Jul
29
2009
by Mr Cubes
Boya Lake to Jade City (24.5 miles)
Total Miles: 1,635.4
Today started so well that I wished it would never end. Once I was out and riding, I began to feel like it really wouldn't ever end. Another day of huge contrasts as the temperatures became insane for cycling in.
As I was getting ready to leave, the campground host came over and asked if I was doing the ride for any particular reason or cause - so I told her about the charities that I am trying to raise money for: Great Ormond Street Hospital and Save the Children. Once she heard this, she said that she would waive the fee for camping and gave me my $15 back. A very good start to the day! At this point, Lily and Ian came over and we chatted for a bit and it turned out it was them who had mentioned it to the host - thanks guys, that's $15 you saved me! After swapping details I set off on my way, back up the steep hill out of the site onto the main highway. Before I'd even completed half a mile, Ian came along in his car with Lily leaning out of the window taking photos of me - now I know how those A-List celebrities must feel. We waved goodbye a final time and I 
was left to finish the climb on my own. It was just coming up to noon and already very, very hot.
After an hour of riding I'd completed just nine miles and arrived at Good Hope Lake, a small community which was supposed to have a store. Well, I suppose it did, but all they sold was cans of pop and packets of crisps. Not particularly nutritious, but still felt luxurious as I savoured them in the shade of a nearby picnic table. Shortly after, a couple in an RV came over and after chatting for awhile offered to give me all sorts of snacks - which amounted to two cans of V8 vegetable juice, a tin of sardines, two packets of tuna and a family size pack (about 30 sticks) of pepperoni. Which made it into a fairly good day's shopping after all.
My plan for the day had been to have lunch at Jade City but it took me so long to get there and drained me so much physically that I decided to call it a day. The city itself consisted of one store - selling jade souvenirs. There was an abandoned campground opposite where I set up my tent and after spending several hours in the shade of the store drinking more cans of pop, I headed off to bed. The views all around were simply stunning, but I'd had no chance to appreciate them on the bike. Maybe tomorrow will be cooler...they also told me it was largely downhill from there to Dease Lake - the next community - about seventy miles away, though the mountains up ahead suggested otherwise.
Jul
28
2009
by Mr Cubes
Nugget City to Boya Lake (57.2 miles)
Total Miles: 1,610.9
Highway 37, or the Stewart Cassiar Highway, is described on my AAA/CAA map as follows: "traverses generally hilly to mountainous, mostly wooded wilderness region which is sparsely populated and offers only limited, widely spaced services". So in many ways it's the same as the Dalton, Alaska, Taylor, Top of the World and Klondike highways then. The big difference was that now it was hot too. Really hot. At 7am I was up and already sweltering - it was going to be a long and tiring day.
Within a short distance of the start of the highway is a 'Welcome to British Columbia' sign, with their logo of 'The Best Place on Earth' written beside it. Unfortunately, next to this sign was another temporary one, informing of roadworks for the next 27km. And those 27km were particularly hilly, so my first impressions were not ranking it in my top 1,000 places on earth, let alone the best. Still, I should give it time. The views were impressive when I got a chance to stop, which was every half mile or so.
At the end of the roadworks was a small rest area where I stopped for noodles and enjoyed the sunshine. I hadn't yet gone particularly far but the combination of heat, hills and roadworks were taking it's toll. The bad news was that I was already starting to sunburn so swapped the helmet for a cap and slapped on some sunscreen. For the rest of the day there was no shade, no breeze, just riding exposed to the sun. This was my first day riding out in real hot weather and I was surprised how quickly it affected me - no doubt aided by the lack of water I was carrying due to Nugget City's inability to provide any. The last few miles to Boya Lake, a government campground, were really tough going and I was horrified to find the access road to the site was 2km downhill. That would mean a hard start tomorrow!
