The Dumpster Reject Remains

[willys]

I'm jealous!!!!!!

Safe ride you lucky dawg you....enjoy....

[Solarmoose]

and now, 10:30am, near Contact Creek MP568

[TheWall]

Best wishes to the Duchess -- may whatever ails her pass quickly!

And wishes for a great ride to Alcan Rider! I've driven up and down to the lower-48 several times, flown it a few more (Cessna, not Boeing) but have yet to make the trek on two wheels. It's on my bucket list, though!

[KHuddy]

Looks like Jack has stopped in Dawson Creek for a break after "only" 1400 miles

[Boulder Ed]

Originally Posted by KHuddy

Looks like Jack has stopped in Dawson Creek for a break after "only" 1400 miles

and a long, much deserved break it is. A good night's sleep was in order. Looks like he's about 1000 miles or so from your place, so your Sat night dinner is still quite doable :-)

[Alcan Rider]

Well, it hasn't been the idyllic trip we all envision when we start out, thanks to a variety of factors, not the least of which have been some newbie mistakes I've made. Sheesh, you'd think I'd never done a trip like this before! Didn't preplan very well. It seems every time I need something it's necessary to dig through several layers, or open a number of bags, to find it. It usually takes me about 3 motel stays to finally arrange most everything in a logical, efficient manner, but this has been ridiculous.

And the weather wasn't the best the first day. Newbie mistake #1: When I got to Slana on Tuesday afternoon, I left my nice, warm, insulated shirt behind because it had gotten too hot in the afternoon sun. Big Mistake!. When the sun goes down in northern Yukon, B.C. it takes the heat with it. So by the time the rain started at the south end of Kluane Lake, I was getting cold. Riding about 1/2 mile beyond where the rain began before stopping to don the Frogg Toggs, I was soon cold and wet. Over the next few hours and 300 or so miles, water - cold water - began to leak under my chin and down my neck.

Then I discovered that my driving light would have worked much better for hunting squirrels than finding my way down a dim, wet highway. Took 3 stops to get that corrected, but now it does a fantastic job! Other little, niggling, problems cropped up, requiring more stops. All in all, progress was considerably less than planned and hoped for. Finally, along Teslin Lake, a rest stop was required. That was the first "OK" message sent via SPOT. An hour later, feeling much refreshed, it was on down the road again, accompanied by more cold rain. Teslin Lodge had been closed when I got there at 6:00 AM and I, along with several other travelers headed in both directions, elected to keep moving to somewhere that woke up earlier. Forgot to mention - After Tok, I had fueled up again at Talbot Arm Motel in Destruction Bay, thinking my next stop would be at Jake's Corner south of Whitehorse, where there had, for years, been a 24 hour cardlock pump. Not any more. No gas there. So it would have to be Continental Divide, a good, dependable 24-hour lodge. Except that it, like Swift River and a score of other, older lodges was CLOSED. Still running fine at 302 miles on the odometer, I switched on the auxiliary fuel tank anyway to keep the engine ticking along. Arrived at Rancheria after they had opened, so breakfast was the prime goal, having had my last meal at Fast Eddy's around 5 PM the previous day. Then fuel into the main tank, and it was off to Watson Lake. It was shortly after that stop that I discovered an oil leak from around the oil cooler, and had to add 1/2 of the extra quart I had brought along - the first time ever for the Concours - to get it into the window.

More stops for this and that - too many due to a lack of proper preparation - and south of Fort Nelson the second "OK" was dispatched as I sat on the bike for a much-needed sleep. A whole 23 minutes of it. But that was enough to keep me moving on down through the growing industrial/oil field activity through Fort St. John and Taylor into Dawson Creek. Enough is enough, and while the distance was disappointing, it was time to stop and regroup. Still, some of the time lost by a late departure had been made up, a few photos had been grabbed along Muncho Lake, and the afternoon of riding had been great through the beautiful Canadian Rockies. It had even managed to get a bit spirited through some of the twisties.

