Saturday, Day 0, May 28, 1988
On May 28, 1988, two days after returning from Hawaii, I started
my venture north to Alaska. My original plan was to bike to Canada,
but I ended up riding all the way to Alaska. To start the trip I
boxed up all my gear and my bike. Then I caught a bus to Durango,
Colorado. I arrived in Durango at 11 PM and slept in a park in
preparation for an early departure.
Sunday, Day 1, May 29, 1988
The next morning before leaving town, I stopped at a store to buy
some food and a guy asked me where I was headed. I told him I was
going to Canada and he said he would not even want to drive his car
that far. Since I was on a bike, I image that he did not think I
would make it. From Durango I cycled over Coal Banks Pass (10,640
ft.), Molas Pass (10,910 ft.), and Red
Mountain Pass (11,018 ft.). This was the most that I biked uphill
for a single day on this trip and made for a tiring start. That night, I slept in
an abandoned cabin at an elevation of over 10,000-ft. I found a box with 8
Budweiser beers in the cabin and drank 2 of them. I left the rest for
the next guy that ended up in the cabin. (Daily bike miles 63.8 miles; Total
Miles 63.8)
Monday, Day 2, May 30, 1988
I woke to find that it had snowed 3 inches. The cabin I was sleeping in had no door or windows. Since it was windy the snow lightly covered most of the cabin's floor with the exception of where I was sleeping and where I placed my bike. My gloves were
insufficient for the snow, so I put socks on my hands. On the way to Ouray I saw petrified Waves near the highway next to a waterfall. When I was hitching a ride to Telluride several years earlier a
geologist
gave me a ride and told me the wavy rocks were actually petrified waves. It was a cold,
wet, snowy ride to Ouray, where I purchased new gloves and socks. I meet 3 people biking to Durango, Colorado and I also heard about a group of 10 bikers go over the passes. The
rain continued and the traffic was light all the way to Delta. North
of Delta the traffic became quite heavy with no shoulder on the
road. About ten miles out of town, I found a rest area where some
senior citizens had set up a free cookie and drink stand to give the
Memorial Day drivers a break. I slept on a picnic table at that rest
area that night. (Daily bike miles 80.7 miles; Total Miles 144.5)
Tuesday, Day 3, May 31, 1988
In the morning, the traffic was light and I made it safely to
Grand Junction. I bought a tube at a bike shop in Grand Junction and a
couple
of people in the bike shop said they had seen me on my bike near Delta, Colorado. From Grand
Junction
I made a detour to the Colorado National
Monument. At the Monument I found massive sandstone walls and deep
canyons with winding roads. The tour of the moon in the movie
"American Flier" was filmed at Colorado National Monument. A motorist
at the park told me about the movie and he also mentioned that part
of the Coors Classic bike ride takes place at Colorado National Monument.
Continuing on, I ended the day at about 8:30 PM by camping in
boulders near the base of Douglas Pass. I think I was illegally
camped on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. (Daily bike miles 91.3 miles; Total Miles 235.8)
Wednesday, Day 4, June 1, 1988
I biked the last four steep miles to the top of Douglas Pass
(8,268 ft.) and then I biked downhill into a nice canyon. This was an
interesting canyon where the petroglyphs date back to 800 AD. The
road was barren and hot. I ran out of water before reaching Rangely.
It was so lonely that I talked to cows and a chipmunk. That night, I
camped north of Vernal, Utah at Steinaker Reservoir. (Daily bike miles 108.8 miles; Total Miles 344.6)
Thursday, Day 5, June 2, 1988
Biking through northeast Utah was beautiful with sandstone cliffs
and bright red rocks. I biked through the towering cliffs along the
Green River and near the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. As I was biking
north 3 different people offered me rides, but no way (too much
pride). The day ended with my arrival in Wyoming where I saw Brahma
bulls, wild horses, antelope, a wild dog and deer roaming the plains.
(Daily bike miles 88.8 miles; Total Miles 433.4)
Friday, Day 6, June 3, 1988
The next day was a short 30-mile ride to Rock Springs, Wyoming
where I stayed in a Motel 6 to wait for my friend, Tony. This was the
first night that I stayed in a motel. Tony Jaramillo (a friend from
TVI and Honeywell) arrived on a flight from Albuquerque, New Mexico
the next day. (Daily bike miles 36.7 miles; Total Miles 470.1)
Saturday, Day 7, June 4, 1988
I ended up meeting Tony Jaramillo at Motel 6 about noon (I think
he took a taxi from the airport to the motel were I was staying).
After Tony's arrival we began our trip to Yellowstone. On the way an
antelope darted out into the road and almost hit Tony. I was behind
Tony and I could tell the animal was moving fast, it actually skidded
across the road on its hoofs in order to miss hitting Tony. That
night we arrive at Pinedale, Wyoming at about 9:00 PM (it was still
light, the sun went down at about 8:50 PM) and camped at a KOA
campground. This was the first night that I paid for camping. (Daily bike miles 105.7 miles; Total Miles 575.8)
Sunday, Day 8, June 5, 1988
The road to Jackson Hole went from barren to lush forest. In town
we met a cyclist from Los Angeles named Jim (He started biking in Los
Angeles, California and was headed to the Midwest, I think Wisconsin)
and the three of us (Tony, Jim and me) decided to get a room. To save
money, I told the motel manager I wanted a room for one. Tony and Jim
waited a little while to enter my room. That night we all left the
room to get dinner and the motel manager was sitting on the porch
(Jackson Hole is a small town and the motel was on main street, the
manager was watching the cars cruise by). He did not say anything, so
we figured it was OK. (Daily bike miles 85.5 miles; Total Miles 661.3)
Monday, Day 9, June 6, 1988
About 6:30 AM we heard a loud pounding on the door of the motel.