But the site was a worthy reward. Beautifully kept and on a stunning lake it had lots of beautiful pitches available and all were tent friendly (rather than just gravel which many seem to offer). I made up dinner and set up my little portable shower facility - cold water but that felt good in the evening heat. And free too! I was starting to get ready for bed when a couple came over and introduced themselves, Lilly and Ian, and asked if I wanted to join them for a 
drink. Well, I'd had a few days without much company so gratefully accepted and we sat around their tent for a couple of hours chatting away. Another really nice couple that I'm glad to have met and very interesting too - keen sailors and had crossed the Atlantic ocean as well as many other impressive trips. Went off to bed exhausted but happy, almost the complete reverse of the previous day. I heard the heatwave may stay for as long as a week...and getting hotter as I head south. Great...
Jul
27
2009
by Mr Cubes
Continental Divide to Nugget City (72.2 miles)
Total Miles: 1,553.6
My last day in the Yukon and like so many others it was a contrast of the sublime and the ridiculous. But in today's case it was the riding that was the joy; the resting the nightmare.
Feeling the need to be spoilt, I was tempted into the Continental Divide 'restaurant' which didn't actually offer table service, but at least I didn't have to cook. I ordered a 'breakfast burrito' which was just a standard omelette in a tortilla wrap. Should have stuck with the porridge. I had a feeling today would be pretty fast, maybe because I had crossed the continental divide so assumed it would be all downhill. It turned out to be mostly uphill, yet was still a very fast day.
I made the first 11 miles to Rancheria Resort in just 45 minutes and started to wonder what ingredients had been used in my breakfast. I had only planned a 46 mile day to a government campground but decided to try and push on whilst I was making such good time. As I freewheeled downhill to the campsite I met two American girls struggling up the other way and quickly learnt from them that it was a massive tailwind that was allowing me such good speeds. They also told me that there were some nice camping spots at Nugget City which is just at the junction of the Cassiar Highway, the road I was taking south out of The Yukon. Only 26 miles further on, and if a marathon runner can do it in just over two hours then surely I can make it fairly quickly on a bike.
Well, I guess marathon runners aren't carrying 70lbs of equipment on top of a 30lb bike. And most of the road for this last section was uphill, but it was still a 70 mile day completed in just over five hours - with a very healthy average speed. Arriving at Nugget City (another 'city' that is just a campsite) I had high hopes. Modern wooden buildings and plenty of flowers gave it a nice look, but from then on it started to go wrong. The pitch was the most expensive I had stayed in for probably the least. Showers were extra, internet was an additional $10 and there was no drinking water available. The spaghetti bolognese I ordered for dinner was also expensive and very ordinary and the tenting area was a small patch of trees next to a generator. A pretty sad way to end my time in a territory in which I had made some good friends, enjoyed some great cycling and marvelled at magnificent scenery. Tomorrow I would see what British Columbia, self proclaimed 'Best Place on Earth', had to offer. It'll be hard pressed to beat The Yukon.
Jul
26
2009
by Mr Cubes
Teslin to Continental Divide (78.8 miles)
Total Miles: 1,481.4
The hot weather affects people in different ways. For me, it was to make me so tired that I forgot I was clipped into the bike pedals and for others it was to make a guy riding a bike resemble a bear. It was the start of a heatwave in Canada and a return to the wilderness.
I was feeling much more settled inside than the previous couple of days and pleased to be back 
on the bike. The road out of Teslin climbed for four miles, but from then on was just gentle rolling hills and a good day to be out riding. I generally stop at every opportunity that presents itself, probably because I'm never too sure when the next one will be. In today's case the first stop was after just nine miles at Dawson Peaks which looked to be a beautiful little RV Park and campsite and then the next one was after another 25 miles at the Morley River Recreation Site. I've found that where there is water there are mosquitoes and that made lunch pretty miserable despite the attractiveness of the setting.
This left 26 miles to Swift River which was marked on the map with a little green triangle. 
