times just to rest and passing through Haines Junction I had a good strong cup of coffee to clear my head.

On one of my stops I noticed one of the safety chains on the trailer was dragging. On further inspection I saw that the link that connects the chain to the hitch had vibrated loose and fallen off. I also noticed that the bracket that keeps the lid (the tent portion) on the camper closed had vibrated loose. The severe vibration and bouncing while riding these rough stretches had caused both issues. I finally arrived in Whitehorse around 4:00pm and made a beeline for Canadian Tire so I could fix these two items.

I checked into the Robert Service Campground where I had stayed on my way north and got the bike and camper squared away. I still had half a pizza left over from my order at Buckshot Betty’s so I had the campground staff nuke it for me. The pizza wasn’t very good the first time and it didn’t get any better the next night.

I plan an early bedtime, a little read on my Kindle and then lights out.