It was the motel manager he called us foreigners. He said all you
foreigners are the same, trying to save money. Then he made us dish
out enough money, so that the room cost about 3 times as much as it
should have cost. Then we left the motel and cycled through the
beautiful snow-covered Teton National Forest. That night we retired
in a luxury condo for three at West Thumb in Yellowstone. (Daily bike miles 88.5 miles; Total Miles 749.8)
Tuesday, Day 10, June 7, 1988
Continuing north we saw buffalo, elk, hot springs and geysers.
That night we stayed free at Mammoth
Hot Springs Campground. It was not meant to be free, we used the
quick camp method (arrive late and depart early). (Daily bike miles 81.8 miles; Total Miles 831.6)
Wednesday, Day 11, June 8, 1988
We went to Mammoth Hot Springs in the morning and I carried my
bike up the stairs while Tony and Jim cycled up the road. I beat them
to the top of the Hot Springs and convinced them to go down my way
(back to the base of the springs). On the way down the stairs a man
told Jim to look at his leader (me). I was running down the stairs
with my bike and gear on my head.
From Mammoth Hot Springs to Tower Falls we saw beautiful
waterfalls, a big bull elk, and some buffalo. That night we arrived
at Norris campground to find no food was available and the campground
was full. We talked a man into letting us set up our tent behind his
motor home. We also convinced campers to sell us food (stew, apples
and turtle crackers). The lady that camped next to us let us cook
over her fire. (Daily bike miles 57.1 miles; Total Miles 888.7)
Thursday, Day 12, June 9, 1988
We arrived at Old
Faithful, just missing its eruption and had to wait an hour for
the next eruption. Afterward Tony and Jim went south and I biked to
Morning Glory Hot Springs. Next I started cycling towards West
Yellowstone, Montana. I went to a campground 3 miles north of town
and was not able to tent camp (only hard shelled campers where
allowed to camp at the campground) due to recent bear mauling. I then
returned to West Yellowstone arriving at 10:30 PM and had to pay
$9.00 for camping. (Daily bike miles 75 miles; Total Miles 963.7)
Friday, Day 13, June 10, 1988
Continuing north in Montana, I went through a beautiful forest
with rock cliffs. I saw two coyotes in a field. I made it to the
1000-mile (1000 miles since I left Durango) marker at 9:15 AM. I also
broke a brake cable. I crossed the Missouri river headwaters. That night I slept in bushes near Bozeman,
Montana's Belgrade airport. It was the most uncomfortable camping
spot of the entire trip. I was hiding in the woods and sleeping on a
bed of rocks. (Daily bike miles 107.1 miles; Total Miles 1070.8)
Saturday, Day 14, June 11, 1988
I ended up leaving the airport at 5:30 AM and biked along with a
butterfly for about 2 miles (it was a tiger swallowtail). I stopped
at an auction in a small town in Montana, I noticed everyone's hair
was shorter than mine and most of the men wore cowboy hats. I felt
out of place, the only person who spoke to me was the town policeman,
but I didn't hear what he said. The next 15 miles I saw him four
times. Each passing he slowed down and glared at me (I think he
wanted me out of his town). I went through the capital of Montana,
Helena and then biked up a 3000-foot mountain to McDonald Pass
(elevation 6320 feet). Here I found a legal free campground and spent
the night there. I broke my rim and set up my tent for the first time
on this day. (Daily bike miles 116.6 miles; Total Miles 1187.4)
Sunday, Day 15, June 12, 1988
It rained all night and most of the next day. I did not start
biking until noon and then biked to Clearwater, Montana. From there I
hitched a ride with my bike to Missoula, Montana. I needed to go to
Missoula to get a new bike rim, my old rim was broken. In Missoula, I
made a withdrawal from the First Interstate Bank and stayed in a nice
$18.00 motel. (Daily bike miles 78 miles; Total Miles 1265.4)
Monday, Day 16, June 13, 1988
The following day I went to Arron’s bike shop and bought a used
rim. Then I put the new rim on my bike (I did not get out of Missoula
until about 2:00 PM) and rode back to Clearwater to continue my trip.