According to the key, this represents 'Services - which could include Gas, Food or Lodgings'. Sounded fair enough and a good candidate for a stopover. After another brief climb I passed into British Columbia for the first time. It felt strange to be leaving the Yukon after having had such a good time there - even if it was only for a few miles, the road turned back northwards and I was leaving British Columbia already. Just
before this I had slowed down in the hard shoulder to take in a snack and refill the water bottles. As soon as I stopped I remembered too late that I wear cleats and was still locked into the pedals... and with a heavy crash came down onto my left knee and arm. Pretty painful, but also very demoralising. First time it has happened though, but probably not the last. Bruised and embarrassed I carried on to Swift River and went into the run down looking store where the warning signs started with a closure order posted on their restaurant wall. The toothless owner explained that other than selling gas and cans of pop there wasn't much he could do to help me. At this point a driver came in and told me I should be wearing something red - like a neckerchief - as to him driving his car I looked like a bear in the road. This seemed ridiculous to me considering it was bright daylight outside, but I was a bit too stunned to respond. How many bike riding bears does this guy normally see in an evening? The owner stood up for me though, telling the guy it shouldn't make any difference whether it's a bear or a bike - he should slow down anyway. Once this confrontation had died down, then I was able to ask where the nearest campsite was and was told it was at the Continental Divide, twelve miles further on.
Being a continental divide, it obviously involved a big climb and a descent and on the way up I spotted a big dark object moving away to my left. Hitting the brakes hard in case it was a bear, I was relieved to see it was a bull moose and managed to get a photo of him as he crossed over the road. An impressive creature and fast too, he was away into the trees before I had a chance to take another shot. With this distraction, I had barely noticed the hill that took me up to the point of the divide and unlike Atigun Pass in Alaska, this one had an information panel explaining where the water drained to on each side of the mountain. After this it was a nice downhill to the campground and a quick chilli and rice. Another 70 mile day was ahead of me tomorrow.
Jul
24
2009
by Mr Cubes
Squanga Lake to Teslin (45.9 miles)
Total Miles: 1,402.6
Early to bed, early to rise and I was packed, porridged and pedalling by 8:45am - my earliest start yet. One of the cyclists I met had mentioned that Johnsons Crossing had good free wi-fi, which always excites the geek in me, so I make that my first objective and complete the twelve mile trip in just under an hour. After uploading the blogs I had written, I got chatting to Kerry who was online and she told me there was a First Nation Gathering taking place in Teslin for the next week. Sounded like a nice piece of Canadian culture and with no other plan in mind, I make that my goal for the day.
After lunching at a beautiful little private campground, that offered everything the government ones do and for only $10, I meet up with Scott, a Floridian cyclist who is spending his redundancy money on cycling across and then down the Americas. One of the few non-European cyclists I had met and he had some good stories and advice to share. I always feel revived after a chat with a fellow cyclist and start to fly along again, making it to Teslin fairly early in the afternoon. The bad news is that my stomach has started to turn over and I'm in fairly desperate need for a 'comfort break'. This is not a good sign when cycle touring!
Teslin is a fairly big community for the Yukon (population of around 480!) and I stop by the George Johnston museum on the way into town where I get advice on the best camping options. There are two people on hand at the museum, which considering they average only 20 visitors a day seems a bit like overkill. By about two people. I asked them a few questions about the area but when it became apparent that neither seemed to know particularly much I gave up. Teslin Lake didn't need any commentary though and was another stunning landscape in this area. Just before leaving the town is the Yukon Motel which offers camping, showers and wi-fi all for $15 so I pay up and choose my spot.
Plenty of choice here as well and all with more terrific views. Maybe it's not such a bad time to be having stomach troubles. I treat myself to dinner in the restaurant and then head up to the Gathering where I'd been told stick gambling was the main event of the day. When I got to the Heritage Centre that was hosting the event I was a bit overawed by it all. The banging coming from the main marquee was intense and all because of the stick gambling which as far as I could make out was a guessing game between two teams of which hand they are holding their stones in. Was all being taken very seriously though and the constant drumming and dancing of the participants was fairly hypnotic. I left them 
to it and continued to look around the site which had all sorts of Native Indian information and monuments. Impressed, but out of place, I head back to the campground and visit the bar for a drink. A few locals are watching a game of Canadian Football which I had never seen before, though I couldn't really see any major differences between it and the American version. Still seemed better somehow...
