"...its about the journey, not the destination..."

     There is a great temptation to just get on the bike and ride until I reach Alaska. Its around 550 miles from here to the border...but this trip is truly about the journey and not the destination! The idea is to go at a pace to enjoy the trip, not just arriving in Alaska. Some years ago I was on a ferry going to Labrador from Newfoundland. There I met fellow Americans who were on the ferry and traveling by motorcycles. When they got off the ferry they took off and rode the 55 miles to Red Bay which was the end of the paved road. I saw them there later in the day having lunch. Then they rushed back to the ferry and went back to Newfoundland. They had seen Labrador.

The border between Quebec and Labrador

      Not true!!! I spent the night at a B&B in L'Anse au Clair Labrador, spending time with people from there, Norm and Gloria (who is Inuit!) and who had lived there all of their lives. I would submit I got a lot more out of my visit. The people you meet really enhance the journey. I plan to spend two more nights in the Yukon Territory.

Soon I rode under the cloud deck.

     Today I rode under a cloud deck leaving Watson Lake. No rain, but no sunshine. Around 280 miles to ride. Again off in the distance I could see mountains with snow. I tried to capture the view, but my efforts fell short. Today I came across several construction zones where they spray the road with tar, and then spread stone over it. This process makes the road quite dusty, and you must slow down because of the questionable surface. I have now met several people who are also riding to Alaska. Perhaps the most  interesting are Arturo and Mario. They are from Portugal, and had flown their bikes to Brazil. Then they had ridden them all the way up to the Yukon, and were intent on riding to Prudhoe Bay. While Arturo is on a newer R1200GS, Mario is on a 2003 R1150GS similar to mine. Interesting guys.

Afternoon break in a picnic area about 20 miles before Whitehorse.

      Later in the day I took a break at a park about 20 miles outside of Whitehorse YT. There were several families there, and I saw kids in swim suits. I had my heated grips on and the temperatures had to be in the upper 50s! People up here are obviously very sturdy! From there it was a 20 ride into Whitehorse where I will spend the night. It is now 9:19pm and the sun is still up, but... the sky has turned blue. Hopefully sunny day tomorrow.

As I rode into Whitehorse. Notice the bike is so dirty you can't read the license  plate!