I followed the Swan Valley north. Here I found many lakes and a
lovely slow moving river. At Salmon Lake I found a turtle, I picked
it up and it urinated on my leg. I also saw 12 deer and an elk that
day. I camped at Holland Lake with a cowboy named Keith. He was a
bear hunter's guide and told me about a few close encounters. I think
he was trying to scare me with his bear tales. He also told me that the wilderness, the Bob Marshall, near Swan valley was the largest wilderness area in the lower 48 state. (Daily bike miles 80.1 miles; Total Miles 1345.5)
Tuesday, Day 17, June 14, 1988
I left camp at 10:00 AM, when I stopped a butterfly landed on my
leg. Before leaving the Swan Valley I met some people that were water
skiing. I talked with them and they invited me skiing. They owned a
very powerful boat and I told them that I would try slalom skiing. I
was a big time downhill skier and most of the time when I went water
skiing (probably about 10 times previous to this) I would try slalom
skiing. I was able to get up on one ski immediately. I was a better
skier than the people that owned the boat were and they enjoyed
having me show them my skills (I think I even did a flip for them. I
used to end my ski ride by flipping off the boat’s wake and then I
would land in the water.) That day I stopped at a bar and won a
dollar playing a video poker machine. I stayed at a $6.00 (I paid $5.00)
campground East of Columbia Falls. (Daily bike miles 80.9 miles; Total Miles
1426.4)
Wednesday, Day 18, June 15, 1988
The next day, I meet a young kid on a bike and he recommended that
I stopped at Hungry Horse Dam. He told me it was a short ride, but he
did not tell me the hill was a tough steep hill climb. I ended up
biking up the step hill to the dam and took an elevator down to a
hydrogenating plant. It was a very interesting self-guided tour with
movies, recordings, and brochures. That evening I cycled "The Road to
the Sun" at Glacier National Park. It was a steep ride with
waterfalls, cliffs, deer and
Rocky
Mountain sheep. One deer came up to my bike and I saw another
deer swimming across a river. I camped near Saint Mary's lake. (Daily bike miles 76.7 miles; Total Miles
1503.1)
Thursday, Day 19, June 16, 1988
I ended up leaving camp at 6:30 AM and cycled about 8 miles with
the "Trans American" bicyclists (Lung Association Riders going from
Washington State to Virginia). This is an interesting group and I was
very familiar with the group. I had read about the annual event and
believe that in order to do the ride you needed $5,000 worth of
sponsors. I always thought I would like to go on a ride like that,
but I did not have enough friends to earn $5,000 in sponsors. We
cycled by Saint
Mary Lake where the water was as smooth as glass with a mirror
image of the mountains on the water. The other cyclists (Trans
American bicyclists) went east and I went north to Many Glaciers.
Upon arriving at Many Glaciers, I began hiking to Swiftcurrent Pass.
The hike centered on cliffs overlooking a lake with a multicolored
valley (red cliffs and green trees). At the top I found snowfields
and grassy meadows. I meet a man that was a ski patrol at Jackson
Hole Wyoming and he told me that he skied SS Couloir (A run that I had
seen with my brother that requires a 15-foot jump to start skiing
next to a rocky bowl). The round-trip hike to Swiftcurrent pass was
13.2 miles. I ended up camping at the campground at the base of
Swiftcurrent pass with the wind, rain and Misquotes. (Daily bike miles 37.4 miles; Total Miles 1540.5)
Friday, Day 20, June 17, 1988
On the twentieth day of my travels, I arrived in Canada, 1572
miles from Durango, Colorado at 11:04 AM. At the boarder, I was asked
to show that I was financially capably of spending time in Canada. I
was familiar with this from a past experience in Canada. The thing is
if you are not traveling by automobile you must have enough money to
survive (I was refused entry into Canada for not having enough money
in 1982, when I was hitch hiking to Alaska. At that time you needed
to have $30.00 per day in order to enter Canada). The purpose of this
restriction is so that people will not go to Canada to look for work.
I did not tell the border patrol I was going to Alaska, instead I
told him I was just going on a week ride in the Canadian Rockies. I
then showed him that I was financially capable with cash, traveler’s
checks and a charge card (he asked how much I could charge, but did
not verify it). On the way past Waterton Park I saw buffalo and
stopped to take some pictures. While I was stopped some Canadian
travelers gave me 2 ham sandwiches to eat (I was not looking for
food, they just wanted to be friendly). When I was headed north I
encountered very strong side winds and when I turned west towards
Bellevue the wind turned to headwinds. The ride to Bellevue, Alberta
was so windy that I actually walked my bike down a couple of hills.
Here I found free camping through the courtesy of the local
merchants. (Daily bike miles 103.5 miles; Total Miles 1644)
Saturday, Day 21, June 18, 1988
The following day the headwinds continued. It was one of those
days were the wind was so strong that it was quicker and easier to
walk the bike down hills. I came to the site of a gigantic landslide
where, on April 29, 1903, almost the entire mountain fell on the
mining town of Frank. The Visitor's Center had an interesting slide
show and exhibits. Arriving in British Columbia, the headwinds
finally stopped and I found a nice free campground (it was only free
off-season and would have cost $8.00/ night in July) near Fernie.