The next morning I was still feeling uneasy down below, so didn't want to risk being stranded on the bike somewhere. The mosquitoes have no mercy when you are exposed to nature. Instead I spend the day around Teslin, stocking up on food from their fairly decent grocery store and then heading back to the Gathering in the evening to listen to an elder tell the story of how the raven turned black. Absolute nonsense, but I wasn't going to argue with her. Next door there was a three piece band playing Jimi Hendrix covers, though I'm not sure he was First Nation. Still, they were pretty good. I cycled back to the campsite and to the bar where tonight I was in the company of Carla, a widower from Texas who tried to sell me a RIFE machine. Have no idea of it's actual authenticity but she assures me it can cure all ills and is the new miracle machine soon to take over the world. She was totally barmy, so it may or may not exist - either way it was an interesting end to my time in Teslin. Tomorrow I needed to start upping the mileage as was beginning to fall behind schedule - and that is easy to do in Canada.
Jul
23
2009
by Mr Cubes
Hidden Valley to Marsh Lake (37.6 miles)
Marsh Lake to Squanga Lake (42.7 miles)
Total Miles: 1,356.6
After having spent a few nights sleeping on a bed; a sofa; a futon and in the back of a Hyundai, it was quite nice to be back in the relative comfort of my own tent. But it had started to get cold at night and I woke up in no mood to jump out of my sleeping bag and back onto the bike. Once I did get up and was ready to leave the place was strangely quiet. Phill and Margaret had headed north for a few days with Phill's parents and Erik was at work. Only Lynne and daughter Eva seemed to be awake so I said my goodbyes, with the sincere hope to see them again soon.
For the first time on the trip so far, I was greeted with a heavy headwind as I cycled out of Hidden Valley and all through Whitehorse - though I kept telling myself it was a geographical feature, caused by the position of the city in the mountains. But once I got around Whitehorse it hadn't died down and my legs were burning from the effort. I hadn't yet completed ten miles and I started to worry how out of shape I had managed to get after just a few days off the bike. I made it to Wolf Creek campsite which was twenty miles from my start and had a long lunch there to decide if I should, or even could, carry on. My original plan had been a sixty mile day, but that was certainly not going to happen. The other option was just twenty miles more to Marsh Lake and hoping that the wind might have died down I set off again. It hadn't. Even though the route was flat or downhill I was struggling to average 8mph and it was becoming rather depressing. Just at this point, I was overtaken by a road cyclist, Peter, who pulled alongside for a bit of a chat and when he found out my proposed destination offered to let me camp on his own private beach, also on Marsh Lake. I said I would see him there and so he flew off into the distance to shower and get changed whilst I was left to slowly complete the remaining eight miles. When I finally got to his turn off, Peter was waiting and gave instructions on the 2kms remaining to his house. And it was stunning. Set right on the beach, he had restored most of it himself and as a keen cycle tourist was always happy to let other cyclists visit and stay the night. We chatted for some time and then Peter even made a barbeque which was fantastic. A surprisingly uplifting end to a frustrating and hard day meant I slept well as I listened to the waves on the beach.
The wind died down overnight and I slept well, but in the morning it was starting to gust around again and I was keen to make a start for what could be another long day. Like many people in the Yukon, Peter still has an outhouse despite having a modern bathroom, so I decided to use this rather than just wander into his house. It was still strange though as the outhouse had a glass door! No privacy for some people. After breakfast I said my goodbyes, though wasn't sure whether I should have offered money or not. So I didn't. Sorry Peter! The first few miles were tough as I rode into the wind again and I was grateful for the chance to stop at Jake's Corner 
which had a little cafe and motel. A quick can of Coke did the trick and after this I was now flying along at 16mph....the wind had finally changed direction (well, the road had). For the rest of the day I had strong tailwinds and got to Squanga Lake much earlier than expected. This was another beautifully kept Government Campground where anyone who stays the night is required to pay a fixed fee of $12. They are generally very well maintained but only offer outhouses and sometimes firewood and/or well water (not drinkable). There also is an absence of hosts collecting the money so it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of people who stayed there didn't pay the fee....
