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Friday, July 09, 2010

The Alaskan Highway

Friday July 9, 2010


I began early with breakfast in Hinton at a restaurant called Smittys. I took Canadian route #40 towards Grand Prairie and on to Dawson Creek at the beginning of the Alaskan Highway.

The ride from Hinton was filled with truck traffic taking machinery to areas where workers harvest trees, mine for coal and natural gas. I saw lots of natural gas collections sites along the way including a large building used developed raw tress into the wood used in buildings.

I took photos at the zero mile marker identifying the beginning of the Alaskan Highway along with three other motorcyclists all touring the four corners of the North American Continent. Two of the guys were on Harleys out of Seattle Washington and the third guy began his ride from Orlando FL.

They gave me lots of information on my upcoming travels along the Alaskan Highway concerning the road construction and the dirt and gravel portions between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson.

While at the marker taking photos, I was approached by one of the travelers I met in Montana at the rest stop. Small world! LOL!

I pulled into the Comfort Inn in town for the night.

Great little town Banff in Albeta Canada

Tuesday July 6, 2010


After leaving the hotel I meandered my way over to Canadian Hwy 22 for about fifty miles along beautiful green grass lands with hundreds of pasturing horses and cattle.

I rode past a couple in their RV I met the day before at the rest stop in Montana. As I approached the town of Banff, this road open up to the Canadian Rockies and the town of Banff and some incredible sights of the Canadian Rockies. I took some great photos that are posted on my Face Book page.

I was approached by an older gentleman from Botswana Africa who wanted me to take a photo of him on the Wanderer. I would normally not even considered allowing such, however he was with his family of four and I believe he was overwhelm with seeing a black man on a bike such as mine. I could feel his excitement and allowed him his few minutes of fame. He smiled from ear to ear, however I was shock as he placed my helmet on his head as I took his photo.

After the photo, he ran back to his car to show his wife and kids the photo I took of him. As they drove away he reminded me of a child who just sat on his first horse.

I continued on into Banff and discovered a bustling upscale town geared to tourism for people who love the outdoors. It is also a great ski area during the winter. The town literally is surrounded by the mountains. It is an incredible sight as you drive along the main street and every direction you look up, you see beautiful mountains peaks.

I was actually planning to pass through this town, but stayed the night at Bumpers Motel next to the Bumpers Restaurant, with a great salad bar.

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Meeting travel friends

Monday July 5, 2010


I began the day riding north along route 89 towards Billings MT where I viewed some spectacular scenery of a valley in between several mountain ranges. I encountered two cattle moves. One group used ATV’s to get their cattle to another pasture for grazing and about thirty miles later I came upon a second group using horses. I yelled to one of the men on the horse telling him he appeared to be a true cowboy after seeing the earlier group on ATV’s.

He smiled and said they would use ATV’s also, but they have a longer distance to move their cattle and the ATV’s moves the heard to fast and they didn’t want to wear them out.

I passed through billings continuing north on I-15 towards Canada. While at a rest stop I met several people all of whom are headed to Alaska. I look forward to seeing them over the next couple of weeks.

I met a couple at the first rest stop in Canada and it turn out they are moving from Anchorage Alaska to Kansas and they provided great information on the Alaska roads, the sights to expect and some key spots to check out.

They also provided me with a book (Very Large) named, The Mile Post, Alaska travel planner. It is literally a great publication of North American travel into Alaska.

I continued on to the town of Lethbridge in Alberta Canada for the night. I rode into a violent mostly wind storm with rains in excess of twenty miles an hour for the last twenty six miles to the hotel. Of course it stopped after I arrived at the hotel. One hell of a hard ride.

4th of July small town style

Sunday July 4, 2010


I began the day back on I-90 towards Montana. I stopped at the state line and took a photo of the Wanderer with the welcome to Montana sign in the back ground. I didn’t push too hard I just took in the sights of Montana. I stopped in the town of Livingston where the town celebrated the 4th of July with a arts & crafts festival, rodeo and of course a fireworks celebration.

The town is an hour’s drive from Yellowstone National Park and families use area hotels as a staging area to visit the park. I spent the night in Livingston MT for the night preparing for an early wake up to take route #89 north towards Billings MT and on to Canada.

Inspiring Riders

Saturday July 3, 2010
I had the good fortune to meet several people who would inspire any motorcycle enthusiasts. The first was a young man on a Honda “Rebel” 250cc motorcycle who began his cross country journey from Nevada en-route to the east coast. For those who are not knowledgeable of what type of motorcycle I’m speaking about, consider it a small lightly powered beginner motorcycle just above a moped.

As I left the hotel westward, along I-90, I began fighting the winds from the previous day, although not as bad but it was noticeable. As I approached Rapid City, I stopped in at the Bad Lands Conoco gas station where I met to ladies in their 70’s en-route to the Motor Maids yearly rally in Cody WY.

One was on a Gold Wing Trike from VA near the Shenandoah area and the other on a 650 Suzuki Bergman Scooter ridden all the way from NC. Yeah that’s right a scooter, (the old gal has guts)

The left side trailer tire developed a break in the tread causing a vibration near Spearfish SD. I stopped in at the local Wal-Mart where shop worker Garret replaced both old tires. I had over ten thousand miles on the tires. I finished the day traveling along I-90 dodging rain drops getting to Sheridan WY after dark.