(Daily bike miles 57.6 miles; Total Miles 1701.6)
Sunday, Day 22, June 19, 1988
I met many other cyclists on my trip. The most interesting group
was an English couple who was completing a two-year, 25,000-mile bike
ride around the world. This couple was in their 50s and had rugged
and simple bikes (not a lot of gears with balloon tires). The man
asked me if I stayed in campgrounds and we both seemed to have the
same camping concepts (camp for free in the woods). The couple also
suggested that I visit Fort Steel and told me that the fort was
having an open house, so the entry was free (I just happened to be
going through on the right day/ normal fee was $5.00). I stopped at
Fort Steel; a renovated fort with stores, antiques and people dressed
in British Cavalry uniforms. The prices in Canada were about 50%
higher than in the US. After leaving the fort, I felt really good and
started biking at a fast pace. Suddenly I had a blow out and ruined
my tire and tube. It was too dark to fix the flat, so I went to sleep
on the side of the road. (Daily bike miles 82.9 miles; Total Miles 1784.5)
Monday, Day 23, June 20, 1988
I stopped for breakfast in Canal Flats and meet several bicyclists
from Spokane, Washington. I also meet some men on motorcycle, one of
them was named Ron. I ended up seeing Ron three more times on my
trip. I also meet a bicyclist that had started in New York and was
headed for Alaska. Entering the Canadian Rockies, I took a shower and
swam at Radium Hot Springs for $2.00. That day I saw four black bears. One of the bears stopped on the side of the road and was
staring
at me, I decided I did not want to continue along the highway with that bear next to the road so I yelled and it ran into the woods. That night I cautiously retired at McLeod Meadows campground in the Kootenay National Forest. (Daily bike miles 84.2 miles; Total Miles 1868.7)
Tuesday, Day 24, June 21, 1988
In the morning, I hiked the 3-mile round trip to Dog Lake. On the
road I saw 3 large mountain goats with 2 young goats. My next stop
was Marble Canyon. The water was a lovely turquoise color engulfed in
a narrow canyon that has walls up to 199 feet deep and only up to 20
feet apart. That night I stayed in Spray River Hostel in Banff
National Park. This remote area was accessible only by bike or on
foot (2.3-mile dirt road). It was so primitive that there was an
outside shower and no electricity. To operate the shower you needed
to heat water on a wood burning stove in the cabin then put the water
in a bucket. Next you pulled a rope and the water would dump onto
your head. One of the guys that operated the cabin was bragging about
taking outdoor shower in the winter when it was 20 degrees below 0.
(Daily bike miles 82.2 miles; Total Miles 1950.9)
Wednesday, Day 25, June 22, 1988
I parked my bike next to a rushing river and followed it into
Johnson Canyon for a 3-mile hike. There was a well-maintained trail
in the narrow canyon that often disappeared into sheer cliffs where
catwalks hovered over the white water. Several waterfalls blasted
through the canyon. I stopped at Moraine Lake; a picture of this
lovely lake is found on the back of Canadian twenty-dollar bills. It
was a very rainy day and my bike odometer read 2000 miles from
Durango, Colorado at 6:26 PM. Then I continued biking to the
beautiful Lake Louise. Both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are a
ravishing turquoise color. That night I saved $10.00 by using the
quick camp method at Kicking Horse Campground. It was a very nice
campground with tile floors restrooms, free firewood and nice hot
showers. I slept under a canopy that covered a picnic table. It
rained all night. (Daily bike miles 74.3 miles; Total Miles 2025.2)
Thursday, Day 26, June 23, 1988
On the second consecutive day of heavy rains I pushed on to
Takakkaw Falls, the tallest waterfall in the Canadian Rockies. I
arrived at the campground near the trail head at about 7:00 AM. I was
cold and wet, so I went into a cabin that was full of Germans. Inside
I sat near their fire for about an hour. It was like being in a
foreign country, because I was the only one who spoke good English.
The rain finally stopped and I hiked the 10-mile round trip to Twin
Falls. It was an exhilarating hike with streams of gray and blue
water. Also, I took several small detours to see waterfalls
(Laughing, Angle Staircase and Porcupine Falls) and lakes (Duchensng
and MarPole Lakes). That evening I saw a wild moose. I slept at
Hi-Mosquito Creek Hostel with four other cyclists. One of them was named Mike
and I saw him again at the end of the summer on the streets of
Vancouver. At the hostel a man told me about how he climbed into a hole in the ice field and saw neat
brilliant
blue ice. (Daily bike miles 53.1 miles; Total Miles 2078.3)
Friday, Day 27, June 24, 1988
On the way to Sunwapta Pass, I saw several mountain goats and a
few
Rocky Mountain sheep. At the top I took a short hike to Bow
Pass where I had a panoramic view of jagged mountains and
turquoise Peyto Lake. Not far from here I stopped at Columbia Ice
Field and walked on my first glacier. Crawling into an opening I saw
blue ice and miniature waterfalls. That night I saved $6.00 by using
the quick camp method at the campground near Columbia Ice Fields. I
told people at the campground that I was climbing in ice caves on the
Glacier. They told me it was very dangerous in the caves, because
ice fields move and can crush and suffocate a person. (Daily bike miles 71.5 miles; Total Miles 2149.8)
Saturday, Day 28, June 25, 1988
In the morning, I went back and climbed inside a glacier to take
some pictures. Even though the previous night I was told it was
dangerous. I just wanted to get some pictures since I did not get
pictures the first time. This time I went in and out of the cave very
quickly and in the process I ended up with dirt in my hair and on my
coat. I returned to the ice fields and took the bus tour (they called
the bus a snowmobile) onto the glacier. This vehicle had enormous
tractor tires and a maximum speed of 16 MPH. It climbed a 32% grade.
I learned that one of the world's few triple continental divides is
located on the top of Columbia Ice Fields. The streams flow to the
Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. Also, I saw the only living
organism of the ice fields, a black alga. I kept thinking that people
were looking at me in a funny way, because of all the mud in my hair.