As it turned out at this campsite, not only did a host not show up, neither did any other campers so I had the entire place to myself. Wonderfully quiet and with a beautiful view over the lake it was an easy decision for me to call time on the day's riding and have the rest of it off. I was almost tempted into going for a swim in the warm looking waters, but quickly thought better of it. That can wait till Costa Rica...
Jul
11
2009
by Mr Cubes
Twin Lakes to Hidden Valley (74.3 miles)
Total Miles: 1,276.3
Twin Lakes is without doubt the best looking campsite I had yet to stay in, so it seemed only fair that it came at the cost of the worst night's sleep. Once the noisy neighbours had finally settled down and I drifted 
off to sleep then the noise of the highway, no more than ten feet from my tent, would periodically wake me. Still, I felt good as I got ready for the day's action and sat down for breakfast with Nils and Carolin. I wanted to get going quite early so that I could make the journey to Whitehorse in one day, so I said my goodbyes to them and hit the road. First port of call was Braeburn Lodge which several people had recommended on account of their magnificent cinnamon buns. This was verified on the way by Elizabeth, a Belgian Cyclist on route to Inuvik who had just left there. Unfortunately, I don't like cinnamon buns, so although they looked amazing (at $8.50 each they need to be) I went for their Super Burger. It said on the menu that their burgers were ideal to share and when it arrived I saw why. Made with practically a whole loaf of bread, this was a mountain of a burger and I wasn't too sure where to start. It took me so long to eat it that I was still finishing it off when Nils and Caro came in over an hour later and so they joined me and ordered their own lunches.
After this we set off together and cycled up a pretty steep hill to Fox Lake Burn rest area where there are the remains of a fire from 1998 which was started by careless campers with lots of information about the incident as well as a trail leading through the dead tree remains. Quite an eerie place. I needed to up the pace if I was to get to Whitehorse though, so I said yet more farewells to them and was back on my way. Nearly all of this section of the Klondike Highway runs alongside the most beautiful lakes and it was a fantastic day to be out riding. There were only slight rolling hills and the road condition was the best it had been since leaving Fairbanks. After weeks of not having met a single cyclist going the other way it seemed that I was now meeting several each day and just before Fox Lake I met Frederic from France who had landed at 
Whitehorse Airport, got changed and immediately started cycling north. He looked pretty jaded though which isn't surprising after a long haul flight - hope he got to wherever he was headed! As we were chatting the rain started to fall and then got heavier and heavier until it was a full on thunderstorm. Some of the raindrops coming down were as big as my Braeburn Burger...well, almost. It didn't last too long though and I was soon on the outskirts of Whitehorse and wondering what reception I would get from this family of strangers that I hoped were expecting me. Shortly before this I was tempted into the 2 mile downhill ride to Mom's Sourdough Bakery which was closed, so I had to cycle the 2 miles back uphill and empty handed.
As I cycled the last few miles to the address I had been given I passed by an overweight man in roller blades and a Canadian speed skating suit (yep, the really tight one), attempting to skate up the hill I was coming down. Maybe Whitehorse was that kind of town...
I pulled up to Shelley and Lynne's place and was greeted by three huge dogs barking and rushing towards me. After a brief sniff they carried on running straight out of the yard into the road. Following them was Phill, who briefly introduced himself as a friend of the family staying there for the summer and then ran off after the dogs himself. With the instructions to set up anywhere and make myself at home I was a bit confused but looked around their yard for a likely camping spot. When Phill came back he told me that everyone had gone up to Dawson for the weekend and they would probably be back tomorrow. Not quite what I was expecting, but was so relieved to be there and just happy to have access to cold running drinking water and the chance to use a clean flushing toilet again. I was introduced to Phill's girlfriend Margaret who was also staying there and Lynne's husband Erik who had stayed home for the weekend but had been out playing golf. Tomorrow would be a day off and a chance to do some shopping and get myself clean. I was pretty excited about that...
