It's been rough...

Well I left my camp that was about an hour NW of Fort Nelson early Tuesday morning.  I was thinking I would make Lake Watson. I did that, and I stopped at the "sign forest", then decided there was still plenty of light in the day.  So I made it to Whitehorse and beyond before stopping at a camp site on a lake.  I met Jeff that day, a cool guy riding an ADV bike up from Portland.  He and I rode together for much of the day.  We set out this morning early and we are now in Dawson City, ready to get on the ferry boat and cross the Yukon River to the "Top of the World" highway and ride into Alaska.  I'm very excited for this ride and to be in Alaska today.  Fairbanks tomorrow.

My off road tires still have not arrived in Fairbanks. This worries me.  I need them and I need time to get them installed.  If they don't arrive this day or tomorrow, I will have to buy another set and see what to do with the lost set that has not arrived.  I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Other unfortunate events are as follows:
1--One of my buttons broke on my riding jacket.
2--The top rack on my right side case has broken.  It's where I have been strapping my sleeping bag.
They (Happy Trails) used aluminum rivets to attach it the the lid and the rivets just have not held up.
3--The SPOT has stopped working. This just makes me angry.  Many folks like the tracking page.  The unit itself will not pick up any satellites.  So I'm less than pleases with this device. The second one I have used.  The first unit was recalled.
4--Some folks have been less than patient up here at the gas pump.  Today I was filling up at a remote (they are all remote) gas pump.  A couple pulled up in a giant RV right to the rear of my bike like they would just run it over. So I rushed out to move it.  I tried to get it off the center stand and the damn bike fell over!! Messed up a few things on the bike, my stickers for one.  The panniers, crash bars (it's what they are for) hand guards, yada yada.  I'm over it but at the time I was upset.  I had just filled it up and gas spilt everywhere.  Oh well, things happen.

So time for the pictures I suppose.  I hope they are good.

What the bridges here look like. Hard to ride on and narrow.

Camp outside Fort Nelson.  It was quiet and right on a river.

Fuel the next morning.  This is it.  One gas pump, one diesel pump.

The ceiling at the next gas station and breakfast stop on the Alaska Hwy.  It was a cool place and super busy.

"Sign Forest" in Watson Lake.  I'm not sure whats going on here but there are a lot of signs.  Otherwise I kept driving, more impatient people at the gas pumps here.

I added a sign.  It's our mark.

I passed this road.  It's the road to Inuvik Canada, the Dempster Highway.  The road to the Arctic here in Canada.  This is funny.  If you talk with Canadians, this road is nice and "easy" -  it is all dirt.  They say the Dalton Highway (the road to the Arctic in Alaska) is the harder road.  If you talk with Americans, this is the harder road and the Dalton is "just fine".   I'm not sure but I think they are both a handful on a bike. And the Dalton will be too much if I DON'T HAVE MY OFF ROAD TIRES!!!

So that's my story to date.  I'm a mess.  The trip is going.  It's going whether I can keep up or not.  But I'm OK, having a great time and letting all the ups and downs take me with them.

I have to go to Alaska now......