Continuing on, I traveled through Jasper to Yellowhead Lake. That day
I saw 12 elk, 47 mountain goats, 5 mountain sheep and a deer. To
avoid paying a $7.00 camping fee (besides that the campground was
full), I asked some people if I could set up camp behind their
Volkswagen bus. I told the ranger and he did not mind. (Daily bike miles 96.2 miles; Total Miles 2246.0)
Sunday, Day 29, June 26, 1988
I saw Ron from Canal Flats again. This is 500 miles and 6 days
after I first met him. I stopped and went for a hike to a waterfall;
the sign said 45-minute round trip. Well, I ended up getting lost and
found another sign to the same waterfall that said 95-minute round
trip. I then visited Mount Robson, the tallest peak in the Canadian
Rockies (12,972-ft.). I remember seeing a sign to Berg Lake and would
have liked to have done the hike. It was one of the few hikes that I
really felt I missed. That night, I slept under a bridge with the
mosquitoes at Goat River rest area. (Daily bike miles 110.5 miles; Total Miles 2356.5)
Monday, Day 30, June 27, 1988
Arriving in Prince George, I saw a man working in his yard and
asked if I could sleep on his land. He let me sleep in his old
trailer. I helped him move some furniture. Then we drank a couple of
beers (I had 3 beers) with his buddies, who thought US citizens were
all millionaires and asked why I didn't travel in an RV. It seemed
like one of the guys did not like US citizens. He kept asking me what
I thought about issues related to decisions made by the US Present.
The issues were related to things that were not popular in Canada.
One of the issues had to do with a Dam put up in the US that ended up
flooding some of the land in Canada. I did not know of any on the
issues that he mentioned. The guy that owned the house told his
friend to quit harassing me. It was an interesting fun night. (Daily bike miles 103 miles; Total Miles 2459.5)
Tuesday, Day 31, June 28, 1988
As I went west the mountains turned to plains and the wildlife
became scarce. I tried to camp on some Indian land, but could not
sleep due to noises in the woods. I kept thinking a bear was in the
woods. I then went to Beaumont campground and saved $8.00 using the
quick-camped method. (Daily bike miles 101.8 miles; Total Miles 2561.3)
Wednesday, Day 32, June 29, 1988
All of the following day I cycled through plains. The roads were
not as good as other parts of Canada, but better than Montana roads
and there were headwinds most of the day. That night, I camped in
the woods near Houston. (Daily bike miles 105.1 miles; Total Miles 2666.4)
Thursday, Day 33, June 30, 1988
As I approached South Hazelton a motorcyclist slowed down next to
me. It was Ron from Canal Flats. This was the third time I had seen
him in the past 10 days. I had actually biked over 800 miles since
the first time I met Ron. We ended up getting a room together and
having a couple of beers in a local bar. All night long the bouncer
at the bar broke up fights and pulled drunks out of the bar. It
seemed like the people always smiled as they were getting kicked out
of the bar. I danced with this girl and she asked if I was a biker. I
said yes and asked how she knew. It was my cloths; I was wearing
biking shorts and a biking shirt. Meanwhile, Ron kept winning money
and beers playing pool. (Daily bike miles 87.1 miles; Total Miles 2753.5)
Friday, Day 34, July 1, 1988
Before Ron left on his motorcycle we decided to meet again
at Prince Rupert. The highway to Torrance was lined with snow-covered
peaks and flowers. That night, I camped on a logging road and it
rained constantly. (Daily bike miles 92.6 miles; Total Miles 2846.1)
Saturday, Day 35, July 2, 1988
Before getting to Prince Rupert, I meet a guy on a bike headed for
the Northwest Territories of Canada. I touched the Pacific Ocean at
about 6:30 PM after 35 days of biking and covering 2930 miles from
Durango, Colorado. I met Ron and we saw a movie and rented rooms in
the same motel. (Daily bike miles 84.1 miles; Total Miles 2930.2)
Sunday, Day 36, July 3, 1988
The following day Ron and I boarded the Alaskan ferry. We were
about 20 miles from Alaska. The boat left Prince Rupert at 9:15 AM
and made it to Alaska at about 10:45 AM. (Daily bike miles 0.9 miles; Total Miles 2931.1)
Monday, Day 37, July 4, 1988
I saw whales from the ferry and on July 4th I arrived in
Juneau, Alaska at about 10 AM. Although the city was 15 miles south
of the ferry terminal, I peddled to the north. The road ended at the
beautiful sandy Eagle Beach. Returning south to Mendenhall Glacier, I
camped with a couple of Canadian cyclists whom I had met on the
ferry. (Daily bike miles 59.3 miles; Total Miles 2990.4)
Tuesday, Day 38, July 5, 1988
On a dirt road near the glacier I saw three bald eagles, one had a
wingspan of approximately 8 feet. At the visitor's center I took a
short hike to the base of the glacier. A large break in the ice the
previous day enriched the blue color of the glacier. At 10:00 AM my
bike odometer read 3,000 miles since I left Durango, Colorado. I
stopped at the boat dock to see if anyone knew where there might be
job openings and one person suggested Douglas Cold storage. It was
the first job I applied for and I was hired on the spot. I started
the job the next day, so I had to buy some new rain boots. I went to
the local K-mart and bought rain boots and tried to buy food. They
said I could use my charge card for merchandise, but not food. (Daily bike miles 59.9 miles; Total Miles 3050.3)
Day 39-48, July 6-15, 1988
I worked at Douglas Cold Storage for 10 days. I did not have any
money and had to eat peanut butter sandwiches until I was paid. I
worked with a very interesting group of people. The foreman was
living in a halfway house (I am not sure what he did wrong, but he
was recently released from jail). One night, I went to drink with the
foreman and he was only allowed to have guest until 9:00 PM,
this was part of his parole. There were also 2 guys that worked at
the cannery that was exiled from Iran. They said they came from
wealthy families and went to school in the US. One day they got a
letter from their parents saying that things were not stable in Iran
and that they should not return. It seemed like these guys were very
