Rain, Rain and more Rain! And cold!
Today I woke up rain. I didn’t want to stay where I was and it looked like it would improve as I traveled west and north so I packed up and departed. I got about 50 miles or so down the road and hadn’t seen another vehicle. I was doing about 40mph trying to work out what body position gave me the least amount of rain in the face when I saw a large stationary shape in the mist about 50 feet in front of me. I veered to the centerline and as I past it I saw that it was about 7 feet tall with hugh shoulders, black molting hair all over with yellowish eyes and a drooped lip sneer that screamed “I eat motorbikes for breakfast”. It was the biggest moose I have ever seen and I missed him by about 10 feet. If it hadn’t been so cold I probably would have started shaking! I almost stopped to go back to see if I had really seen that but I had the sense not to.
That pretty much was the excitement for the day. I didn’t see another animal. The rain didn’t seem to stop the road crews though and the next 150 miles or so were all torn up so the going was slow and slippery. No fun on a bike! Last night, I met a Scandinavian fellow who is bicycling the highway and I can’t imagine how he would have fared.
The clouds did part for a while before more rain, sleet and snow fell and I was able to take a few pictures. It was really beautiful in a haunting way when it cleared for a while. When I would turn the motor off to take a picture there was absolute silence. We never hear silence in the city. It’s a rare and beautiful thing.
I finally got to Whitehorse which is the capital of the Yukon. Nice little place. I was so muddy, I just climbed into the shower in my riding suit and boots to wash off. It felt a little silly but was quite effective. Next the bike!
Today I woke up rain. I didn’t want to stay where I was and it looked like it would improve as I traveled west and north so I packed up and departed. I got about 50 miles or so down the road and hadn’t seen another vehicle. I was doing about 40mph trying to work out what body position gave me the least amount of rain in the face when I saw a large stationary shape in the mist about 50 feet in front of me. I veered to the centerline and as I past it I saw that it was about 7 feet tall with hugh shoulders, black molting hair all over with yellowish eyes and a drooped lip sneer that screamed “I eat motorbikes for breakfast”. It was the biggest moose I have ever seen and I missed him by about 10 feet. If it hadn’t been so cold I probably would have started shaking! I almost stopped to go back to see if I had really seen that but I had the sense not to.
That pretty much was the excitement for the day. I didn’t see another animal. The rain didn’t seem to stop the road crews though and the next 150 miles or so were all torn up so the going was slow and slippery. No fun on a bike! Last night, I met a Scandinavian fellow who is bicycling the highway and I can’t imagine how he would have fared.
The clouds did part for a while before more rain, sleet and snow fell and I was able to take a few pictures. It was really beautiful in a haunting way when it cleared for a while. When I would turn the motor off to take a picture there was absolute silence. We never hear silence in the city. It’s a rare and beautiful thing.
I finally got to Whitehorse which is the capital of the Yukon. Nice little place. I was so muddy, I just climbed into the shower in my riding suit and boots to wash off. It felt a little silly but was quite effective. Next the bike!
The pictures of the signs above are at Watson Lake. The towns one claim to fame is that travelles from all over the world bring signs from home and nail them up here. Thousands of them.
Tomorrow Alaska. I should get to Tok by around 7pm or so if the road conditions are good.
Tomorrow Alaska. I should get to Tok by around 7pm or so if the road conditions are good.
2 comments:
okay, I have a question .... did you leave a sign? i miss you. stay warm without me.
Jay: The sound of silence is an awesome thing. It's a little frightening when we think of how far we have to go in our world to find its tranquil and soothing voice. I think all of us would benefit by finding a few minutes each day to simply "be still (and quiet)".
It reminds me of the Psalmist who said: "Be still, and know that God is God." You're certainly in a part of the world where His creation reminds you of how awesome God is. Enjoy, and safe travel.
Richard
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