Now it's time for a quick shower, a visit to Wally World to grab a couple quarts of oil to satisfy the leak, and over to Grande Prairie for lunch before heading south on the Big Horn Hwy toward Jasper and the Icefields Parkway. Hope to keep traveling tonight, although I've had to thread my way - literally - through elk herds down that way this time of year.

[Boulder Ed]

Sounds like you are knocking off the challenges in grand fashion; been watching the progress. The oil leak is a bummer though. Hope it is field repairable at some point on the ride. Let me know if I can help when you get down to CO, if not fixed yet.

And don't feel bad, I was still rummaging through my sidebags after 6 weeks out to find where I'd hidden stuff...

[Spousal Unit]

Well, in the hopes of raising your spirits and giving you something to look forward to......there is fresh fudge of the chocolate kind and orange dreamsicle as well....just pulled a pan of scottish shortbread out of the oven also. Figured it can accompany you on your trip south. Elk burgers are on the menu tonight .....have no idea what Saturday dinner will be!

Please take time to rest and enjoy the scenery....we serve breakfast here as well! Fresh cinnamon rolls or Belgian waffles and lots of hot coffee. Kevin and Bob are happily changing tires and greasing the spline on the airhead.....a leak on a Connie will be a good diversion!

[KHuddy]

Just spoke to Jack as he dined in Hinton. He's refreshed and hoping to be at the Montana Way Station for diner tomorrow. We will spend the day tomorrow trying to round up a set of brake pads for the rear of his Connie.

[Boulder Ed]

Opps, Jack missed the icefields parkway and Kannanaskis area. Must be desperate for fudge desert at Kuddy's.

[HayDuchessLives]

Boy, the Gregarious Geezer from Glennallen seems to be having quite an ordeal. It appears that the calming presence and well-organized influence of Lovely Loquita and I are greatly missed. I'm quite sad I couldn't go.

Jack seems to have forgotten that when riders insult and bad-mouth Lovely Loquita, for no reason, sometimes bad luck befalls them. I bet he regrets all the bad things he has ever said about my lovely bike and wishes he could have given her a great big goodbye hug before he left. Especially since we're not nearby to come to his rescue and let him "ride pillion" if things get worse and his bike completely breaks (or brakes) down.

It sounds kind of fishy that Jack forgot to turn his Spot beacon on and had to backtrack. I think it's more likely that Jack realized he forgot to vacuum a "spot" here and there in the swinging bachelor pad he's been remodeling and since he's a very thorough cleaner, he just couldn't stand the thought of leaving a dirty, dusty floor. So he turned around to vacuum a few spots, NOT turn his Spot locator on.



He's smiling because he found some old fudge stuck underneath the couch cushions that was still somewhat edible.




Ride on!! May the wind always be at your back and the rain come down in areas it's greatly needed, not down your neck. Lovely Loquita, Soquili and I hope you have a safe journey.

[KHuddy]

Jack is here. Spent the day trying to locate an oil leak. Slathered JB Weld over the suspected source. Tomorrow wil tell the story about our effectiveness.

[FLARider1]

Good to see you back in the 'states'..........how far south are your coming and do you have a timeline? Let us know, Angie and I will have a comfy bed, hot shower and fudge awaiting your arrival at the A2 Resort in Homestead!!!!!

Sent you email and PM...........I did a dumbass and lost over 200 numbers outta my phone!!

A

[KHuddy]

Jack departed the Montana Way Station at 1600 Hrs. with a fixed oil leak (we think), new rear brake pads and a top box full of fudge and shortcake. Next stop Big Timber to stage for Beartooth tomorrow.

[Boulder Ed]

Originally Posted by KHuddy

Jack departed the Montana Way Station at 1600 Hrs. with a fixed oil leak (we think), new rear brake pads and a top box full of fudge and shortcake. Next stop Big Timber to stage for Beartooth tomorrow.

Good job Kevin! I was wondering how it turned out. Hope the JB holds! Beartooth should be real nice by now.

ed