unhappy. At the cannery we unloaded boats, then separated the types
of salmon, beheaded, gutted, froze, glazed and boxed them before
shipping them all over the world. One of my favorite jobs at the
cannery was grinding the fish heads (an outdoor task that attracted crabs). While working I lived free in a
historical office building at Treadmill (an original settlement in
the Juneau area). A short walk from my shack was a beach with a view
of the mountains and the town of Juneau. I remember feeling good
after a 12 hour day of work and sitting on my beach when I saw a
large bald eagle fly past me. (Daily bike miles 50 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total miles 3100.3)
Day 49-51, July 16-18, 1988
Juneau has several tourist attractions. Among the attractions I
saw were totem poles, the Alaska State Museum, and a Russian Orthodox
Church. I hiked up the 3-mile, 3000-foot trail to the top of Mount
Juneau. At the summit I stood in subalpine meadows with patches of
snow and multi-colored flowers. The view was beautiful. I could see
Juneau, inland ocean passages, small islands, and mountain all the
way to Canada. (Daily bike miles 109.7 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total miles 3210)
Tuesday, Day 52, July 19, 1988
While I was in Alaska, July 19th was the only rainless day; it was
totally clear. I hiked in ankle-deep mud to the top of Eaglecrest Ski
Area. Coming down the mountain I "tennis shoe skied" the top third of
the mountain. When the snow ended the slick moss and the many small
cliffs made hiking conditions treacherous. Reaching the bottom, I
cycled 15 miles and hiked up Mount Roberts.
From the top of Mount Robert ’s I had views of mountains and the inside passage. I even saw wild marmots in the alpine fields. On both of these hikes
the scenery was spectacular. (Daily bike miles 30 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total miles 3240)
Wednesday, Day 53, July 20, 1988
The next day the rain returned. My friend, Paul (A friend
from the cannery. He ended up letting me sleep in his spare room
after I quit working at the cannery) and we hiked to Herbert Glacier,
which was similar to Mendenhall Glacier, but more primitive. That
evening I took a dinner cruise to Tracie's Arm. The trip to South
Sawyer Glacier took us through rock cliffs and past many
waterfalls. With binoculars I could see sea lions sitting on
icebergs. Paul was from Minnesota and he told me how he wrote home to
tell his family about the interesting people that he worked with at
the cannery. He said he even mention the guy that rode his bike to
Alaska (me). I had a nice coat that I think I got from Paul and small rain coat from goodwill, I was not very well dressed in Alaska. (Daily bike miles 12.4 miles; Total Miles 3252.4)
Thursday, Day 54, July 21, 1988
Dave another friend from Douglas Cold Storage took me to Gustavus
in his 17-foot Boston Whaler. Dave grew up in Alaska and enjoyed
boating. The boat ride was in very stormy weather and 3-foot swells
which made the trip in his small boat very, very rough! I felt like I was going to shake apart, he was hitting the swells at high speed and I was in the boat's cabin with one hand pressed on the floor and the other hand on the
ceiling
to absorb the shock each time we hit another wave crest. Dave seemed like he
loved
the adventure, it seemed very intense to me. In Gustavus
we slept in Dave's cabin. He owned some land near Glacier Bay (next
to the town of Gustavus, Alaska) and had a storage shed sized cabin
on his land. (Daily bike miles 0 miles; I did not record any mile for the day, estimated Total Miles 3252.4)
Friday, Day 55, July 22, 1988
In the morning we drove Dave’s van to Glacier Bay Lodge. I
inquired about a boat tour through Glacier Bay and found it cost
$124.00. I talked Dave into taking me for $50.00 instead. We talked
to some other boaters that Dave knew and told them that we came over
in the storm the previous night. I remember Dave kept saying that it
was not a bad storm, but the other people thought Dave was a little
crazy taking his small boat through that storm. The other guys had
bigger boats and said that they waited the storm out in a cove. Dave
and I then boated into Glacier Bay National Park. When we
entered
the bay the temperature was
noticeable
colder, it was like entering a refrigerator. We found a nice bay and camped that night on
a beach near bear shit. (Daily bike miles 0 miles; Total Miles 3252.4)
Saturday, Day 56, July 23, 1988
This day we boated deeper into the park, the water was as smooth
as glass. Approaching Reid Glaciers was like entering a freezer. The
ocean water was a deep green, due to low temperatures. The park has
13 glaciers receding from the cove. This large number is due to high
mountains, such as Mount Fairweather (15,299 ft.). That evening at
about 5 PM Dave dropped me off at Hoonah, a small Indian village with
a ferry terminal. It has no paved roads or tourist attractions. I
slept at the ferry terminal that night. (Daily bike miles 1 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total Miles 3253.4)
Day 57-58, July 24-25, 1988
At 5 AM I boarded the ferry for Sitka. On the way I saw a whale
repeatedly jumping out of the water. This is called "breaching" and
is a rare and wonderful sight. When I got off the boat someone gave
me a ride to town, then I biked 1 mile to the southern end of the
road and setup camp. (Daily bike miles 1 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total Miles 3254.4)
Tuesday, Day 59, July 26, 1988
I biked up the dirt road to Blue Lake and then hiked to Beaver
Lake; both encircled by majestic mountains. Back in town, I visited
Castle Hill (site of battles between Russians and Tlignit Indians in
the 1800's), pioneer homes (where elderly Alaskan pioneers lived),
Totem Park, (historic Tlignit Indian war grounds), Sheldon Jackson
College, the Anthropology Museum, and a Russian Orthodox Church. I
also watched the New Archangel dancers at a free show. Everywhere I
saw strong Russian heritage. This is due to the fact that Sitka was
the Russian-American capital in the early 1800's when Russia owned
Alaska. I took pictures of these girls dressed in Russian cloths.
