Day 15: Fort McPherson - Parking

[It happened a lot, it's already August 1st and I have been in Alaska since today. I hope I still remember everything.]

I get breakfast from Juri and Murphey and can pack everything without a hurry, really great the hospitality of the two. We did put everything which is not attached firmly to the bike into the house - the confidence in the honesty of the indigenous population is not very strong. This also seems to be noticeable in the sawmill where things and parts of the machines are disappearing. The motivation and reliability of the Native People is not very high. High state alimentation means that people actually do not have to work. If they participate in a training course like the sawmill course, they will be paid additionally.

An example of the madness: For each tree they bring in, 125 dollars are paid out. If you get a corresponding amount of cut boards from the south, these are much cheaper, including transport. Thus, in the sawmill no market-driven production can take place. And so people like Juri - just like the Justice of the Peace I met a few days ago - are all quite disillusioned and there's really no idea how to do it better.

Before I start into my today's ride, I visit the sawmill and take a little photo session with Juri, Murphey and the students.

Actually, I want to ride to Dawson City today. I watch out for Grizzly bears, but they are rare, at least for me. At the Arctic Circle I meet the Canadian motorcyclist, whom I already met in Tuk and Inuvik, in conversation with two Dutchmen.. I continue to Eagle Plains, where I want to fuel up and to have lunch. Quite quickly, the table round with Ian, Marja and Remco is complete.

I'm going to start again first. After about 3 km I get into the loose gravel and off the road. A little carelessness. I can no longer stabilize the bike with giving more throttle. In no time I fly with my ahead to the road, watching how the gravel splashes around the visor, the bike slips right into the ditch and gets caught up in a tree/bushes. I come quickly up on my feet and jump down in the ditch, turn off the ignition and pull the key.

I start clearing up and the first people come to help me - my table round joins in also. Some pickup driver has a rope that we attach to the sidestand, pull the bike out of the bushes with the pickup pulling, set it up, and then pull it onto the road. Fortunately, the engine works immediately and the frame and the suspension seem ok after a first inspection.

Visor scratched, front wheel cover bent and broken mounts, a blinker cable torn, dents on tank, on the panniers and light protection, a completely crashed top case, a burst water bag are the damages of this drama. And a bruise. Only one! Later, I realize that my fitted earplugs gone lost somewhere this day.

Front wheel cover, headlights and windscreen have to be fixed, that I can continue riding at all. Very good that the motorhome of the Dutch couple gives shade to me and Ian while working. The Dutch take some part of my luggage into their motorhome. Unfortunately, one of my panniers is still lloose and jumps off again. So also the panniers go into the motorhome.

As the campground, from which Marjo and Remco want to hike the next day, is full, we look for a parking space nearby and decide to spend the night there.