RTW with Noah on a KTM 690

Noah, hope you are alright.

Stop worrying. I am in the black hole that is Canada. In the past 7 days I have done the top of the world highway, partied 2 days in Dawson, camped 2 nights on the Campell hightway, almost lost my shit in a 2 foot trench in some construction/mud/haultruck crap, got sick, ate more cayanne pepper then is humanly possible in my chicken soup, got rained on every night for the past 5 days, and soaked about 7 hours in the liard hotspring. Oh, and my stock chain finally let loose.... at 20k km.

No fish were caught in the Yukon. The rivers are to high. The rain has kinda funked up all the roads in the Yukon.

http://www.511yukon.ca/

Good to hear that your having fun!!!

Well at least we know your alive , still waiting on the big fish

Me to. The rivers are so high and muddy now, not even worth it to try to fish. The Alaskan Hwy is shut down in a few different spots.

It wouldn't be an adventure if he was always within cell phone rage now would it? :eek1

I just heard the ALCAN is closed at destruction Bay

Terrific thread! Was sitting on a '12 690 yesterday and this post has me reaching for my checkbook :)

Keep the updates and photos coming!

Mmmmmm, Liard hot springs.......did a little soaking there myself last summer on my way up to Alaska. The nice folks running the park were even nice enough to let me set up my tent under one of the big shelters they got there in the park; it seems kinda silly setting up your tent under a shelter, but it sure is nice to be able to pack up a dry tent in the morning!


Keep the up the good work on the report; I need something to inspire me to keep working until I once again save up enough money to get back out there on the road.

Bout time for some more pictures. Now that I have a bit of time and a bunch of Internets...

First off. New rubber. Did an oil change and checked the valves. GOOT TO GO!



I stayed in Anchorage longer then I wanted to but finally pulled out on Friday the First of June. I had to skip Valdez because the clock is ticking to get back down to the lower 48. I rode to Tok and met some new friends on the way who invited me to stay at their house.


I caught a few fishies on the way.


Saw a glacier.


This lake was about 20 miles south of Tok.


This guy was a true Alaskan character. He had a wood heated green house and kept bees to make honey. His kid was an engineer but he quit his job to travel the world... go figure..



Saturday the 2nd I rode the top of the world highway. It was pretty fun. Way better then the Alaskan Hwy.


Chicken.








Back in the Yukon. This is the boarder crossing. The US and the Canadian side share the same generator. I wonder who pays for the fuel?




Had to play in the snow one last time...





I then stayed a couple nights in Dawson. Its an easy town to get caught up in. Easy town to spend a lot of money and not go to bed when a good boy should. The Hostel on the west side of the river has now electricity so you have to heat your water with a wood stove and it turns the washroom into a sauna if you do it right.
The people are super cool. Most of them are 20 somethings traveling to Dawson to find work for the summer and have a good time. The Midnight Sun had great live music both nights. I did manage to get *somewhat* caught up on my personal journal and pour boiling water into my boots to kill the smell. I even dried them after .




Dawson across the river.


This is what brings you to and from the bars. And the sun set at Midnight.




Cool old buildings.


The band the first night. They were out of Vancouver.


McGyver on charging camera batteries. I need to install a 12v outlet


THIS GUY! Just rode from Argentina to Dawson in 2 months. WTF people. Slow down!


The band the second night... I think they play every Sunday night. Good times.




Hipsters everywhere! I thought I was in Portland Oregon!




Will this town sleep under some thick fog? Doubtful.




Finally found a Yukoner to sign my fairing.


The day I was leaving Dawson, I found all these amazing cars. They were doing a road rally all across north america. I was pretty stoked because I have never seen a rear wheel drive Ford Escort. You Euro guys get all the fun ones.


If anyone has one of these you want to let me drive, buy, or something... let me know.




Anna left the east cost a few weeks ago and she is riding solo to AK on this Yamerha before she takes a real job. Look for a ride report from her soon!