They were driving the tour buses; they wanted me to hurry up and take
the picture, because they did not like the bright sun. It was sunny
for a short time (it's normally rainy) and these people were not used to the sun. I biked
ten miles north to Harbor mountain road and biked to the top of the
only subalpine road in southeast Alaska. It was gravel and so rough
that I had to walk my bike most of the way. I wanted to camp at the
top and tried to sleep in a picnic table shelter, but decided it was
too windy, rainy and cold. Then I went to the bottom of the mountain
and set up camp at the northern end of the highway. (Estimated bike miles 68.4 miles; Total Miles 3322.8)
Wednesday, Day 60, July 27, 1988
In the morning, I biked to town and then to the ferry terminal. I
boarded the boat and arrived in Wrangell at 5 AM. by 10:00 AM I had
cycled all the paved highways in the Wrangell area and eaten a free pancake breakfast at
the Salvation Army. I visited the main attraction, Bear Tribal house
on Chief Shakes Island; it is an intricately carved pow-wow house
encircled by totem poles. I took a nap for a couple of hours and then
biked two miles down the road to a beach were I found petroglyphs
(swirls and faces carved in the rocks). I also took a lovely hike to
Rainbow Falls before going back to the ferry terminal. It was only
5:00 PM and I had to wait till 10:00 PM for the ferry. (Daily bike miles 48.7 miles; Total Miles 3371.5)
Thursday, Day 61, July 28, 1988
The ferry arrived in Petersburg at 2:15 AM and I immediately
departed for the south end of the paved highway where I stopped for
breakfast at a lake near the local salmon hatchery. I cycled back to
town and the northern end of the pavement. Here I found Sandy Beach,
where I saw more petroglyphs similar to those in Wrangell. I then
finished biking all the paved roads (18 miles all together) in this
Petersburg area and went back to town. In Petersburg the Norwegian heritage was
strong. One parking lot held a Viking ship; the Scandinavian
architecture of the churches made me feel that I was really in
Norway. Peter Buschmann founded Petersburg in the late 1800's. He and
several other Norwegians joined together to form Alaska’s "Little
Norway." I ended up catching the 10:30 AM ferry for Ketchikan (I
only spent 7 hours in Petersburg).
Arriving in Ketchikan at 11 PM amid heavy rains, I biked to the
northern end of the road. Here I used the quick camp method to save
$5.00 at Ward Lake Recreation Area. This is the wettest area in
Alaska with an average of 160 inches of rain annually. It rained very
hard the whole time that I spent in Ketchikan. (Daily bike miles 50.3 miles; Total Miles 3421.8)
Friday, Day 62, July 29, 1988
I left camp at 5:00 AM and biked to Totem Bright; a park with a
totem pole lined trail leading to a tribal house. After riding to the
southern end of the pavement I returned to Saxman Village. Here I
found the world's largest collection of totem poles, including one of
Abraham Lincoln. Back in Ketchikan I received a free lunch at the
Salvation Army and took the town's walking tour. I started by
visiting the historic Creek Street Red Light district. Prostitution
was legal in Alaska until the 50's. Continuing on, I stopped at the
museum and at Totem Heritage Park. This park is unique because the
totem poles are older and more historical. At this point I had cycled
all the paved roads of Southeast Alaska and boarded a ferry for
Canada. (Daily bike miles 57.3 miles; Total Miles 3479.1)
Saturday, Day 63, July 30, 1988
The following day, I spent on ferries: one to Prince Rupert and
one to Port Hardy on the northern end of Vancouver Island. I arrived
in Port hardy at 10:30 PM and camped at the rest area near the ferry
terminal with two Swiss cyclists I met on the ferry. (Daily bike miles 1 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total Miles 3480.1)
Sunday, Day 64, July 31, 1988
I cycled with the Swiss bikers for 60 miles. That day I met
several foreigners on bicycles: 2 English, 1 Australian and 2
Germans. I spent the night at Big Tree Creek Rest Area. (Estimated daily bike miles 123.4 miles; Total Miles 3603.5)
Monday, Day 65, August 1, 1988
I took a ferry from Campbell River to Powell River and followed the
Sunshine Coast to Saltery Bay. A second ferry took me to Earl Cove
and I cycled the mountainous coastal road. When I was tired I camped
by the side of the road. I started trying to sleep and a car stopped
to see if I was OK. He said he could see my reflectors as he was
driving down the highway and thought I was a car in the ditch. I then
covered up my reflectors and went to sleep. (Daily bike miles 92.1 miles; Total Miles 3695.6)
Tuesday, Day 66, August 2, 1988
In Langdale, I took another ferry to northern Vancouver's Horse
shoe Bay. I stopped at one of the nice beaches and took a chilling
swim. It was like being in Southern California, I saw beautiful women
