ALASKA; Day 6; July 20, 2013

Today was quite a day!  We had a buffet breakfast at the hotel.  There was a light rain so I went to my motorcycle to get my rain gear.  I noticed that my stainless steel Coleman cooler (a gift from Deb & Tim) was gone . . . RIPPED OFF!  Gary had the idea it could have been kids looking for beer and he suggested looking around the grounds for the cooler.  We did and Gary found it behind an adjacent building.  The items inside had not been stolen (no beer).  So I strapped it back on the rack and I was good to go.

As we started the bikes preparing to leave, Gary noticed that Carl had no running lights on his trailer.  His brake lights and turn signals did work, however, so it was decided the issue would be diagnosed later.

Beaver Creek, Yukon is only 20 miles from the border so we were off to Alaska USA.  It was 52 degrees in light rain.  We immediately ran into construction and a wait.Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek, YukonWhen we got moving again it was a wet muddy ride to the border.  The crossing this time was uneventful – no searches.

As we headed for Tok, AK I was getting chilly so I started thinking about putting on my leather coat under my rain jacket.  It was then that I had an oh-crap moment.  I realized that I’d left my leather coat on the coat rack in the hotel room in Beaver Creek.  We were 65 miles away so I decided not to return.  After gassing up in Tok I called the Westmark Inn and confirmed that they had my coat.  They said they would hold it for my until we were back that way on July 27th.

At Tok we departed from the Alaska Highway route and went southwest on Hwy 1, the Tok Cut Off, to Glennallen, AK.  We experienced off-and-on rain but the scenery was great.  Is life good or what?Hwy 1 (Tok Cut Off) south of Tok, AK

In Glennallen we gassed up at one of the busiest gas stations I’ve ever seen.  We were there during a heavy rain and when we departed westbound towards Anchorage on Hwy 1 we were again in a construction zone.  This section of highway is called the Glenn Highway.  And the scenery was some of the best I’ve ever seen, including several glaciers.  The route parallels a mountain range most of the way to Palmer.  It is a must-ride if you get up to Alaska.

By the time we arrived in Palmer it was mostly sunny.  We stopped for a DQ and a little shopping.  Then it was off to Anchorage where we checked into the Dimond Center Hotel, which is quite nice.

Before arriving in Anchorage it was noticed that Carl’s trailer no longer had brake lights and turn signals.  The next morning Gary, the master mechanic found the problem.  Two good size holes had been worn in the bottom of the trailer and the wiring was damaged.holes in bottom of Carl's trailer (wires already repaired)Gary and his helpers were able to make a temporary fix, which should get Carl home.  It is not known for sure if the holes were abraded over a period of time or if it all happened on the rough roads of this trip.  It was definitely finished off on this trip.

We rode 455 miles (441 according to Garmin) today, much of it in rain and cold but it was a beautiful ride anyway.  The rough roads and construction zones were a challenge again today.  After six days and 3,710 miles (3,576 according to Garmin) we were finally in Anchorage.

Chris and Marge arrived by plane at 11:30 pm and they will spend a week with us touring around Alaska.  It was good to squeeze my cute little heifer again!

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/5903154495405735281?authkey=CLqL1_mHsfP-fQ

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