The Yukon south of Dawson.


Some crazy Israeli dudes who rented Beemers to see AK and the Yukon.




No luck in Frenchman lake with fish. It is just north/east of the Klondike highway(2) and the Campbell highway(4) split. On a nice gravel road.

I was planning to ride with these guys the next day.. but as fate would have it, my chain broke right when we were leaving the camp ground. That's why we carry a spare right?



Note to self. Cut chain to correct length prior to needing it.. so you need to spend an hour filing the rivet, then pounding it out with a screw driver bit.


Back together again!


Just gotta pack it back up and get back on the road.


Just after gassing in Faro, the Canol rd crosses and you see this sign. Time for some real adventure.


Water crossings... I hope it doesn't rain..

I camped next to Frances lake. By the time I was setting up camp, I already developed a sweet sinus cold. And it was pouring. I didn't take any pictures. I didn't start a fire. I went to bed. Straight to bed.


It rained all night. And when you hit the "haul road" portion of the Campbell highway, It turns to shit quite fast.




This was the "better" part of the construction. There was 10km of 2" to 6" of mud with deep deep ruts from the trucks in it. I feel sorry for the campers and 2wds that were stuck in the mud and had to be towed out.



So I stopped in Watson to get Chicken soup, tea, meds, and Cayenne pepper then I booked it to the Liard hot springs. I figured I would burn out this sickness some how.

It was raining the night I got to the hotsprings. It was raining the whole next day. I spend a bunch of time soaking or in my tent.


This is about an inch of water in my pot. It was in the rain for 1 hour. Dios Mio. I had heard the road at Muncho lake had washed out. Luckily it was only 1 lane.


She did pretty well.


But a tent can only do so much.

After my second night at the hotsprings, around noon the sun finally started to show. I was able to "dry" out my stuff and get packed up. Time to get south.

On Friday the 9th I rode from Liard to Fort Nelson. Not to far but at least I was making progress.


Muncho lake is purdy.




Feeling better about life..


I think I am starting to leave the mountains..


I woke up this morning at 6 to this and decided not to waist it. Translation: I couldn't fall back asleep. So 587 km later I am sitting in a hotel in Grand Prairie. Waiting for the KTM dealership to open tomorrow. Apparently somewhere over the past few days BOTH fork seals blew. So I will replace those tomorrow morning, get a new front sprocket (hopefully) and continue on to Hinton tomorrow. Thanks for all the support. Its amazing to see people riding again. For the first part of my trip I was pretty much alone it felt like. Now I see a bunch of yous guys heading north. Have fun with the mosquitoes!

Put your boots in plastic bags, put in freezer or outside if cold enuf for hour, kills bacteria ans smell,

Phucking Excellent! Bravo!

Fantastic adventure! All the best!

I've had decent luck diluting hydrogen peroxide with warm water and adding baking soda (i.e. the skunk remedy).

http://www.gettingoutside.com/Skunk-Smell-Removal

They boiling water actually did quite well. I just have to make sure they get dry every night. If that means putting news paper in them to try and soak up the water or just getting them in a ventilated area so the dry out. I know there is a full thread on this somewhere here and on thumpertalk. haha.

Wow!!!! This is EPIC, Noah!!!! Thanks so much for taking us along and posting such great pics! Any more info on Anna's travels? I love girl AK ride reports.!

We chatted for a few minutes on the side of the road. I told her she better do a report sometime.. everyone loves a woman's ride report!

Told YA!!!!

Great Stuff Noah - Ride ON

(let me know if I can help in anyway when U hit Pa/NJ/NYC areas - U can pitch tent on my lawn so the dog can bite U & the 4 kids can bother U, actually they'll probably steal ur moto )

Hey Man,

You may have "No wife. No kids. No house" But You do KNOW how to have a GOOD TIME!

Ride the wind young man.

Excellent RR. Thanks for taking us along.

Happy, Healthy, Safe Travels.

Cheers, d