and it was the first time that summer when I could comfortable wear
shorts. After crossing Lions Gate Bridge I toured Stanley
Park and found more beaches, totem poles, and small lakes. In
downtown Vancouver I saw Mike, whom I had met 40 days earlier in the
Canadian Rockies. What a small world to see him on the sidewalks of
Vancouver! We rode around downtown on his motorcycle and at one point
he took a slow corner in the hills and laid the bike down. That night
Mike's friend, Heather, chauffeured us around in her Jaguar and we
stop at a couple of mellow nightclubs. I spent the night with another
of Mike's friends. (Daily bike miles 60.6 miles; Total Miles 3756.2)
Wednesday, Day 67, August 3, 1988
In the morning after Mike’s friend’s wife cook us beacon and eggs
for breakfast I returned to the road. Cycled downtown Vancouver where
I saw Chinatown, Gas Town and Queen Elizabeth Park. At the end of
town a man in a van shuttled me through George Massey Tunnel (no
bikes allowed). He took 4 of us with bikes loaded with camping gear
through the tunnel. At Tsawwassen Bay I took a ferry to Vancouver
Island's Swartz Bay. Then I cycled to Victoria, the capital of
British Columbia. I had planned on sleeping in Bacon Hill Park, but
was told I could sleep at the ferry terminal and take the 6 AM boat
to Port Angeles, Washington. (Daily bike miles 65.2 miles; Total Miles
3821.4)
Thursday, Day 68, August 4, 1988
In Port Angeles, I put my biking gear
in a locker at the bus terminal and then cycled from sea level to
Hurricane Ridge (5320 vertical feet in 18 miles) at the Olympic
National Park. I saw a deer under a building at the top of Hurricane
ridge. It was a clear day and 7000-foot snow-covered mountains
surrounded me. That night, I camped on a closed road near Lake
Crescent. (Daily bike miles 57.9 miles; Total Miles 3879.3)
Friday, Day 69, August 5, 1988
Luckily I didn't receive any of the 140 inches of annual rain
while cycling through the Hoh Rain Forest. The road to the visitor's
center is like a tunnel of trees with moss that hangs up to 5 feet
from the branches. I stopped at a large Sitka spruce and a sign said
it was 270 feet tall, 12.5 feet in diameter and 500-550 years old.
The average height of these trees is 220 feet. I slept on the side of
the road in a bed of spongy moss. (Daily bike miles 100.9 miles; Total Miles 3980.2)
Saturday, Day 70, August 6, 1988
I stopped at a large cedar tree and it took me 47 paces to walk
around the tree. The road to Aberdeen followed a graceful 11-mile
sandy beach. It was an airy morning with a light fog and rock
pinnacles protruded like shadows from the ocean. At 10:41 AM my bike
odometer registered 4000 miles since I left Durango, Colorado. That
night, I slept about 10 miles east of Aberdeen in bushes near a
cemetery (Montesano, Washington). (Daily bike miles 95.9 miles; Total Miles 4076.1)
Sunday, Day 71, August 7, 1988
I fought traffic all the way to Bremerton, Washington where I
caught a ferry to Seattle. When I arrived in Seattle I called my
Albuquerque roommate's (Connor was my roommate’s name) cousin and
asked them if I could stay at their place. The guy was asking me
questions about Connor, Connor’s brother and mother. Then he came and
picked me up. Before I left Albuquerque Connor told me I could look
up his cousin in Seattle and stay with them. I assumed that Connor
told them that I might show up, but I found out that his cousin did
not know and that is why he asked me all the questions about Connor.
I ended up stayed with Connor’s cousin while I was in Seattle.
(Daily bike miles 77.8 miles; Total Miles 4153.9)
Monday, Day 72, August 8, 1988
In Seattle, I went to Pike's Market, the Space Needle, and cycled
Washington Lake Boulevard to Seward Park. (Estimated Daily bike miles 46.1 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total Miles 4200)
Tuesday, Day 73, August 9, 1988
I took a Grayline bus tour to Mount Rainier National Park. The bus
stopped for two hours at the visitor's center. I saw a sign that
said, "ice caves" 5-hour round trip. I was so anxious to see them
that I ran the whole way in 1.5 hours.
The Ice caves had
translucent
blue ice and were one of the neatest natural formations I saw on my entire trip (I returned to Mount Rainier National Forest about 11 years later to find the ice caves had melted).
Back at the visitor's center I
noticed a sign saying that a record snowfall of 1,122 inches was set
in the winter of 1971-72. (Estimated Daily bike miles 35.3 miles; I did not record the exact miles, estimated total Miles 4235.3)
Wednesday, Day 74, August 10, 1988
On my last day I took a Grayline bus tour to the Boeing plant in
Everett. The building where 747s are built is the largest structure
by volume in the world. The cost of a 747 is between 80-125 million
dollars. That night I boarded an airplane for Albuquerque and my trip
ended! (Estimated Daily bike miles 0 miles; Total Miles 4235.3)