Day 13: Valdez to Tok

Keystone Canyon

Keystone Canyon

Horsetail Falls

Break time on the way out of Valdez

Remember to check the rear view mirror for awesome views!

August 12/2010: Another late start today and it took us forever to make the trip from Valdez to Tok (pronounced "toke") as we both kept falling asleep and had to stop for rest breaks.

We saw two bears, and spent some time investigating an ominous sound from coming from Bitchy Linda's rear brake.

Downtown Tok

You don't want to break down in Tok.

Tok auto repair. You can check in anytime you want, but you can never leave.

My white breakfast: I only ordered this Musher's Omelet because the waitress told me they were out of the accompanying gravy. She was all smiles when she located a secret stash of the gravy, smothered my breakfast in it and then proudly presented the dish at our table.  It was....interesting.

Once we arrived in Tok, we visited Fast Eddie's again for dinner. We actually had a salad! Let's just say that our "on the road" diet hasn't been exactly balanced. We've had chips for breakfast and cookies for dinner. This Fast Eddie's salad is actually just the second portion of vegetables we've had on our trip. (Or do french fries count as a veg?) In 13 days my riding gear has become so tight that I'm going to have to diet just so I can make the trip home. So, sadly, there is no Fast Eddie's dessert for me. Bummer, because they had four kinds of pie!  Mmmmm....pie.

The pilfered creamers.

Hailey stole some flavoured creamer from the restaurant, which subsequently burst and made a mess of her tank bag. That's karma for you. Then later, I discovered that the butane stove AND the gasoline water remover had spilled all over the safety gear, sleeping bags and my clothes. We spent a fun evening watching Jay Leno and wiping off our stuff. Of course the room ended up smelling like a garage as did my clothes. Hmm, I wonder if this will keep the bugs at bay?

Day 12: Valdez, still

August 11/2010: To date we have done 5,060 kms of our 8,000 km trip.


We stayed in a super posh hotel during our first night in Valdez. Two queen-sized beds dressed in Martha Stewart bedding with extra fluffy pillows, plush green carpeting, cable television and a jacuzzi tub. The place even had a pool and a hot tub! It was heaven. But not without its drawbacks.

Hailey's impromptu clothes line experiment came to a bitter end when it pulled the deadbolt shut and locked us out of the room. We had to call the maintenance teenager.

We decided to stay at a second night in Valdez, but there was no room at the swanky palace for us. So we opted to stay in the Keystone Hotel, which billed itself as the cheapest place in town. Sometimes you get what you pay for, or less.

While we appreciated the way something (i.e. this hotel room) could be so bad that it's actually funny or good (is there a word for that?), it was the little things that got to us. Like the loud snoring from the guy next door, the crusty flowered comforters, and the bathroom fan that sounded like a clunky old motor being started. Luckily, we brought booze to distract us.

Yummy, and homegrown!

I know! Gross eh? But apparently it goes very well in Bloody Marys. This bottle was left at the liquor store. 

M/V Lulu-Belle

However, we weren't in Valdez for the accommodation but for the scenery. We took a seven hour cruise aboard Lulu-Belle.

Valdez Harbour

Valdez is the sort of place that just can't catch a break. Born out of the Gold Rush Stampede in 1898, it was destroyed by 9.2 earthquake in 1964 and then suffered the aftermath of the Exon Valdez disaster in 1989. There are about 4,000 people living there now. Yeah, it's pretty small.

Valdez is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, the tallest coastal mountains in North America, rising from sea level to an elevation of 7,000 feet. We spent a lot of time riding through clouds on our way to and from Valdez.

The Chugach Mountains are also the most heavily glaciated mountains in the Northwest. And those glaciers are melting and floating around the Prince William Sound.

Day 11: Anchorage to Valdez

See, even bears like pie for breakfast.

August 10/2010: Another day, another town. But first breakfast at Gwinnies.

Ariel of Alaska Rider Tours, Mark, Hailey

A visit to the local motorcycle adventure tour company.

Followed by shopping for motorcycle gear at Alaska Leather (aka "Barb's House of Leathers;" http://www.alaskaleathers.com/). No, I didn't buy the bra. But I did get some gear and a 20% discount for knowing Mark, being a member of ADVRider.com and dumping my ex last year. Score!

Faced with the ugly fact that I had packed too much stuff, not to mention the fact that I just bought more items at the motorcycle store, I made a donation to the local Goodwill.

I'm sure someone will really dig my UVic t-shirt.

Mark escorted us out of town on his Ducati.

We really, really wanted to stay another day in Anchorage but had to get back on the bikes and go. Valdez awaits!

We had our first glimpse of the Nelchina glacier on the way toValdez. 

On the Richardson Highway, just before heading into Thompson Pass. Stunted black spruce sit in a large beaver pond.  Creepy!

Rode through the clouds in Thompson Pass into a canyon lined with waterfalls. It was eerie--like being on another planet. And cold? Oh, boy! Yes, I know I'm in Alaska but I never dreamed it could get like this in the summer. It's cold and rainy and feels like a late October in Victoria. Not whining, just sayin'.

Day 10: Palmer to Anchorage

August 9/2010: After spending another fabulous morning with Cissy, we forced ourselves to leave Palmer and get back on the road.

Maria, Becky and Hailey

When we were in Beaver Creek last week we ran into Jim, a truck driver from Anchorage whose wife Becky rides. Our mission for the day? To meet Becky and persuade her to ride to Valdez with us. Which would have happened if not for some bike drama with her 1986 Suzuki Intruder.

Mark, Singh, Hailey and Maria

So we put Plan B into action: Meet Singh and Mark--ADVRider.com guys from Anchorage who have been following our blog.
(Does this mean we're internationally famous?)
 

Well, one thing lead to another. Namely, pizza and "death by peanut butter" pie.

Mark and his wonderful closet o' leather.
He's single, fun, sexy and obsessed with motorcycles. Girls, come to Alaska!

Then it was off to Mark's house, his garage full of bikes and closet full of fabulous leather motorcycle gear.

And matching helmets!

Being the funksters they are, Mark and Singh are members of this exclusive Anchorage motorcycle group - Fukengruven!

Vic: Apparently living in Alaska makes you grow a chest pelt.

We met Vic, Mark's neighbour.

And Ruthie, Vic's houseguest from Kansas.

Who taught Hailey how to bellydance.

Playing dressup with Vic's wigs. Yes, we also wondered why he had a closet full of wigs.

We asked them to adopt us (permanently) but there was no room for our motorcycles in either garage. Sadly, it was obviously just a one night stand.