June 22: Yukon or Bust: Four Bear-ance Pays Off

Today’s ride was not for the faint of heart. Cold weather, rain, poor road conditions, four bear sightings, and lots of miles made for a busy day. But it all ended well with a hot meal and a nice room in Haines Junction, Yukon – about 200 miles from the border of Alaska.

I knew when I planned my route north that today would be a big ask – over nine hours of driving without stops with unpredictable driving conditions. But I wanted to get within a day’s riding distance of Alaska and allow a little extra time the day after to pick up my adventure bike in Anchorage.

So, when I woke up to weather in the mid-forties and heavy rainfall, I knew there wasn’t time to wait around for better weather. I put my electric gear and rain jacket on, loaded the bike in the rain, and drove off through the muddy parking lot to begin the day.

Visibility was so poor that my focus was staying on my side of the road and keeping the bike up. Water managed to get both outside and inside my helmet as well as inside my goggles. I had to keep both hands on the handlebars and try to ignore the water sloshing around inside my goggles, partially blocking my field of vision.

It did end up raining almost all day. But there were several times that the weather cleared for brief periods, providing me with beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains, blue-grey rivers, and dozens of clear, smooth lakes as I traveled north on highway 37 and then west on the Al-Can Highway.

I was fortunate to see a total of four black bears today. The first one was on the side of the road not too far from my hotel, making me feel very grateful I had not been camping the night before. I also saw a mamma bear and her cub shortly after I turned on to the Al-Can and then a fourth bear on my left just a few miles down the road.

Traveling in this area provides its own set of challenges in terms of gas stops and road conditions. Gas stations are few and far between, typically in gravel lots, and often with no premium gas. I had to laugh at one gas stop today when the pump had two gas options: “regular” and “regular.” I felt like I had stepped back in time as I surveyed the weather-beaten structure, interacted with the crusty elderly gentlemen, and tried to stay friendly with the three dogs guarding the place.

I lost track of how many times I encountered road construction, but the longest stretch was at least ten miles if not twenty miles of dirt with gravel. As I tried to keep a loose grip on the handlebars, balance the bike, and look down the road at the horizon I realized that like it or not I was become more proficient at driving in less-than-ideal situations.

Overall, I had a great day on the road. I enjoyed overcoming a variety of obstacles, taking in the beautiful mountain and water views, arriving so close to the Alaska border, and making it to my motel in time for a hot dinner.