Jul
11
2009
by Mr Cubes
Beautiful little lake, just outside Whitehorse
Jul
10
2009
by Mr Cubes
Tatchun Creek to Twin Lakes (47.1 miles)
Total Miles: 1,202.0
I awoke to the sound of wind and rain at 3:45am and as there was still 24 hours of daylight here it felt like I was lying in my tent on an English summer's day. Things had been tough of late - to recap; I was constantly out of water with nowhere to buy any and my filter took more energy to use than the resultant dribbles merited; I had no fuel for my MSR 'Pocket Rocket' stove (gas cylinder type) and although there was some petrol left in my fuel bottle for the MSR 'Dragonfly', that wasn't working either - I presumed because there needed to be a certain amount of fuel; mosquitoes were permanently attached to my body like hospital drips in reverse and generally I was feeling pretty tired from the hills and roadworks that had been a daily occurrence for the past three weeks. Still, it's better than being in the office I said as I set about trying to filter some water from the creek...
It was now almost impossibly hard to push any water through the thing, so in desperation I took it apart and realised that the ceramic element was covered in slime from previous usage. Using the included scouring pad (which I hadn't previously noticed) I cleaned it up and was delighted to realise how easy it was to filter fresh water once again. Ahh, if only I had read the manual before departure! Sure helps to keep your equipment clean and now with plenty of water on board I set off up the hill in good spirits. They didn't last long as the hill was a killer which is not a good thing first up in the morning when you haven't done 
any stretching. After two miles I was at the Five Finger Rapids rest area which was a good excuse for a breather and a photo opportunity. A big Texan gentleman came over and started talking about how crazy I was to be out here on a bike and it made him sweat just thinking about trying to sit on one. From what I could see this was probably true as he was sweating plenty already. After chatting for some time he then asked if I was from France which, despite many incorrect guesses so far on this trip, has to be the oddest. Does my mockney Essex accent really have a Gallic twist to it or did he just assume that everyone who rides a bike must be from France?
Puzzled but humoured by this meeting I set back off on my way and the rest of the day was significantly easier. On the way into Carmacks I noticed a huge lorry (18 wheeler) had pulled over in a lay-by and the driver was waiting by his cab. Wondering what it was that a long distance driver could want from a cyclist I slowed down to pull up and was met by the wide smile and firm handshake of Roy who I had met the previous weekend in Dawson City. Wayne came down from the cab shortly after and we chatted for awhile before they were off again on their way. It's weird being in the middle of a huge continent where you know literally only a few people and then randomly bumping into them again sometime later. Down in Carmacks 
I finally got to fill up my fuel bottle from the gas station there (yes, it uses regular unleaded petrol) and gave the confused looking cashier my payment of $0.45. Wouldn't normally be worth a mention but this was the first time I have ever used a petrol pump! They don't teach you things like that at school... Getting all excited at the possibilities for dinner I stocked up from their supermarket shelves and was ready to put the last couple of tough days behind me. I also bought some delicious white chocolate and nut cookies which became part of a lunch break I took overlooking one of many beautiful lakes that follow the road all the way to Whitehorse.
The site at Twin Lakes is a mix of good and bad. It's all gravel and sits right at the roadside, but offers by far the best views I've yet had and there were few bugs about. Already camping there were two more German cyclists, Nils and Carolin, who are also heading to Argentina, so we get chatting about how are journeys have been so far and our plans for the rest of it. They had been going at a much slower pace than me and had taken ten weeks to get there whereas I'd only been going three! They seemed in much happier spirits though and were even baking their own bread over an open fire some nights and being a lot more in touch with nature than I was. Made me realise I could do with slowing down and maybe enjoying myself a little more...
In the meantime I tried to get my now fuelled up stove working, but STILL nothing happened. Seemed to be losing pressure somewhere so that the petrol wasn't being forced into the burner unit. Annoyed (it had cost over £100), I reckoned I could get it looked at it Whitehorse and made do with an open fire again. If anything it makes dinner taste better anyway - just takes a little longer!
There was also an ex-pat English woman at the site so I was able to have a conversation where I was actually understood for once before we all retired off to our respective tents for sleep. Until the family from hell turned up and spent two hours putting up their tent, laughing and slamming car doors. I told myself to relax and listen to the waves on the shore...sleep followed.