Finally gettin far enough south for good weather! Dawson Creek is like 70F and feels like heaven. Sun's shinin, bike's runnin good, finally get some 91 octane, found an open beer store
(stash was gettin thin). Speakin of thin, the tread on my back tire had been leaving at an alarming rate. Pressure was checked each morning, but them northern roads are all chip-seal. We've got some of that in Alaska as well, but the crushed rock they roll into the oil is about the same size as what you'd find in asphalt. Canadians must just find a talus slope they can mine for the stuff- cause it is COARSE! 2" crushed rock was not unusual. Like riding on a cheese grater.
Now I'd figured that at some point in the trip I'd need a tire, but I was beginning to wonder if I'd make Sturgis before having to take a day and have it replaced. Another 500 miles and I wasn't sure if I'd even make the border. Well neat. So we ain't makin time anymore- gotta find a dealer with a whitewall. I'd had the foresight to make a note of about a dozen Harley shops along my route and the nearest one was Kamloops, BC. 200 miles later I roll in (80 degrees by now. Sweet.), and give em my predicament. It's 2 in the afternoon and I'm not holding out much hope that I'll be makin any more miles that day, but damned if they didn't have me back on the road in 2 hours! Even washed and detailed the bike!
So now we're headed 150 miles to Washington state plus a tire and minus about 12lbs of Yukon mud. South outta Kamloops, then east over some pass and down into... uh, ...Peachland? I think that's right- don't have a map in front of me. Anyway there's a road that then travels south along Okanogan Lake. Man, pretty country. Wine country, turns out. Vineyards up and down the hills, about 2 dozen b&bs all advertizing wine tastings... I know what you're thinking, but I had to make that border by sundown so I didn't stop.
Till I spotted this pub with a patio about 20 miles from the Free World. There was this bartender in there (a happy one) wearin a long black dress with an open back (nice tatoo). Maybe travelling alone had givin me an overactive imagination, but I have NEVER seen a dress cover so much and still be that revealing! Man did it fit. Clingy.
Ah, now where was I? Right, headin for the border
. Meet the Man at the gate and, as it turns out, the American border patrol actually gives a shit about who's comin and who's goin. Go figure. No hassles though, and we're off to find a place to crash. For a change, I actually know where the hell I am as I grew up in Wa state. So i head down to Tonasket and then cut east through the hills towards Republic, finding a nice little lake to camp at around 11pm. Man, does it feel good to be back in the states- particularly this state. If there's anything Alaska lacks, it's variety. You can drive across Washington and go from rainforest to desert. Nice to get a change of scenery every hunert miles or so.
While I'm at it, here's a coupla pics from the trip down.
South of Tok, AK
Lk. Kluane, Yukon
Buffalo in Northern B.C.
Muncho Lake, B.C.
Okanogan country of N.E. Washington
Enjoy the weekend, I'm gonna! -Japhy